Nine Sacred Heart Seminarians Receive Priestly Ordination, May 29

Years of intensive spiritual, pastoral and intellectual formation came to fruition on Saturday, May 29, 2004. Cardinal Adam Maida, archbishop of Detroit, laid hands upon nine 2004 graduates of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, ordaining them as Roman Catholic priests for the Archdiocese of Detroit. The 10:00 AM Mass of Ordination was celebrated before a standing-room-only gathering at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Following the Mass, the newly ordained greeted family and friends at a reception on the grounds of the cathedral.

The newest priests for the Archdiocese of Detroit:

Fr. Aaron DePeyster, 42, is the son of Sallie and Norm Godlewski and Gary and Sandy DePeyster. His home parish is St. Therese of Lisieux, Shelby Township, Michigan.

Fr. Richard Lewnau, 29, is the son of Richard and Carol Lewnau. His home parish is Prince of Peace, West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Fr. James Lopez, 33, is the son of Joseph and Gloria Lopez. His home parish is Divine Child, Dearborn, Michigan.

Fr. Todd Mistor, 29, is the son of Ron and Bernadine Mistor. His home parish is St. Alphonsus, Dearborn, Michigan.

Fr. Siaosi Patau, 36, is the son of Lipa and Natalene Patau. His home parish is National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak, Michigan.

Fr. James Smalarz, 41, is the son of Chester and Dolores Smalarz. His home parish is Divine Child, Dearborn, Michigan.

Fr. Christopher Talbot, 38, is the son of Jean-Paul (deceased) and Antoinette Talbot. His home parish is Christ the King, Detroit, Michigan.

Fr. Paul Ward, 33, is the son of William and Louise Ward (both deceased). His home parish is Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Detroit, Michigan.

Fr. Ronald Richards, 41, is the son of Allan (deceased) and Kathy Richards. His home parish is St. Lawrence, Utica, Michigan.

Each of the men except Fr. Ronald Richards earned a Master of Divinity degree from Sacred Heart's Graduate School of Theology. After Father Richards received his Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 2000 from Sacred Heart's College of Liberal Arts, the archdiocese sent him to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He was awarded a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and is currently working toward his JCL degree.

A number of Sacred Heart administrators, faculty members and seminarians participated in the ordination Mass. Rector Fr. Steven Boguslawski, OP, served as the notary; Professors Patricia Cooney-Hathaway and Mark Latkovic were lectors; Fr. John Kasza, instructor of sacramental theology, was one of the masters of ceremonies; and nine seminarians and two seminarian-deacons served at the altar.

Four other 2004 graduates of Sacred Heart's Graduate School of Theology will be ordained as priests for their home dioceses in June. They are:

Terrence Bennis, 55, Diocese of Gary, June 5, Holy Angels Cathedral, Gary, Indiana.

Tuyen Kim Tran, 43, Diocese of Kalamazoo, June 5, St. Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Robb Jurkovich, 27, and Corey Litzner, 27, Diocese of Marquette, June 11, St. Peter Cathedral, Marquette, Michigan.