"O Lord, send us many holy priests!" It is the custom in the worldwide apostolates of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest to add this invocation to the Divine Praises which are recited at each Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. By the grace of God obtained through the prayers of the Institute's family and friends, 87 seminarians are currently in formation to serve Holy Mother Church one day as priests of Jesus Christ.
At St. Philip Neri International Seminary in Gricigliano, near Florence, Italy, about one in every three seminarians comes from the United States and Canada. Having participated in the preparatory year of discernment and formation in the Institute's apostolates in the United States, over 30 seminarians from North America then proceed to mount the altar step by step over the course of seven years, receiving the various Minor and Major Orders of the Church after much prayer, study, and work in the community life of the international seminary.
Photo credit: Donald Lee Photography
With heartfelt gratitude to Divine Providence, it is our joy to announce the upcoming priestly ordinations which will take place this summer in the United States. With the gracious permission of His Grace, the Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis, several American deacons will be ordained to the holy priesthood at St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis, Missouri, on the morning of Thursday, August 2, 2018, on the First Thursday of the month—day traditionally dedicated to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. The Sacrament of Holy Orders will be conferred by His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
The Institute's Founder and Prior General, Very Reverend Monsignor Gilles Wach, along with the Seminary Rector and Co-Founder, Reverend Canon Philippe Mora, will be present for this special occasion, along with many Canons and members of the Institute family. The names of those to be ordained will be announced in the coming months after the important period of exams and scrutiny which is a necessary part of preparation before Holy Orders.
The Institute is profoundly grateful to all who have offered prayers for these future priests, especially through the St. Philip Neri Seminary Society's program of spiritual adoption by which the faithful pray daily for a particular seminarian. With deep appreciation the Institute likewise is very thankful to all of the generous benefactors of its International Seminary.
The Institute welcomes all friends and faithful who would like to attend this Ordination ceremony. Details will be made available in the coming months. Everyone is likewise invited to pray for these several deacons as they prepare to become ordained sons of Christ the King Sovereign Priest at the service of Holy Mother Church and for the good of souls.
To see photos of the 2014 Ordinations in St. Louis, click the following links click here, here, and here.