On June 14, 2014, His Excellency James Conley, Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska, will ordain to the priesthood two deacons of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, the Rev. Mr. Daniel Heenan and the Rev. Mr. Zachary Akers, at the church of St John the Apostle in Leesburg, Virginia. (101 Oakcrest Manor Drive NE) The local Ordinary, His Excellency Paul Loverde, Bishop of Arlington, Virginia, will be in attendance, along with a large number of clergy of the Diocese of Arlington and of the F.S.S.P. The ceremony, which is of course open to the public, will begin at 9 a.m., and be followed by a light reception to which all are invited. The majority of the F.S.S.P. ordinations in the United States are done in the cathedral of Lincoln; this is an excellent opportunity for those in the D.C. and Northern Virginia area to see a very moving and impressive ceremony. June 14th is the Ember Saturday of the Octave of Pentecost; as we have noted before, the Ember Saturday Masses were originally appointed specifically for clerical ordinations, and the Mass will certainly be all the more impressive for the beautiful series of lessons and chants that precedes the singing of the Gloria in excelsis.
The following day, Fr Heenan will celebrate his first Mass at 9:30 a.m. at the chapel of Christ the King at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, and Fr Akers will celebrate his first Mass at 12:30 p.m. at the church of St John the Baptist, also in Front Royal. Our congratulations in advance to the two deacons and the Fraternity of St Peter, along with thanks to Bishop Conley and Bishop Loverde.