Cardinal Cupich was to ordain the following men as priests for the Archdiocese of Chicago during a Mass at Holy Name Cathedral on June 20. This issue of Chicago Catholic went to press before the ordination; coverage of the event will be in the July 12 issue.
Conrad E. Espino, 27
Born in: Manila, Philippines
Education: North River Elementary School, Lane Tech College Prep. St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary
First Mass: June 20, 5 p.m., in English, Spanish and Tagalog; June 21, 9:15 a.m. in Spanish; June 21, 11:45 a.m. in English; all at Our Lady of Mercy
Conrad Espino was born in the Philippines and came to the United States with his family when he was 3 years old.
A decade later, he perceived the voice of the Lord asking if he would do the Lord’s will. In high school, he entered the Quigley Scholars program, which then met at St. Joseph College Seminary.
“Every time I would visit St. Joseph’s, I would always ask God what his will was for my life,” Espino said. “Although he didn’t answer the question in the same way he had asked it (with a clear, gentle voice), he did slowly reveal over time through my friendship with the seminarians, my own heart’s desires and the opening and closing of certain doors in my life that his will was for me to enter the seminary.”
Father Raymond J. Grieshaber, 38
Born in: Evanston
Education: Century Junior High and Carl Sandburg High School, Orland Park; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering; University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary
First Mass: June 21, noon, at St. Francis of Assisi in Orland Park, in English
Raymond Grieshaber said his parents have always been devout Catholics, but he was agnostic from his teen years to his early 20s.
“My only real concerns were skateboarding, playing guitar and Ultimate Frisbee,” Grieshaber said.
When he had finished college and was working as a chemical engineer, he said, he realized that he was still missing something.
“Even though my post-collegiate goals were achieved, I still lacked a deep, interior happiness,” he said.
That drew him back to the church and to consider whether he was called to be a priest.
“Formation for the priesthood brought graces and friendships I never could have foreseen and experiences to remember for a lifetime (hallway Nerf gun wars!)” he said. “With seven years of seminary now behind me, I am filled with a sense of unworthiness and gratitude to be called to this vocation.”
John Rahimi, 29
Born in: Palatine
Education: St. Theresa School, Palatine; Northridge Preparatory School, Niles; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising; University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary
First Mass: June 21, 2:30 p.m., at St. Theresa, Palatine, in English
John Rahimi credits an encounter with Jesus during Mass at the Newman Center at the University of Illinois with putting him on the path to discerning his vocation to the priesthood.
“I grew up the youngest of four boys in Palatine, in a Catholic home,” he said. “I went to Catholic school growing up, but it was always something I treated like a family obligation or just another subject in school. So, I knew a lot about the church and Jesus, but I never really got to know who Jesus is as a person.”
His encounter with Jesus in college led him to find priest mentors and others who helped him discern his vocation, he said.
“All these years later, with all the many trials and joys that I’ve gone through with my brothers and with our Lord, I am so grateful that he has called me to be his priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago,” Rahimi said.