St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg overflowed with
friends, family and diocesan parishioners who came to witness
Christendom College alumni Zachary Akers and Daniel Heenan
being ordained as priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St.
Peter June 14.
Father Heenan’s mother, Lisa, could not find the words to
describe her immense happiness after the ordination ceremony.
“He is a blessing in our lives,” she said. “I feel privileged
that God made me responsible for him.”
She said she was grateful to Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde
for letting the two local men have their ordination in the
Arlington Diocese, which allowed for family, classmates and
friends to come and see the beautiful traditional rite of
ordination.
This Mass marked the first time a pontifical high ordination
Mass in the extraordinary form took place in the diocese.
The Fraternity of St. Peter – an order dedicated to the
formation of priests in the service of the traditional
liturgy of the Roman rite and the pastoral deployment of the
priests in the service of the church – usually celebrates its
ordinations at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln,
Neb. But the new priests wished to be ordained in the diocese
where their vocations were fostered.
Lincoln Bishop James D. Conley ordained the two men. Bishop
Loverde and more than 50 priests attended the four-hour
ordination Mass in choro.
Fraternity of St. Peter Father Neal Nichols said that having
the ordination ceremony in Virginia spreads out the beauty of
these types of Masses, which are filled with solemn rites,
chants and time for quiet prayers.
“It’s a way to show the world the beauty of the solemnity of
the ceremony, a treasure of the church” he said.
The ordination came on the heels of tragic news that one of
the order’s priests was murdered, and another critically
wounded during a burglary June 11 at their church in Arizona.
Bishop Conley began his homily praying for the soul of Father
Kenneth Walker and for the recovery of Father Joseph Terra.
(See updated story on page 13.)
Addressing the men, Bishop Conley said that “the beauty of
the priesthood is an incomprehensible reality,” and through
priests “the world will know and experience God’s love, God’s
generosity and God’s mercy.”
He said that St. Francis de Sales “knew the potential and
power of the holy orders” of the priesthood when he said that
a good priest – that is, a generous, available, virtuous
priest – “could transform a community, a diocese, even the
whole world.”
Bishop Conley met the new priests while teaching at
Christendom College Rome Campus. “Like other Christendom
students, they were filled with laughter,” he said. “And most
importantly, they sought to become disciples of Jesus
Christ.”
Earlier this month, the alumni said that going to the small
college in Front Royal played a pivotal role in their
vocations. According to a Christendom press release, Father
Heenan’s time at the college, especially during his semester
in Rome, instilled in him a love for the traditional liturgy,
which eventually led him to Fraternity of St. Peter.
Bishop Conley added that Christendom has borne great fruit
for the kingdom of God. The vocations the college has helped
foster include 72 priests, 49 sisters, three deacons, three
brothers and 22 men in seminary.
Bishop Conley reminded the then deacons that their priestly
ministry must begin with the Eucharist.
“If you begin with the Eucharist, you will joyfully become
missionary disciples of Jesus Christ,” he said. The
ordination ceremony took place within the Mass. The bishop’s
words in Latin reminded the candidates of the dignity and
sacredness of their priestly duties.
After the candidates were prostrated on the floor and Bishop
Conley imposed his hands on them, the ceremony’s solemn
prayer and form of the sacrament took place.
Then, the newly ordained Fathers Heenan and Akers knelt
before the bishop. Following the ceremony’s rites, the bishop
arranged the stole in the form of a cross over their chests
and said in Latin, “Take the yoke of the Lord, for His yoke
is sweet and His burden light.” Next he invested each one
with the chasuble, saying, “Take the vestment of priesthood,
which signifies charity; for God is able to advance you in
charity and in perfection.”
After the anointing of the hands, the new priests were
presented with the host and chalice.
The new priests were ecstatic as they processed out of the
church. Before going to a reception, they gave their first
blessing to Bishop Conley and their families.
“It’s just a real blessing to have a priest in the family,”
said Father Akers’s sister, Sarah. “Growing up, my mom and
dad had a real devotion to praying for priests.”
Father Jerome W. Fasano, pastor of St. John the Baptist
Church in Front Royal, who has known the Heenans and Akers
for a long time, was overjoyed. “I have been so happy to see
their progress,” he said. “It’s a wonderful day for the
priesthood.”
Negro can be reached at [email protected] or on
Twitter @MNegroACH.
Solemn Masses
Some of the first Masses offered by the new priests in the
area:
Fr. Daniel Heenan:
June 19 – Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls, 6 p.m.
June 20 – St. Raymond of Peñafort Church in
Springfield, 7 p.m.
June 21 – St. John the Beloved Church in McLean, 12:30 p.m.
June 22 – St. Mary the Mother of God Church in Washington, 9
a.m.
Fr. Zachary Akers:
June 19 – St. Mary the Mother of God Church in Washington,
7:30 p.m.
June 22 – St. Joseph Church in Richmond,
11 a.m.
