Ordination Mass

One man studying to be a priest for the diocese will be another step closer on his journey being ordained to the transitional diaconate on May 27. 
 
Diocesan seminarian Colton Steiner is currently studying at the Configuration III level and will be ordained to the priesthood, God willing, in the summer of 2026 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
 
Colton grew up attending St. Joseph Parish in Dickinson. As a Catholic school student, he was drawn to the priesthood at a young age. For years, he was seeking to be part of something greater than himself. In Eucharistic adoration, he prayed and asked “Lord, what do you want for me?” Over and over, the Lord brought him an overwhelming sense of peace when his thoughts turned toward the seminary.
 
Now, after years of preparation, Colton will take the important step of being ordained as a transitional deacon. The transitional diaconate is the entry into the clerical state, meaning the man becomes a member of the clergy. 
 
Next fall, Colton will return to Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis for one final year of formation before coming back to his home diocese for priestly ordination. 
 
“As you can about imagine, this year has flown by,” Colton said. “What I noticed, however, as the year began was a shift in the language regarding ordination. It was a shift from ‘if’ you are ordained to ‘when’ you are ordained. In other words, there was a recognition, right from the get-go, that this year of formation was different because it leads into ordination.”
 
As the language shifted, so too did Colton’s mindset. 
 
“I began taking classes that were teaching me how to preach, how to be a deacon in the Church,” he explained. “The more I practiced and learned, the more I noticed how ‘natural’ it all was for me. Natural, because of the call that the Lord had placed on my heart to be His diakonos, that is, His servant.” 
 
He’s enthusiastic, yet humbled, about being ordained to the transitional diaconate after years of formation. 
 
“This probably goes without saying, but I am extremely excited to be ordained a transitional deacon,” Colton shared. “Going into this year, I knew that the Lord wanted me to continue on my formational journey towards the priesthood, but what has been so beautiful is how He has continued to deepen my own peace, confidence and security around serving Him and His Church as a deacon.”
 
He was blessed to attend a five-day silent retreat in January that was focused on the promises all deacons make at their ordination. 
 
“As I prayed with each promise, I not only encountered Jesus’ personal invitation to make these promises, but also Jesus’ own promise to me that through His fidelity and grace, I will be able to live out these promises in a fruitful and life-giving manner. Jesus Himself said that He ‘did not come to be served, but to serve’ (Mt. 20:28). After having been served by Jesus in so many ways and experiences throughout my life, the overwhelming desire of my own heart is to give my life back in service to Christ and His Church,” Colton said.
 
That desire for service to others has grown stronger during seminary formation.
 
“I am so grateful to God for having placed this call upon my heart to lay down my life in diaconal, and eventually priestly, service,” Colton said. “Each year of formation has brought me closer to God and configured my heart to be ever more like His. The way the Lord has chosen to form me and mold me as a man after His own heart has completely surpassed even my wildest expectations that I had when I first said ‘yes’ to Him after joining seminary back in 2017. The prospect of furthering this ‘yes’ through ordained ministry overwhelms my heart with joy.”
 
Colton will soon put his knowledge into practice as a deacon, a true servant of the Church. He is eagerly anticipating the new diaconal faculties to assist at liturgies and being able to share more actively the joy and freedom of the Gospel.
 
The diaconate is a profound gift from God, and although I do not deserve it, it is a gift that God desires to give,” he shared. “As the saying goes, ‘God is never outdone in generosity.’ Thus, I am excited to be configured to Jesus Christ the servant and to live out His servant mysteries in my life and in my heart. In addition, I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to preach the Word of God and celebrate the sacrament of baptism. Just the idea of being an instrument to bring one into the Church through the saving waters of baptism gives me goosebumps.”
 
While summer assignments have yet to be determined, Colton is looking forward to putting his servant heart into action back at “home” in the parishes within our diocese.
 
“I always love returning to the diocese for the summer because it is the place and the people God has called me to serve,” Colton said. “There, I will have the opportunity to preach, perform baptisms, preside over funerals and continue learning more about the priesthood from the pastor with whom I am assigned. We are blessed in the Bismarck Diocese to have so many fantastic priests. It is certainly a privilege to learn from any one of them.”
 
With just one more year of seminary formation ahead of him, Colton is reflective on how far he’s come on this journey to the priesthood and how he’ll prepare to use God’s gifts.
 
“I know that God still has a plan on how He desires to continue forming me as a future priest,” he shared. “Thus, I am excited to see how the Lord deepens my configuration to Him as I exercise my diaconal ministry at the seminary and in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. This last year of formation will give me the time and space to engage in the on-going interior preparation to receive the gift of Christ’s priesthood. However, a challenge for me will be remaining in the present and not wishing away any valuable time of formation. There is a whole plethora of gifts that God desires to give me in my final year of seminary, and I simply want to be open to receiving them at the time and in the manner that He chooses.” 
 
Colton offered a few words to the people of our diocese.
 
“If I could give a small message to the people of the diocese, I would like to thank them for all the many ways that they have supported me and contributed in one way or another to my formation,” he said. “I cannot truly capture in words what their support means to me. Please continue to pray for me, that I may continue to prepare well to receive the gift of the diaconate.”