Bishop William Joensen of the Diocese of Des Moines recently celebrated the installation of 16 acolytes at The Saint Paul Seminary.
Seminarians designated as acolytes assist at the altar and help distribute Communion during Mass. They are also commissioned to bring Holy Communion to the sick and purify the sacred vessels after Mass. Seminarians are typically installed as lectors – those who proclaim the Word of God in the liturgy – during their first year of theological studies, then made acolytes a year later.
This year’s acolyte class includes (L to R above):
- Christopher Yanta, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Derek Gilde, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- James Herzog, New Ulm
- Daniel Ruprecht, Saint Cloud
- Ryan Sustacek, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Michael Panka, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Sean Mulcare, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Philip Conklin, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Peter Brown, Duluth
- Alexander Hall, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Brent Bowman, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Kevin Soenneker, Saint Cloud
- Francis Floeder, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Alex Rasset, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Luisito Cabrera, Des Moines
- Nicholas Vance, Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Two seminarians from the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota), Nicholas Gawarecki and Brian Klein, are scheduled to be installed as acolytes on Sunday, December 19, 2021 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona by Bishop John Quinn.