Parishes to offer Holy Hour for men soon to be ordained
During two Rite of Ordination liturgies later this month, one transitional deacon and eight priests will be ordained at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, to serve as clergy in the Archdiocese of Newark.
On Friday, May 15, parishes across the archdiocese will offer spiritual support to these nine men during the Holy Hour for Ordinandi. Organized by the Office of Priestly Vocations, the initiative invites the faithful to pray for those who will minister to them.
Father Patrick Seo, Director of Priestly Vocations for the Archdiocese of Newark, told Jersey Catholic that he is seeing a trend among those who feel called to the priesthood.
“Several spiritual directors say that the overwhelming majority of the men who are in seminary and those discerning to enter seminary are all deeply motivated through their time in Eucharistic Adoration,” Father Seo said. “To me, this makes perfect sense. God calls men to become priests. If you want to hear your call, go to Jesus. And most especially, go to Jesus in the way He has left Himself with us in that ‘Source and Summit’ sacrament of the Eucharist.”
He notes there is an important connection between this growing trend and the Holy Hours initiative.
“Men are discovering their vocation to the priesthood by going to Eucharistic Adoration,” Father Seo said. “As members of Christ’s Body, the Church, we are called altogether to go to Eucharistic Adoration to pray for our priests, to pray that our seminarians persevere into priesthood, and to pray that more men are opened to the Holy Spirit to become seminarians and priests one day.”
The vocations office reports that the Holy Hours initiative, now in its second year, has drawn an enthusiastic response from parishes. The growing list of participating parishes is updated each Monday and can be found on Instagram or Facebook at @NewarkPriest.
Parishes wishing to participate in the Holy Hour for Ordinandi can visit the sign-up page or email newarkpriest@rcan.org. Parishes are encouraged to offer their Holy Hour on May 15 at 7 pm but may choose a more convenient date and time if necessary.
Resources for parishes in English and Spanish are available HERE. Visit the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Priestly Vocations to learn more about this and other initiatives.
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Featured Image: Cardinal Tobin celebrates the Archdiocese of Newark’s Diaconate ordination in May 2025 (Photo by Julio Eduardo Herrera / Archdiocese of Newark)
