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Happy Father’s Day, one week early.
I posted last month on the man who is a father to a priest in Baltimore, and was about to be ordained a priest himself.
Well, yesterday, it happened:
This is history in process at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in north Baltimore as Deacon Greg Rapisarda became Father Rapisarda. He’s 62 and surrounded by family, friends and four children. Rapisarda took a vow into the ministry.“Once, you thought that marriage was your only vocation. God knew otherwise,” said Archbishop Edwin O’Brien.
“I felt a call to the priesthood after my wife died. Other people said something to me about it; eventually, it sunk in that that’s what I needed to do,” Rapisarda said.
After practicing law for nearly 40 years, he entered the seminary. This weekend, he joined his son, John, who is already a priest.
“Excitement,” said Father John Rapisarda. “He’s going to be great.”
And it’s the first time in the Baltimore Archdiocese’s 221-year history that a father and son are priests at the same time.
“It’s all without trying to do it. It’s just what happened in this situation,” Rapisarda said.
Read more, and watch a video of the ordination, at the link. (Those who are curious can catch an interview with the newly minted Fr. Greg on “Currents” later in the week.)
Congratulations, Father Greg! Ad multos annos!
posted June 13, 2010 at 2:40 pm
I’ve heard of older men joining orders as brothers late in life, but never priests. I thought that took 6 or 8 years or so of schooling. I thought they also had a mandatory retirement age of 70 or 75, but I may be thinking of bishops. More power to him. I’m a late in life career changer myself (not the priesthood, devout Catholics will be relieved to hear).
posted June 14, 2010 at 7:14 am
Since Father Rapisarda (the elder) was already a deacon, some of his schooling was already complete. He still spend several years at St. Mary’s seminary in Baltimore. (Just living there is a feat in itself because the place has no air conditioning!)
The ordination was beautiful and there was not a dry eye in the Cathedral as Father Greg was ordained. At the end, as he processed down the isle, the spontaneous and sustained applause for this man was nothing short of inspiring. Praised be Jesus Christ!
posted June 15, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Very great article. Honestly.