The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that through the sacrament of holy orders, “priests, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the head” (No. 1563). That is what happened to 14 men on May 22 at Holy Name Cathedral when Cardinal George ordained them priests for the Archdiocese of Chicago. More than 150 priests and nine bishops turned out to celebrate Mass with the cardinal and witness the ordination along with a church full of family and friends. During his homily, (see “What Cardinal George told the men” below) Cardinal George explained the scriptural meaning of priesthood. “Listening to the Acts of the Apostles, we hear St. Paul telling the priests of Ephesus who they are: overseers, elders, rulers who tend the Church of God that Christ acquired at the cost of his blood,” the cardinal explained. “They are guardians of the people and of the truth revealed by Jesus.” He went on to tell the men, “Unlike the apostles, who after receiving the Eucharist immediately began to argue who should be regarded as the greatest among them, you inherit 2,000 years of history and have had four years of theology to help you understand the Holy Eucharist. You will not be arguing about who is the greatest among you today, and I hope you will not be arguing about it in years to come.” The cardinal also asked the men to use the example of Father Augustus Tolton, whom the archdiocese is putting forward for canonization, as a guide on how to be a good priest. “You know his story. He was born a slave and was brought to freedom in Illinois, but to become a seminarian he had to go to Rome. You know as well his constant cheerfulness in the midst of soul numbing adversity; such joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence,” he said. Following Cardinal George’s homily the candidates stood at the altar and promised to fulfill the call of the priesthood, making a promise of obedience to Cardinal George and his successors. Cardinal George laid hands upon the head of each man calling forth the Holy Spirit. Then, all of the priests in attendance came forward and laid their hands upon the head of each candidate. After ward they were vested in chasubles, had their hands anointed with sacred chrism and were presented with the bread and wine used at Mass. They joined Cardinal George around the altar to celebrate the liturgy of the Eucharist. At the end of Mass, Cardinal George knelt down before the altar to receive the men’s first blessing. Face of archdiocese The 2010 ordination class is a picture of the diversity of the archdiocese, said Father Thomas Baima, provost of University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary where the men studied for the priesthood. Half were born in the United states, four were born in Mexico, one in Poland, on in Peru and one in Kenya. “In seeing them you’re also seeing the face of the archdiocese,” he said. Ordination is the culmination of four to six years of preparation for many of the men, some of whom already had undergraduate or graduate degrees from secular pursuits before applying to seminary. But now the real work starts. “It begins,” Baima said. Baima said the lay faithful can let the new priests hear that they support the men’s vocations but also share their own spiritual needs. “Out of hearing from them, he will be better able to serve them,” said Baima who marks his 10th year as provost at Mundelein this year and 30th year as a priest. Family and friends turned out in their Sunday best to witness the ordinations. Natalie Jordan attended to see several of her classmates become priests. The student at the Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake said the liturgy “was so moving.” “What I was praying for them at the Mass was that they have joy in their priesthood and remain faithful to what the Lord is calling them to,” Jordan said. He was ‘overjoyed’ Following ordination, newly ordained Father Andrew Liaugminas said he was “overjoyed.” He said during Mass he kept remembering all of the people who helped him get to this point in his life. For him, the highlight of ordination was holding the Eucharist for the first time as a priest. It also humbled him to bless Cardinal George with the rest of the newly ordained during the end of Mass. Liaugminas called Cardinal George a “spiritual grandfather.” “I want to give back what I received from him,” said Liaugminas, whose first assignment is at Mary Seat of Wisdom in Park Ridge. Following ordination Liaugminas’ mother Sheila, said she couldn’t stop smiling. Liaugminas, who is a correspondent for Relevant Radio and blogs on Catholic and cultural issues, said she was moved to tears during the Mass. At one point during ordination, the men prostrate themselves before the altar while the congregation prays the litany of the saints to intercede for the men. “That was a visual act of what they were doing in reality, they laid down their lives for the church,” Sheila Liaugminas said. “I got all choked up about that.” She was brought to tears again when her son’s hands were anointed with sacred chrism. “I thought, ‘Now these hands can do all of the sacraments, consecrate the Eucharist.’” It all culminated when Andrew took his place next to the other new priests behind the altar and celebrated Mass with Cardinal George as a priest. “All of his life he was on my side of the pew, that for me did it,” she said. “He’s been changed now forever. He’s been conformed to Christ forever.”