ROCKFORD— “These are good guys; they are good guys,” was the happy hum of one of the priests behind the scenes at the June 1 ordination of three men to the priesthood and one to the transitional diaconate.

 

Robert Blood, John Kladar and Charles Warren became priests, and Jack Reichardt became a transitional deacon as the ordination rite progressed. All four are graduates of Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford.

 

Bishop David Malloy expressed thanksgiving — to God, to the men before him, their families, representatives from their seminaries and several others — as he began his homily, expanding those thanks at the end of the Mass to include the choir, the videographers and all who were watching the live-streaming.

 

The bishop’s homily took place before the main steps of ordination began.

 

“Brothers,” he said to those to be ordained, “you may have the feeling that your ordination to the priesthood or diaconate today has been a long time coming. You would be right to say that you have waited your whole life-time until this moment. 

 

“But we might say that God has been waiting even longer ... an eternity for this ceremony and for your ordination. We can say that because in His eternal being, God has known each of us – has known you – for all eternity from the mystery of His divinity without beginning. He has loved all of you and called you to this moment even before you were conceived or born.”

 

The bishop encouraged Reichardt to be especially attentive to the first reading from Acts about the first deacons. He pointed the other three to the second reading, noting that “a gift and a responsibility are conferred upon you. It is that by your speech, your conduct, your love, your faith and your purity, you will be a channel of divine grace. 

 

“You are called and conformed to Jesus Christ today in a manner that is so sacred because you will act not only in the Lord’s name but in His person. You will now offer the Mass, re-presenting the Last Supper and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. You will fulfill the great gift recalled in the Gospel from Easter night: ‘Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’”