06/21/2026

Dear Friends,

Congratulations to now Father Raymond Grieshaber, ordained a priest this weekend! We were blessed by his presence and ministry in our parish since Christmas, during his period of “vocational synthesis” as a transitional Deacon. Father Grieshaber will celebrate the 4:30 Mass at our Saint Gabriel church next Saturday, June 27, and the 11am Mass at our Nativity of Our Lord church on Sunday, June 28.

I came across some interesting statistics about those from around the country who were or are to be ordained priests this year:

• On average, ordinands first considered priesthood when they were 16 years old.
• Six in ten ordinands (62%) are Caucasian. One in six (17%) is Hispanic/Latino. One in ten (11%) is Asian/Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian. One in twenty (5%) is African/African American/Black.
• At least 65% ordinands attended a Catholic school at the K-12 and/or college level. Six in ten ordinands (63%) participated in a religious education program in their parish, for 6 years on average.
• Three in five ordinands (61%) completed an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree before entering the seminary.
• Two in three ordinands (64%) reported having full-time work experience prior to entering the seminary.
• Nearly nine in ten responding ordinands (86%) reported that  both their parents were Catholic when they were children. 
• Three in ten responding ordinands (28%) have or had a relative who is a priest or religious.
• In regard to prayer practices: four in five responding ordinands participated in Eucharistic Adoration (81%) on a regular basis before entering the seminary, as compared to 79% who prayed rosary, 52% who participated in a prayer/Bible group.
• In regard to participation in parish ministries: four in five responding ordinands (79%) served as altar servers before entering the seminary, as compared to 49% who served as lectors, 35% who served as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, 34% who served in campus/Youth ministry, and 32% who served as catechists.
• Nine in ten responding ordinands (92%) reported being encouraged to consider the priesthood by someone in their life [most frequently by parish priest (70%), friend (49%), mother (46%), or parishioner (44%)].
• Two in five ordinands (41%) indicated that they were discouraged from considering the priesthood by one or more people. Most often, this person was a friend or school classmate, mother, father, or other family member.

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ we experienced at Mass today!

​-Rev. James F. Hurlbert