Saturday morning, June 3rd was a joyous, faith filled occasion at St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral in “downtown” Brooklyn. Ten deacons, including St. Anselm’s own – Szymon Andrzej Galazyn, were ordained to the Priesthood by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn. The Mass began with a procession of seminarians, the ten deacons to be ordained, the diocesan clergy, the auxiliary bishops of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and Bishop DiMarzio. They entered the Cathedral, which was already filled with the faithful, while the choir sang music of Franck, Hampton, and Brahms, accompanied by the organist and orchestra.
The Mass began with words of welcome and the opening prayer by Bishop DiMarzio, who greeted each candidate by name. The multi cultural nature of the Church in Brooklyn and Queens was evident in the Liturgy of the Word: a reading from Jeremiah 1:4-9 in Spanish, Psalm 89 in English, the Acts of the Apostles 20:17-18a, 28-32, 36 in Polish, and the Gospel of Luke 10:1-9 in English.
The Rite of Ordination followed with the ten candidates being presented and declared to have been found worthy. One by one, kneeling before the Bishop, the candidates first pledged to obey him and his successors. The second time they knelt before the Bishop, he placed his hands on the head of each of the elect, as did all the clergy and auxiliary bishops in turn, and in silent prayer ordained them priests ~ where upon they were vested in the robes of priesthood. And, kneeling before the Bishop a third time, he anointed their hands to symbolize their commission to preside at the altar. The ordination being completed, the new priests exchanged fraternal greetings with their fellow clergy.
The Mass then moved to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, with Fr. Szymon and the other new priests taking part for the first time as concelebrants. Msgr. Maloney was also present and vested in the sanctuary during the entire Mass as the pastor of St. Anselm’s Parish, which had nurtured Fr. Szymon as a deacon. The Communion being completed, Bishop DiMarzio announced the assignments of each of the newly ordained – Fr. Szymon being placed in the Parish of St. Gregory the Great, Msgr. Edward Ryan, Pastor, in the Bellerose section of Queens. Each newly assigned priest and pastor embraced and greeted each other for the first time. After a brief vacation with his family in Poland, Fr. Szymon will return in the summer to take up his assignment at St. Gregory. We, at St. Anselm, will miss him.
The Mass concluded with a splendid recession out of the church, while the choir sang: “Go Forth and Preach the Gospel”. Immediately after the Mass, Fr. Szymon and the other new priests returned to the Cathedral to greet their families and friends and to give their First Blessings.
We wish many Blessings on Fr. Szymon and his Priesthood. He will always be in our prayers and always be welcomed here, in his “home” parish of St. Anselm.
All the best,
The St. Anselm Publicity Committee