PRIESTS' ORDINATION 2024

SACRED HANDS: SACRED SERVICE
For the three men ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 2024, for the Archdiocese of New Orleans – Fathers Austin Barr, Jorge Gomez and Cuong Minh Tran – it is a quiet moment, almost a secret moment, that takes place far away from the eyes of the congregation. After the archbishop anoints the hands of the new priests with scented, sacred chrism, they walk silently into the sacristy to wipe the fragrant oil on a small cloth that traditionally is given to their mothers. And, then, the new priests wash their hands with lemon and water. For the first time as priests, they embrace each other and confer their first blessings as priests. The scent of the sacred chrism lingers. Their hands are anointed to touch the sacred, and their hands are anointed to anoint others through the priesthood of Jesus Christ.