Entrance Procession for Br. Benedict’s Diaconal Ordination (May 3, 2024)

Much has been written elsewhere about the sharp decline in ordinations within the Roman Catholic Church in the United States over the past decades, both for the diocesan priesthood as well as for the consecrated religious orders. Here at Portsmouth, the last ordination of a monk was ten years ago but, thanks be to God, the next one will take place this spring. Brother Benedict Maria, 39, a native of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India, will be ordained on Friday, May 2, during an 8:30 a.m. Mass in the Abbey Church, with the entire student body, faculty and staff in attendance. A large number of friends and family, including those traveling from India, are expected to join the monastic and School communities in celebrating this landmark event.

Brother Benedict made his Solemn Profession at Portsmouth on All Saints Day, November 1, 2021. The monastery chose to send Br. Benedict to the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida, for his theological studies and sacramental preparation. He is one of eleven candidates that will be ordained priests in May and June, the others for dioceses of Florida and Georgia. Br. Benedict was ordained into the Sacred Order of Deacons on May 3, 2024, nearly one year to the day prior to the date of his priestly ordination. That celebration was also here at Portsmouth, in the Church of St. Gregory the Great. Presiding was the Most Reverend Richard G. Henning who, shortly thereafter, was called by the Vatican from his position as Bishop of the Diocese of Providence to become the Archbishop of Boston, replacing Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., who took his retirement at age 80.
Bishop Elias Lorenzo, O.S.B.At this point, the episcopal seat in Providence remains vacant – one may notice that at our Masses we pray for “the order of bishops” rather than for our own local ordinary. The same Latin phrase, sede vacante (“the see being vacant”) which describes the period when there is no sitting pope also refers to a diocese or archdiocese without a prelate. With Providence presently “sede vacante,” Abbot Michael Brunner, upon returning to the United States after attending the quadrennial Abbots’ Congress in Rome in September 2024, had to begin weighing episcopal options. As Providence would have it, so to speak, a Benedictine Bishop of the American Cassinese Congregation was available and has agreed to come to Portsmouth for the ordination. Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B., Auxiliary of the Diocese of Newark, New Jersey, will make the trip up the East Coast. Bishop Elias formerly served as Prior at Sant’Anselmo in Rome. With 30 years of experience at the Delbarton School in New Jersey, he has a long history of involvement in secondary education and is very familiar with Portsmouth. He took his solemn vows as a Benedictine in 1983 at St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, New Jersey, served as abbot president of the American Cassinese Congregation, and was appointed auxiliary bishop of Newark, New Jersey by Pope Francis in 2020. He will be assisted at the Mass by a contingent of deacons and joined by other clergy also making the journey up the East Coast, from as far south as Boynton Beach.

Despite all of these preparatory arrangements, Br. Benedict recently still had one more hurdle to jump over – in fact there were at least six more hurdles to get to where he needed to be. He emailed the Portsmouth community very early on March 10 and explained to us that, “The deacon class at the seminary has our Cura Animarum exam this Thursday, it is an all-day exam having each deacon visit six separate board members who will question him from various subjects. Please keep this preparation and exam in your prayers.” Of course, we happily complied with his request and were gratified when he wrote at 7:23 p.m. on March 13, the Thursday of this stressful six-part gauntlet, to tell us: “I passed the exam. Thank you so much for prayers.”
Br. Benedict applauded on his diaconateThe formation process in Florida has been illuminating and inspiring for Br. Benedict, who has often shared with us the events and the course material that the seminary has so skillfully and carefully provided. The monks of Portsmouth are grateful for this work to help prepare our brother for priestly life, and for the prayers of all, for the monastic community and for Brother Benedict’s upcoming ordination. We welcome our extended community of the School, of our friends and oblates, to join us on May 2, 2025 if they are able, or to continue in prayer wherever they may be. The St. Vincent de Paul Seminary website asks readers to “Please join us in praying for our newly ordained priests!” and provides the following prayer:

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