All are invited to the ordination Mass Saturday, May 23 in the Cathedral of the Risen Christ.
By Jay Sorgi
for the Register
Decades of discerning and years of study and formation have turned into the final days of anticipation for the Diocese of Lincoln’s transitional deacons, Peter Foley and Bradley Moss.
They have now wrapped up their studies, packed boxes of clothes and memories, taken care of as many logistics as they can handle, and are preparing in mind and spirit for their ordination to the priesthood at 11 a.m. May 23 at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln.
Editor's Note: The Mass will be livestreamed on the diocesan YouTube page.
“There’s no questions anymore,” said Deacon Foley, a native of St. Peter Parish in Lincoln who attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., 70 miles northwest of Baltimore.
“Throughout a lot of the year, it was a sense of ‘Oh my gosh, there’s so much I have to get done before getting ordained,’ but more recently, it’s just become more evident to me that God has got me in the place he wanted me to be for ordination,” he said.
“Amazement and disbelief,” said Deacon Moss from St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln. “I’m just so amazed at what God has done and is preparing to do in my life, and also just a sense of disbelief. This is something that I’ve been really thinking about most of my life in the last eight years.” He wrapped up his studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, a short drive from Philadelphia.
“I’ve given my whole life to preparing for it,” he said. “It’s just hard to believe that I’m almost here and the great gift that God is preparing to give me.”
Both Deacons Foley and Moss have lived lives filled with God’s molding of their hearts for the priesthood.
God used Deacon Moss’ mother and grandparents to help turn him into moldable clay for holy orders.
“I don’t think I’ve ever in my entire life missed a Sunday Mass, ever. My mom would pray with me and my brother before bed. I have early memories as a kid of the traveling statue of Our Lady from the Legion of Mary coming to our house and praying the Rosary as a really little kid with my mom and that brother” he said.
“A lot of priests, when I meet them, they’ll say, ‘The reason you’re a priest is because of your grandma. She’s such a holy woman, (and) my grandpa would say, ‘Hey, let’s go help with the Knights of Columbus.’ They just have that strong Catholic identity, and through their witness instilled it into me from an early age.”
The family of Deacon Foley has similarly given him many faithful Catholic influences, including three priests around the dinner table at extended family events. They happen to be his uncles.
“From a really young age, basically as young as I can remember, they were always around. Father Leo (Seiker), Father Mark (Seiker) and Monsignor Dan (Seiker). They’re always at big family dinners. They’re always there,” said Deacon Foley.
“I got to see the perspective of them as a priest (in) a natural setting (as) normal people,” he said. “It definitely helped me realize that the priest isn’t just a weird guy who stands up in front of the church.”
Soon enough, both deacons will be doing exactly that as they celebrate Masses at their hometown parishes, but they might not find out their June 15 priestly assignment until 24 hours before they lay down their lives before God in priestly dedication May 23, then have their first Mass at their original home parishes.
“The priest assignments have come out for the diocese, but with a few holes, one of them being the place where I’ll be,” Deacon Foley said. “We’re still trying to do the calculus of where that’ll be.
“We have lunch with (Bishop James D. Conley) the day before we get ordained, and that’s when he shares with us where we’re going. I still have no idea where,” Deacon Moss said.
“One of my friends who was recently ordained really encouraged me to start praying for my first pastor and praying for my first parish. That’s something I’ve been doing every day in the past few months.”
Both men admit they aren’t entering their priestly vocation as perfect priests on day one, but they feel God has placed them on the right course—one that will take them west back to the Lincoln Diocese and to their yet-unknown parishes, all after the invitations, the ordination, and the celebrations die down and a new reality begins.
“They’re going to get a priest that’s very excited to be there,” Deacon Moss said about the parish he will serve, “a priest that is very committed to do my best, and then also a priest that is going to fall short, is going to make mistakes especially my first year, but a priest that will really want to do my best and serve and love them the best that I can.
“They’re getting a priest that’s willing to learn, grow and be with them.”
Deacon Foley agreed.
“All the years of study and prayer that I’ve had, and I’m not perfect, but I am who I am right now and that’s the man that God wants to be ordained. As I get really close to it, just enter into that peacefully that I’ll never be totally ready, but I’m ready,” he said, proudly displaying a map of Nebraska on his wall.
“I’ve just got to keep that up there just to remember where we’re going.”
All are welcome to attend the ordination Mass Saturday, May 23 at 11 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, 3500 Sheridan Blvd., Lincoln.
