BY ERIKA ANDERSON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA--Vowing to serve God, the Catholic Church and the people of the
Archdiocese of Atlanta, four men were ordained to the priesthood June 6 at the
Cathedral of Christ the King by Archbishop John F. Donoghue.
Families and friends reunited, some after decades of being apart, to
celebrate the ordinations of Rev. Mr. Jaime Barona, Rev. Mr. Rafael
Castaño, Rev. Mr. Victor Galier and Rev. Mr. Richard Tibbetts.
Camera flashes from the family and friends section of the cathedral were
numerous as the four men entered the church behind dozens of priests from the
archdiocese who concelebrated the Mass. They were followed by Archbishop
Donoghue, as the choir led the congregation in singing “All Creatures of
Our God and King.”
The Liturgy of the Word reflected the languages of those being ordained. The
first reading was given in English, the psalm response was sung partially in
Spanish and the second reading was given in Spanish.
In his homily, the archbishop reminded the men of their obligations as
priests.
“As it now becomes your sacred duty, celebrate the sacraments with the
mind of Christ--baptize with faith, forgive and absolve with fair mercy and
feed the souls of the faithful knowing that what passes from your hands into
their being is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and the source of all
salvation,” he said. “Lead the faithful into the ways of life
exemplified and blessed by the Lord--the ways of poverty, of chastity, of
obedience--and when death comes, be by their side to steady and ease their
entrance into eternal life.”
He closed his homily with the words of St. Paul.
“Do your part in the work of Christ the Priest with genuine joy and
love, and attend to the concerns of Christ before your own, remembering the
words of St. Paul--‘I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’”
In the solemn sequence of the ordination, the four candidates were first
called forward and accepted by the archbishop and the congregation with
thunderous applause. Then each knelt before Archbishop Donoghue, pledging
respect and obedience to him and to his successors as chief shepherd of the
archdiocese in the years ahead.
The four then humbly prostrated themselves in the center aisle of the
cathedral while the choir and congregation asked in song for the intercession
of the saints on behalf of their priesthood.
Then in silence, the archbishop placed his hands on the head of each man
individually as they knelt before him, conferring ordination upon them. This
gesture was repeated by each priest present for the ordination and was followed
by a prayer of consecration spoken by the archbishop.
Each new priest was then helped into his vestments by chosen friends and
family members. Now garbed as priests, their hands were anointed by the
archbishop and they were given the offertory gifts brought to the altar by
their families.
“Accept from the holy people of God the gifts to be offered to
Him,” the archbishop prayed.
After this prayer, the new priests were embraced by their brother priests,
some with the awkward formality of strangers, others with the warmth of old
friends, but all as a sign of joy and hope for the future for the newly
ordained.
The new priests then joined the archbishop and their brother priests on the
altar for the celebration of the Eucharist.
The congregation filled the cathedral to capacity and eagerly waited outside
after the ordination Mass to receive first blessings from the new priests.
As he blessed members of his family and friends, Father Tibbetts, 55,
remarked that he was not nervous during the ordination.
“I feel a great deal of peace,” he said. “I heard every word
that was spoken.”
Father Tibbetts also said that the most moving part of the ordination rite
was the laying on of hands.
“I could really feel the Holy Spirit coming through,” said the new
priest, a New England native who will serve at St. Joseph’s Church in
Marietta. He brings 20 years of experience in special education and also has a
master’s degree in social work.
Eleanor Patton, a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church in Rome, where
Father Galier, 26, served a summer internship was anxious to receive a blessing
from the new priest.
“He is just a wonderful, wonderful fellow,” she said. “He
worked so well with the youth and young people at the church. He is really just
an ever-loving person.”
For Father Galier, one of six children, this day had a special double
meaning to him and his family. His late father, Victor, had served as a deacon
and June 6 would have been his parents 39th wedding anniversary.
Father Galier’s brother, Tony, said that because it was their parents
wedding date, the day was even more meaningful.
“It’s really special. Our parents were married today, so it has a
lot of significance,” he said. “I see a lot of God working
today.”
Father Galier’s sister, Angela Green, expressed great pride in her
brother, but said she almost felt like they were young and “playing
church.”
“I’m really excited and I feel very blessed,” she said.
“I still can’t believe it’s true. For me it’s really
emotional and very special.”
Rita Galier, the priest’s mother, always carries with her a
handkerchief attached to her husband’s wedding ring by a safety pin.
Before her son was ordained she had offered the ring to him. As he was called
forth by the archbishop during the ordination, Father Galier turned to his
mother and asked for the ring, which he now says he will continue to wear
throughout his life. He will serve at Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta.
“It’s a Catholic mother’s dream,” Mrs. Galier said.
“I feel very blessed. All my family and grandchildren are here. It’s
a blessing on any levels. It’s a very special day for all of us.”
Father Barona, 52, a native of Colombia, South America, who was raised in
Montreal, also experienced a family reunion. For the first time in almost 30
years, his family was brought together.
Father Barona’s sister, Claribelth Naranjo, who lives in Atlanta and is
a parishioner of the Church of St. Jude, said that there were over 40 people
who came from all over the world to celebrate her brother’s ordination.
“I feel very excited and happy and most of all very proud,” she
said.
Naranjo said that she was not surprised by her brother’s decision.
“He has always had it in his mind to become a priest,” she said.
Father Barona, who also has a master’s degree in business
administration and has worked in the finance department at Grady Hospital,
Atlanta, will begin his service at the Church of St. Benedict in Duluth.
Father Castaño, 34, a native of Colombia, also has had a life-long
desire to become a priest, his mother, Margarita Fernandez said.
“I’m very happy because it was his dream and his dream came
true,” she said in Spanish. “Since he was a child he wanted to be a
priest.”
Father Pat Bishop, pastor of the Church of the Transfiguration in Marietta,
where Father Castaño has been given his first assignment as a parochial
vicar, brought two busloads of parishioners to the ordination so they could
support their new priest.
“Transfiguration is an incredible family,” he said. “They
really watch out for each other and they treat their priests as their
own.”
“I think they know that it’s a hard time to be a priest and they
wanted this fine young man to know that he’s not going into it
alone,” Father Bishop said. “I think they see the kindness in his
soul.”
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