(Braintree, MA) - Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley will ordain eight men to the Priesthood this Saturday, May 22, 2021, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The Ordination Mass begins at 10:00 A.M.
Six priests are being ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston. Two priests are being ordained for the Diocese of Kumbakonam, India, but will serve in the Archdiocese of Boston for a period of time before returning to their home diocese.
Cardinal Seán said, “As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, we are reminded of the dedicated priests who guided their parishes through the unprecedented challenges of the past year. The priests we ordain this week will begin their ministry with the support of the people of God and confidence in the enduring presence of Christ. Our Archdiocese is blessed by their response to the Lord’s call to service.”
The CatholicTV Network will broadcast the entire Mass live from the Cathedral beginning at 10:00 A.M. Bishop Robert Reed will host coverage of the Ordination. Please check with your local cable provider for the CatholicTV channel in your area or go to www.CatholicTV.com for more information. The Ordination Mass will also be rebroadcast on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 11 a.m.
To view the Program for the Presbyteral Ordination, please click here.
Following are the candidates for ordination. The Pilot, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, has feature profiles of all the candidates in this week’s edition. Look to next week’s edition (Friday, May 28, 2021) for full coverage of the ordination. For more information please visit www.pilotcatholicnews.com.
Father Fernando Enrique Ayala Rosales
Born on Oct. 6, 1994, in Santa Ana, El Salvador, Father Ayala Rosales is the oldest of the seven children of Julian and Maritza Roslaes Ayala.
Prior to his family immigrating to the United States he attended school in his native El Salvador. His family settled in Chelsea, MA, and are members of St. Rose of Lima Parish.
His earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Providence College, Providence, R.I. in 2017 and the master’s in divinity by St. John’s Seminary in May 2021.
He carried out his diaconal ministry at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Brookline. Father Ayala Rosales will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Mary, Brookline on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 11:00 AM. His deacon supervisor and the parish pastor, Father Jonathan M. Gaspar will be the homilist.
Father David Anthony Campo
Father David A. Campo was born on Dec. 3, 1991, the oldest of the three sons of John and Joanne (Farrell) Campo of Milton.
He attended his parish school, St. Agatha, Milton and graduated from Boston College High School. In 2014 he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Boston College.
Father Campo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and will eventually be available for service to the Archdiocese of Military Services as a chaplain. During his deacon year, he has served at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Bridgewater, whose pastor Father William Devine had served for more than two decades as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps.
Father Campo will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Agatha, Milton on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 2:00 PM. Msgr. John McLaughlin, one-time vocation director of the Archdiocese of Military Services, will be the homilist.
Father Robert Anthony LeBlanc
Born in the northwestern Dallas suburb of Carrollton, Texas, on Dec. 18, 1990, Father LeBlanc is older of the two sons of Robert and Joyce (Bowers) LeBlanc. His family moved to Illinois, where they settled in Chicago’s northwestern suburbs. Father LeBlanc attended elementary and middle school in Oak Grove at Oak Grove School, and high school at Libertyville High School in Libertyville, Illinois.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Boston University in 2013 before entering St John Seminary.
During his deacon year, he has been serving at St. Paul Parish, Cambridge.
He will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Paul Church, Cambridge on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 2:00 PM. The homilist will be Father David Barnes, the campus minister at Father LeBlanc’s alma mater, Boston University.
Father Leonardo Moreira
Born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil on July 14, 1992, he is the younger of the two sons of Maria Betânia Carvalhais Dutra Moreira and the late Carlos Fernando Noronha Moreira.
Father Moreira’s elementary and middle school education was at Colegio La Salle in Aguas Claras; while high school was at Escola Leonardo Da Vinci, Taguatinga, Federal District, Brazil.
Before entering Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary in Brookline, he studied electrical engineering at Universidade de Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil. Father Moreira earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in philosophy and a master’s degree in divinity from St. John’s Seminary.
During his deacon year, he served at St. Mary of the Assumption, Lawrence where he will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in English at 10:00 AM and in Spanish at 12:30 PM. He will be the homilist at both Masses.
Father Kevin Paul Pleitez
Father Pleitez is the youngest of the five children of Ricardo and Maria Islabel Pleitez. A native of Honduras, he was born in San Pedro Sula, Cortes on Sept. 3, 1994. His family moved to Connecticut, settling in Bridgeport where they are members of St. Charles Borromeo Parish.
He attended local public schools: Waltersville Elementary, Read Middle and Central High, all in Bridgeport. Prior to entering Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary in Brookline, he studied at The University of Connecticut Stamford campus.
He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and master’s degree in divinity from St. John’s Seminary.
Father Pleitez served his deacon ministry at Immaculate Conception Parish in Revere. He will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at Immaculate Conception on May 23, 2021 at 10:30 AM. He will be both the principal celebrant and the homilist of the Mass.
Father Francis Anthony Godkin, F.P.O.
Born in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 21, 1990, Father Godkin is one of three children of Bryan Godkin and Kristi Anders. As a native son of the Lone Star State, he attended local schools – graduating from Langham Creek High School and received all of his sacraments at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, all in Houston, TX.
Prior to professing first vows with the Franciscans of Primitive Observance in 2014, he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He has received a Master of Arts degree in philosophy from St. John’s Seminary.
Father Godkin served his deacon ministry at the Roxbury-Dorchester collaborative (Saint Patrick, Saint Peter, and Holy Family Parishes). He will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Peter Church, Dorchester on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 2:00 PM. The homilist will be Fr. Peter Giroux, FPO, General Servant of the Franciscans of Primitive Observance.
Father Alwin Joseph Chinnappan
Born in Ammanpettai, Tamil Nadu State, India, on Aug. 16, 1992, Father Chinnappan is the youngest of three brothers in the Chinnappan family. The family’s home parish is Our Lady of Refuge in Ammanpettai.
Father Chinnappan attended local Catholic schools in the Diocese of Kumbakonam, before attending the Government Arts & Sciences College in Kumbakonam - graduating with a degree in Physics. Upon his decision to discern a call to the sacred priesthood for his home diocese, he entered the seminary in India, and later accepted an opportunity offered by Bishop Antonysamy Francis, to transfer to Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, where he completed his studies.
Father Chinnappan served his deaconate assignment at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Winthrop (formerly known as Saint John the Evangelist and Holy Rosary Parishes). He will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at St. John the Evangelist Church, Winthrop on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 12:00 PM. The homilist will be Father Christopher O’Connor, the Pastor of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish.
Father Valanarasu Newton-Williamraj
Born in Tamil Nadu State, India, on Sept. 18, 1992, Father Newton-Williamraj is the older of two brothers of Mr. Newton Williamraj and Ms. Catherine Tamil Selvi. The family’s home church is St. Joseph’s, Lalgudi, Trichy District, in the Diocese of Kumbakonam.
Father Newton-Williamraj attended local Catholic schools in his diocese, completing his early education at Little Flower Higher Secondary School in Salem, Tamil Nadu State. He then attended Annai Veilankanni Arts and Science College in Tamil Nadu, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Communications. Later while studying for the priesthood in India, Bishop Antonysamy Francis, invited him to come to Boston’s Saint John’s Seminary, for his Theological Studies.
Father Newton-Williamraj served his diaconal year at Saint Mark and Saint Ambrose Parishes in Dorchester. He will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Mark Church, Dorchester on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 8:00 AM.