This spring and summer, the Upper Midwestern Catholic Church is welcoming a new group of priests to its ranks. Among them are five Saint Paul Seminary deacons who will be ordained in Minnesota and Iowa.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis now has three new shepherds from The Saint Paul Seminary. Fr. Wil Kratt, Fr. Kyle Etzel and Fr. John Rumpza officially became Catholic priests Saturday, May 27 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.
“We need you to be willing to go wherever you are sent to plant and to grow our Church,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda told Kratt, Etzel and Rumpza in front of a packed cathedral. “Today, Jesus is taking you and making you His instruments, His priestly ministers to grow His Church. Through you, Christ himself will speak. Through you he will absolve sins and reconcile the faithful to the Father. That’s why all these people are here; we’re all so excited to see what God is going to do through you. Through you He will repeat the words he spoke in the upper room to his disciples: ‘This is my body, which will be given for you. This is my blood, which will be poured out for you.'”
“That’s why all these people are here; we’re all so excited to see what God is going to do through you.”
— Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota will also welcome a new priest, Deacon Jacob Toma, June 23 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary. The same day, the Diocese of Des Moines will ordain Deacon Jason Lee at St. Ambrose Cathedral.
Parish Assignments
Fr. Wil Kratt: St. Hubert, Chanhassen, Minnesota
Fr. Kyle Etzel: Church of St. Joseph, West Saint Paul, Minnesota
Fr. John Rumpza: Saint Odilia, Shoreview, Minnesota
The group is part of over 80 seminarians who have been discerning the priesthood at The Saint Paul Seminary this year. Sixteen more are being ordained transitional deacons this spring and summer; all are slated to become priests in 2024.
This year’s priestly ordination class, with information about each diocese’s ordination ceremony:
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis | 10 a.m. Saturday, May 27 at the Cathedral of St. Paul
Deacon Wil Kratt
Deacon Kyle Etzel
Deacon John Rumpza
Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota | 4 p.m. Friday, June 23 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary
Deacon Jacob Toma
Diocese of Des Moines | 5 p.m. Friday, June 23 at St. Ambrose Cathedral
Deacon Jason Lee
Check back for more stories and information on the newest priests to graduate from The Saint Paul Seminary.