A priest forever...

Saturday, May 26, 2007

I greet you this evening as an ordained priest of the Roman Catholic Church! I am still in a sort of haze from the whirlwind of events this morning. I do want to thank every single one of you for your thoughts and prayers these past days, weeks and months. They have been greatly appreciated.

It was a beautiful and awesome ordination!!! We began at 10:30 AM with the procession into the Church. Both the Church of the Ascension and Archdiocesan choirs were present as well as a small orchestra. The opening, readings and Gospel were very well done. Deacon Ralph then called each of us forward and Msgr. Mullen attested to our readiness for ordination (I am not sure anyone can be ready or worthy of ordination...but through God's grace). Archbishop then gave a beautiful homily.

We returned to the foot of the sanctuary and made our promises to the Church (see entries on rite of priesthood to the left). Each of us then separately came forward and placed our hands in the hands of Archbishop Naumann promising obedience to him and his successors. We then laid prostrate on the floor for the litany of saints.

Each of us then knelt before the archbishop and he laid hands on us. All of the priests present then came and laid hands on us one by one. Archbishop then prayed the Prayer of Consecration. At the 'Amen' concluding that prayer, we were then ordained priests.

We were then vested in chasuble and stole and returned to the altar where Archbishop anointed our hands with sacred chrism. Our parents brought our chalices forward and we knelt before the archbishop with our hands around the chalice as he instructed us to celebrate the Mass for the people and to imitate Christ whose ministry we are fulfilling. Lastly, we received the sign of peace from Archbishop Naumann and the priest present.

We then concelebrated the Mass with Archbishop and the priests. After the final prayer following communion, we each bestowed a blessing upon Archbishop Naumann, Archbishop Keleher and Abbot Barnabas. Finally, we bestowed blessings on our parents.

It was an absolutely beautiful and most powerful experience I have ever and will ever have. I want my readers to know that you will all be in my prayers of thankgiving at my 1st Mass tomorrow afternoon. Please continue to pray for me that I may be a worthy and humble instrument of God's grace and love to His People.

A Priest Forever According the Order of Melchizedek,

Father Christopher J. Rossman
Archdiocese of Kansas City in KS