ROME — Agustin Martinez of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas was among 39 seminarians from the Pontifical North American College here who were ordained to the transitional diaconate during a celebration of the Eucharist on Oct. 1.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, was the ordaining prelate at the ordination Mass, celebrated at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Cardinal Dolan, a native of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, an alumnus of the North American College and past rector, has been the archbishop of New York since 2010.
In his homily, Cardinal Dolan spoke to those about to be ordained about the paradoxes of the Christian faith, which are manifested in the ordination rite itself.
“You were called forth and were said to be found worthy, and yet we began our prayer with an acknowledgment to God of our sinfulness,” he said. “You come here freely and yet will make a promise of obedience to your [bishop]. You are raised up to serve at the altar, yet, in a moment, you will lie down prostrate in a symbol of submission to the supplication to the saints on your behalf.”
Cardinal Dolan continued that this is all perfectly fitting in the basilica dedicated to the apostle Peter, whose own martyrdom, on a cross upside down, allowed him more clearly to see right side up the Jesus whose love he had come to imitate.
