Bishop John Quinn installed Diocese of Winona-Rochester seminarians Brian Klein and Nicholas Gawarecki as acolytes on Sunday at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. The pair’s installation represents their next step toward priestly ordination.
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.
Sixteen more acolytes were installed at The Saint Paul Seminary earlier this semester. The Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s proximity to the Twin Cities allowed Klein and Gawarecki to be installed in their home diocese.