“On June 4, 2011, The Father of Mercy were very pleased to welcome Bishop William Medley, Bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro, for the ordination of four of our confreres. Rev. Br. Jewel Aytona and Rev. Br. Kenneth Soroko were ordained to the priesthood, and Br. Kenneth Geraci and Br. Andrew Cravalho were ordained to the diaconate. For the newly ordained Fr. Kenneth and Fr. Jewel, it was the last step in their formation process in becoming priests with the Fathers of Mercy. Fr. Jewel will be assigned as a chaplain at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, WI; and Fr. Kenneth will be working at St. Helen’s Catholic Church in Glasgow, KY. The newly ordained deacons, Rev. Br. Kenneth and Rev. Br. Andy, will both be assisting Rev. Gerald Baker as deacons at St. Ann’s in Morganfield, KY. Please pray for our newly ordained men, that they be zealous and holy witnesses to the Gospel.”
“Earlier this month, the Fathers of Mercy were privileged to participate in the 2011 Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) Conference for the Southern United States, in which over 1,300 university students gathered at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Many different schools throughout the South and Midwest were represented, including: the University of Florida, Ball State University, Auburn University, University of Illinois, Loras College, and others.
During the conference, Fr. George McInnis, and Fr. Tony Stephens represented the Fathers of Mercy by handing out our vocation materials and interacting with the students. Also, Fr. George McInnis brought a relic of St. Maria Goretti, the particular patroness of young people striving to stay pure, and offered a blessing with the relic to the students attending each day’s workshops.
The overall theme of FOCUS ministries is to deepen the student’s practice of the Catholic Faith, and become witnesses for Christ at their respective university. Therefore, various workshops were offered to the university students throughout the conference, including discerning one’s vocation and deepening one’s personal prayer life. Each day, as the central part of the three-day conference, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered. As well, during a special session on Saturday night, the Sacrament of Penance was made available through the ministry of 35 priests, six of whom were Fathers of Mercy. God’s forgiveness and infinite mercy were evident through the several hundred young men and women who enriched their faith and received the grace of the Sacraments throughout the weekend.”
Follow the Fathers!