11 new priests in Los Angeles, largest diocese in the United States

Bishop José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, the largest archdiocese in the United States, presided over the ordination of 11 new priests on Saturday, June 1, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Los Angeles, which was completely packed for the occasion. .

This group of 11 new priests is the largest in 16 years in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and the ages of the new priests range from 28 to 40 years old; with several of them being 33, the age of Christ.

According to a note from the Archdiocese, in his homily the prelate of Mexican origin and former president of the episcopate of the United States, expressed his “great joy” for welcoming and ordaining the “new priests: Miguel, Joseph, Thomas, Anthony, Eric, Marko, Stephen, Jaime, Lucio, Eduardo and Alejandro.”

The archbishop highlighted that at his ordination, celebrated on the eve of Corpus Christi, Jesus “is entrusting to you his words of eternal life. He is making them collaborators in his plan of love, in that plan that the apostles called ‘the secret plan that God has kept hidden for centuries and generations.’”

After pointing out that the reason for the priesthood is love, Bishop Gomez explained that “in the heart of God there is a deep longing: the Father ardently desires that every man and every woman participate in his love; “He desires that everyone become sons and daughters of his family, which is the kingdom of love that he builds here on earth, within his Church.”

That is why God sent his Son Jesus, and it is He who has chosen his new 11 priests, so that they remain in his love and bear much fruit: “Love your people as Jesus loves them, that is, with all your heart and with all his strength. Always be ready to give your life for the flock that he has entrusted to you,” he exhorted.

“Through your lips He will proclaim His word of truth, and speak His words of forgiveness. Through his hands, he will come down from heaven to give his body for the life of the world and to shed his blood for our salvation, which comes from the forgiveness of our sins.”

Eucharistic renewal in the United States

Bishop Gomez also referred to the Eucharistic renewal in the United States, which has as its center these days the great National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is carried out on four routes in the North American country; and that will conclude at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, which will be celebrated from July 17 to 21.

“My brothers, as priests of Jesus, you are going to be the leaders of the Eucharistic renewal of our times,” said the prelate.

“I think we all realize that something amazing and exciting is happening in the world today: A new activity of the Spirit is taking place. People are searching for meaning in life and finding God! People are looking for love, and they are coming back to Jesus!”

“All around us we can see signs of this new resurgence of faith! “The love of God is breaking into the world and into the lives of the men and women of our time,” she exclaimed.

The archbishop reminded the new priests that through them, Jesus “will knock on the door of all human hearts, inviting us all to share his divinity, just as he humbled himself to share our humanity. What an exciting time to be priests!”

To conclude, the Archbishop of Los Angeles encouraged entrusting the new priests “to the heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Beautiful Love and Mother of Priests. And let us ask for her intercession for all our priests; May she get us many more vocations for the priesthood and for consecrated life!”