Father Marquina and Father Sicard ordained to the priesthood
SALT LAKE CITY — On the evening of June 30, Deacons Oscar Marquina and André Sicard were ordained as priests and seminarian Anthony Shumway was ordained a transitional deacon by Bishop Oscar A. Solis at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. The standing-room only congregation included parishioners from throughout the diocese as well as visiting friends and relatives of the three ordinandi.
Bishop Solis presided at the Mass, which was said in English and Spanish. Among the concelebrants were Msgr. Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general; Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus; Fr. Martin Diaz, cathedral rector; Fr. David Hulshof, representing the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where Fr. Marquina is studying; and Fr. Jim Froelich, OFM Cap., representing the National Seminary of The Catholic University of America, where Fr. Sicard is a student. Numerous priests of the diocese and visiting priests also concelebrated.
“My brothers and sisters, today the Church of Salt Lake City joins with the Church throughout the whole world with joy in the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Orders,” Bishop Solis said in his introduction of the candidates. “In the Sacrament of Orders, deacons have as their ministry to the people of God the work of liturgy, the proclamation of the Word and acts of charity. Presbyters are set apart in the image of Christ, the eternal high priest, to preach the Gospel, to shepherd the faithful and to celebrate divine worship as true priests of the New Testament. As the local Church we welcome these candidates as well as all those who come to the celebration, and we give thanks to Christ as the foundation of their vocation.”
Deacon Guillermo Mendez proclaimed the Gospel. Many diocesan deacons, including Deacon George Reade, chancellor, and their wives, were among those attending. The Utah Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard.
After the Liturgy of the Word, Father Fr. Joseph Delka, diocesan director of vocations, presented first Shumway and then Deacons Marquina and Sicard to Bishop Solis, declaring them worthy to be ordained.
“Relying on the help of our Lord God and on our Savior, Jesus Christ, we choose these our brothers for the order of the priesthood,” Bishop Solis responded in the latter instance.
Following those ceremonies, Bishop Solis gave his homily in English and Spanish.
“We gather this special day with great thanksgiving to God for his precious gift of two priests and a deacon who will receive the Sacred Orders for the service of our Church,” Bishop Solis said. “Your ordination is a concrete manifestation of God’s blessing and enduring love for us and to the world.”
Describing the occasion as a “historic moment” because two priests and a deacon from the local Church were being ordained, the bishop said, “It is not every year that we can enjoy this kind of celebration in this beautiful cathedral.”
He shared special words for each of the ordinandi, beginning with Deacon Shumway (see story, p. 1).
Then, calling the two ordinandi for the priesthood his brothers, Bishop Solis thanked them for their dedication to their vocation as priests. “Christ instituted the priesthood as a sacrament of his loving and saving presence in the world,” he said. “Through the laying on of hands and anointing of the Sacred Chrism, you are entrusted with the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority to share in the Priesthood of Christ.”
Bishop Solis encouraged the ordinandi to reflect on the dignity of their vocation. “God promised he will be with you always and the one who speaks, as he puts his words in your mouth,” he said, and added, “You are given a special honor as a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. You will be a shepherd, entrusted with the souls of God’s people.”
“Priests cannot claim any honor for what we do; we are simply called by God,” he continued. “We are instruments and conduits of his blessings to the world. It is Christ who heals, forgives and who saves; it is not the priests. So, be mindful of the temptation of ego-centeredness, of ambition, clericalism and comfort. Christ is the Messiah, and we are just his servants. Remain connected in God’s love in order to be faithful to his calling and ministry. Be humble and imitate the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his friends.”
After the homily, the ordination rites began with the Promise of the Elect for the Diaconate and the Promise of the Elect for the Priesthood. Then the ordinandi lay prostrate in front of the altar while the Litany of Supplication was sung. Following this, was the Laying on of Hands and Prayer of Ordination to the Diaconate. Then Deacon Shumway was clad in the vestments of his office by Deacon Tom Tosti, and Bishop Solis handed to Deacon Shumway the Book of the Gospels.
Next came the priest ordinations. Father Marquina was clad in his vestments by Fr. Francisco Pires, pastor of St. Henry Parish in Brigham City, and Fr. Sicard was clad by Fr. Diaz and Fr. José Barrera, pastor of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale.
The newly ordained priests concelebrated the Liturgy of the Eucharist, assisted by Deacon Shumway and other deacons. After the Mass, the newly ordained priests offered first blessings to their families and friends.
Fr. Marquina, whose home parish is St. Thomas Aquinas in Hyde Park, will return this fall to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy to pursue a licentiate in canon law.
The moment during the ordination Mass that touched him most deeply was at the end, just prior to the recession, when all those present faced the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the west side of the cathedral and sang the “Salve Regina.”
“I saw Mary’s face shining and her joy, just radiating from her, to see her two new priests,” he said.
Fr. Sicard, whose home parish is St. Therese of the Child Jesus, will return to The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C to pursue a canon law degree.
For Fr. Sicard, one of the memorable moments during the ordination was when the rite was over, “I was seated in the sanctuary, now as a priest, and hearing the choir sing “Jesus Christ, Priest and Victor” and with the sun shining through the stained-glass windows. That moment was when it began to hit me that I’m now a priest! I teared up at listening to the choir and realizing the awesome mercy of God in my life.”
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