From Moreno Valley to Hesperia and throughout the Inland Empire, the Catholic faithful of the diocese gathered together on May 16 at Sacred Heart Church in Rancho Cucamonga to celebrate the ordination of Luis Angeles and Larry Curtis to the priesthood.
“You are becoming priests of the people, the people of a beautiful diocese who have a lot to teach you. Listen to their stories, weep with them in their grief, and dance with them in their joy,” said Bishop Alberto Rojas, who was joined at altar by Bishop Emeritus Gerald Barnes, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Rutilio del Riego and several concelebrating priests from the diocese and from the seminary communities in Chicago and San Antonio where Curtis and Angeles have studied.
Both new priests come from local parishes, Fr. Angeles from Holy Family Church in Hesperia and Fr. Curtis from St. Patrick Church in Moreno Valley. At the close of the Mass, Bishop Rojas announced that for the first three years of their priesthood they will serve as parochial vicars, Fr. Angeles assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Church in La Quinta and Fr. Curtis assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino.
The church was filled beyond its 1,200-seat capacity with joyful Catholics excited to welcome the diocese’s two newest priests. At press time more than 3,000 people had watched the livestream of the Ordination on the diocesan YouTube channel.
“After several years of formation and serious discernment they come to this moment to prostrate themselves on the floor and let the spirit of God take over their lives for the mission of Jesus in this Diocese of San Bernardino,” Bishop Rojas said.
This moment is honored and exemplified through a succession of ritual acts within the Rite of Priestly Ordination.
The Rite of Priestly Ordination began with the Liturgy of the Word and after the Gospel was proclaimed, the Calling of the Candidates, Presentation of the Candidates and Election by the Bishop occurred, whereby Vocations Director, Father Hau Vu, presented Angeles and Curtis to Bishop Rojas and declared that he found them worthy to the responsibility of the priesthood, with Bishop Rojas replying, “we choose these men for the Order of the Priesthood.”
After the homily was given by Bishop Rojas, the candidates performed the Promise of the Elect in which Angeles and Curtis knelt before Bishop Rojas, placed their hands between the bishop’s hands and promised to respect and be obedient to the bishop and his successors.
Then, Bishop Rojas offered prayers for Angeles and Curtis, calling upon the intercession of the angels and the saints as the choir and assembly sang the Litany of the Saints. During this rite, Angeles and Curtis laid prostrate on the floor, an act of humble prayer and surrender to God. Prostration, the act of lying flat, face-down on the ground, is the ancient posture of supplication, symbolic of dying to the old self and rising.
After the Litany of the Saints, Angeles and Curtis again kneeled before Bishop Rojas who then performed the Imposition of Hands/ Laying on of Hands. Bishop Rojas laid his hands on the head of Angeles and then Curtis in silence. This rite, rooted in Scripture and the tradition of the Catholic Church, signifies the bestowing of the Holy Spirit. After Bishop Rojas laid his hands on the heads of Angeles and Curtis, Bishop Emeritus Gerald Barnes, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Rutilio del Riego and then all the priests present rose to lay their hands on the head of Angeles and Curtis as well to signify their inclusion into the collective body of priests in the diocese.
The candidates were now newly ordained priests and so were provided their First Vestments, where Fr. Angeles and Fr. Curtis were vested in a stole, a liturgical vestment composed of a strip of material worn by the priest around his neck and hanging down in front of his chest, and chasuble, the outermost sleeveless, poncho-like liturgical vestment worn by priests during a Mass.
After Fr. Angeles and Fr. Curtis were vested, Bishop Rojas performed the Anointing of Hands. Bishop Rojas anointed Angeles and Curtis’ palms with Chrism oil, a holy oil mixture of olive oil and balsam that symbolizes the “aroma of Christ” and represents the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Anointing of the Hands symbolizes the newly ordained priest’s participation in Christ’s priesthood.
Then, the Handing over Bread and Wine was performed, where Fr. Angeles and Fr. Curtis both took turns kneeling once again before Bishop Rojas and received a paten holding the bread and a chalice containing the wine mixed with water. This is a sign of the sacrifice of the people that they will in turn offer to God. “Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God. Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross,” Bishop Rojas said.
The final step of the priesthood ordination was the Fraternal Kiss. Bishop Rojas stood and exclaimed to the two newly ordained priests, “Peace by with you,” and with Fr. Angeles and Fr. Curtis replying, “And with your spirit,” Bishop Rojas embraced each of the new priests with a hug and fraternal kiss to their hand. This gesture is a sign of welcome into the priesthood of Jesus Christ which all priests share. Bishop Barnes, Auxiliary Bishop del Riego and all priests present at the Ordination then participated in this rite, embracing the newly ordained priests.
The Mass proceeded with the Liturgy of the Eucharist, during which Fr. Angeles and Fr. Curtis participated in offering their First Eucharistic Prayer as priests for the first time.
Immediately following the Mass, Fr. Angeles and Fr. Curtis, their families and the bishops gathered in the chapel at Sacred Heart to take formal photographs marking the occasion. Many who attended the Ordination waited outside the church to greet the new priests and receive their blessings and Fr. Angeles and Fr. Curtis were happy to oblige them. Each priest celebrated his first Masses in English and Spanish at his home parish the following day.