Ordination to the priesthood and two new deacons for Schoenstatt and the Church

On a warm spring morning Mary was waiting with open arms to receive these three new ordinands. The joy and happiness of the Holy Spirit was evident at the National Shrine of Bellavista as they celebrated the priestly and diaconal ordination of Joaquín Puertas Casasempere, Agustín Ozcoidi and Maike de Andrade, respectively, together with their families, friends, and many members of this great family. On Saturday, October 7th, after almost 10 years of formation, mainly in Chile, the latter sealed their contract of perpetual consecration, a step preceding priestly ordination, which Joaquín was able to do before his ordination to the priesthood.

With the ringing of the bells that accompanied the procession from the Shrine to the Church of the Holy Spirit, and in an atmosphere of great celebration for our Church, the ordination of the deacons and the priest of the Cor Sacerdotalis course commenced. This course began with other postulants in March 2014 at the Novitiate in Paraguay, where they were introduced during a couple of years to the fundamental aspects of the priesthood in the community of the Schoenstatt Fathers. Then, they did their pastoral and pedagogical internships in different parts of the world, continued their studies in Germany and attended the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile to study theology.

“This time has been a time of great and fruitful joy, preparing to live and learn more about the priesthood, accompanied by the Blessed Mother and being able to somehow emulate Jesus’ simple heart and share the calling that overcomes us and asks us to give ourselves to others,” said Agustín Ozcoidi, a Schoenstatt deacon.

Communicating to everyone that they have found the Lord

With the motto “O God, holy are your ways”, taken from Psalm 77, and within the real and imaginary road, the three ordinands were presented by Father Diogo Barata, Provincial Superior of the Community of the Schoenstatt Fathers, to Auxiliary Bishop Alberto Lorenzelli, who presided over this Holy Mass of ordination and who addressed them with some warm words of welcome and a reflection of the Gospel according to St. Luke, about the pilgrims of Emmaus during a moving homily: “The Risen One explains the Scriptures to them, and full of compassion breaks the Bread for them. He thus inflames their hearts and opens their eyes so that they may recognize him (…). It is an invitation also for you, Joaquín, Maike and Agustín, who have met the Lord as pilgrims and travelers, as you described to me in our meetings, to communicate to everyone that you have met the Lord, that he has changed your lives”.

“To consecrate my life to the service of Schoenstatt and the Church”

After the Mass, the ordination rites were performed and, not only for the new priest, but also for the two new deacons, who will be ordained priests by their bishops next year after a pastoral time in their respective countries (Argentina and Brazil), Christ’s calling to this new stage of the journey to which they were summoned was sealed in their hearts.

“I felt very happy to take this step that completed a long journey of formation and began a new time of service and self-giving. Therefore, in my heart there was a combination of deep gratitude for all that I had experienced during these years and the joy of starting a new time of mission. It was also very moving to be accompanied by so many people who have been part of this journey and who have made our joy their own. The love of my family, community, friends, and people that I have met and accompanied during these years has undoubtedly been fundamental to consecrate my life to the service of Schoenstatt and the Church”, says the new deacon Maike de Andrade.

The ordination ended with the consecration to Mary in the Shrine, after the Mass with about 60 priests who accompanied this beautiful ceremony. The ordinands were able to have a Thanksgiving service with the entire Schoenstatt Family gathered at the National Shrine, which concluded with a gathering in the area surrounding the Shrine.