Archbishop Coakley ordains five men to the priesthood

NORMAN – On June 29, Archbishop Coakley ordained five men to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The Rite of Ordination was celebrated at Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman.
 
Those ordained are: Father William Banowsky, 33, Dallas; Father Zachary Boazman, 27, Carrollton, Texas; Father John Herrera, 28, Norman; Father Alexander Kroll, 27, Enid; and Father Jerome Krug, 26, Edmond. Joining Archbishop Coakley was Archbishop Emeritus Eusebius Beltran and Abbot Lawrence Stasyszen.
 
“Through sacred ordination, these five men, already disciples of the Lord through Baptism, Confirmation and walking in the way of the Gospel, are receiving a new mission and indeed a new identity as priests of Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Coakley said during his homily.
 
Archbishop Coakley assigned the five new priests to serve as associate pastors at parishes around the archdiocese. Two of the priests – Father Banowsky and Father Krug – will serve in Oklahoma this summer before returning to Rome. The assignments are:
 
n Father Banowsky – Christ the King, Oklahoma City;
n Father Krug – The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Oklahoma City;
n Father Herrera – Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Gregory, Enid;
n Father Kroll – Saint John, Edmond;
n Father Boazman – Saint Mary, Ponca City, Saint Francis, Newkirk.
 
Ordination is the sacrament in which a man becomes a deacon, priest or bishop by the laying on of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit. There are three levels in the Sacrament of Holy Orders: diaconate (deacon), presbyterate (priest) and episcopate (bishop). The Rite of Ordination to the Priesthood includes various ritual gestures rich in meaning and history, including prostration before God while the litany of the saints is chanted, laying on of hands, anointing with Sacred Chrism, giving of the chalice and paten, and the sign of peace.
 
In order to be ordained to the priesthood, a man has to engage in a challenging program of priestly formation that lasts from five to nine years, depending upon his background and the seminary he attends. There are three levels of seminary: high school, college/pre-theology and theology.
 
Priestly formation in seminaries is designed around four pillars of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation. In addition to the academic coursework and gaining important pastoral skills, seminarians participate in a full schedule of spiritual activities such as daily Mass, Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer), spiritual direction and retreats.
 
During the ordination ceremony, diocesan priests make two promises – lifelong celibacy and obedience to the bishop. It is expected that diocesan priests will lead a life of simplicity consistent with the people they serve.
 
“Let your people, especially the young, see and experience the joy you have in serving the Lord and giving yourself, even heroically, in love for his people,” Archbishop Coakley said.
 
“Strive to bring the faithful together into one family, so that you may lead them to God the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Be a man of communion, a man of the Church, a man of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Keep always before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, to seek out and save what was lost.”

Diane Clay is editor of the Sooner Catholic.

Photo Steve Sisney/Sooner Catholic.