Seminarian Vetter ordained a deacon

Diocesan seminarian Steven Vetter was among 23 men ordained to the transitional diaconate on Sept. 29 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Ordaining deacons on the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Mass celebrant, Bishop Austin Vetter told the men to be like them—“not angels but true messengers of God, proclaiming with your whole selves the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The men—22 from 17 U.S. dioceses and one from the Archdiocese of Sydney—are in their final year of formation for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College.

In addition to telling the men to imitate the angels of God, Bishop Vetter told them to “bump into Jesus.”

Do not look past anyone, no matter how insignificant they appear to the world, he said.

“Serve them and you will find that you are bumping into Jesus all over the place. Bump into Jesus in his people.”

Seminarian Deacon Steven Vetter will be ordained to the priesthood next summer for the diocese along with brother seminarians Deacons Josh Hill and Dustin Johns. Hill is also studying at the North American College and Johns is at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.

—Staff report