Walter Butor, OMI,

ordained a priest

  
     
  His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago, ordained to the Priesthood his Oblate brother, Father Walter Butor, on Saturday, June 28, 2003.  The place of Father Walter's ministry as a seminarian, St. Benedict the African Parish in Chicago, was the site of the conferral of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Fr. Walter is the son of the late Walter and Dorothy Butor.   He completed his undergraduate degree in communications at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles and worked in his native Pittsburgh for several years in a variety of positions.  Feeling called to life as a Missionary Oblate, he entered formation in St. Louis in 1996.  After first vows in 1998, he began his studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in June of 2003.

Having a great desire to work with the poor and with minority populations, during his seminary days, he offered whatever service he could at the predominately Black Catholic parish where he was ordained.  He has also developed interest in working with Native Americans.  Consequently, he served a year of pastoral internship on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota.  For his first assignment as an Oblate priest, he will become part of the Oblate community ministering with the Native Americans and Euro-Americans in Sisseton, South Dakota, located on the reservation of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux.

The setting of Fr. Walter's ordination, St. Benedict the African Church,  is a very successful attempt to blend African and American cultures, with wood carvings, stained glass windows of African-American heroines, and many live plants and trees growing within the walls of the building.

 

  
 

  

  
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Entrance Procession: Cardinal Francis George, OMI

Deacon Walter with his family.

The Cardinal listens to the Gospel.

The Cardinal asks Walter to commit himself to priestly service.

Do you promise obedience...?

The Litany of the Saints.

The Litany of the Saints.

The cardinal prays.

Cardinal George ordains Walter by the laying on of hands...

Provincial Fr. David Kalert lays hands on Walter.

Newly ordained Fr. Jonathan Closner lays hands on Walter.

and the prayer of priestly consecration...

Vesting the newly ordained.

Cardinal anoints Fr. Walter's hands with Holy Chrism.

Fr. Walter says "thanks!"

Oblate Scholastic Brothers Juan Ayala, Fernando Velazquez, George Ngole, and Efren Castillo

Cardinal George greets the visitors.

Walter with his sister and other family members.

Scholastic Bro. Fernando Velazquez and Novice Brother Tony Ortiz.

Fr. Don Dietz, OMI, with one of his parishioners.

Oblate Fathers Urban Figge, Rudy Nowakowski, Mike Powell, and Louie Lougen.

Scholastic Bro. Jim Chambers, Fr. Darrell Rupiper, and Mike Viola.

St. Benedict the African

African Madonna and Child Jesus.

African American Heroines

African-American heroines.

Fr. Walter prepares for his Mass of Thanksgiving.

Fr. Walter with St. Benedict's pastor, Fr. David Balwin.

Mass of Thanksgiving

 

  
  Pictures courtesy of Fr. Jim Allen and Bill Magrath of the Belleville MAMI office.