With the heart of Jesus

Four men will be ordained to the holy priesthood on June 11—the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s a most fitting date for priestly ordination as these four young men join their brother priests in fully transforming their heart to Jesus Christ and His Church.

Deacons Jacob Degele, Ben Franchuk, Greg Hilzendeger and Nick Vetter enter the brotherhood of priests at the Mass of Holy Ordination at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit beginning at 3 p.m. The Mass will be livestreamed from the Cathedral for those who would like to join online.

This class of four is the largest ordained by Bishop Kagan since the group of six men ordained in 2013. All four men have been studying in seminary for several years and will now be assigned as priests in the diocese.

Rev. Mr. Jacob Degele

Jacob, whose home parish is St. Joseph in Dickinson, said the priesthood first came to his mind when he witnessed the faith on fire in Fr. Josh Ehli, now rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Jacob was a sophomore in high school at Dickinson Trinity and Fr. Ehli was the chaplain there.

While his faith was strengthening during high school, Jesus flooded Jacob’s mind with thoughts of the priesthood. Serving morning Mass at the high school three days a week cemented the desire. During his first year of college at the University of North Dakota, he decided to join the seminary.

“As I approach ordination, I am amazed at how quickly my seven years in formation have gone by,” Jacob shared. “Reflecting on my time, leaves me in awe about the work which God has done in my life. It can be summarized as being seven years of learning to love Jesus. This process of learning to love Him has certainly been one of great consolation and encouragement, but also one of suffering and sacrifice.”

After ordination, Jacob heads to Minot to serve as parochial vicar at one of the parishes and as religion instructor at the Catholic high school there.

“I can't wait to begin my assignment at Our Lady of Grace and Bishop Ryan in Minot. It has been beautiful praying for the parishioners and students for the past few months. My heart is being prepared daily to love them with the Heart of Christ.” 

Jacob is ready to put his years of formation and desire to serve God’s people into practice.

“I see my role at Bishop Ryan and Our Lady of Grace quite simply as being leading people to encounter the Person of Jesus Christ and to love them with His Heart.”

Rev. Mr. Ben Franchuk

Ben’s vocation story began in high school in Dickinson while he was an avid participant in the SEARCH program. He went on to college, earned a degree in mechanical engineering and landed his dream job, all while hearing the whisper of the calling to the priesthood in the very back of his mind. In prayer, Ben never stopped asking for God’s will to lead him on the right path.

When asked what has sustained him throughout the years of formation, Ben said the obvious answer to the question is prayer.

“I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for God calling me and sustaining me throughout the last seven years. It has been a fantastic journey of growth of knowledge of myself and growing in a deeper relationship with God,” Ben explained. “Secondly, the support of the diocese is huge. Being able to come home for breaks and encounter the people I will be serving as a priest always helped rejuvenate me to keep moving forward. It has been an awesome journey so far and I look forward to serving as a priest for many years.”

With excitement and a feeling of readiness, and added humility, Ben is ready to serve God and the people of the diocese.

“Do I think I am ready to be a shepherd for these people leading them to God? No. But at the same time I know, beyond a doubt, that God is calling me to this vocation and that brings a lot of excitement and readiness. I am also very ready to move home and stay in North Dakota for a long time.”

Ben will be parochial vicar for the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck and assistant chaplain for St. Mary’s Academy (grades 6-8).

“As I said, I am very excited to move back to North Dakota permanently, I am also excited to meet, get to know and aid people in their relationship with God—whether through the sacraments or just personal encounters. I look forward to being able to say Mass and hear confessions, among all the other aspects of the priesthood. I am also very much looking forward to working at the Academy. It is very important to help the youth grow in their faith life and to have a hand in building their foundation. It will be an awesome experience. Overall, I am looking forward to this next step in the journey and all the joys and challenges it will bring with it.” 

Rev. Mr. Greg Hilzendeger

Greg grew up attending Cathedral parish in Bismarck with his family. It was at the University of Mary when Greg began to get more serious about his faith. He was invited to Mass on campus and that’s where his love of God began to spark the desire for something greater than himself. He also began going to adoration where the call to the priesthood first entered his mind and heart. In prayer, Greg began asking God what He wanted for him.

“Prayer has been the constant foundation of my time in seminary,” Greg explained. “I was blessed to begin my seminary formation with the spirituality year in Denver. This was a year dedicated intensely on building the foundation of a prayerful relationship with the Lord, and that year really set the tone for the entirety of my time in seminary. The life of prayer really has made all the difference.”

It was this relationship with God through prayer that kept the idea of the priesthood alive in Greg’s heart.

“Remaining close to the heart of Christ has been the strength that has made everything that's happened during formation possible, and without this relationship, I doubt I would have made it a year. I have also been blown away by the prayerful support of all the people in the diocese. There have been so many people praying for me, many I don't even know, and that has been a great source of blessing,” Greg noted.

Greg, along with Jacob and Ben, has spent the last few years in formation at the Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.

“It's hard to believe the seven years of seminary have gone by already. Approaching ordination, I am definitely excited to begin this new adventure which God has placed before me, but I am also aware of the immense responsibility of the priesthood. I am grateful that God has chosen me for this exalted vocation, and I look forward to laying down my life in service of the people of the Diocese of Bismarck.”

Bishop Kagan has assigned Greg as parochial vicar for the parishes of St. Joseph in Williston, St. John the Baptist in Trenton and St. Boniface in Grenora.

“I am obviously looking forward to celebrating all the sacraments as a priest,” Greg expressed. “It will be a privilege to serve as an instrument of God's grace and love. Generally, I am excited to simply begin the fullness of my vocation and give of myself in love to all those I am called to serve. This is what God made me for, and I'm ready to get started.”

Rev. Mr. Nick Vetter

Nick’s first inkling for the priesthood first came around the eighth grade when his Godmother suggested it. That comment always stuck with him. But the calling wasn’t exactly clear, until partway through his first year of college when he joined the seminary.

“Throughout my years of formation, I have been sustained by God, the Church, and the faithful,” Nick shared. “God has always been good to me, and over my years of formation, I have come to realize and receive more deeply the goodness God intends for me. The Church, through her priests and formation faculty, have always been helpful and supportive of me. Formation is not something negative, but it is the Church helping the seminarian to grow in freedom and virtue to be able to give their life for the Church. In a particular way, I have noticed that the faithful give the unique support of their prayers, financial generosity and their example.”

Nick’s been studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and is excited to be home to begin serving God’s people of the Bismarck Diocese.

“For me, prayers are indispensable, and their financial generosity is very appreciated. The longer I have been in seminary, the more I see my vocation as being for the people of God. Yes, it is because God has given me this vocation, but it is the people of God that my vocation is to be lived for. To give myself as a father to the people of the Diocese of Bismarck is why I want to be a priest.”

Nick will be parochial vicar for the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary in Bismarck and chaplain for St. Mary’s Central High School.

“As I approach ordination, I have been working on many of the logistic things that need to be done. God indeed wants to work through these normal circumstances to form me as a priest.” He noted. “I feel a greater poverty awaiting ordination as I do not know how to be a priest because I am not a priest yet, and I do not know how it will be to be a full-time teacher as I have never been a teacher before. Yet, at the same time, I experience God’s presence and loving care that He never abandons us, especially in time of need. I trust that God has formed me well through His Church to begin this journey. I am excited to begin working and living as a priest!”

Beyond ordination day, Nick is anticipating celebrating the sacraments with the faithful.

“As a priest, I am looking forward to preaching and hearing confessions. In a particular way, these two duties of a priest are the individual moments that people experience the loving mercy of God. To be an instrument in these events is a great honor and privilege for me. As a father, I simply want people to experience the same graces I have received to know and trust Him as their savior and friend.

Like Jacob and Ben, Nick will be part of the long-standing tradition of placing young priests among the students at our Catholic schools.

“Being the chaplain of St. Mary’s Central High School is exciting for me. I really do look forward to being a teacher and getting to know all the students and staff of the school. To be able to form and teach young people in the faith is an honor and sacred duty that is important for the Church. The youth of the Church bring so much life and hope to the Church, so to be involved in this work will help to form me as a new priest.” 

The Lord has chosen four more fine men in Jacob, Ben, Greg and Nick to proclaim His Word. They, and all our good and faithful priests, need our prayers.

“Please keep me in your prayers as all the faithful of the Diocese of Bismarck are in mine,” Nick added. “God is doing good work in the diocese and I am honored to be a priest for all of you good people.”