On Saturday, June 3, at 11 a.m., Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will ordain 10 men to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn. Once again this year, the diocese ranks among the top in the country in the number of new priests. The ordination Mass will take place at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street in Brooklyn.

The new priests, who come from all over the world, will add to the rich cultural diversity of the diocese. Three were born in Brooklyn, two in Poland, two in Nigeria, one in South Korea, one in Cameroon, and one in Italy. The men range in age from 26 to 42. The group is the third largest to join a diocese or Archdiocese in the United States in 2017. The Diocese of Patterson will ordain the biggest class of 13 priests while the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will ordain 11.

The priests join the Diocese of Brooklyn with degrees ranging from Theology and Divinity to Latin, Philosophy, and Literature. They bring with them experience ranging from social work to mapmaking to rock music. In discerning God’s call to serve the Church, the men found inspiration in prayer, pilgrimage, family, and pastoral role models.

“There is no greater joy for a bishop than to ordain a man to the priesthood of Jesus Christ,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “This Saturday, we in Brooklyn and Queens will be fortunate to have ten more men who will perpetuate the great Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. In a world that rejects sacrifice and embraces self indulgence, I am grateful for the courage of these men who offer their own lives for the sake of the proclamation of the Gospel.”

The Diocese of Brooklyn, the eighth largest diocese in the United States and the only entirely urban diocese in the Nation, serves the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The combined population of the boroughs stands at 4.8 million residents, of which more than 1.5 million identify themselves as Catholics.

The diocesan network New Evangelization Television (NET TV) will provide live coverage of the ordination ceremony, which will also be streamed live on www.netny.tv. NET TV is a cable network featuring news and information with a Catholic point of view, and is available in the New York area on Time Warner Cable, Channel 97; Cablevision, Channel 30; Verizon FiOS, Ch. 48; and nationally on Verizon FiOS On Demand.

Both Pacific Street and Dean Street, between Underhill Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, will be closed to traffic from 12 a.m. on Saturday through the end of the event.

For photos and full bios, please visit this week’s Tablet.