Jun 15, 2014
by MOSAIC Editorial Team
After all of that time, discernment, and hard workfor some seminarians over the course of eight years of studythe hour came this spring. The Lord has truly chosen these fourteen men, these 2014 graduates of Sacred Heart, to his holy priesthood.
The first of the priestly ordinations occurred on May 24, in the Cayman Islands of all places. At St. Ignatius Parish in the city of Grand Cayman, Most Rev. Francis Reiss laid hands upon Joseph Kirkconnell, 30. Father Joseph is one of only two native-born Caymanians who have been ordained to the priesthood (the other is Fr. Tristan Abbott, SOLT, below).
Why was he ordained by Bishop Reiss, a Detroit auxiliary bishop? Because St. Ignatius is administered by the Archdiocese of Detroit as a mission church, since the Cayman Islands does not have its own Catholic diocese. Father Joseph was thereby assigned to Sacred Heart for his priestly formation, beginning in 2007 as an undergraduate philosophy student. He is considered a priest of the archdiocese (and requested special permission to be ordained in his home country, happily granted by Most Rev. Allen Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit). Father Joseph's first assignment is at St. Paul Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms.
On May 30, the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw witnessed the ordination of Andrew LaFramboise for the Diocese of Saginaw by Most Rev. Joseph Cistone, the diocesan bishop. In his homily, Bishop Cistone called Fr. Andrew's ordination a great day for the diocese and for the universal Church. Father Andrew, 28, entered Sacred Heart in 2007. His first parish assignment is at the newly-linked parish community of St. Stephen in Saginaw and Ss. Peter and Paul in Saginaw Township. He will also do pastoral work with students at Saginaw Valley State University.
Two members of the religious community of the Society of the Most Holy Trinity were ordained on May 31. Bro. Tristan Abbott, 37, and Bro. Michael Slovak, 35, received Holy Orders at Corpus Christi Cathedral in Corpus Christi, Texas, by Most Rev. William Mulvey, Bishop of Corpus Christi, who is responsible for overseeing the community. The Society has been sending its seminarians to Sacred Heart since 2011. It has a special ministry to serve Spanish-speaking Catholics across the world. Father Tristan, a native of the Cayman Islands, is assigned to Christ the King Parish in Corpus Christi; Father Michael to Nuestra Seora del Refugio Parish in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Three Sacred Heart graduates entered the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Detroit on June 7. Through the hands of Archbishop Vigneron, Ryan Adams, 33, Jeff Allan, 35, and John Kopson, 32, were ordained at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. They joined Gregory Piatt, 55, and Joseph Tuskiewicz, 59, both men receiving their graduate formation at the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Massachusetts, and Bryan Shackett, 25, a former Sacred Heart undergraduate who attended the Pontifical North American College in Rome for graduate studies. Father Ryan is assigned to the National Shrine of the Little Flower Parish in Royal Oak; Father Allan to Holy Trinity Parish in Port Huron; and Father Kopson to Divine Child Parish in Dearborn.
On the same day, June 7, Christopher Stanish, 26, received the Sacrament of Holy Orders for the Diocese of Gary through the hands of his bishop, Most Rev. Dale Melczek. The sacred event occurred at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary.
On June 14, Most. Rev. Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing, ordained Gary Koenigsknecht, 26, his twin brother Todd Koenigsknecht, 26, W. Vincent Richardson, 26, and James Rolph, 26, for the Diocese of Lansing. The ceremony took place at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing. Father Todd will begin his priestly ministry at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor; Father Gary at the Church of the Holy Family in Grand Blanc Township; Father Vincent at St. Patrick Parish in Brighton; and Father Rolph at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Fenton.
The final priestly ordinations of Sacred Heart's Class of 2014 will be of Scott Jablonski, 32, and James Leeser, 52, of the Diocese of Madison (Wisc.). Most Rev. Robert Morlino, Bishop of Madison, will lay hands on the men on June 27 at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison. Father Leeser is assigned to St. John the Baptist Parish, Waunakee, and St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Westport; and Father Jablonski to St. Bernard Parish, Watertown, and St. Henry Parish, Watertown.
Could you consider saying a prayer for each of these men in the coming days, weeks and even years? In a real sense, through your prayer support, they become your spiritual sons, members of your spiritual family.
Front from left: Rev. Christopher Stanish, Diocese of Gary; Rev. James Rolph, Diocese of Lansing; Rev. Andrew LaFramboise, Diocese of Saginaw; Rev. Joseph Kirkconnell, Archdiocese of Detroit; Rev. Mr. Scott Jablonski, Diocese of Madison (ordination June 27); Rev. Mr. James Leeser, Diocese of Madison (ordination June 27); Rev. W. Vincent Richardson, Diocese of Lansing
Back from left: Rev. Todd Koenigsknecht, Diocese of Lansing; Rev. Jeffrey Allan, Archdiocese of Detroit; Rev. Ryan Adams, Archdiocese of Detroit; (Archbishop Allen Vigneron, Msgr. Todd Lajiness); Rev. John Kopson, Archdiocese of Detroit; Rev. Gary Koenigsknecht, Diocese of Lansing; Rev. Tristan Abbott, Society of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity; Rev. Michael Slovak, Society of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity.
MOSAIC Editorial Team