Welcome to the priesthood

The sacred brotherhood of the priesthood gained four more on June 11 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on (most-fittingly) the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The faithful packed the main sanctuary and overflow gathering space to witness the transformation of the hearts of Fathers Jacob Degele, Ben Franchuk, Greg Hilzendeger and Nicholas Vetter. When the men were asked about their ordination and first Mass, each expressed a sense of wonder and awe.

“After ordination and my first Mass, I felt overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. Looking back, almost everything was a blur!” were Fr. Degele’s words to sum it up.

Fr. Franchuk said his immediate reaction from ordination has been, “Wow! That just happened.”

The sheer amazement is a feeling that lasts, but not dwelt upon since it’s soon time to move forward on their mission. “From a few days before even to the start of my assignment, I have stayed fairly busy, and I am continually telling myself that ‘This is real.’ It has been great though. I cannot imagine a better life for me than the one I am living right now and will live for the rest of my life,” he added.
For Fr. Hilzendeger, the final piece of the puzzle to his vocation journey fell into place. “As I reflect on the day of ordination and the brief time since, I keep coming back to the analogy of fitting a puzzle piece into its proper slot. It may take some time and work to find its place, but once it snaps into place, it just fits. It is where it was meant to be, doing what it was made for. That's how it has felt for me since ordination. There haven't necessarily been any extreme emotions. Instead, living the life of a priest just feels right. I'm doing what I was made for. It has been humbling and beautiful to administer the sacraments, watching Jesus work in extraordinary ways through me.”
Father Vetter reflected on the significance of his first Mass. “The day after the ordination was the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This was a special day for me to be able to celebrate my Mass of Thanksgiving. I was ordained a deacon on the Assumption of Mary, so to be able to celebrate a feast of Mary was no coincidence. It was surreal after being ordained and saying Mass. As I have been telling people, at one moment I was a man who couldn’t celebrate Mass or hear confessions, and a few moments later, I was able to confect the Eucharist. God works so simply, and so beautifully at the same time.

The days were overwhelming in many ways as it was a full schedule of celebrations, but Fr. Vetter added that “it was a blessed day to be able to celebrate the gift of the priesthood with my family, friends and the faithful of the diocese. As I continue to adjust to being a priest, I humbly ask for your prayers for me and my classmates.” 

For impressions of their first assignment and a photo recap of the 2021 ordination, see pages 6 and 7 of the August 2021 issue.