Five men said "Yes," to God's call on Saturday, June 13 as Auxiliary Bishop Rey Bersabal ordained them to the priesthood for the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) West Province during a joyful Mass at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in Sacramento. The celebration marked a milestone not only for the newly ordained priests and the Society of Jesus, but also for Bishop Rey, who celebrated his first priestly ordinations as a bishop.
The Ordination Mass filled St. Ignatius Church with family, friends and faithful. Over 80 Jesuit priests attended alongside visiting clergy, while numerous scholastics and Jesuits in various stages of formation joined in the celebration of God's continuing call to priestly service.
Ordained to the priesthood were Fathers Edward H. Chow, SJ, Shane Liesegang, SJ, Dennis Allan Vivar Marzan, SJ, Chris Nguyen, SJ and Victor Pro Yanez, SJ.
The ordination carried special significance for Bishop Rey, who shared that he had spent 10 years in formation with the Jesuits before ultimately discerning a call to the diocesan priesthood. In God's providence, his first ordinations as a bishop were for the very religious order that helped shape his own vocation.
In his homily, Bishop Rey encouraged the newly ordained priests to cooperate faithfully with God's grace throughout their ministry, reminding them that the priesthood is sustained not by personal strength but by God’s abiding presence.
Reflecting on his own priestly vocation, Bishop Rey shared his deep devotion to the Holy Eucharist and spoke of the strength he has continually drawn from Christ's presence in the Blessed Sacrament, particularly since becoming a bishop. He encouraged the newly ordained to remain close to our Lord in the Eucharist.
He also offered a profound reminder of the heart of priestly service: "It is only through the cross that the priesthood becomes fruitful."
The beauty and universality of the Church were on full display as men from diverse backgrounds offered their lives in generous response to God's call. Surrounded by the prayers of the faithful and the support of brother Jesuits and priests, they began a ministry rooted in sacrifice, service and the proclamation of the Gospel.
Following the Ordination, the newly ordained priests concelebrated the Liturgy of the Eucharist and bestowed their first priestly blessings upon Bishop Bersabal and the Very Reverend Sean Carroll, SJ, Provincial for the Western Province. For Bishop Rey, the moment marked the culmination of his first ordinations as a successor of the Apostles; for the new priests, it marked the beginning of sacramental ministry in service to Christ and His Church.
The Church celebrates the ordination of these five new priests; their witness serves as a reminder that God continues to call men and women to lives of generous service. May the joyful "yes" of Fathers Edward, Shane, Daniel, Chis and Victor inspire renewed prayers for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, both within religious orders and in the Diocese of Sacramento.
To learn more about vocations, the Diocese of Sacramento’s seminarians, or find resources for supporting vocations in your home or parish visit www.scd.org/vocations
To learn more about the Society of Jesus visit www.jesuitswest.org/