Possibly oldest priest ordination in the USA

[Karl_M]

Hi gang,

Great news from the good-news strapped Diocese of Saginaw.

Bishop Carlson ordained what is thought to be the oldest seminarian ordination in the country. Fr. Bill Spencer, age 75, and a widower, was ordained today to the priesthood.

saginaw.org/blog/post/63

 

[Nohome]

Hi gang,

Great news from the good-news strapped Diocese of Saginaw.

Bishop Carlson ordained what is thought to be the oldest seminarian ordination in the country. Fr. Bill Spencer, age 75, and a widower, was ordained today to the priesthood.

saginaw.org/blog/post/63

This is something the Church should really pursue. In addition to a lifetime of experience, both professionally and as a family man, this new priest likely has something else to offer. The financial means to take care of himself. His years of service will be short compared to a yound priest’s lifetime, but singnificant nonetheless.

Nohome

 

[rien]

Hi gang,

Great news from the good-news strapped Diocese of Saginaw.

Bishop Carlson ordained what is thought to be the oldest seminarian ordination in the country. Fr. Bill Spencer, age 75, and a widower, was ordained today to the priesthood.

saginaw.org/blog/post/63

But the stark reality is Saginaw has ordained only 3 priests since 2005. One being 75. The collpase of vocations in the US even since JP2’s reign as highligted in the current CWR is proven out here.

 

[revelations]

Fr. John Corapi says it the best, more Eucharistic adoration and vocations will go through the roof!

They are closing churches up here in Canada, and not just any old church, big beautiful cathedrals. It is a sad thing to behold, but there is a reason for it. We must have faith.

 

[thomasf]

But the stark reality is Saginaw has ordained only 3 priests since 2005. One being 75. The collpase of vocations in the US even since JP2’s reign as highligted in the current CWR is proven out here.

Bishop Carlson has opened a new seminary and there are a bunch of new seminarians in the pipeline for the future. Two of the deacons ordained last summer are on track for the priesthood in the coming year. Bishop Carlson seems to be doing a great job undoing the problems caused by the last Bishop and vocations. Not to mention, he does the Rosary every night for vocations, on the catholic radio station there. IMO Bishop Carlson is doing a great job turning things around there, and rather quickly as well.

 

[NPC]

That’s really great news - the Diocese is blessed, I’m sure, by this ordination. I wonder what the record is for the oldest seminarian to be ordained is? I was browsing through the websites of some of our dioceses here in Ireland, and found out that the Diocese of Cloyne ordained in 1999 a man who was 79 years old! Unfortunately he died in April 2005, but I’m sure Fr Alexander Ross must have been the oldest man ordained a priest in Ireland. Like Fr Bill Spencer, Fr Ross was a widower - www.cloynediocese.ie/deaths.htm

I wish Fr Spencer well in his new ministry.

 

[Karl_M]

Bishop Carlson has opened a new seminary and there are a bunch of new seminarians in the pipeline for the future. Two of the deacons ordained last summer are on track for the priesthood in the coming year. Bishop Carlson seems to be doing a great job undoing the problems caused by the last Bishop and vocations. Not to mention, he does the Rosary every night for vocations, on the catholic radio station there. IMO Bishop Carlson is doing a great job turning things around there, and rather quickly as well.

Bishop Carlson has not opened up a new seminary. There was a mis-interpretation of something in the Saginaw Seminarians Blog. I emailed the Diocese Communications Director and he told me that there was no new seminary. I just wanted to point that out.

I also want to point out that since his installation in 2004, we have about as many seminarians as we did from 1980-2004. We have had two priest ordinations, and currently have 23 seminarians, including five transitional deacons. Four of that total were already in the works when Bishop Ken passed away. God has brought Bishop Carlson here to Saginaw, not to “undo” what Bishop Ken and Bishop Reh did to the diocese, but to bring men into the priesthood here.

 

[didymus]

A suggestion. Why make these men wait until they are widowed?
I think the Church is missing out by not ordaining middle-aged married men whose children are grown (or would be when they finish seminary). Like deacons, they would be ineligible to marry if they became widowed.

 

[MSParrott]

Hi gang,

Great news from the good-news strapped Diocese of Saginaw.

Bishop Carlson ordained what is thought to be the oldest seminarian ordination in the country. Fr. Bill Spencer, age 75, and a widower, was ordained today to the priesthood.

saginaw.org/blog/post/63

How awesome is that! I would be over the moon if he was my Dad! God Bless him - I’m sure his departed DW did her share of praying for this as well. Great news!

 

[Andruschak]

Hi gang,

Great news from the good-news strapped Diocese of Saginaw.

Bishop Carlson ordained what is thought to be the oldest seminarian ordination in the country. Fr. Bill Spencer, age 75, and a widower, was ordained today to the priesthood.

saginaw.org/blog/post/63

So there could be hope for me yet, at age 63? Hmmmmm…but I have a physical defect that could prevent me.

 

[rien]

That’s really great news - the Diocese is blessed, I’m sure, by this ordination. I wonder what the record is for the oldest seminarian to be ordained is? I was browsing through the websites of some of our dioceses here in Ireland, and found out that the Diocese of Cloyne ordained in 1999 a man who was 79 years old! Unfortunately he died in April 2005, but I’m sure Fr Alexander Ross must have been the oldest man ordained a priest in Ireland. Like Fr Bill Spencer, Fr Ross was a widower - www.cloynediocese.ie/deaths.htm

I wish Fr Spencer well in his new ministry.

Exactly. No real change despite being called by some “orthodox”. I find that argument unsubstantiated if you look at the real statisitcs - as you mentioned re: Saginaw’s supposedly “liberal” previous bishop. No real change with the new supposedly “orthodox” bishop.

 

[Brendan]

But the stark reality is Saginaw has ordained only 3 priests since 2005. One being 75. The collpase of vocations in the US even since JP2’s reign as highligted in the current CWR is proven out here.

The new Bishop in Saginaw is doing a great job of developing vocations. There are several for this diocese studying at Sacred Heart in Detroit. I know them personnally from my own studies at SHMS (Diaconate), and they are all great men.

One of the men from my own parish is studying for the priesthood for Sagniaw. He lives in metro Detroit, but since he is from the Sagniaw area originally, that is the diocese he is studying for (which is something he never would have considered doing if Bishop Utner was still the Ordinary there).

 

[seeker70]

A suggestion. Why make these men wait until they are widowed?
I think the Church is missing out by not ordaining middle-aged married men whose children are grown (or would be when they finish seminary). Like deacons, they would be ineligible to marry if they became widowed.

Do you have to have grown children before you can enter seminary? Is it possible to begin the groundwork prior to that time?