By Ana Rodriguez Soto - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski greets archdiocesan priests as they process into St. Mary Cathedral at the start of the chrism Mass.
A priest holds up the program booklet for the chrism Mass.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski stands outside St. Mary Cathedral as archdiocesan priests process inside for the chrism Mass.
Priests marking their 25th anniversaries of ordination process into St. Mary Cathedral for the chrism Mass; from left: Father Julio Solano, Father Marcos Somarriba, Father Gabriel Vigues, Father Rolando Cabrera and Father Angel Calderon.
Priests marking their 50th anniversary of ordination fight the wind as they process into St. Mary Cathedral for the chrism Mass; from left: Father Andres Coucelo, Msgr. James Fetscher, and Father Michael Kelly.
Archdiocesan priests concelebrate the chrism Mass on Tuesday of Holy Week, March 27, 2018.
Among the bishops concelebrating the chrism Mass this year were, from left, Bishop Fernando Isern, marking his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination, and Miami Auxiliary Bishops Enrique Delgado and Peter Baldacchino.
Seminarians take part in the chrism Mass, March 27, 2018.
Deacon Omar Ayubi processes with the Book of the Gospels during the chrism Mass. He will be ordained a priest May 12, 2018.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Enrique Estrada, pastor of Our Lady of Divine Providence in Miami, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Bishop Fernando Isern, emeritus of Pueblo, Colorado, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Franky Jean, pastor of San Pedro Church in Tavernier, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Christopher Marino, rector of St. Mary Cathedral, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Juan Carlos Rios, professor at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Julio Solano, parochial vicar at St. Anthony, Fort Lauderdale, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Marcos Somarriba, pastor of St. Agatha, Miami, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Gabriel Vigues, pastor of St. Francis de Sales, Miami Beach, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Rolando Cabrera, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, Miami, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Angel Calderon, parochial vicar at St. Stephen, Miramar, on his 25th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Andres Coucelo, now retired, on his 50th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Msgr. James Fetscher, pastor of St. Sebastian, Fort Lauderdale, on his 50th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Michael Kelly, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Coral Springs, on his 50th anniversary as a priest.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski congratulates Father Jean Francois Simeon Jeannot, of the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on his 50th anniversary as a priest.
Deacon Matthew Gomez brings up the oil of chrism during the offertory.
Archdiocesan students bring up the bread and wine during the offertory; from left: Carlos Gutierrez, 10th grader at Christopher Columbus High School, Miami, and Andrea Isla-Canedo, a 10th grader at Immaculata-La Salle High School, Miami. About 200 students from 10 archdiocesan schools - eight high schools and two elementary schools - attended the Mass.
Archdiocesan priests extend their hands in a gesture of concelebration as Archbishop Thomas Wenski recites the Eucharistic Prayer.
Bishops in attendance bow their heads during the consecration of the gifts, from left: Chorbishop Michael Thomas, pastor of Heart of Jesus Maronite Church in Fort Lauderdale; Bishop Fernando Isern, emeritus of Pueblo, Colorado; and Miami Auxiliary Bishop Peter Baldacchino.
A woman prays during the consecration at the chrism Mass.
Deacon Omar Ayubi holds up the oil of the sick as Archbishop Thomas Wenski blesses it during the Eucharistic Prayer.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski pours balsam (a sweet perfume) into the oil of chrism before consecrating it.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski breathes on the oil of chrism, consecrating it for use in baptisms, confirmations and ordinations.
An archdiocesan priest extends his hands toward the oil of chrism as Archbishop Thomas Wenski recites the blessing.
The holy oils that will be used in the parishes throughout the coming year rest on the sanctuary of St. Mary Cathedral: the oil of catechumens, the oil of chrism and the oil of the sick.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski and the concelebrating bishops pose outside St. Mary Cathedral with the priests who were honored on their 25th and 50th anniversary of ordination, at the conclusion of the chrism Mass.
Photography: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
MIAMI | A standing-room only crowd of laity, young people, seminarians, deacons and priests took part in the once-a-year celebration of the chrism Mass, held the Tuesday of Holy Week, March 27, at St. Mary Cathedral.
During the Mass, the diocesan bishop � in this case Archbishop Thomas Wenski � blesses the holy oils that will be used throughout the coming year in parishes throughout the archdiocese for baptisms, confirmations and anointing of the sick.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Students from Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches pose with Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado before the chrism Mass. From left: Franco Chiappori, Lindsey Millares, Bishop Delgado, Karina Czubkowski, and Makayla Sandoval. All are seniors and serve as extraordinary ministers of holy Communion at the school.
The Mass takes its name from the oil of chrism, a mixture of olive oil and balsam (a sweet perfume), that is used to anoint those who are being baptized, confirmed or ordained priests, deacons or bishops.
The oil of catechumens is used at baptisms, and the third oil is used for the anointing of the sick.
But the chrism Mass is also the one time each year when priests renew the promises they made at ordination, and those marking 25, 50 or more years of priestly service are honored.
This year, 10 priests were honored on their 25th anniversaries and four were honored on their 50th. Another priest who could not be present, Father George Cardona, was marking his 65th; and another who died March 13, Msgr. Emiliano Ordax, would have marked his 70th.
In keeping with a tradition established years ago in the archdiocese, students from Catholic schools also attended the Mass. Those represented this year were: Archbishop Edward McCarthy High, Archbishop Coleman Carroll High, Belen Jesuit Prep, Blessed Trinity School, Christopher Columbus High, Immaculata-La Salle High, Msgr. Edward Pace High, St. Brendan High, St. Patrick School and St. Thomas Aquinas High.
- Read the biographies of the priests who were honored here.
- Read Archbishop Wenski's homily here.
- The Mass was livestreamed, and can still be viewed, on the archdiocese's Facebook page.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Archbishop Thomas Wenski and the concelebrating bishops pose outside St. Mary Cathedral with the priests who were honored on their 25th and 50th anniversary of ordination, at the conclusion of the chrism Mass.
