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bishop braxton ordains father nicholas junker

“I believe that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, a priest is ordained to be the servant of the Word of God, the servant of the sacraments, and the servant of God’s reconciling love.” The Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton, Bishop of Belleville, used these words of transitional deacon, Rev. Mr. Nicholas Gregory Junker, as the theme of his homily on Saturday morning, May 10, 2008, as he ordained him to the priesthood of Jesus Christ, on the memorial of Blessed Damien Joseph de Veuster of Moloka’i (1840-1889) and the Vigil of the Feast of Pentecost.

Father Junker shared these words with the bishop earlier in the week when he formally called him to Holy Orders in the chapel of his residence, as they reflected on the scripture readings selected for the ordination by the new priest.

Bishop Stanley Schlarman, the Very Rev. Dennis Lyle, rector of Mundelein Seminary, many priests from the diocese, as well as priests and deacons from other dioceses, participated in the ordination.

As the Rite of Ordination commenced, the bishop examined the future priest asking: “Do you resolve, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discharge without fail the office of the priesthood in the presbyteral rank, as a worthy fellow worker with the Order of Bishops in caring for the Lord’s flock?”

Deacon Junker then placed his joined hands between the hands of Bishop Braxton and promised him and his successors obedience and respect. A particularly powerful point in the ordination Mass took ordinand prostrated himself before the altar on the floor of the sanctuary of the Cathedral of St. Peter during the Litany of the Saints. The central moment of the prayerful Liturgy of Ordination, however, was the moment when the bishop silently imposed hands on the candidate’s head and then proclaimed the Prayer of Ordination. This rite dates back to the Acts of the Apostles.

In his homily, Bishop Braxton focused his reflections on the three scripture readings, ( Is. 61,1-3; Heb. 5, 1-10; Jn. 20, 19-23), which recount the vocation of Isaiah to be a prophet, the role of the priest as in union with Christ the High Priest, and the gift of the Holy Spirit given by Christ to the disciples. He told the future priest:
“Dear Nicholas, you present yourself freely to the Church this morning asking to be ordained a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. As a priest you are called by the Holy Spirit to be a servant of the Word of God, of the sacraments, and of God’s reconciling love. That is, you are called to be the servant of Christ Jesus Himself. For He is the Word made flesh (verbum caro factum est). His Holy Spirit is the life of the sacraments and in every aspect of your ministry you must be an embodiment of God’s reconciling love made manifest in Christ.

“Today Isaiah’s words are spoken to you. The spirit of the Lord God is upon you, because the Lord is anointing you. He is sending you to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted. Christ is telling you to take up the priesthood in spite of your unworthiness. We are all redeemed sinners.

“No one is worthy to be a Christian, a deacon, a priest, or a bishop. This is why you do not take this honor on your own initiative. You take it only because you have been called by God.

“Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with erring sinners, for he himself is beset by weaknesses and so must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people.

“As a priest you will have a special responsibility for the prayerful celebration of the liturgy as the representative of the people before God. Always remember that the Mass and the prayers of the Church are not your prayers. Nor do they belong to a particular parish, liturgy committee, or author. They are the prayers of the Church. We are custodians of the public prayer of the Church. It is not for any of us to change the prayers of the Church based upon our personal likes and dislikes.”

“In the Gospel of St. John the risen Lord appears to the disciples, shows them the wounds of the crucifixion, and prays, “Peace be with you.” They rejoice at the sight of the Lord, as you will rejoice at the sight of the Lord during the course of your ministry.

“Today Jesus breaths on you giving you the power to forgive sins saying, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ He tells you, ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’

“Where does He send you, Nicholas? He sends you into the world and the Church of 2008, rich with great gifts and promise and challenged by great difficulties and uncertainties. Who can say what the Church and the world will be like in twenty-five years? We cannot know what the Diocese of Belleville will be like when you celebrate your Golden Jubilee in 2058. What we do know is that your ministry in the midst of the complexities of the unknown future will be fruitful if you bring God’s reconciling love into every pastoral situation you encounter.”

Later in the homily the bishop spoke of the recent Pastoral Visit of the Holy Father to the United States:
“Addressing more than 25,000 young people, including seminarians, stressing that Christ is our Hope, His Holiness stressed the importance of prayer. “Far from turning in on ourselves or withdrawing from the ups and downs of life, by praying we turn towards God and through Him to each other, including the marginalized and those following ways other than God’s path (cf. Spe Salvi, n.33). There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. To embrace God’s revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen (cf. Dei Verbum, n.1). Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God’s whisper, calling you forth into goodness?”

At the end of the homily he said, “Dear Nicholas, you and I have spoken many times about many things. You know me and I know you. Know that my door and my heart are always open to you. As you embrace the Priesthood, resist the temptation to follow passing novelties in theology. Cling to the Church and make the words of John Henry Cardinal Newman your own.

“Lead, kindly Light, amid th’ encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.”

Later in the ceremony, when he presented Father Junker with the chalice and paten (“the oblation of the holy people”), he used an historic chalice. It was the chalice used on December 8, 1698 by missionary Fr. Jean Francois de Ste. Cosme when he celebrated the first Mass in this region near Cahokia. It was also used by Francis Cardinal George during the celebration of the tri-centennial of the Catholic faith in mid-America.

Pope John Paul II used it in January 1999 when he celebrated Mass at the TWA Dome during his last Pastoral Visit to the United States. Father Junker used it the next day for his First Mass.

A particularly poignant moment in the liturgy occurred after communion when Father Junker’s father, Gregory, and his sister, Ashley, played a moving meditation on the “Ave Maria” on piano and oboe.

At the end of the Ordination Mass, which was enhanced by beautiful music provided by the Diocese of Belleville Schola, Richard Thompson, Conductor, Father Junker imparted his first blessings on the bishop, the priests and deacons, and the religious and laity, relatives and friends.

Bishop Braxton concluded the ceremony by introducing two priests who will soon be serving in the Diocese. The first priest, Rev. Uriel Salamanca Cipagauta, a priest on loan for three years from the Diocese of Engativá, Bogotá, Colombia. He will assist in the pastoral care of the growing number of Christian faithful in our diocese whose first language is Spanish.

The second priest, Rev. John Curtis Iffert, was ordained for Belleville on June 7, 1997.
He has spent several years with the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans). However, prior to making his solemn profession, he discerned that he was called to return to pastoral service in the diocese.

The moving ordination ended with the entire congregation praying the prayer for vocations, which concludes with these words: “We pray especially for our seminarians. We ask you to help them to be the best human beings, the best Christians, and the best priests they can be. Amen.”