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BY ERIKA ANDERSON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA--Tears of joy flowed freely for the mothers of Rev. Mr. Brian Higgins, Rev. Mr.
Michael Sherliza and Rev. Mr. Adrian Pleus as
their sons were ordained to the priesthood at Holy Spirit Church on June 5.
Mary Ellen Higgins of Emerson brought a full box of tissues to the
ordination. Julie Pleus shared her tissues with other family members who came
to celebrate and Lizzette Sherliza of Griffin was still moved at the reception
afterward as well-wishers approached her to express their congratulations.
These mothers, who had watched their sons grow up and become men, on this
day watched them join a brotherhood of priests, intent on serving the Lord and
the Archdiocese of Atlanta. It was the first of three Saturdays in June at
which new priests would be ordained for the archdiocese. The rites on June 5,
12 and 19 were held at three different parishes while the Cathedral of Christ
the King undergoes renovation.
Holy Spirit Church was filled to capacity with family and friends and those
wishing to be a part of the candidates’ special day.
During his homily the three men listened as Archbishop John F. Donoghue
offered his advice and reminded them of the beauty of God’s mercy.
“We -- His priests and servants of the Church -- we do not come to this
position any better than St. Peter himself -- we all bear the scars of sin, of
those times when we have betrayed the Lord and run away from Him, out of fear,
out of arrogance, or out of ignorance because we have failed to understand the
words He has spoken to us,” the archbishop said. “But now, with the
grace of Orders, the Holy Spirit will be with us, to open our eyes -- and the
sight of all those old scars will remind us of what not to do again -- remind
us that if any new scars are to be added, they are to be scars of heroic
virtue, from wounds like the wounds of our Lord, and gained through the most
dedicated kind of self-sacrifice, the most willing desire, to accept suffering
for the sake of others.”
During the ordination rite, Father David Talley, archdiocesan director of
vocations, presented the candidates to the archbishop and the congregation, who
accepted them with applause. Then each knelt before the archbishop, pledging
respect and obedience to him, and to his successors, as the chief shepherd of
the archdiocese in Atlanta.
As the congregation knelt and prayed in song for the intercession of the
saints on behalf of their priesthood, the three men humbly prostrated
themselves, lying in front of the altar.
Following the intercession of the saints, the archbishop placed his hands on
the head of each man as he conferred ordination upon them. Each of the dozens
of concelebrating priests then repeated this gesture as the three men knelt
with closed eyes. This was followed by a prayer of consecration spoken by the
archbishop.
Each new priest was then helped into his vestments by chosen friends or
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 in preparation for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
“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,
who offered peace and congratulations, perhaps recalling their own ordinations
and the life of ministry that would await those newly ordained.
The new priests then joined the archbishop and the rest of the
concelebrating priests on the altar for the celebration of the Eucharist.
As the Mass ended and the new priests processed out of the church, the
congregation exploded into applause, making the smiles of the newly ordained
even brighter.
Following the Mass, those in attendance gathered in McDonough Hall to
receive first blessings from the new priests and share in fellowship and food.
Erin Higgins, one of Father Higgins’ three sisters, said that it was
hard to believe her brother was finally a priest.
“It’s kind of like a completion,” she said. “After
everything he’s gone through, it was great to see him really happy and
confident with his decision. I’m very happy for him and very proud of him.
I think he’ll be great as a priest.”
Father Higgins’ mother, Mary Ellen, who kissed her husband as her son
processed out of the church following his ordination, was still moved when she
commented that his late grandparents would be very proud of their grandson.
“You just can’t describe the feeling,” she said. “You
just never think it will happen, though you pray for it. I just told him to
make sure I got the first blessing. All of his brothers and sisters are here
and we’re all just so proud of him.”
Thomas Higgins said he was also very proud of his son.
“As a Catholic parent, I think most fathers or mothers would cherish a
son or daughter going into the priesthood or to the convent,” he said.
“We have nine children and we were just hoping that one of them would.
This has been a culmination of a long period of time for Brian and we
couldn’t be more proud.”
Higgins said that his newly ordained son was an inspiration to his siblings,
including his five brothers.
“I think for them to see their brother doing this really touched
them,” he said. “We can see the others taking much more of an
interest in their faith because of Brian.”
Father Higgins, 33, grew up in Dunwoody and will serve as a parochial vicar
at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta. He said that it meant a lot to
him to have his family participate in his special day.
“It was everything I thought it was going to be and more,” he
said. “I have family here from all over the United States and it’s
just so great to have them here.”
Margaret Pleus, the nearly 90-year-old grandmother of Father Pleus, said she
was “overwhelmed by the great privilege” of helping her grandson into
his priestly vestments.
“God is just so good,” she said.
She also believes that her grandson will make an excellent priest.
“I think he’s extraordinary because he’s so compassionate and
he has so much sympathy for people who are in trouble,” she said.
Father Pleus’ mother, Julie, said she was overwhelmed with pride for
her son.
“I feel absolutely on a high right now,” she said. “It was
such a beautiful ceremony and he has been looking forward to this for so long.
It’s so wonderful for him to finally have the culmination of his
dreams.”
Father Pleus, 32, a native of Plandome, N.Y., who will serve as a parochial
vicar at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Kennesaw, said that during the
service he was “mainly asking for God’s mercy and love and
guidance.”
“Right now I’m feeling very humble,” he said. “I’m
also feeling great joy as well as great peace.”
Kathleen Sherliza said that she was moved by her brother’s ordination,
especially in seeing her parents’ pride in their son.
“I’m ecstatic,” she said. “This is all he’s ever
wanted in his life. It’s just the best day. I was thinking during the Mass
of how proud I was of him and how happy I knew he was.”
Father Sherliza, 44, a native of Attleboro, Mass., who will serve as a
parochial vicar at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Woodstock, said that it
was “an illusion” that he was even standing.
“I’m actually floating six feet off the ground,” he joked.
Father Sherliza said that although he studied the rite of ordination
extensively as a seminarian, it did not fully prepare him for the power of his
own ordination.
“We study for so many years,” he said. “Then John Francis
Donoghue puts his hands on your head and suddenly everything is different. The
world is different. You’re a priest.”
Father Sherliza’s mother, Lizzette, a parishioner of Sacred Heart
Church in Griffin, called her son’s ordination “awesome.” Still
visibly moved, Mrs. Sherliza summed up her feelings with tears of joy
glistening in her eyes.
“It was just wonderful,” she said. “It’s hard to
explain, but it’s so moving. I just feel so blessed right now.”
Robert Sherliza said that he was “absolutely thrilled” watching
his son become a priest.
“It’s something that he has wanted and God has agreed to have him
come into his service,” he said. “I think anytime a child finds
fulfillment, the parents have to be so happy and so thankful. He is definitely
fulfilled and we couldn’t be happier.”
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