ORDINATION AT THE CATHEDRAL

May 20, 2026 at 10:11 a.m.

Newly ordained Father Alexander Turpin embraces his mother Carmela Turpin when he’s vested with stole and chasuble during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Newly ordained members of the priesthood and deaconship join members of the clergy for a picture with Bishop Mark O’Connell (c., front row) following the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. In the front row joining Bishop Mark are the newly ordained (from l.): Deacon Timothy Kilpeck, Deacon Gilbert Kimaro, Deacon Alessio Fasullo and Father Alexander Turpin. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Deacon Alessio Fasullo blesses Father Kyle Gorenski following the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and the Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Newly ordained Father Alexander Turpin blesses Bishop Emeritus Edward B. Scharfenberger (l.) and Bishop Mark O’Connell during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Priests take part in the Liturgy of the Eucharist during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Newly ordained Father Alexander Turpin celebrates with family, friends and parishioners following the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Newly ordained Deacon Gilbert Kimaro is welcomed into his new role during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Bishop Mark O’Connell hands the Book of the Gospels to newly ordained Deacon Alessio Fasullo during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Father Dan McHale of St. Edward the Confessor 9c.) welcomes newly ordained Father Alexander Turpin into the priesthood during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Priests lay their hands upon the candidate for the priesthood, Alexander Turpin, during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Newly ordained Deacon Timothy Kilpeck is vested with stole and chasuble during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Bishop Mark O’Connell reads the Prayer of Ordination to candidates for deacon during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Bishop Mark O’Connell lays hands on candidate for deacon Gilbert Kimaro during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Candidates for the Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate lay in supplication on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Candidate for the priesthood Alexander Turpin gives the promise of obedience to Bishop Mark O’Connell during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and the Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Candidate for deacon Timothy Kilpeck gives the promise of obedience to Bishop Mark O’Connell during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and the Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Gilbert Kimaro (from l.), Alessio Fasullo, and Timothy Kilpeck, deacons candidates, Alexander Turpin, candidate for the priesthood and sitting next to Bishop Emeritus Edward B. Scharfenberger)=, listen to Bishop Mark O’Connell’s homily during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and the Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Gilbert Kimaro (from l.), Alessio Fasullo and Timothy Kilpeck are introduced as candidates for deacon during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and the Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Candidate for the priesthood Alexander Turpin presents to Bishop Mark O’Connell during the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and the Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

Newly ordained Father Alexander Turpin blesses Lauren Numrich, campus minister at La Salle Institute, following the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and the Diaconate on May 16 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist)t **(CINDY SCHULTZ)**

‘SIGNS OF HOPE:' Father Alexander Turpin, Deacons Alessio Fasullo, Timothy
Kilpeck and Gilbert Kimaro ordained at the Cathedral

Saying in his homily that “you have no idea where God will lead you when you leave this altar today,” Bishop Mark O’Connell presided over the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate of Deacon Alexander Turpin, who was ordained to the priesthood — the first priest that Bishop Mark has ordained — Alessio Fasullo and Gilbert Kimaro, who were ordained deacons, and Timothy Kilpeck, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate.

“I was ordained a priest in June of 1990 alongside 10 other men,” Bishop Mark continued. “None of us could have predicted what lay ahead — least of all me — and no two journeys were alike. What mattered then, and what matters now, is that we discerned as best we could where God was calling us and trusted those entrusted with our formation.”

Although their futures are unknown, Bishop Mark said the men can lean on the foundation given by God which consists of service, prayer, obedience, celibacy and preaching. With these cornerstones, Bishop Mark concluded his homily by saying “you are signs of hope in a confusing world. What begins today will bear beautiful fruit beyond anything we can now imagine.”