COMBINED PRIESTHOOD AND DIACONATE ORDINATION

May 20, 2024 at 12:24 p.m.

Newly-ordained priests and deacon pose with Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, third from left, and Father Father Brian Kelly, Vicar for Vocations, following the combined Ordination of Priests and Deacons on Saturday May 20, 2023, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. From left are Father Joseph Tuan Van Pham, Father Paul McDonald, Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, Deacon Eric Ramirez, Father Anthony Chibueze Onu, Father Adam Feisthamel, Father Thomas Fallati and Father Brian Kelly. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Newly ordained priest Adam Feisthamel, right, poses for a selfie with (tracking down name) following the combined Ordination of Priests and Deacons on Saturday May 18, 2022, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Deacon Eric Ramirez, second from left, assists Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger with the Liturgy of the Eucharist during the combined Ordination of Deacons and Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Newly ordained priest Joseph Tuan Van Pham, center, blesses parishioners following the Ordination of Priests on Saturday May 18, 2022, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, left, embraces newly ordained priest Thomas Fallati during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Priests lay their hands upon the candidates for the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Susan DePaula, center, family friend of Father Paul McDonald, looks around a column as she tries to capture the moment during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Newly ordained priests Adam Feisthamel, left, and Anthony Chibueze Onu, right, are welcomed into the priesthood during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Candidate for deaconship Eric Ramirez, left, listens to Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger’s homily during his Ordination of Deacons and an ordination of five candidates to the priesthood on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Father Daniel Vallejo, left, celebrates with newly ordained priest Paul McDonald following the combined Ordination of Priests and Deacons on Saturday May 18, 2022, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Father Quy Vo, center, welcomes newly ordained priest Adam Feisthamel, left, into the priesthood during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Family members carry vestments to robe candidates for priest during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Newly ordained priest Thomas Fallati, center, is welcomed into the priesthood during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger reads the prayer of ordination during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Newly ordained priest Joseph Tuan Van Pham, center, embraces his mother (tracking down name) once he’s vested with stole and chasuble during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

The candidates for the combined Ordination of Priests and Deacons lay in supplication on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, right, reads the prayer of ordination to Eric Ramirez during his Ordination of Deacons on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

Candidates to the priesthood kneel for the laying of hands during the Ordination of Priests on Saturday May 20, 2023, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. From left are Anthony Chibueze Onu, Thomas Fallati, Joseph Tuan Van Pham, Paul McDonald and Adam Feisthamel. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger lays his hands upon the candidates for the Ordination of Priests on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Paul McDonald, one of the candidates for the Ordination of Priests, right, gives the promise of obedience to Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, N.Y. Cindy Schultz for The Evangelist **(Cindy Schultz)**

The Diocese of Albany and Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger celebrated the combined Priesthood and Diaconate Ordination on May 18 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. Five men - Fathers Thomas Fallati, Adam Feisthamel, Paul McDonald, Anthony Onu and Joseph Tuan Pham - were ordained to the priesthood, and Deacon Eric Ramirez was ordained to the permanent diaconate.

“Your love is the reason that these men are here today … and I thank you for it,” said Bishop Scharfenberger during his homily, speaking to the assembled faithful. “I thank you for your presence, I thank you for your sacrifice, I thank you for your patience, I thank you for your faith and most of all your love. They know as we all know that it is through you, leading them by your example, your support, by your encouragement that they have found the courage to say yes, I accept this call.”

Bishop Scharfenberger ended his homily saying to the six men, “My dear brothers as you go before the all high God at this altar today, receive this gift with great humility, let it change you. But let it also inspire you now not to hold on to this gift yourself but to share it with the world, not just to keep the faith but to spread it.”

On May 20, Bishop Scharfenberger announced their new assignments: Father Fallati has been named parochial vicar at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Schenectady; Father Feisthamel has been named parochial vicar at St. Matthew’s Church in Voorheesville, St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar, St. Lucy’s Church in Altamont, and Christ the King in Westmere; Father McDonald has been named parochial vicar at St. Clement’s Church in Saratoga, St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich and Notre Dame Visitation in Schuylerville; Father Onu has been named parochial vicar at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Rotterdam; St. Madeleine Sophie Church in Schenectady, St. Gabriel’s Church in Schenectady and St. Margaret of Cortona Mission Church in Rotterdam Junction; Father Joseph Tuan Pham has been named parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Latham; and Deacon Eric Ramirez has been named the permanent deacon at St. John the Evangelist Church and St. Anthony’s Church, both in Schenectady. All new assignments are effective June 1.