MADISON — On Friday, Aug. 9, Bishop Robert C. Morlino will ordain four men to the transitional diaconate during a Mass at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison.
The men being ordained include James Leeser, who is studying for the Diocese of Madison at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Mich., and three candidates from the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest (SJS): Jerry Zhanay Rivera, 25, a native of New York; Vicente Salas Hinojosa, 29, a native of Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Felipe Alvial Moreno, 26, a native of Santiago, Chile.
Leeser is a native of Milwaukee, the son of Bert and the late Charles Leeser. He is a member of St. John Vianney Parish in Janesville. Leeser earned a Bachelor’s Degree in philosophy from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 2012. He will be beginning his fourth and final year of theology studies at the seminary this fall.
All three men from the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest earned Bachelor’s Degrees from the University of Murcia in Spain. Jerry Zhanay Rivera has a degree in mathematics, Vicente Salas Hinojosa a degree in classics, and Felipe Alvial Moreno a degree in history.
They have completed five year of theology studies and will be returning to the University of Murcia to finish their sixth year.
Leeser is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood in 2014 in Madison along with Deacon Scott Jablonski.
The three men from the society will be ordained to the priesthood on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary Church in Platteville. The date and time were selected to offer students at UW-Platteville an opportunity to experience attending a presbyteral ordination.