‘A day of great blessing’

Bishop Beckman ordains Renzo Alvarado, A.J. Houston to the priesthood

By Dan McWilliams

The presbyterate in East Tennessee grew by two on June 7 after Bishop Mark Beckman ordained Deacons A.J. Houston and Renzo Alvarado Suarez to the priesthood at a packed-to-overflowing Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Bishop Beckman was the principal celebrant and concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Joseph L. Coffey, an auxiliary bishop from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, which co-sponsors Father Houston.

“Brothers and sisters, what a day of great blessing that we gather in this cathedral church to ordain two men to the priesthood,” Bishop Beckman said in his opening remarks. “It is truly a gift from the Lord that we are here together with you, Deacon Renzo and Deacon A.J., and with your families.”

Diocese of Knoxville priests turned out strong to welcome their newest members as more than 45 took part in the Mass, including cathedral rector Father David Boettner, Father Peter Iorio, Father Mike Nolan, Father David Carter, and Father Mark Schuster.

Bishop Beckman also welcomed Bishop Coffey to co-consecrate Deacon Houston as well as welcoming the diocesan and visiting priests gathered.

“It is good that we are together as a presbyterate on this beautiful day that we celebrate the addition to this Diocese of Knoxville and the many gifts that the Lord has given us,” he said.

Diocesan chancellor Deacon Sean Smith was deacon of the Word, and Deacon Fredy Vargas was deacon of the altar. Deacon Hicks Armor and Deacon Walt Otey served as masters of ceremonies. More than 10 additional deacons attended the Mass. Readings were proclaimed by Walt Hanson and Monica Tobon.

Cathedral director of music and liturgy Glenn Kahler conducted a choir of 12 and three instrumentalists, including organist Byongsuk Moon. Sarah-Clementine Mire was the cantor, and Dylan Fink and Michelle Pokelwaldt were the soloists during the Litany of the Saints.

Family and friends of the ordinands, some 20 women and men religious, Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus who provided an honor guard, and Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem also were present. Supporters of Father Alvarado were most numerous and contributed to the standing-room-only event.

Father Houston and Father Alvarado are the 63rd and 64th priests ordained for service in the diocese since its 1988 founding.

Answering the call

Before the homily, Deacon Smith called forth the ordinands.

“Let those to be ordained priests come forward,” he said.

As each man’s name was called, he answered “present.”

Father Mark Schuster, diocesan director of vocations, then addressed Bishop Beckman.

“Most Reverend Father, Holy Mother Church asks you to ordain these men, our brothers, to the responsibility of the priesthood,” he said.

Bishop Beckman asked, “Do you know them to be worthy?” and Father Schuster replied, “After inquiry among the Christian people and upon the recommendation of those concerned with their formation, I testify that they have been found worthy.”

“Relying on the help of our Lord God and our savior, Jesus Christ, we choose these, our brothers, for the order of the priesthood,” the bishop said, and the assembly responded, “Thanks be to God.”

Bishop Beckman began his homily by stating that the ordinands “selected an appropriate Gospel”: the Last Supper narrative from Luke 22, specifically focusing on verse 19 and the four verbs used there.

“When the Lord Jesus, on the night before He would give His life for us, sat at a table with the Apostles in the Upper Room, He took bread, He said the blessing over it, He broke it, and He gave it to them,” the bishop said. “Those four words that He took the bread, that He blessed it, that He broke it, and that He gave it to them are words that Henri Nouwen reflected on many years ago in a beautiful little book, and in reflecting on those verbs, He compared what the Lord does with each of us with those verbs.”

The first action of the Lord was to “take.”

“First and foremost, we are taken by the Lord, chosen by Him, when we are baptized. So today, our two candidates for orders, I want you to remember that Christ Himself claimed you in great goodness and mercy when you were brought to the waters of baptism by your parents and godparents,” Bishop Beckman said. “That was the moment when the Lord claimed you as beloved sons. That taking of the Lord to Himself, that choosing of you by the Lord, will be in the foundation of everything that you will do as priests. Never forget that you were first claimed by Christ in that beautiful sacrament of water when the Lord made you His own.

“That foundation is so important for everything else that you will do. Daily, it will be important for you to sit with the Lord in prayer and to speak to God as Father, as a beloved son, asking for the grace that you need daily to live out well His will for you. You do this in solidarity with the entire people of God. All of us who are consecrated in baptism have been claimed by Christ, and the Lord wants us to remember that we belong to Him. Just as He took the bread to Himself, so He takes all of us to Himself for some particular purpose in this world.”

The new priests will be claimed and chosen by the Lord “in a deeper way,” the bishop added.

“You will be privileged today to share in the very priesthood of Jesus Christ as ordained priests, so that when you celebrate the Eucharist and take bread as the Lord took bread, you will be doing so in a new way, a deeper grace the Lord has called you to this day,” he said.

Christ then blessed the bread.

“The second word is the word of blessing. He not only claims the bread and claims each one of us, but the Lord blesses you,” Bishop Beckman said. “He has blessed you abundantly with His gifts, and those blessings if you look back over your life include every dimension of your life, from your parents and families to the communities in which you grew up, to your families and friends, all through the moments of formation and diaconate that have brought you to this moment in your life.

“The Lord has blessed each one of you with great gifts. The people of God in this diocese have been able to witness those gifts in active ministry as deacons in our Church. Thank you for saying yes to the call of God and to allowing God to bless the gifts that He has given to each one of you, both natural and spiritual. A blessing brings things to their good fruition. When the Lord blesses something, it becomes more and more of what the Lord intends for it to be. You have been blessed, and you are blessed today.”

The bishop went on to the next verb in Luke 22:19 and mentioned the diocese’s senior active priest as he did so.

“The third verb, to be broken, is also very important. As the Lord breaks the bread, it points us forward to the mystery of Good Friday, when His own body will be broken for us on the cross,” Bishop Beckman said. “Renzo and A.J., our brokenness is paradoxically an important part of what the Lord is inviting us to use in our ministry as priests.

“This past week, we had our priest study days together, and Father Michael Woods reminded us of a beautiful article that was written several years ago, I think by someone in seminary work, and the article was something along the lines of ‘it’s not that we are competent enough or strong enough to be a priest used by the Lord, but the real question is are we weak enough to allow the Lord to use us?’ The weakness that we struggle with and wish we didn’t have, our own brokenness and woundedness, through which the wounds of Christ touch us and heal us, will be one of the most important ways that you will be able to serve the people of God, oddly enough.

“Why? Because the whole people of God experiences weakness and sufferings and wounds in the world, and when you are aware of your own deep suffering, you will be men of compassion for those who struggle and suffer. The moments of your greatest failures may give you a wisdom of the heart that you would otherwise not have. I’m reminded of the words of Paul about the thorn in his flesh that he begged the Lord to remove, and the Lord ended up by saying, ‘Paul, my grace is enough for you.’”

The final verb used in verse 19 is “given.”

“Most important, the Lord did not create us for ourselves but to live for Him alone and to love God above all else and all things, and to love one another even as He has loved us,” the bishop said. “It is the call of every Christian to be loved, but Renzo and A.J., you will be loving God’s people in a unique and particular way as ordained priests. Your very lives are to become a gift to your people so that as you celebrate the Eucharist and say the words of the Lord, ‘This is My body given for you,’ that you become also a body given for others in love, your life poured out for them.

“That mystery of love is the heart of priesthood. It is the love of the Lord Jesus flowing from His Sacred Heart to you that will enable you to love others well and to be to them and for them a generous gift. You are taken by the Lord. You are blessed by the Lord. You are broken by the Lord, and you are given by the Lord. These sacred words of the Eucharist are now yours in a deeper way.”

‘I do, with the help of God’

After the homily, the rites of ordination continued as the two men made the promises of the elect to Bishop Beckman. Deacon Houston and Deacon Alvarado promised “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”; “to carry out the ministry of the Word worthily and wisely in the preaching of the Gospel and the teaching of the Catholic faith”; “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”; “to implore with us the mercy of God for the people entrusted to you, with zeal for the commandment to pray without ceasing”; and “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.”

They answered “I do” to the first four questions from the bishop, then “I do, with the help of God,” to the final one. The pair also promised “respect and obedience” to Bishop Beckman and his successors.

The two men then prostrated themselves before the altar for the Litany of the Saints as the choir sang the invocations and the faithful responded.

The ordinands then knelt before the bishop, who laid his hands on them and prayed the prayer of ordination for each. Bishop Coffey and all the priests attending also laid their hands on the heads of Father Houston and Father Alvarado.

Father Houston was invested with his stole and chasuble by Father Arthur Torres and Father Alvarado by Father Miguel Vélez.

Bishop Beckman anointed the hands of each new priest with holy chrism.

“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,” the bishop said.

He placed the bread and a chalice in the hands of Fathers Houston and Alvarado as they knelt before him.

“Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God,” Bishop Beckman said. “Understand what you will do, imitate what you will celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”

The bishop gave a greeting of peace to the new priests, as did Bishop Coffey and the other priests.

Father Houston and Father Alvarado then assisted Bishop Beckman and Bishop Coffey in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

After Communion, Bishop Beckman said he wanted to “express my gratitude to the families of Father A.J. and Father Renzo for the gift of your sons to the Church as priests and for all the ways that you shaped and formed them and brought them to this moment, so thank you for that gift to the Church,” which was followed by a round of applause.

Knoxville’s shepherd then expressed a desire that others might heed the Lord’s call to a priestly, diaconate, or religious vocation.

“It really takes the entire people of God to be a Church that bears fruit and many beautiful vocations, and those vocations are richly present here in this community today, both our presbyterate in great numbers and priests from other places,” Bishop Beckman said. “Many priests and others involved in the formation of these new priests through the years have also been part of this wonderful day, our permanent deacons who are with us, all of our seminarians, those consecrated to religious life, and so many others, the people of God so beautifully represented here in our church in Knoxville and all of its beautiful diversity.

“I’m so grateful to the Lord for calling forth from this community so many rich vocations. The Lord is still calling. I hope that many of you will listen with an open and attentive heart to the call of God in your life.”

Bishop Beckman again thanked Bishop Coffey and then made a statement that produced a long ovation.

“Last but not least, I think we should express to our new priests, Father A.J. and Father Renzo, congratulations on your ordination,” Bishop Beckman said.

‘So full of grace’

The celebration continued next door in Cathedral Hall as the new priests offered first blessings to dozens of the faithful. But before that took place, Bishop Beckman made a special request at the end of Mass.

“I am going to claim the privilege as their bishop of asking for the first blessing with Bishop Coffey,” he said.

That was followed by another round of applause, and the new priests gave blessings to their families, too.

Bishop Coffey attended the Mass as a representative of Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, fourth archbishop of the Military Archdiocese who also currently serves as the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Father Houston will serve in the Diocese of Knoxville for three years before becoming an Army chaplain for the Military Archdiocese.

“We’re extremely excited to have him in a couple of years after he serves the people of this diocese first,” Bishop Coffey said. “We’re excited to have him.”

Father Houston will serve his first assignments as a priest as a part-time associate pastor at St. Stephen Parish and as chaplain at Notre Dame High School, both in Chattanooga. Father Alvarado’s first assignment is as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa.

Father Houston, who was born in Jacksonville, Fla., served in the U.S. Army in El Paso, Texas, leaving as a sergeant E-5 but holding the rank now of first lieutenant in the Army Reserve. Father Alvarado is a native of Barranquilla Atlantico, Colombia.

The title of “Father” is “amazing,” Father Houston said, calling his journey to the priesthood “a very holy blur.”

“God is at work. So many people support me, I just can’t thank them all enough,” he said. “Throughout the years and in prayer, I realize that every step of the way God was working in my life to bring me to this point.”

When he received his call to a priestly vocation, he was in one kind of service before realizing the Lord had service of a different type in His plans.

“It was a little later than a lot of people. I think I was about 24 years old when I was living in El Paso, Texas, serving in the Army,” Father Houston said. “God was calling me to a different kind of service than what I was doing.”

He said he was grateful for Bishop Coffey’s presence at the ordination Mass.

“When I think about it, my vocation was specifically born while I was part of the Military Archdiocese,” Father Houston said. “I’ll be here for three years serving as a priest while still in the Army Reserve, and after that I’ll return to active duty for a commitment of five years.”

He said he is “super excited” to serve at St. Stephen and Notre Dame High School. He added that the most meaningful parts of the ordination were the prostration before the altar during the Litany of the Saints, “but also giving the first blessings, when it just felt very real, especially [the blessings] to my family. You probably got the tears on tape.”

Were there tears from both sides, the new priest and the family?

“Yes, absolutely,” Father Houston said.

Father Houston’s parents, Butch and Heide Houston of Farragut, attended their son’s ordination.

“I’m a little overwhelmed. I’m very proud of him,” Mr. Houston said, adding that he could “see this day coming.”

The day was an emotional one.

“I don’t cry often, but I cried today,” he said.

Father Houston’s eventual home in the Army chaplaincy is appropriate, Mr. Houston said.

“I think that’s where he belongs. He seems happiest when he’s around the military and being a preacher at the same time,” he said.

August Houston, Father Houston’s younger brother by three years, said he is “immensely proud of him, honestly” and that he watched his brother’s formation happen “in real time.”

The younger sibling disagreed with his brother’s calling at one point, “but I’m assured in his decision now,” August said.

He also agreed with his father about Father Houston’s service as a chaplain.

“Like my dad said, it’s the most appropriate thing for him,” going on to say that “I don’t think a lot of people are” suited to be chaplains, “but he definitely is.”

Heide Houston said the ordination was “very, very fulfilling, and we are extremely proud of” Father Houston.

At first, she said, “we couldn’t believe” his calling to the priesthood “and then all of a sudden (realized) maybe it’s a calling from higher up.”

Receiving their son’s first blessings at the end of Mass was “very emotional” for Mr. Houston and a “very happy” moment for Mrs. Houston.

“We were telling him this is just the start. This is just the beginning. Be ready for the ups and downs,” she said.

Father Alvarado said after the ordination that he felt “very happy for the blessing of God.”

“I feel very excited with the whole Church, with my bishop and all of the clergy. God bless this diocese,” he said.

The Colombia native had friends attending his ordination from his home country as well as Louisiana, Spain, and France.

Itala Caiafa, a close friend of Father Alvarado, has known him “almost like a sister.” She came to the ordination from Barranquilla.

“To have known him since the beginning. When he was very, very young, he wanted to become a priest,” she said.

Ms. Caiafa said Father Alvarado’s family and she “have seen his struggles, his triumphs. We have laughed and cried together. We have always strived for this moment, for the priesthood, so we had to be here.”

Father Waldir Consuegra has known Father Alvarado for more than 22 years. He said he did not know how much he influenced the new priest’s vocation.

“I cannot say I was instrumental; however, I have accompanied him throughout all this process, even in times where there were some doubts or weaknesses or struggles, but we have been with him, and we have accompanied him,” he said. “I am from Barranquilla, but I live in Spain. I came from Spain especially for the ordination.”

Father Alvarado’s parents, Laureano Rafael Alvarado Puerta and Abigail Suarez de Alvarado, also attended their son’s ordination from Barranquilla.

“It’s a great blessing and a great gift of God,” Mr. Alvarado said, adding that his son has prepared for that day “almost all his life, because Renzo wanted to be a priest all his life.”

The new priests celebrated their Masses of thanksgiving on the weekend they were ordained. Father Alvarado celebrated Masses at Our Lady of Fatima on June 7 and at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga and St. Patrick Church in Morristown on June 8. Father Houston celebrated Mass at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut on June 8.

Bishop Beckman loved seeing the full cathedral for the ordination Mass.

“What a joy to have the church so full of people and to have people from all over the diocese, so representative of the great diversity of our diocese. That’s one of the things that I found deeply touching,” he said. “These two new priests are gems. They are going to be a real gift to our Church.”

The diocese recently incardinated Father Jhon Mario García, “so our numbers are growing. He was at this ordination,” the bishop said.

Bishop Beckman has almost completed a full year as bishop of Knoxville and has presided over all of the events his office requires, from confirmations to the liturgies of Holy Week and more. He was present for the diocese’s ordination Mass last year as bishop-elect when Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre presided, the liturgy including the transitional-diaconate ordination of now-Father Houston.

And now Bishop Beckman has presided at his first priestly ordination.

“Oh, my, it was so full of grace, so full of peace and joy. I’m delighted,” he said.