Bishop Stika ordains Fathers Austin, Blatchford, and Crabtree in cathedral Mass
By Dan McWilliams
The Diocese of Knoxville celebrated a triple ordination June 10 as Joseph Austin, Neil Blatchford, and Andrew Crabtree became priests of God in a Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard F. Stika at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The front pews on both sides of the cathedral were filled with many family members of each ordinand.
Cardinal Justin Rigali attended the Mass in choir. Concelebrating priests were cathedral rector Father David Boettner; diocesan deans Father Peter Iorio, Father Michael Cummins, and Father Mark Schuster; Father Denis Robinson, OSB, president-rector of St. Meinrad Seminary; and the three ordinands themselves.
More than 33 priests—including Father Colin Blatchford, brother of Father Neil—and more than 15 deacons took part in the Mass, joined by women religious and a cathedral filled with the faithful from throughout the diocese.
Diocesan chancellor Deacon Sean Smith was deacon of the Word. Newly ordained the Saturday before, transitional Deacon Daniel Herman was deacon of the Eucharist. Deacon Walt Otey and Deacon Hicks Armor were masters of ceremonies, and diocesan seminarian Bobby Denne assisted Bishop Stika.
This year’s ordinations brought to 59 the total number of men who have been ordained to the priesthood for the diocese since its founding in 1988 and 24 who have been ordained by Bishop Stika. It marked the fifth time that three or more priests had been ordained together and the first such occasion since 2015, when four were ordained.
The Church rejoices
“The Church of the Diocese of Knoxville, the Catholic Church of East Tennessee, rejoices in this historic moment when three of our brothers will be ordained to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, according to the order of Melchizedek,” Bishop Stika said in his greeting to begin the Mass. “And just last week, another three were ordained to the diaconate, joining one other. The Church is blessed with vocations in this great diocese because of you,” the bishop added to the assembly, “for the first seminary is in homes.”
Before the homily, Deacon Smith called forth the ordinands.
“Let those who are to be ordained priests, come forward,” he said.
As each man’s name was called, he answered “present.”
Father Arthur Torres, diocesan director of vocations, then addressed Bishop Stika.
“Most Reverend Father, the Holy Mother Church asks you to ordain these men, our brothers, to the responsibility of the priesthood,” he said.
Bishop Stika asked, “Do you know them to be worthy?” and Father Torres replied, “After inquiry among the Christian people and upon the recommendation of those responsible, I testify that they have been found worthy.”
“Relying on the help of our Lord God and our savior, Jesus Christ, we now choose these, our brothers, for the order of priesthood,” the bishop said, and the assembly responded, “Thanks be to God.”
The priestly ordination followed a transitional diaconate ordination of three seminarians the weekend before at the cathedral. Bishop Stika has ordained four men to the transitional diaconate this year. He ordained this year’s new priests to the transitional diaconate in May 2022.
“We gathered together in this cathedral a year ago to celebrate the ordination to the diaconate, like we did last week with three new deacons who will join another, and you made promises and commitments to celibacy, to the Liturgy of the Hours, to handle the sacred mysteries, to assist the priests and the bishop, and to obedience to the Church,” the bishop said as he opened his homily. “Do you remember those moments? I hope so. Well, today, again, you stand before the Church, the Church Universal and the Church of East Tennessee, the Catholic Church in Knoxville, to again pledge your life in a magnificent way. But it’s a lot different, for now you will be given the grace to confect the sacrament of the Eucharist, to hold in your hands bread. At some point because of the grace of the Church and the words you speak, that bread becomes Jesus, and likewise with the cup because of the grace of the Church and because of those words and the intention of the Church, it becomes the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given to all the people who are here today and all the people that they represent.”
Bishop Stika then referred to a sign that is often seen in a certain part of a church.
“Many times you go into a sacristy, and you still see it, it says, ‘O priest of God, celebrate this Mass as if it was your first Mass’—which actually today is your first Mass; tomorrow is your Mass of thanksgiving—‘to celebrate it as if it was your last Mass,’ but also ‘to celebrate it as if it was your only Mass.’ So precious is the Eucharist, the summit of all we do. Last year, you underwent an ontological change. Remember? Did you feel different? Probably not, at least in your physical being, but in your spiritual life, there was a change, a blessing, a mark on your soul. Today, again, as we gather together as a church, another mark on your soul, in your essence of who you are, to be a minister of the altar, to be a witness to our faith, to follow in the order of Melchizedek, and to follow in the order of all the priests of this diocese since that day in September of 1988 when the Holy Father through the nuncio elevated this part of what was called the Diocese of Nashville up to become its own diocese, and all the priests who have been ordained since that moment, now 24 that I have been able to ordain with you.”
The bishop recalled three priests who have passed away in the year since the newly ordained priests became transitional deacons. The newly ordained will join the legacy of all those priests who came before and of those they will serve with now, the bishop said.
“Recently we lost three good priests: Father Chris Riehl just right after his 45th birthday, Monsignor Bob [Hofstetter], who made the best applesauce in the world, and Monsignor [Bill] Gahagan, who constantly said and believed what he said when he said, ‘I love you,’ and all the priests who have come before them and all the priests in this presbyterate order that you now join, men just like yourselves who said ‘present’ at one moment or twice. That’s the group that you will join. Love them and allow them to love you. Bond with them in a very special bond as you join this fraternity, this presbyterate, of men who just desire to be priests and to celebrate the sacraments.
“The other sacrament that is so vital, especially in the day and age in which we live, is the sacrament of reconciliation. And if you remember the prayer, because it’s really not a judgment that you make on another person, remember the prayer of absolution: ‘God the Father of mercy,’ not ‘God the Father of judgment’ but of mercy, for people will come to you broken and in need of healing, lost and wish to be found, struggling and wish to find peace.
“And to all of you [in the assembly], if you haven’t been to confession for a long time, it’s a grace that God gives to us, unless of course none of you are sinners. The anointing of the sick, again a beautiful sacrament in which people who may be fearful again or lost are looking for that salvific gift of God, to be united with Jesus, to be united with that Jesus who so many centuries ago brought healing of mind, of body, of spirit to others.”
Imitating Jesus
Bishop Stika said the ordinands will imitate Jesus in their priestly lives as men who teach, feed, and heal.
“As Jesus entered a village, he usually did three things. No. 1, he talked, and you will be teachers like Jesus in so many magnificent ways. You will teach by your witness of faith, you will teach by the words that you speak, you will teach by the preaching of the Gospel. You will feed, like in the Eucharist: ‘this is my body, this is my blood, given for you,’ the people of God and for you, the priests of God. And you will heal by your witness, by your presence, by the anointing of the sick.
“At some moment, too, you will be able to celebrate confirmation, like at the Easter Vigil, again invoking the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus, the same Holy Spirit that was at Pentecost, the same Holy Spirit when you confect the sacrament in that which is called the epiclesis—invoking the Holy Spirit. As a deacon you have been able to witness for the Church and for the state the sacrament of marriage. You know, so often as I have celebrated marriages in the past and now this ordination, in some ways you have the same look as a bride and a groom: a look of wonderment, a look of love. For a married couple, it’s to each other, but for you it’s the union with Jesus, with the Father, opening yourself to the Holy Spirit.”
The bishop urged the ordinands as they lay prostrate during the Litany of the Saints, which came later in the Mass, not to forget one thing.
“Soon, during the Litany of the Saints, as I told each one of you, remember to pray for those people who have brought you to this moment: your parents, brothers and sisters, friends, and all the people around the world who pray for vocations to the priesthood,” he said. “Remember them as you abandon yourself to the Church, as you die to yourself as you did as a deacon and when you stand after that prayer of consecration and my anointing of your hands—the present moment, it’s a moment that will be with you forever.”
Bishop Stika mentioned another passing, that of Father Crabtree’s father, Robbie, which took place in November, also between the ordinands’ diaconate and priesthood Masses.
“Last year, there was a bit of sadness because our brother Andrew’s dad was in the hospital. He died, and since that moment his dad has gone home to God, but I know your dad’s present with you because you are here and your mother is here and your family is here,” the bishop said. “And you’ve got the memories of your dad, who was able to watch [the diaconate ordination] on TV, so he was present and he is present.”
The bishop joked that soon-to-be Father Neil Blatchford had “what, 33 brothers and sisters or something” at the Mass before adding in a more serious vein, “and then you have a brother who’s a priest,” which might confuse family gatherings with the parents and the sons who are priests: “Just like your mom and dad, this is Father, this is Father, and I’m the father. What a blessing. And Joseph from St. Dominic [in Kingsport], your family brings you to this moment.”
Bishop Stika closed his homily with a request for the faithful.
“My sisters and brothers, pray for these, your brothers. Pray that their ministry as a priest of Jesus Christ might always bear fruit, that they will be servants of mercy, that they will be servants of the Gospel, that they be witnesses to that Gospel, and that every time, every moment they celebrate the Eucharist, in the order of Melchizedek, that it be their first Mass, their last Mass, their only Mass. What a blessing you are now giving to this Church, my three brothers. What a blessing the Church is now giving to you. Let it prosper and flourish and be blessed. Amen.”
Ordinand examination
The bishop then led the Promise of the Elect.
“Andrew, Neil, Joseph, my sons, before you proceed to the order of the priesthood, you must declare before the people of God your resolve to undertake this office,” the bishop stated and then asked:
- “Do you resolve to discharge unfailingly, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the office of priesthood in the presbyteral rank, as trusty co-workers with the order of bishops in feeding the Lord’s flock?“Do you resolve to carry out the ministry of the Word worthily and wisely in the preaching of the Gospel and the teaching of the Catholic faith?
- ”Do you resolve to celebrate the mysteries of Christ reverently and faithfully according to the tradition of the Church, especially in the sacrifice of the Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation, for the praise of God and the sanctification of the Christian people?
- “Do you resolve to implore with us the mercy of God for the people entrusted to you, with zeal for the commandment to pray without ceasing?
- “Do you resolve to be united more closely each day to Christ the high priest, who offered Himself for us to the Father as a pure sacrifice, and with Him to consecrate yourselves to God for the salvation of all?”
The ordinands replied “I do” to the first four questions and “I do, with the help of God,” to the final one.
Bishop Stika asked each ordinand individually to “promise respect and obedience to me and my successors.” After each said, “I do,” the bishop said, “May God, who has begun the good work in you, bring it to fulfillment.”
The assembly knelt as the Litany of the Saints was sung by the cathedral choir. Bishop Stika then laid his hands on each priest’s head and uttered the prayer of ordination.
The newly ordained were then vested with a stole and a chasuble—Father Austin by Father Cummins, Father Neil Blatchford by his brother, Father Colin Blatchford, and Father Crabtree by Father David Carter.
Bishop Stika anointed the palms of each priest with chrism, telling them: “May the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, guard and preserve you that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.”
After the gifts were presented by Wink Crabtree and Clare Blatchford, the bishop placed them in the hands of the new priests as they knelt before him.
“Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God. Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross,” the bishop said.
Bishop Stika then offered a greeting of peace and welcome to each new priest, saying “Peace be with you,” as they responded, “And with your spirit.” All the concelebrating priests then greeted the newly ordained men.
Father Austin, Father Neil Blatchford, and Father Crabtree then joined the bishop at the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
In his closing remarks, Bishop Stika referred to two acts that take place following a priestly ordination.
“There usually is a tradition where the bishop gets the first blessing from the newly ordained priests. I’ve always thought that was kind of silly,” he said. “It should be the parents. We’ll start with Andrew. Andrew, come down here—Father Andrew, I’m sorry. We invite his mom to come forward.”
The faithful who attended a reception for the new priests after Mass in the cathedral parish hall next door took part in another tradition.
“There’s also a tradition when you greet a newly ordained priest to kiss their hands. I think you get an indulgence because their newly anointed hands will be part of the confection of the Eucharist,” the bishop said.
A round of applause followed each new priest’s blessing of his parents.
Then it was the bishop’s turn for a blessing.
“Now I claim my right,” he said.
Two more traditions attend a priestly ordination, the bishop said, crediting Chancery receptionist and cathedral sacristan Dorothy Curtis for assisting with one of them.
“There’s an old tradition: after I have anointed the hands of the priests, then they cleanse their hands on a cloth, and eventually that cloth is folded, and it is placed in the casket of the mother. We’re not hurrying any of this to happen. But also in the casket of the father, there is a purple stole that is placed in the casket with him. Through the generosity of Dorothy, who works at the Chancery, they’re also embroidered with the names and with the dates, so I am grateful for that,” Bishop Stika said.
After Mass, the bishop talked of the special blessing it is for him to preside at the ordination of priests.
“Any time a bishop ordains a priest, just think of all the people who will be affected into the future. Here we have three, who are very much going to be involved in the life of the Diocese of Knoxville, all through East Tennessee. It’s always an honor for any bishop, for me, too, to ordain a priest,” he said.
Home is the first seminary
The bishop repeated a statement from earlier at Mass as he reflected on the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, and other relatives of the new priests who attended the liturgy.
“The family is the first seminary. The parents are such an instrumental part of what it means to be a priest. That’s why, instead of getting the first blessing, I got the second blessing,” he said.
Each new priest reflected on his new title after the ordination. Father Austin said that “‘Father Joseph’ sounds wonderful.” Father Blatchford said that “‘Father Neil’ sounds pretty good.”
The newly ordained Father Blatchford said he will use his first name with his title, having a brother who is a priest.
“People have been calling me Father Neil and Father Blatchford, but since I have a brother in the diocese, they’ve joked about the lesser and the greater, but I think I’m going to go with ‘Father Neil,’” he said.
Father Crabtree said that “‘Father Andrew’ sounds terrifying and exciting. There’s so much responsibility but so much beautiful responsibility, and I look forward to just giving myself to the people of God in Knoxville.”
Father Austin said the most moving part of the ordination Mass was the Litany of the Saints as he remembered what he called Bishop Stika’s “touching” words to “think about family who’s gotten you to the point where you’re at in making this transition into the priesthood. It was really moving to me because we’re asking for the help of the saints in heaven, but at the same time we need the prayers of the people here on earth to be praying for us.”
His parents, Rhett and Shirley Austin of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, and his family were “absolutely pivotal” in his vocation, Father Austin said. “I’m a cradle Catholic. Faith has always been the most important thing for the family.”
Father Colin Blatchford said he was “excited” over his brother becoming a priest after his many years in seminary.
“It’s really exciting and fulfilling. I’ve been with him my whole life. He decided this about nine years ago, and to watch him go through the whole process—I was almost more excited seeing all this come together than I was for my own,” he said.
Father Colin said he hopes he had an influence on his brother’s vocation.
“He definitely believes so, and I hope that following the Lord’s call helped lead to that,” he said.
Father Colin serves Courage International Apostolate, doing pastor outreach to those with same-sex attraction or gender-identity discordance who are trying to live their Catholic faith. He is based in Connecticut, “but I travel all over the world to take care of that,” he said.
The bishop may have joked about his many siblings, but to Father Neil Blatchford his family’s presence at the ordination “just meant the world.”
“The family is so foundational to my priesthood and what it built up from. Without them here and without their foundation, I would not be here, so it means the world to me that they’re here,” he said.
Father Neil used one word to describe his brother, Father Colin’s, influence on his vocation.
“Profound, to say the least. He was there at my side all the way through seminary in the hard times and in the easy times as well. He never hesitated to help me along the way. He helped me with things I didn’t know that he knew going through seminary. It made it more of a relaxing breeze instead of a lot of shocks along the way and stumbles and all that kind of stuff. It was huge,” he said.
Father Neil’s parents are Tim and Virginia Blatchford, now of Gastonia, N.C.
“I originally grew up in Chattanooga at St. Stephen, so that’s where I grew up and received my first Communion,” the new priest said.
Father Crabtree said the ordination Mass was “such a blur.”
“Up until after the rite of ordination, I was able to sit down for just a second before the Eucharist and listen to the music and just kind of accept and understand what had taken place with me and what had just happened right before. It was very moving, and I was weeping. It was just that small little break to think and pray and be thankful to God for what had just happened,” he said.
Having his family present for the Mass “was so moving,” he said.
“I’m a convert, so most of my family, the vast majority of my family, are Protestant. Having them here, not completely understanding what’s happening, is so beautiful and meaningful for them to just be so supportive and loving and prayerful for me throughout this journey,” Father Crabtree said.
Despite their not being Catholic, his family “absolutely” influenced his vocation, he added.
“They would never say, ‘You know, I want you to be a Catholic priest,’ but they encouraged me to be a good, holy man of God and to really pursue that, and this is where I’ve ended up because of that,” Father Crabtree said.
While his mom, Janice Crabtree, attended the ordination Mass, Father Crabtree said his late father saw it as well. He placed a picture of Robbie Crabtree in the cathedral hall where he offered blessings to those attending the reception after Mass.
“I brought a picture of him. He’s over there on my table. I know he’s looking down on me. He was really proud. He told me right before he died how proud he was of me, and that really meant a lot coming from him,” said Father Crabtree.
Father Crabtree, who has played bass in the Christian rock band Calling Glory that has had hits on the Billboard Christian charts, was recently featured in Our Sunday Visitor.
Each new priest celebrated his Mass of thanksgiving June 11 in his home parish: Father Austin at St. Dominic, Father Blatchford at the cathedral, and Father Crabtree at St. Mary in Athens.
The new priests recently received their first assignments from the bishop. In two assignments that became effective July 1, Father Austin began serving as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Fatima in Alcoa and Father Blatchford as parochial vicar of St. Mary in Oak Ridge. Father Crabtree began assisting at the cathedral July 1 and will remain there through Aug. 6 before he becomes parochial vicar at St. Dominic on Aug. 7.
