Leyda Vazquez arrived early with her sister, Norma Tavel, and both got a front row seat next to the center aisle. Vazquez worked 35 years with Msgr. Jude O'Doherty, newly elevated to the highest rank of monsignor, a protonotary apostolic supernumerary. Msgr. O'Doherty is one of only six archdiocesan priests to have been elevated to that highest rank in the history of the archdiocese.

"I think that we are all happy because the work that he has done for the Church is being recognized," said Vazquez, who served as Msgr. O'Doherty's director of religious education both while he was pastor at Immaculate Conception in Hialeah and where he currently serves as pastor, Epiphany in Miami.

"He is an excellent man of God. Human. Merciful. He meets the needs of all who seek him out. It is a privilege to be near him," said Tavel, who taught at Epiphany for 25 years.

Seated next to them in the front pew were Aurelio Hurtado de Mendoza and his wife Leonor. They said they have known Msgr. Jos� Luis Hernando, pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Key Biscayne, for the past 44 years, since they became active in the Cursillo movement and joined St. Monica Church in Miami Gardens, where he was parochial vicar. He baptized their youngest daughter and her three children.

"This is long overdue," said Aurelio Hurtado de Mendoza, because of the"incredible work" Msgr. Hernando has done dating back to his days with the migrant farmworkers in the fields of Belle Glade, and later with Cursillo, seminarians, permanent deacons and the archdiocesan radio station, Radio Paz.

Work, Leonor Hurtado de Mendoza added, that the Spanish missionary priest has done"with a lot of humility and a lot of dedication."

"Msgr. Hernando does not exude sweat as much as love. He distills the love he has inside," said her husband.

A few rows back, having flown in from India, were Mariamma Joseph Puthusserill and her daughters Anie and Viji, mother and sisters, respectively, of Msgr. George Puthusseril, the archdiocese's judicial vicar and temporary administrator of St. Agatha Parish in Miami.

"She's extremely happy. It's the Lord's gift for his service," said Joey Puthusseril, the new monsignor's brother, translating for his mother, who is 81. "She's very proud. Tha's why she traveled all this way."

Puthusseril traveled a far shorter distance to attend the ceremony. He and his family make their home in Jacksonville. Msgr. Puthusseril is the third of seven brothers and sisters.

Another younger brother who attended the ceremony was Ed Fetscher, who came from St. Helen Parish in Fort Lauderdale with his wife Pilar. The Fetscher siblings- four boys and three girls - all grew up in South Florida, and at least one of them still lives in the North Miami neighborhood where they grew up.

"I taught him everything he knows," Ed Fetscher said, displaying the same sense of humor as his big brother, Msgr. James Fetscher. "Everybody loves him, especially us," Ed Fetscher added.

Indeed, the cheering sections for some of the new monsignors encompassed both current and former parishioners. Msgr. Fetscher was pastor at St. Louis for 28 years before going to St. Sebastian; Msgr. Puthusseril was pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Coral Springs for 10 years before taking over fulltime at the Metropolitan Tribunal; and Msgr. Edmond Whyte was pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes in Miami Lakes for 22 years before taking over at St. Mark in Southwest Ranches in 1996.

"We've known Father Whyte for 40 years," said Mary Gail Buzzella, speaking for herself and her husband Mike, who were members of Our Lady of the Lakes and are now at St. Mark. "We have been with him through new parishes. We've watched him raise them up into a living, thriving community of Catholics twice. We just love him. We appreciate how humble and devoted he is as a priest and a friend."

Msgr. Garza's cheering section consisted of family members, former parishioners and seminarians. He was pastor of San Isidro Parish in Pompano Beach for six years, then archdiocesan vocations director, and two years ago took over as rector of St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami.

"I have no words," said his proud mother, Maria Teresa Garza, who flew in from Goodyear, Ariz.

Reny and Hilda Aguilera came for both Msgr. O'Doherty and Msgr. Jos� Juan Quijano, who has taught for many years at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He also helps out on weekends at their parish, Immaculate Conception in Hialeah, and is a native of Guant�namo, Cuba, their hometown.

"We love him a lot. He has baptized our children. He married my sister. He is a part of the family," said Hilda Aguilera.

Another teacher in the group was Father Eduardo Barrios, a Jesuit priest who received the Vatican's highest honor, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice cross. Father Barrios formerly taught at Belen Jesuit Prep, writes regularly for El Nuevo Herald and now serves as parochial vicar at Gesu Church in Miami.

Finally, there was Msgr. Chanel Jeanty, among the youngest monsignors to be named in the archdiocese, and only the third Haitian to be so honored. He is a canon lawyer who serves part-time in the Tribunal, and fulltime as chancellor for canonical affairs for the archdiocese as well as pastor of St. Philip Neri in Miami Gardens.

In his remarks at the end of the ceremony, Msgr. O'Doherty, speaking for his fellow honorees, noted their varied combination of duties. "But the fact is that a priest's role - like a bishop's - entails all three: teaching, governing and sanctifying," he said.

"By your nomination of us to receive these honors, you have honored all the priests of this archdiocese," Msgr. O'Doherty said."By granting these honors, the Holy Father has recognized the Church of Miami in its spectacular growth amidst its unique diversity."

In his homily, Archbishop Wenski noted that this group is the first to receive papal honors under his leadership, and the last to do so under the pope emeritus, Benedict XVI. "In future years, I suspect that the next pope will continue to recognize the service of the priests of this archdiocese - and, to be sure, an honor given to any priest of this archdiocese also extends to all the priests of the archdiocese," the archbishop said.

He stressed that these priests in particular had "distinguished themselves in the service of God's people - as teachers, sanctifiers and shepherds always in communion with their bishop." He added, however, that "the greatest title or 'honor' we can receive is that of the name'Christian', the title we received at baptism. That is our greatest dignity for it makes us children of God and co-heirs with Christ to the promises of his Kingdom."

That is something the monsignors are well aware of, according to those who know them.

"He says, 'Ed, for $2.50 and the title of monsignor I get a cup of coffee at Starbucks,'" Ed Fetscher recalled his brother, Msgr. Fetscher, telling him."I corrected him: It's more than $2.50."

"He's so shy. He's so embarrassed about this," said Mary Gail Buzzella of Msgr. Whyte. "He would rather just get the phone call and not do this"