Mark Steffl and Craig Timmerman ordained in Rome as deacons

by Deacon Mark Steffl

Craig Timmerman and I, both seminarians of the Diocese of New Ulm, along with 18 other men from 16 other dioceses around the United States, were ordained to the Diaconate October 9, 2003, at the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome by Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, DC.

For the past three years, Craig and I have been studying theology in Rome at the North American College in preparation to serve the Diocese of New Ulm as priests. We were ordained with other classmates, the men with whom we arrived together on a hot humid Rome day in the Jubilee Year of 2000 to begin our theology studies.

To be ordained deacons in Rome, above the Tomb of Saint Peter, was a great joy for us all. For centuries, men have been ordained deacons, priests, and bishops at the Tomb of Saint Peter and sent out to places around the world.

The strong sense of tradition that accompanies ordination in Rome is represented by the dalmatics that we wore as new deacons. Dalmatics are the vestments proper to deacons. These particular dalmatics were given to the North American College in 1953 as a gift from Pope Pius XII on the occasion of the dedication of the new North American College Seminary building being completed. For the past 50 years, men ordained to the diaconate in Rome have been vested in these dalmatics, and they were the same dalmatics that Bishop Nienstedt and his classmates wore when they were ordained deacons in 1972.

We were very fortunate to have Bishop Nienstedt in attendance at the Ordination Mass. In addition some 250 priests were concelebrants, some of whom work or live in Rome, and many who came just for the Ordination Mass.

Attending the ordination representing the Diocese of New Ulm were: Rev. Todd Petersen, director of the diocesan Office of Vocations; Rev. Paul Hadusek, pastor of the Church of St. Mary, Cottonwood and the Church of St. Clotilde, Green Valley, and Rev. Richard Gross, former pastor of the Church of St. Mary in New Ulm.

Following ordination, Craig and I returned to the Diocese of New Ulm to work for a year as deacons in parishes. Craig has been assigned to Holy Redeemer parish, Marshall, and I am at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity parish, New Ulm. Following this assignment we will return to Rome to complete our theological studies and anticipate priestly ordination in the summer of 2005.

Rev. Mr. Craig A. Timmerman’s home parish is St. Clotilde in Green Valley.