Pablo's Ordination

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure and privilege of serving the Ordination to the Holy Priesthood of Pablo Hernandez for the Archdiocese of Louisville. (I served his Diaconate Ordination also)

Here is a collection of articles on the Ordination with some excerpts from each and my favorite pics.

First, the Press Release

From an article in The Record, "Deacon Hernandez’ vocation born at young age":

He was raised in a “very Catholic” family in his hometown of San Vicente, and he often went to Mass with them. But sometimes, as young as age 7, he would dress up, shine his shoes and go to church by himself. And he would always sit near the altar. It was “a sense of the sacred, the sense of being close to the altar,” he said in an interview last week in his office at the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown. “I loved to see the seminarians vested and the bishop processing in and processing out of church.” (read the rest here)

Another article in the Record, "Deacon Hernandez reflects on priesthood":

“The Lamb of God ... will be my logo, the distinctiveness of my priesthood, my theme,” he said in an interview before his ordination at 11 a.m. Aug. 12 at St. James Church in Elizabethtown, Ky.
He said his “image of the priesthood” is “sometimes being the good shepherd, sometimes being the lamb, being sacrificed.”
But the image he prefers is that of the “sacrificial lamb, (to) give your life for the sake of others. In that sacrificial act, there is joy.”
He explained: “I want to do (this) because Jesus is our prototype. He is the Lamb. When he sacrificed for us, he suffered because he loved us, and (there) was joy in his action.” (read the rest here)

From an article in the Courier-Journal, "Journey of faith began in El Salvador":

Hernandez was ordained a deacon in his native San Vincente in December, a festive event attended by some representatives from the Louisville archdiocese. But shortly thereafter, he suffered serious burns on his legs in a fireworks accident, and underwent skin grafts. The injury delayed his graduation and ordination, originally scheduled in May.
"I learned suffering" from that experience, Hernandez said. "For me, suffering is a blessing, a redeeming experience," enabling him to relate both to Jesus and the sufferings of the people to whom he'll minister. (read the rest here)

Here is a link to a Photo Gallery of the Ordination from the C-J. My favorite pics: