By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

It was “a wonderful day” for the Diocese of Trenton, said Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., as he opened the June 4 Mass of Ordination in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

To view photo gallery from the Mass of Ordination, click here.

To view video from the Mass of Ordination, click here.

To view messages of prayes and congratulations to new priests, click here.

And for the six men who were ordained priests, as well as for many of the hundreds of attendees and well-wishers who filled the pews, it was a day they will never forget.

“We are here to celebrate the gift of you…and the gift you give to the Church,” the Bishop said to the six then-Deacons - Gregg Leo Loreno Abadilla, Christopher James Colavito, Augusto Lorenzo Cortes Gamalo, Richard Malcolm Osborn, John Michael Apelado Patilla and Daniel McKee Price – he ordained to the priesthood.

For the six ordinands, the June 4 date marked the culmination of years, and, in some cases, more than a decade of formation. Of the six, three are natives of the Philippines, while one hails from Michigan and two have roots in central New Jersey. All have had varied lives, schooling and work experiences prior to entering their respective seminaries for the Diocese of Trenton.

Bishop O’Connell noted the date brought with it added significance – June 4 was the sixth anniversary since his arrival to the Trenton Diocese as a coadjutor bishop; it was the day the Universal Church observed the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and was one day after Pope Francis held a special gathering for priests at the Vatican in honor of the Jubilee of Mercy.

Ordaining Servants, Shepherds 

The Diocesan Festival Choir – with full instrumental accompaniment – sang “To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King,” as the procession of acolytes, deacons, some 80 priests and Bishop O’Connell made their way down the aisle.

Joining priests of the Trenton Diocese were contingents from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, many of whom were classmates of the ordinands; St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., which are among the seminaries where men from the Diocese prepare for the priesthood; the Archdiocese of New York; the Diocese of Camden, and from several religious orders.

The Rite of Ordination, based in Scripture and the rich tradition of the Church, confirmed, instructed and consecrated the six men as they began their new lives as priests.

Bishop O’Connell reflected on the day’s Gospel message, which focused on how “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:11-16).

“The history of our salvation has been built on the long line of shepherds, prophets and priests whom God has called by name, whom God has formed and fashioned after his own heart,” the Bishop said. Motioning to his heart, he said, “My brothers, love dwells in here.

“God dwells in our hearts and he tells us shepherds to pour its contents out, to lay down our lives” for others, said Bishop O’Connell.

He explained that when forming men for the priesthood seminaries have enhanced their curriculum in a number of areas such as Scripture, tradition, theology and canon law, the “things of our Church and of our ministry as shepherds and priests.”

While that enhanced understanding is important, the Bishop continued, “there is much more for you to know, more to understand, more to suffer.

“That ‘more’ will come when you – when all of us – as shepherds and priests follow the advice of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who said to us ‘walk alongside his sheep and call them by name,’” the Bishop said.

It will come “when we allow ourselves to be ‘taken from among men and made their representative before God;’ when we ‘lay down our lives for our sheep,’ not so much by dying but, rather, by living for them.”

Becoming Priests Forever

Father Dennis Apoldite, diocesan director of vocations and the House of Discernment, called the candidates forth, and Msgr. Mullelly attested that Deacons Abadilla, Colavito, Gamalo, Osborn, Patilla and Price were prepared and approved for Ordination. Each candidate affirmed that he came willingly and faithfully to the priesthood and promised his obedience to the Bishop and his successors..  

The candidates then lay prostrate on the sanctuary floor, signifying their dependence on God as the congregation chanted the ancient Litany of the Saints, invoking the holy men and women – particularly the patron saints of the six men – to pray for the candidates, as well as all gathered in the Mother Church of the Diocese.

As the choir sang “Veni Creator Spiritus,” the Bishop laid his hands upon the head of each candidate, invoking the Holy Spirit and ordaining them priests. Concelebrating priests then followed suit, one-by-one, laying their hands upon the head of each man.

The new priests were then clothed in the vestments of his priestly office, the stole and the chasuble, by fellow priests designated by the ordinands. 

The newly-vested priests once again knelt before Bishop O’Connell, who anointed each man’s hands with sacred chrism and wrapped them with a linen cloth, called a “maniturgia,” which customarily is later given by the priest to his mother. The Bishop then presented each priest with a paten and chalice.

The new priests exchanged the Kiss of Peace, first with the Bishop and then with their priest brothers. The Mass then continued, and the six new priests joined Bishop at the altar for the Eucharistic sacrifice.

Near the end of Mass, the ordinandi offered their first blessings to Bishop O’Connell as a sign of fraternity and solidarity.

A Day of Rejoicing

The joyful emotions of the day were clearly reflected in the happy faces of the six ordinandi, as, together, they left the sanctuary and moved down the center aisle to the jubilant reception of the congregation.  The new priests were then stationed throughout the Cathedral nave where they were able to confer first blessings on loved ones and well-wishers.

Tears, embraces and animated conversation were seen throughout the Cathedral as the hundreds of people who witnessed the Ordination expressed their elation and love for the new priests.

For Cleofe Abadilla, her determination to see her son, Gregg, ordained a priest was so strong that she happily got on a plane and travelled more than half-way around the world from the Philippines to Trenton – by herself.

“This is my first time out of my country…and this is such a blessing for me – to be here,” she said through tears of joy.  

Among the many well-wishers were parishioners from communities where the men had served as deacons, or will now be assigned as priests. One group came from St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, to witness the Ordination of Father Patilla, who will become their new parochial vicar as of July 1.

“We wanted to come and offer our support” to Father Patilla, said Margaret Roddy, parish secretary of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, whose members teamed up with neighboring St. Catharine Parish, Holmdel, to charter a bus to Trenton for the day.

Stephanie Simnor of St. Veronica Parish, Howell, met Father Osborn through the Catholic Centre at Monmouth University, West Long Branch. She said she was confident his priestly ministry would be blessed – “He is very compassionate with people and a very peaceful person.”

Afterwards, a smiling Father Colavito reflected on his life-changing morning. “This has been exhilarating,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed by the many who came today to show their love and support,” he said. He shared that being a priest “hit me” when Bishop O’Connell and the other priests “laid their hands on my head.”

“I realized that now I’ll be able to do that at the next Ordination – lay my hands on the head” of a man who is going to be ordained a priest, he said. “I’m going to be able to share that. I’ll be experiencing the priesthood from the other side.”