CHARLOTTE — A prayer vigil and Holy Hour were held June 13 at St. Patrick Cathedral for the seven men who are preparing to become priests to serve the People of God in western North Carolina.
Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, led the prayer service for the priests-to-be, who will be ordained on Saturday at St. Mark Church. Everyone is invited to the 10 a.m. ordination Mass.
All seven ordinands and their families attended the Holy Hour and were seated near the front of the cathedral – close to where their new priestly vestments were draped over kneelers near the base of the steps of the sanctuary in anticipation of Monsignor Winslow blessing them, along with the chalices that they will use at their first Mass.
The handmade kneelers are a gift from the Mary’s Sons Apostolate, which has brought them to churches all over the diocese over the past year as a lead-up to the ordination Mass. The “Kneeler Pilgrimage” gives people across the diocese an opportunity to pray for the new priests in a personal way and share congratulatory messages for each future priest in little prayer books. The kneelers and prayer books will be given to each priest following ordination.
— Catholic News Herald