Chosen by Christ to be His priests

Two men will be ordained to the sacred priesthood to serve the people of the Bismarck Diocese on Tuesday, June 11.

Deacons Ryan Martire and Eric Artz join the brotherhood of priests at the Mass of Holy Ordination at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit beginning at 2 p.m. The Mass will be livestreamed from the Cathedral for those who would like to view online.

The men, who have been studying in seminary for several years at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, will be assigned as priests for the diocese upon sacred ordination.
Seminarians spend several years engaged in minor and major seminary formation before being ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. One might wonder what gives them strength through those years of intense formation. This article will offer their insight on that, as well as thoughts about their upcoming ordination.

Deacon Ryan Martire

When contemplating what has sustained him through the years of formation, Deacon Ryan Martire points to four main things: silent prayer, the Blessed Mother, friendships and spiritual direction.

“Number one would be silent prayer,” Ryan shared. “I have remained dedicated to a daily hour of silent prayer before Jesus in the Eucharist throughout my time of formation. I have received key graces from God in these spaces of prayer to ‘stay the course.’ Also, Mary has been a constant companion throughout my time in formation. She has comforted me in times of trial and rejoiced with me in times of joy. I am so grateful for her help.” 

He also credits the people by his side through it all—friends as well as his spiritual directors—for giving him strength.

“God has placed so many good people in my life throughout seminary. I am so grateful to have made deep friends who I can enjoy and share vulnerably with. They inspire me to deeper growth in Christ. I have been blessed with many good spiritual guides, as well, who have led me through true conversion into the heart of Jesus. I am grateful for their listening and wisdom in Christ.”

Ryan and Eric were ordained to the transitional diaconate by Bishop Kagan in May 2023. This takes place in the later stages of preparation for the priesthood. As deacons, the men serve the Church by baptizing children, presiding at weddings and preaching God’s Word at Mass.
 
Ryan points toward preaching as one of the aspects he’s honed during the last year.

“I have had the privilege to preach often as a deacon,” he shared. “I have learned that good preaching comes from faithful prayer before Jesus in the Eucharist. What a gift it is to share the Gospel with others!”

He’s also sharpened his awareness of the needs of others during this period. “I am learning to listen more deeply to others in their sufferings. I have been so grateful for people sharing their intentions with me and I have learned the power of intercessory prayer.”

Ryan added, “It has been a gift to be a leader as a deacon in the seminary. My deacon class brothers and I have been intentional about assisting younger men in the seminary this year. This has been a privilege.”

Three things come to top of mind when Ryan thinks about his upcoming ordination to the priesthood.

“One is gratitude. I am deeply grateful to be ordained a priest of Jesus Christ. I am silenced by this immense gift. St. John Paul II describes the vocation to the priesthood as ‘gift and mystery.’ This title describes well what I feel. 

“Another is peace. I received the call to be a priest through the gift of peace. I enter into ordination with a profound feeling of peace in my heart. I hope to share Jesus' gift of peace with others as His priest. 

“Lastly, a feeling of joy. God has been so good to me in seminary. I have experienced His love for me in so many concrete and providential ways which has brought me great joy. I hope to share this joy with others as a priest.”

Upon ordination to the sacred priesthood, Bishop Kagan has assigned Ryan to be parochial vicar for the Church of Queen of Peace in Dickinson, coordinator of Hispanic ministry for Catholics in Dickinson and part-time chaplain for FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) at Dickinson State University.

“I am so grateful to be assigned to the people of Queen of Peace in Dickinson. I was at this parish for my internship. The people of Queen of Peace and Dickinson are so good, and I am grateful to be their priest. For Hispanic ministry, I have had deep desires throughout seminary to work with Hispanics. I have met many Hispanics in our diocese as a seminarian and I look forward to serving them as a priest in Dickinson. And for college ministry, I am grateful to be a part-time chaplain for the FOCUS missionaries and students at DSU. College is such a wonderful time to encounter Christ. I am happy to work with the missionaries to this end.”

Deacon Eric Artz

Deacon Eric Artz has been studying alongside brother seminarians at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. Throughout the years of formation, his strength comes from the source and summit of our faith—the Eucharist.

“During my time in seminary, I have been generously fed and sustained by the Eucharist,” Eric explained. “Over these last seven years of my seminary formation, I have been able to pray the Mass every day. That means Jesus has fed me His very Body and Blood almost 3,000 times since I first said ‘yes’ to discerning this vocation back in 2017.

“Day by day, I have prayed the Mass, consumed our Lord’s Body and Blood, and have been taken up into His holy sacrifice, the very sacrifice that I will soon consecrate every day for the rest of my life. Although the Lord often works subtlety and over a period of time, His love remains steadfast. He has fed me, given me true and lasting peace and filled my heart with joy.”

For Eric, like many seminarians, there’s a feeling of being unworthy of the call to the priesthood, yet find the strength to persevere knowing that Christ is with them.

“Jesus Christ, the High Priest, has been forming me and sustaining me from His very Body and priestly sacrifice on the cross every day. In a sense, receiving Christ’s priesthood on June 11 will be the fulfillment of what he has been preparing me each day for the last seven years,” Eric noted.

Being ordained a deacon last year showed Eric what it means to be a true servant of God’s people.

“One of the gifts of the diaconate is to be sent from Christ as His envoy to the needs and the sufferings of others. At ordination, a man is given an abiding seal or character that remains forever. Christ brands or stamps the ordained with His own person; a deacon is stamped with the person of Christ the Servant. It was at my ordination last May that I became configured and deeply united to Jesus’ servant mysteries. It is from this place of permanence that I have felt Christ the Servant leading and guiding me to those who need to know His love.

“I have profoundly experienced Jesus’ love for others pour out of my ministry, my homilies, my interactions and my prayer. Something really does happen at ordination; I can see that I am no longer just my own. God really works through men. Christ loves His ministers and truly loves others through them. My favorite part of being a deacon has been experiencing, at least a taste, of the Trinity’s love for humanity by being personally loved and allowing God’s love for others to flow out of me.”

Even though Eric has been preparing for the priesthood for many years, he’s still in awe of his upcoming ordination.

“I still can’t believe that Jesus is going to make me His priest,” Eric explained. “Some mornings, I wake up and I am almost stupefied by the realization that I will be praying the Mass, forgiving sins, anointing the sick and allowing Jesus to love others through my ministry. This realization does not come from a place of uncertainty, doubt or fear. I know that Jesus is calling me to be His priest. I have clearly heard Him confirm this vocation for me in so many beautiful, comforting and affirming ways. I have freely and joyfully chosen this vocation.

“I am stupefied because I could not imagine a more profound or solemn gift than to be configured to Christ the Priest, the one who freely offered His life and blood for His bride, the Church. I know that it is time to receive this gift as I have been made ready through seminary formation, and I plan on using the time leading up to ordination in prayer to be more disposed to receive it.”

Upon ordination to the sacred priesthood, Bishop Kagan has assigned Eric to be parochial vicar for the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Minot and religion instructor at Bishop Ryan Catholic School. He’s looking forward to returning to his hometown.

“I am very honored and excited to be assigned as the parochial vicar to Our Lady of Grace in Minot. I look forward to meeting the people that I am being asked to serve. I am sure that I will be deeply formed and edified by the generosity and holiness of those in Minot, along with the great priests of our diocese. I am also very honored to help lead the Spanish ministry in the area. I am also excited to be assigned as a religious instructor at Bishop Ryan Catholic School. During my time in seminary, I was given the opportunity to teach confirmation to middle and high schoolers, and I discovered that I deeply love and enjoy teaching. I am looking forward to sharing the knowledge and wisdom that I have been able to receive with my future students.”

Eric concluded with a message to the people of our diocese, “Overall, I humbly ask you to keep my close friend and classmate, Deacon Ryan Martire, and me in your prayers as we approach our ordination to the priesthood. Please know of my prayers for you as well.”