On Saturday May 26, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki ordained three men to the diocesan priesthood: Father Albert Allen from St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Springfield; Father Zachary Thomas Edgar from Mother of Dolors Parish in Vandalia; and Father Scott Arthur Snider from St. Francis Solanus Parish in Quincy.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was filled for the 10:30 a.m. Mass that was attended by family and close friends of the three new priests, dozens of fellow diocesan priests, and hundreds of lay people.
As he began his homily Bishop Paprocki quoted St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians and said, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice!" Continuing, he said the words were "very appropriate to this celebration of the ordination to the priesthood of Albert Allen, Zachary Thomas Edgar and Scott Arthur Snider."
"Their affirmative response to God's call, mediated through the church, is indeed cause for rejoicing for them, their families and friends, and indeed the whole church," he said.
"Last year when I ordained a priest for the first time, I said it was fitting that Father Brian Alford's last name begins with an 'A' because it is my ardent hope and fervent prayer that it would be just the first of many, many more priests that I will have the privilege to ordain.
"Today we have another 'A' with Albert Allen, then we progress further through the alphabet with Scott Snider and Zach Edgar, so we are indeed rejoicing in the ordination of men from A to Z to serve the mission of the one who is the 'Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.' (Revelation 22: 13).
"Albert, Zachary and Scott, we rejoice in your ordination because, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, you are signed with a special character and are so configured to Christ the High Priest that you will have the power to act in the person of Christ the Head."
Bishop Paprocki warned that the new priests are beginning their ministry "in a world that is increasingly hostile to the Christian faith."
"This may be new to us here in the United States of America, where our country traditionally was considered to be a Christian nation, but it is nothing new for Christianity, which came into being in the hostile environment of the Roman Empire.
"In significant ways, the world around us today is becoming more and more like the pagan Roman world that confronted the first Christians," Bishop Paprocki said. "Religious liberty is under attack today, with pernicious efforts by government authorities to erode our constitutional guarantees of the free exercise of religion, not just the free exercise of worship.
"We can learn much, therefore, from the early Christians and from countless Christians over the centuries about how to live in a world that is antithetical to Christ," Bishop Paprocki said. "How do Christians respond to hostility? The answer is clear: Jesus says that we are to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44) ... How are the sheep supposed to act in the midst of wolves? Jesus says, by being 'clever as snakes and innocent as doves.' (Matthew 10:16). ..."
After the homily, Father Allen, Father Edgar and Father Snider made their promises to the priesthood and lay prostrate in the sanctuary while the assembly prayed The Litany of the Saints. The ordination also included the laying of hands by Bishop Paprocki and the priests, and the prayer of ordination just before the three men were vested with their chasubles.
Next, Bishop Paprocki anointed the new priests' hands with the chrism that was blessed at the chrism Mass during Holy Week this year and they received the bread and wine. Finally, Bishop Paprocki gave the newly ordained the fraternal kiss and priests did the same, welcoming them to the ministry. The liturgy resumed with Fathers Allen, Edgar and Snider concelebrating.
After the Mass ended, the new priests walked out on the steps of the Cathedral, where they were greeted with the happy applause of their fellow diocesan priests. Together they gave Bishop Paprocki the traditional first blessing and then went back into the Cathedral to give individual blessings to people who requested them. As is the custom, a reception was held in their honor in the Cathedral atrium.
On July 1 all three priests will begin their priestly services. Father Allen will be parochial vicar of Annunciation Parish in Shumway and of Sacred Heart Parish and St. Anthony of Padua Parish, both in Effingham; Father Edgar will be parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish; and Father Snider will be parochial vicar of St. Paul Parish in Highland, Immaculate Conception Parish in Pierron, and St. Nicholas Parish in Pocahontas.