Our new priests!

Saturday morning, Archbishop Gustavo García Siller celebrated the Ritual Mass for the Ordination of Priests at 10 a.m. at San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, ordaining three men to the Catholic priesthood who come from diverse cultures, education and careers. Archbishop ordained, Deacon Isak Keyman‐Ige from Somalia, with a degree in International Political Affairs. He had hoped to join the diplomatic core for his native country. However, when civil war broke out, that ambition was eliminated. He has lived in San Antonio since 2005 and says, “Instead of becoming ambassador for Somalia, I’ll be an ambassador for Christ.”

Deacon Richard Samour, 48, born in San Miguel, El Salvador, a former computer engineer, was also ordained. Speaking about his ordination, Deacon Samour said, “I believe that God is calling us to do something remarkable in our lives. The priesthood, a gift from God, and is one way of doing this.” 48 year‐old Deacon John Nolan, a native San Antonian, spent 21 years as a realtor. He began to discern his call to the priesthood while making an ACTS Retreat, a spiritual experience founded in the archdiocese of San Antonio. Deacon Nolan said, I believe whole heartedly that my ACTS retreat became the vehicle which the Lord used to instill in my heart the desire to serve Him and the people of God in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.” Father Keyman‐Ige will serve as parochial vicar at St. John the Evangelist parish in San Antonio; Father Nolan is assigned parochial vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Helotes; and Father Samour’s first assignment will be as parochial vicar at the Shrine of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Saturday’s ordination brings the total to 4 the number of priests ordained in the archdiocese in 2012.