Sacrament of Holy Orders Bestowed Upon Four Men

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati celebrated four men being ordained to the priesthood for service to God and the Church on Saturday May 19th. The ordination Mass was open to the public, and the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains was packed to capacity. Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr celebrated the Mass. Bishop Joseph R. Binzer concelebrated the Mass. The liturgy included the archbishop exercising the rite of ordination, the authority given by Christ to the apostles to make new priests.

The new priests are: Rev. Craig Best, Rev. Jarred Kohn, Rev. Andrew Smith, and Rev. Jacob Willig.

The four priests served as transitional deacons for the last year and graduated on May 13th of this year from The Athenaeum of Ohio / Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West, after at least seven years of formation for the priesthood.

The four men have varied backgrounds but all discerned a vocation to the priesthood.

Rev. Craig Best attended St. Mary School in Hyde Park and Purcell Marian High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in communications from Xavier University. Rev. Best has been assigned to St. Francis de Sales in Lebanon and St. Philip in Morrow effective July 1, 2018.

Rev. Jarred Kohn worked as a welder after high school before going into the seminary. Rev. Kohn has been assigned to the Petersburg Region which comprises of St. John the Evangelist, Fryburg, St. Joseph, Wapakoneta, Immaculate Conception, Botkins, and St. Lawrence, Rhine effective July 1, 2018.

Rev. Andrew Smith is a former Air Force Officer and holds an MBA from the University of Dayton. Rev. Smith’s assignment is Incarnation Parish in Centerville effective July 1, 2018.

Rev. Jacob Willig’s home parish is St. Antoninus in Cincinnati. His brother, Mike, is also in the seminary and his late uncle was a priest as well (Rev. Jim Willig). Rev. Jacob Willig has been assigned to the Eastside Pastoral Region of St. Anthony, St. Cecilia, and St. Margaret-St. John Parish effective July 1, 2018.

May God continue to “bless these chosen men.”

Click the following link to see a photo gallery of the Mass of ordination to the priesthood at St. Peter in Chains May 19 http://www.mtsm.org/PhotoGalleries/PhotoGallery84.aspx

Group photo pictured (L to R): Rev. Andrew Smith, Rev. Craig Best, Most Rev. Dennis M. Schnurr, Rev. Jarred Kohn, Rev. Jacob Willig, and Very Rev. Anthony Brausch.

The four new priests will contribute to the growing trend of men being ordained priests over the last decade. According to an annual survey at Georgetown University, there were 590 men ordained to the priesthood in the U.S. in 2017 – an increase of 47% over the 401 men ordained in 2008.

Text Credit: The Catholic. Telegraph   Photo by E.L. Hubbard Photography.