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Dates announced for priesthood, permanent deacon ordinations

News of the Diocese

May 13, 2020

Dates announced for priesthood, permanent deacon ordinations
Dates announced for priesthood, permanent deacon ordinations

Two men from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland were to have been ordained to the priesthood on May 16. However, their ordination, as well as the ordinations for permanent and transitional deacons, were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the men learned this week that a new date has been set for their priesthood ordination: Aug. 1. Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Roger Gries will celebrate the ordination Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The liturgy will be livestreamed on the diocesan website.

Three more men – Donald Brandt, Francisco Miranda and John Nelson Sr. – will be ordained permanent deacons for service to the Diocese of Cleveland on Aug. 29 at the cathedral by Bishop Martin Amos, bishop emeritus of Davenport. Iowa. That liturgy also will be livestreamed. Their original ordination date was scheduled for May 2.

The third ordination date – for the five men who will be ordained as transitional deacons – has not been determined yet. That event is expected to be livestreamed from the seminary chapel at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe.

Deacon Joshua Cochrac and Deacon Joseph Robinson of the Diocese of Cleveland, and Deacon Matthew Humrickhouse of the Youngstown Diocese, are this year’s candidates for diocesan priestly ordination. Deacon Humrickhouse will be ordained in his home diocese.

Two other classmates, Deacon Jesus Ramirez and Deacon Christian Torres, will be ordained in July in Mexico as priests for the Congregation of St. Joseph.

All five men completed their academic work and formation at Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology. They wrapped up their studies at Saint Mary’s earlier this month, earning Master of Divinity degrees. Some also earned a Master’s of Theology.

Deacons Cochrac and Robinson were ordained as transitional deacons on April 6, 2019 and have been ministering in their assigned parishes for the past year – Deacon Cochrac at Our Lady of Mount Carmel (East) in Wickliffe and Deacon Robinson at SS. Robert and William in Euclid.

“This week we would have been on our pre-ordination retreat,” Deacon Cochrac said. The retreat also was postponed by the pandemic and has been rescheduled for July.

When the seminary was closed by the health crisis in March, Deacon Cochrac said most seminarians returned home and continued their classes through distance learning. Saint Mary’s commencement ceremony, set for May 7, also was cancelled this year.

Now that a new ordination date is set, Deacon Cochrac said he is “more than excited. I’ve not been particularly enjoying living in the unknown,” he said. “I wondered what would happen.” But he said when they learned a new ordination date had been established and that Bishop Gries would be the celebrant, he was thrilled.

“I am sad we won’t be ordained on Saturday (May 16), but I am happy to know that I will be ordained – just later. It’s been a unique year,” Deacon Cochrac said. “It’s been a time of unknown but also a time to trust in God’s goodness. We are still able to celebrate our ordination – just in a different way and time.”

Deacon Cochrac has been staying at St. Mary of the Falls Parish in Olmsted Falls, his home parish, and travelling to Our Lady of Mount Carmel to assist with ministry.

Deacon Robinson said he is grateful that Father Don Oleksiak, diocesan administrator, was able to schedule a new ordination date this summer. As he awaits ordination, he continues to minister at SS. Robert and William with Father John Betters, the parish pastor. “He told me I was welcome to stay on. He’s been a steady hand and it’s been good to be able to talk to him,” the deacon said. His home parish is Mary Queen of the Apostles in Brook Park.

One good thing about postponing their ordination is the extra time the two deacons have to center themselves and focus on their upcoming priestly ministry, Deacon Robinson said. “There’s been plenty of time to pray,” he said.

Amid all the uncertainty about the future, Deacon Robinson said he’s been spending a great deal of time in prayer and with the Blessed Sacrament. It’s also given him a chance to take what he calls “a new and refreshed look” at his mission and ministry of service.

“I’m learning to use this time of extra silence to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus. It’s not a time of disappointment, it’s a chance to have an extra period of formation and reflection,” Deacon Robinson added.

“I laid on the floor of the cathedral once before and got up different – as a transitional deacon with new responsibilities. This time I will get up as a priest, as someone who is more intimately configured with Jesus Christ,” he said.

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