Ten men will be ordained priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis May 27, making the group one of the largest classes of new priests in the U.S. this year, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
The ordinands are Deacons Paul Baker, Bryce Evans, Nicholas Froehle, Nicholas Hagen, Matthew Quail, Tim Sandquist, Brandon Theisen, Chad VanHoose, Benjamin Wittnebel and Timothy Wratkowski.
The 10 a.m. ordination Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul will be broadcasted live on Metro Cable Channel 6, online and over the air channel 16.3.
The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity is hosting a holy hour 5 p.m. May 26 at St. Mary’s Chapel at the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul for the men who will be ordained.
Deacons Hagen and Wratkowski have been studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome; the others have completed their studies at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.
The other two largest groups of anticipated ordinands are in the dioceses of Paterson, New Jersey, with 13 men, and Wichita, Kansas, also with 10 men, according to CARA’s “The Class of 2017: Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood,” released in April.
In 2016, Archbishop Bernard Hebda ordained nine men for the archdiocese. There were eight ordained in 2015, six in 2014 and 10 in 2013. Four men are anticipated to be ordained priests for the archdiocese next year.