A celebration of joy and community

The ordination of Fr. Julian Hernandez Reinoso

By Sr. Mary Carten, C.S.J.
September 2005

Return to Table of Contents
Print Article

Yesterday morning Sr. Mary Joseph Mazzerolle and I left the house shortly after 5:30 in a van driven by Fernando Castillo. His wife and four children, along with a number of other parishioners were already seated in the van. We drove to the church here in San José de Ocoa where about 100 other parishioners were also climbing into vans in preparation for our journey. Soon we were on our way to attend the ordination of Fr. Julian Hernández Reinoso. Julian had been living in Ocoa with Scarboro missioner Fr. Lou Quinn for a number of months and serving as a deacon.

Recently ordained Fr. Julian Hernández Reinoso with Scarboro missioner Fr. Lou Quinn. Julian is now serving the parish of San José de Ocoa. Before his ordination he lived in the parish serving as a deacon and assisting Fr. Lou who has been parish priest in Ocoa since 1965. Dominican Republic.

Fr. Lou left about the same time with his driver and a couple of other parish personnel. Although he has been experiencing ill health, his effort to go to Julian’s ordination says something of his esteem for Julian, an esteem that is mutual.

Mary Jo and I sat in the front with Fernando. The young people behind us were wide awake and excited, singing all the way at the top of their voices. No chance to fall asleep there.

We arrived in Villa Altagracia and soon found the gymnasium where the ordination was to be held. A gymnasium sounds somewhat barren, but it was a great environment. A large area of the gymnasium floor had been set aside for the sanctuary. At the back was a huge panel of the Pentecost event with the Blessed Virgin Mary having centre stage. A large picture of Our Lady of Altagracia sat on a tripod. Simple, well-varnished chairs had been placed behind the altar for the bishop and his party. Priests and seminarians sat on either side of the sanctuary on white stacking chairs, the same type of chairs used by the congregation. Lots of rugs on the floor took away the barren look of the space. Around the whole gymnasium, there were bleachers, all of which were eventually filled with well-wishers.

Srs. Cecile and Juana, also members of our congregation, the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph here in the Dominican Republic, arrived from the town of Cotuí and sat with us, just behind Julian’s family.

Mixed feelings

Usually I have mixed feelings at ordinations. The ceremony has reverence and dignity. The bishop is always charming, and there is an atmosphere of joy among the people and among the clergy and seminarians. I have found that the person being ordained is nervous at the beginning, but as time goes on, peace and joy are evident in his whole demeanor.

However, as a woman in the Church, somewhat aware of the exclusion that has been part of our Church history, especially through theological beliefs and practical customs, this ceremony can be one of the loneliest times of my Church life.

I am somewhat overwhelmed by the all-male clergy who present such a strong visual impact at such celebrations. They are usually the only ones in the sanctuary, elevated above the rest of the people, and they are the only ones who lay on hands and carry out most of the official proceedings.

However, Julian’s ordination seemed different somehow. Upon reflection, I came to a few conclusions. The sanctuary was not elevated, but rather was situated on floor level, thus many of the priests and seminarians were hidden from view. As well, the bleachers continued around the sanctuary and were filled with young and old, men and women, religious and laity, so there was a sense of being surrounded by the whole Church, the People of God.

Fr. Julian is ordained by Bishop Freddy Antonio de Jesús Bretón Martínez of Bani. This day was a celebration of joy among the whole community. Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic. May 14, 2005.

The Pentecost image with Mary at the centre, and the image of Our Lady of Altagracia, both added a female dimension.

Wendy Castillo from Ocoa, a university student who is active in our parish, proclaimed the first reading. I must admit I enjoyed the fact that a young woman was reading the exhortation to the pastors found in Ezekiel 34:1-11, telling them to smarten up, listen to the Word of the Lord and become better shepherds of the people. Not that I have not encountered many wonderful pastors, nor that women have not exhorted pastors in the past; it is just that we usually cannot exhort them publicly.

Finally, there is a woman who belongs to another parish in the country and is at every important church event. After the laying on of hands, when the clergy were congratulating Fr. Julian, she walked straight into the sanctuary. The Master of Ceremonies, a priest, was just able to hold her off until the bishop and a few other priests had given Julian an embrace. Then in she went, before any of the other priests could get near him. I chuckled.

Julian is in his late 30s and was on his way to becoming a musician when he decided to become a priest. He is the seventh in a family of 10 children, whose parents are both dead, so he knows something about the delight and pain of community living. He is very energetic and is ready to spring to life at a moment’s notice. He also has a lot of joy that spills over into whatever he does. He will be coming back here to Ocoa to serve the parish.

Julian connected well with the people when he said his words of thanks at the end. And Fr. Lou got a special accolade for treating him “like a son.”

Afterwards we climbed back into our vans and headed for the church in Altagracia where we had dinner. The priests, religious and seminarians went upstairs in what seemed like a community centre or parish hall. There was lasagna, rice, salads, chicken and casseroles, laid out in quantities people rarely see here. There wasn’t room in the hall for everyone, so the remainder of the people ate a box lunch in the churchyard.

The people outside had very little time to greet Julian. However, being ever resourceful, the Oceanos (as the people from Ocoa are called) said they wanted to go upstairs to make presentations to him. They were allowed in as a body and were warmly welcomed by Julian. After the presentations many young people slipped into the line to the buffet table and took advantage of the lovely meal.

With the excitement of the day, the youth in our van on the trip home were at a high energy level. From Altagracia to Santo Domingo, everybody sang and talked at the top of their voices, then promptly fell asleep after leaving the capital. We arrived home about four o’clock in the afternoon. It was a very good day indeed.

Return to Table of Contents
Print Article