CATHOLIC DIOCESE: Crowd of 2,000 welcome 6 new priests Google Tag Manager Data Layer End Google Tag Manager Data Layer [if lte IE 6]> <link rel='stylesheet' media='screen' type='text/css' href='http://common.onset.freedom.com/tools/load.php?css=ie6-style&scode=pressenterprise' /> <![endif][if lt IE 8]><style> #slideImgDiv span { display: inline-block; height: 100%; } </style><![endif]
StartFragmentFaithful flock to see priests ordained in Chino Hills church in a ceremony that at one point prompted a 40-second standing ovation.EndFragment
CATHOLIC DIOCESE: Crowd of 2,000 welcome 6 new priests - Press Enterprise Google Tag Manager Data Layer End Google Tag Manager Data Layer [if lte IE 6]> <link rel='stylesheet' media='screen' type='text/css' href='http://common.onset.freedom.com/tools/load.php?css=ie6-style&scode=pressenterprise' /> <![endif][if lt IE 8]><style> #slideImgDiv span { display: inline-block; height: 100%; } </style><![endif]StartFragment
The family of the Rev. Ken Vu flocked from points far and wide to see him ordained as a priest along with five other seminarians in a special Mass on Saturday, May 21, that filled every nook and cranny of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Chino Hills.googleoff: all
Vu was one of six priests ordained — which equaled the largest seminary class since 2008 — in a spirited two-and-a-half hour service led by Bishop Gerald Barnes of the Diocese of San Bernardino that at one point triggered a 40-second standing ovation. It was attended by nearly 2,000 people who were addressed at various times in three languages — English, Spanish and Vietnamese.googleoff: all
The Roman Catholic Church may be having troubles attracting priests these days, but the diocese’s ordination Mass was a total sellout.googleoff: all
According to Twan Vu, the priest’s brother, approximately 50 family members, some who came from outside the U.S., bolstered that attendance figure. He said their family of five sons and two daughters originally came to the United States from Vietnam in 1993, settling in Orange County.googleoff: all
“It’s huge,” said Twan Vu, 33, of Westminster. “He’s the only sibling who is a priest, and the only one who intends to be a priest. It’s a great honor, especially in our culture. It is something that’s highly respected and something that a lot of families strive for, a very big honor.”googleoff: all
The others ordained into the priesthood on Saturday were Tomas Guillen, Carlos Martinez, Jose Antonio Orozco, Dominic Vu and Hau Vu. (The Vus are not related.)googleoff: all
One hour after the service was completed, Ken Vu was still standing in front of the altar administering blessings to those who sought the new priest’s personal benediction. Many of them were members of his extended family.googleoff: all
“Now is the time for me to serve the people,” said Vu.googleoff: all
One of the special features of this milestone day for the newly minted priests was discovering where they will now be working. Vu learned he was assigned to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church in Winchester.googleoff: all
The Rev. Tom Burdick, the pastor of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, approached him after the Mass to welcome him.googleoff: all
“I’ve been telling them for 10 years that our parish is too small, we’ll never get an associate,” said Burdick. “So it’s a wonderful blessing you’re coming.”googleoff: all
The ceremony comes at a time when the Roman Catholic Church is having difficulties attracting young men to the priesthood.googleoff: all
When Barnes formally announced the six had been chosen to be priests about 30 minutes into the Mass, it triggered a standing ovation that reverberated through the church and continued for about 40 seconds.googleoff: all
“I think as the six young men stood and they saw the numbers of people that are here today, they saw their smiles and their tears and they heard that thunderous applause, there’s no doubt that these six young men know that they are loved,” said Barnes from the pulpit. “And my prayer is that, that view that you have of God’s people applauding for you, smiling for you and here to be with you, stays with you forever.”googleoff: all
The Roman Catholic Church is experiencing an acute shortage of priests. Over the last 50 years, the national ratio of priests per parish has been cut in half — from 2-to-1 to 1-to-1. That shortage is especially acute in the the diocese where each priest serves about 6,117 parishioners.googleoff: all
But one of the ordained priests, Guillen, a Moreno Valley resident who attended Rancho Verde High School, saw in Saturday’s proceedings the seeds of a brighter future for the church.googleoff: all
“It’s just a beautiful thing to experience,” said Guillen. “To see so many people come together, so many cultures and diverse views. And we’re all one church.”
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