VATICAN CITY — Bradley D. Easterbrooks and Guillermo A. Hernandez of the Diocese of San Diego were ordained to the transitional diaconate Sept. 30 at the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican.
They were among 20 seminarians from the Pontifical North American College, the American seminary in Rome, who were ordained that day. The previous day, they had the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis at his Wednesday audience.
During the ordination, the new deacons promised to live a life of prayer, celibacy, and obedience to their diocesan bishops. They will have an additional year of theological studies and spiritual formation before being ordained to the priesthood in their home dioceses. It is expected that the priestly ordination of Deacons Hernandez and Easterbrooks will take place next June in San Diego.
The ordaining prelate at the Mass was Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego and Father Matthew Spahr, rector of San Diego’s house of priestly formation, concelebrated. Father Dickens Remy of Holy Spirit Parish in San Diego vested Easterbrooks as a deacon; Father Joseph Tabigue of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in San Diego vested Hernandez.
