HARRISBURG, Pa. – On Saturday, June 1, Bishop Ronald W. Gainer will ordain Deacons Matthew Edward Cannon, Samuel Edward Good Miller, Andrew Philip St. Hilaire and Joshua Robert Weaver to the Priesthood for the Diocese of Harrisburg.
The Ordination Mass will begin at 10 a.m. in St. Patrick Cathedral, 212 State Street, Harrisburg. Bishop Gainer will be the principal celebrant and perform the Rite of Ordination during the Mass. The Mass will be streamed live on the Diocesan website at www.hbgdiocese.org/live.
Deacon Matthew Edward Cannon, 28, was born in Philadelphia, Pa. and is a graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School. He attended Saint Vincent College before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. Cannon completed his formation for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. He is a member of Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church, Lancaster. Cannon said, “It’s overwhelming in a good way. It’s an amazing blessing I have been given by God. I can’t wait to be a priest. I can’t wait to be a servant to God’s people. I can’t wait to be a witness to the gospel. I can’t wait to live the parish life. It’s going to be an amazing journey.”
Deacon Samuel Edward Good Miller, 25, was born in Lancaster, Pa. and graduated from Warwick High School. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Pa., before finishing his formation studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. Miller is a member of Saint James Catholic Church, Lititz. He commented, “As we’ve approached ordination, it’s become more apparent to me that I’ll be able to say those words of Consecration. We’ve been practicing even on our own. To be able to finally say those words and have them actually do something…is anybody truly prepared for what that does? I’ll probably be spending the rest of my life contemplating that.”
Deacon Andrew Philip St. Hilaire, 27, was born in Concord, New Hampshire. He is a graduate of Cumberland Valley High School, Mechanicsburg, and Catholic University of America, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He began his studies for the Priesthood at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, before transferring to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md. St. Hilaire is a member of St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, Mechanicsburg. He commented, “I’ve told people throughout the Diocese, we don’t become priests for them, we become priests because of them. I’m exceptionally grateful to the Diocese for helping me get here. I wouldn’t be here without the Diocesan support.”
Deacon Joshua Robert Weaver, 26, was born in Camp Hill, Pa. and is a graduate of Trinity High School. He began his college education at Mount St. Mary’s University, pursing a mathematics major with a focus in secondary education, before he was accepted to seminary. He studied for the Priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa. He is a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mechanicsburg. Weaver commented, “The thing I’m looking forward to most is being a spiritual father and everything that entails. It’s the sacraments, bringing Christ to people in a very real way.”
Bishop Gainer will announce the assignments for the newly ordained priests at the conclusion of the Ordination Mass. The Diocese of Harrisburg has 89 parishes and seven missions throughout its 15 counties. To learn more about the Diocese and its ministries, visit www.hbgdiocese.org.
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