Craig promising obedience to Bishop Mario Dorsonville, an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington.
A little over a month ago, Craig Irwin, OSFS, and Joe Katarsky, OSFS, professed their final vows as Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. You may remember when I reported on this event, I quoted the following from Oblate Fr. Ken McKenna’s homily at this celebration. He said, “Craig and Joe have finally arrived at their trifecta of celebrations: perpetual profession, diaconate ordination, and priestly ordination. I remember my family — by the time we got to priestly ordination — asking two questions: “Didn’t we just do this?” and “Do we have to buy another gift?”
Craig’s parents in the pew behind him at the ordination.
On September 4th Craig Irwin reached the second stage of that trifecta as he was ordained a deacon at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC. This was a wonderful celebration, and like the final vow celebration, provided a wonderful opportunity for Oblates from both provinces to come together and reconnect after the long isolation required by the pandemic.. Both events were a shot in the arm for the spirit of fraternity and community life among the Oblates. Many remarked, “It’s been too long since we’ve been together.”
In anticipation of their ordination to the priesthood, Oblate scholastics are ordained to the diaconate during the final stages of their theological studies. The diaconate role, in which they typically serve for a year, is the final step in their preparation for priestly ordination. Deacons proclaim the Gospel and preach and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of sacraments, they baptize, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services.
Craig gets vested by Rev. Jack Loughran, OSFS, Provincial (left) and Rev. John Extejt, OSFS, Director of Formations.
Craig will continue to live at the formation house and attend Catholic University this semester and assist part-time at the Oblate parish in Reston, VA, St. John Neumann. In the second semester, he will actually live at the parish and assist full time in preparation for his ordination to priesthood next spring. Joe Katarsky will follow Craig’s process and plans diaconate ordination for this coming spring.
Please keep both of them and all our men in formation in your prayers, and join us Oblates as we pray for vocations to our way of life.
Blessings,
Rev. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial, Toledo-Detroit Province
