June 24, 2015 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Our priesthood Ordinations this year have been blessed with 10 men, seven of whom were born in the United States and three who have come to us from other countries, one of whom came to our Diocese when he was seven years old. Truly, we are blessed to have representations from all of the major ethnic groups which make up this great and complex diocese here in Brooklyn and Queens. We are also blessed to have these men who pledge to follow their vocation to the priesthood.

It has been my custom to preach a day of recollection the day prior to Ordination. In order to prepare for this day of prayer, I ask each man to present to me a short paper on their concept of the priesthood and what they wish to accomplish as priests. I recently read and re-read these papers in preparation for the day of recollection and wish to share with you some of their thoughts on the priesthood and how they wish to serve you, the people of God, in this diocese.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.