FOUR NORTHWEST OHIO MEN TO BE ORDAINED PRIESTS

May 22, 2006 – Toledo, OH – On Saturday, June 3rd at 11am, The Diocese of Toledo will welcome four men from northwest Ohio into the ordained priesthood. The Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair, Bishop of the Diocese of Toledo, will ordain Deacon Jeffrey R. McBeth of Toledo, Deacon David J. Cirata of Shelby, Deacon Jacob A. Gordon of Paulding, and Deacon Monte J. Hoyles of Attica at Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral at 2535 Collingwood Boulevard, Toledo. The four men represent the largest class of ordinandi for the Diocese since 1996.

The four new priests all hail from Northwest Ohio in contrast to the national trend, as conducted by a survey from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Vocations and analyzed by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, which shows that 30% of ordinandi are foreign-born citizens. The newly ordained priests from our diocese are right in line with the national survey highlighting that 80% of the ordinandi this year entered the seminary with a college degree and unique backgrounds. The four new priests of the Toledo diocese bring varied experiences include working as an accountant for a newspaper, serving in the Marines as a military police officer and machine gunner, assisting in the installation of the turf at Ohio stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and performing in a band.

Each new priest will also celebrate special weekend Masses of Thanksgiving in the weekends following their ordination. Their schedule is as follows:

Sunday, June 4, 2006:
Jeff McBeth – Toledo, St. Patrick’s of Heatherdown 11:30am
Monte Hoyles – Attica, Our Lady of Hope 2:00pm
(Public reception following Mass)
Jacob Gordon – Payne, St. John 2:00pm
(Public Reception following Mass)
David Cirata – Shelby, Most Pure Heart of Mary 3:00pm

Sunday, June 11, 2006:
David Cirata – Findlay, St. Michael the Archangel 10:00am and Noon
Jacob Gordon – New Reigel, All Saints 10:00am
(Public reception following Mass at American Legion)
Jeff McBeth – Norwalk, St. Paul 11:00am

Saturday, June 17, 2006
Monte Hoyles – Marblehead, St. Joseph 6:00pm
(Public reception following Mass in Parish Hall)

For more information on the newly ordained priests or the priesthood ordination ceremony please contact Father David Nuss, Director of the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of Toledo at 419-244-6711.

The Diocese of Toledo, established April 15, 1910 encompasses 8222 square miles in a mixture of urban and rural areas that spans 19 counties across Northwest Ohio, serving 306,532 Catholics. The diocese includes Allen, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.
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