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St. Cecelia’s
Parish in San Antonio, TX, hosted, on June 14, 2003, the priestly ordination
of one of its native sons. Oblate Father Jonathan Closner received
the Sacrament of Priesthood from Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI, Bishop of San
Angelo, TX.
The son of
Pedro and Patricia Closner, Fr. Jonathan recently completed his studies with
a Master of Divinity Degree at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. While
in Chicago, he was a member of the Oblate House of Theology community.
Approximately
30 Oblates, including some from as far away as the Philippines and Rome,
were on hand for the ordination liturgy, with a church full of Fr.
Jonathan’s fellow parishioners and family members.
At the end of
the ordination liturgy, U.S. Oblate Provincial, Fr. David Kalert, OMI,
announced that the Superior General had given Fr. Jonathan his first
assignment: the United States Province. Specifically, he will be part
of the pastoral team at Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Parish in Lowell, MA..
The “First Mass
of Thanksgiving” also took place at St. Cecelia’s Church. The homilist for
this liturgy was Fr. Philip Estrella, OMI, who came from the Philippine
Islands for the celebration. Fr. Jonathan had done a year of pastoral
internship at the Oblate Parish in the Philippines.
Also during the
Mass of Thanksgiving, Fr. Jonathan was able to baptize the daughter of one
of his high school classmates and give First Communion to a young relative.
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