BRIGHTON — On Sunday, April 27, the Most Reverend James T. Ruggieri, Bishop of Portland, celebrated the Mass for Admittance into Candidacy for Sacred Orders at St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts.
At the Mass, Adam Habershaw, a seminarian of the Diocese of Providence, and his classmates from other nearby U.S. dioceses, said “Yes” publicly before God and the Church.
The Rite of Admission to Candidacy is an important step for each seminarian on his journey toward the priesthood. The rite is an opportunity for a seminarian to express publicly his intention to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders as a deacon and later as a priest. The Rite of Admission to Candidacy includes three components: The call to candidacy, the scrutiny of the candidate, and the blessing of the candidate.
In the Rite of Candidacy for Sacred Orders the Bishop ends his instruction with “Compelled by the love of Christ and strengthened by the inner working of the Holy Spirit, you have arrived at the moment when you are to express openly your desire to be bound in Holy Orders for the service of God and mankind. This desire we shall receive with joy.” This receiving was marked by the candidates hearing for the first time (after 2 questions) the bishop accepting each candidate with the words, "The Church receives your declaration with joy. May God who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfillment." Habershaw said, “Which, God willing, we will hear again at our ordinations to the Diaconate and Priesthood!”
