CHARLOTTE — The three men ordained priests on June 17 should expect to start their ministry “right away,” Bishop Peter Jugis said following a special prayer service for them at St. Patrick Cathedral prior to their ordination.
“The Church cannot wait for you to be ordained as priests, and the Church here in the Diocese of Charlotte cannot wait for you to be ordained as priests,” Bishop Jugis told then-ordinands Christopher Brock, Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu and Peter Rusciolelli.
Family and friends gathered with them at the cathedral June 15 for a prayer vigil and a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration – a pre-ordination tradition that also included the bishop blessing the men’s priestly vestments and personal chalices.
“In fact, the Church is so in need of priests and knows the value of the ministry of priests for the salvation of the world that she even makes you start working in your priestly ministry before your ordination Mass is over,” the bishop told them. “You are put to work right away, because you already are concelebrating the Mass (of ordination) with the bishop … offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the salvation of the world.”
He continued, “Even at the end of Mass, the Church will mob you to ask you for your first priestly blessing, so much does the Church – the People of God – desire the ministry of the priest. You are needed right away! There is not a moment to waste.
“So I hope you are ready for the hundreds of people who will come for their first blessings from your consecrated hands on the day of your ordination on Saturday.”
And, the bishop advised them, be prepared to offer the sacrament of reconciliation, as people might approach them immediately after the ordination Mass to hear their confessions.
“It has happened in the past,” he said, then looked at them with a knowing smile. “So I hope you have memorized … the words of absolution.”
The joyful reception the men are receiving upon the occasion of their ordination is a sign “of how valuable, how necessary and needed is the priestly ministry for the salvation of the world, for the salvation of the People of God,” Bishop Jugis said.
“Know that the Lord will continue to bless you” with the support of the entire diocese, he told them. “May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His face shine upon you.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle. Photos by Troy Hull.
VESTMENTS AND CHALICES
The set of vestments Father Brock used for his Mass of Thanksgiving features the colors of gold, in celebration of the joyful occasion of his ordination, and blue in honor of the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which was observed on his ordination day.
When it comes to his chalice, Father Brock chose one he found particularly beautiful from a collection of chalices available for graduates of the seminary in Ohio.
However, his chosen chalice was not in pristine condition, so he had it restored.
“On the bottom of the chalice there was an inscription commemorating the parish in Cincinnati where the chalice was used, and I had my own name and ordination date engraved on the bottom as well,” he said. “I love the idea of keeping this old and storied chalice in use, and I hope that future generations of priests will be able to put their names on the bottom of it as well after I am gone.”
Father Nnebe-Agumadu’s chalice comes from Mexico, the body of which is Gothic-styled, gold-plated alloy made of European bronze casting. At the base of the chalice are events from the life of Jesus such as the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Last Supper and the Ascension.
The vestments he designed to use at his first Mass is a Marian set in ivory with light blue accents. The ivory fabric has a crown motif that pays homage to Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. He said he chose to honor the Blessed Mother because she played a “huge part” in his vocation.
“Also on this vestment is a memorial to my dad who passed away in my first year of seminary,” he said. “It will be such a blessing to remember him every time I don the vestment.”
Father Rusciolelli’s chalice and vestments are rich with symbolism and meaning.
The Benedictine Sisters of Mary made his chasuble. Father Rusciolelli designed it so that each element is a symbol of the priesthood and honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Both feasts were celebrated during his ordination weekend.
His chalice is an antique and includes images honoring Our Lady, St. Joseph and other holy figures as well as Psalm 116:12, which is the prayer traditionally prayed by the priest right before receiving the Precious Blood from the chalice: “Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi,” or “What shall I render to the Lord for all His bounty to me?”
More to come: Look for more coverage of Saturday’s ordination online here, and a celebration of vocations featured in the upcoming June 23 print edition of the Catholic News Herald.