Toledo Diocese to Welcome Five Men to Priesthood ... Largest Class in Over a Decade

From the Diocese of Toledo's website:

On Saturday, May 30th at 11am, Bishop Leonard P. Blair will ordain five men into the priesthood of the Diocese of Toledo at Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral at 2535 Collingwood Boulevard. This is the largest class of new priests the Diocese of Toledo has seen in more than a decade.

Deacon Kishore Kottana, 44, from Visakhapatnam, India grew up in Mumbai, India and has a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Master’s degree in Theology both from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy. Since his arrival in the Diocese of Toledo in 2007, Deacon Kishore performed his pastoral internship at St. Wendelin Parish in Fostoria, and also served at St. Mary’s Parish in Sandusky. Before entering the seminary Deacon Kishore worked as a submarine refit supervisor for 18 years at a naval base in India, and served the poor in an orphanage as part of a Catholic lay community. Deacon Kishore says of the Catholic community here, “I have this sense of belonging, this sense of happiness that I’m accepted.”

Deacon Jason Kahle, 29, from Kalida,Ohio, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Industrial Design from The Ohio State University and a Master’s of Divinity from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West. Deacon Jason performed his pastoral internship at St. Mary’s Parish in Sandusky. He also served at St. Joseph parish in Ft. Jennings, Immaculate Conception in Ottoville, St. Mary in Defiance, Transfiguration of the Lord in Upper Sandusky and at Columbus Children’s Hospital. Deacon Jason says he can trace his first thoughts of priesthood to his involvement in youth ministry in high school and the suggestion of his parents that he would be a good priest.

Deacon Chris Bohnsack, 40, from Toledo has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Bowling Green State University and a Master’s of Divinity from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary of the West. Deacon Chris performed his pastoral internship at All Saints Parish in New Reigel, and also served at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo. Before entering the seminary Deacon Chris worked with Sunshine Children’s Home where he cared for men with developmental disabilities in a group home environment.

Deacon Eric Mueller, 32, from Landeck, Ohio has a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental and Hazardous Materials Management from the University of Findlay, a Master’s of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toledo, and a Master’s of Divinity from St. Meinrad’s Seminary. Deacon Eric performed his pastoral internship at St. Michael’s Parish in Findlay, and also served at St. Caspar in Wauseon, Indiana University Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana, and St. Mary in Sandusky. Deacon Eric spent 11 weeks studying Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala. A suggestion from a friend during his junior year in college influenced Deacon Eric to consider the call to priesthood. He now says, “I’ve grown to really love my vocation and want to give of myself as a priest.”

Deacon Tony Recker, 32, from Napoleon Ohio, is the son of a permanent Deacon, the late Deacon Louis Recker, and credits this strong Catholic upbringing as the foundation of his vocation. Earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine, Deacon Tony added a Master’s of Divinity from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary of the West. He served his pastoral internship at St. Thomas Aquinas and Good Shepherd Parishes in Toledo, and also served at Immaculate Conception in Bellevue, Our Lady of Suyapa Seminary in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, San Juan Bautista Parish in El Paraiso, Honduras, St. Patrick's Historic Parish in Toledo, and St. Mary's in Defiance. Deacon Tony felt the call to the priesthood during medical school, and entered the seminary shortly after finishing his medical degree.

According to The Class of 2009: Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood conducted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Vocations and analyzed by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University there are 465 potential ordinands this year. Researchers gathered information from 310 seminarians, or about 70 percent of the potential ordinands, and reported that the average age of ordinands this year is 36, and that about 57 percent of new priests are between 25 and 29 years of age.

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, noted the quality of the Class of 2009 saying, "These new priests reflect a tremendous dedication to the Church and show great promise. They reflect God's blessing on our Church."

Please pray for all of these men.