Father Patrick Winbush, O.S.B. ordained by Cardinal Gregory in historic moment for Newark (Video)
On Saturday, May 20, a diverse crowd of hundreds gathered at St. Mary’s Church in Newark for the historic ordination of Father Patrick Winbush, O.S.B. to the priesthood. Father Winbush, a Benedictine monk of Newark Abbey since 2001 who began discerning the call to the priesthood three years ago, became the first African American man ordained in the Archdiocese of Newark in more than 20 years. The ordaining bishop, at Father Winbush’s request, was Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington – the first African American cardinal in history.
The ordination in many ways was an intimate affair. The 166-year-old church, high and narrow, was filled wall-to-wall with people reflecting Father Winbush’s unique path to the priesthood. Benedictine monks journeyed from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa.—the founding abbey of Newark and the oldest Benedictine house in America—and Saint Leo Abbey in Florida, among others. Religious brothers and sisters from various other orders attended – a testament to Father Winbush’s involvement in local religious life, notably as the chair of the Archdiocese of Newark’s Vocation Board for Religious Life.
The choir, which came from Father Winbush’s home parish of Blessed Sacrament / St. Charles Borromeo Church in Newark, infused the liturgical celebration with gospel music that at times shook the walls of a church perhaps accustomed to quieter contemplation.
And even in the softer, powerful moments, as Father Winbush lay prostrate on the church floor during the Litany of the Saints, names of great meaning for the new priest lifted into the air: Black saints and saints-to-be, including Venerable Pierre Toussaint (the father of Catholic Charities in New York), Servant of God Thea Bowman (a pioneer for the rights of African-Americans in the Church), and Venerable Augustus Tolton (the first openly African American priest in history).
Father Patrick Winbush, O.S.B. prays intently on the floor of Newark Abbey during the Litany of the Saints. (Joe Jordan / Archdiocese of Newark).
Many priests and deacons from the Archdiocese of Newark and beyond attended, including a number of African and African American clergy. Among them was the priest who vested Winbush: Father Larry Evans, V.F., his spiritual director whom he has known since he was 14 years old.
Before Father Winbush’s ordination on Saturday, Father Evans was the last African American priest to be ordained for the Archdiocese in 2001. But it was well before then, when Father Evans was a teacher, that he first encountered Winbush.
“I met him when he was a student in high school,” Father Evans recalled following the ordination. “Today is truly an emotional day for me. To see a young man so dedicated, so loving, so caring, and so persistent that God has called him to this state of life … I am proud. The Church has been enriched today by having him ordained to the priesthood, and I am honored to be a part of it.”
Cardinal Gregory called it a “privilege” to ordain Father Winbush in a ceremony that “[brought] together so many wonderful people who are a part of this great archdiocese.”
In his homily, the Cardinal noted that the new priest still has much to learn about religious life and the “challenges and joys of the priestly office,” but complimented Father Winbush on his path thus far: “Patrick, you have lived the consecrated life for some time. You have discovered within your Benedictine heritage how to pray, and especially to pray as an African American man. You have blended those two spiritual components into a life of service and Gospel charity.”
Cardinal Wilton Gregory gives his homily during the Ordination Mass of Father Patrick Winbush, O.S.B. at Newark Abbey on May 20. (Joe Jordan / Archdiocese of Newark).
Following the Cardinal’s homily, the Rite of Ordination began: the Calling of the Candidate, the Presentation of the Candidate, the Examination of the Candidate, the Litany of the Saints, the Laying on of Hands, the vesting, and the anointing of the hands with the Sacred Chrism. And then, for the first time as a priest, Father Winbush took part in the Liturgy of the Eucharist alongside Cardinal Gregory.
The following day, the newly ordained Father Winbush celebrated his First Mass at his home parish, Blessed Sacrament / St. Charles Borromeo. Some of the same clergy from the day before were in attendance to celebrate with him, with the addition of Bishop Elias Lorenzo, O.S.B.
Bishop Lorenzo said that he was “honored to have joined Father Patrick Winbush”, whom he has known since he joined the abbey in 2001.
While the specifics of Winbush’s future ministry are yet to be revealed (he remains sub-prior of Newark Abbey and could be assigned to a parish in the coming weeks or months), his impact on the monastic community is indelible – especially as a model for other African American men potentially discerning the call to religious life.
Abbot Augustine Curley, O.S.B., abbot of Newark Abbey, said that Father Winbush’s arrival at the abbey in 2001 was part of a revival in the monks’ numbers, and that having more African American monks is of great benefit to the community, since “the composition of the monastery always mirrored the composition of the school and the parish until the 1970s.”
“We would love to have more African and African American monks,” the abbot said.
In a column last month for Jersey Catholic, Father Winbush wrote: “I am blessed that I am able to follow in the footsteps of these holy men and women who educated and mentored me.” Now, perhaps others will be inspired to follow in his footsteps: on the path to monastic life or priestly service – or, like Father Winbush, to both.
Photos by Joe Jordan / Archdiocese of Newark
