Bishop Martino to Ordain Three Men to
Diocesan Priesthood on June 28th
 

Faithful throughout the Scranton Diocese are invited to join in the celebration of the upcoming ordination of three young men to the Diocesan priesthood.

All are welcome to attend the Mass of Ordination on Saturday, June 28, beginning at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Cathedral. Bishop Joseph F. Martino will serve as principal celebrant and ordaining prelate, and Catholic Television (CTV) of the Diocese will broadcast the morning ceremony live.

The 2008 Ordination Class is comprised of the following ordinandi who will be conferred the Sacrament of Holy Orders for service as priests in the Diocese: Rev. Mr. David W. Bechtel, 30, of Pottsville; Rev. Mr. Gregory A. Reichlen, 31, of Friendsville; and Rev. Mr. John J. Victoria, 44, of Towanda.

Principal concelebrants for the Rite of Ordination will be Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty and Bishop Emeritus James C. Timlin. Also expected to preside is Bishop Moses Prakasham, who is visiting from his native Diocese of Nellore, India.

Ordination Mass principals will include assisting priests, Monsignor Vincent J. Grimalia, V.G., Vicar General and Diocesan Secretary for Clergy Formation, and Monsignor Joseph G. Prior, rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, were all three ordinandi completed their priestly formation.

Vested concelebrants will include numerous priests of the Scranton Diocese and priest-friends of the ordinandi.

Following are the personal biographies of the three candidates for the priesthood who will be ordained to the Order of the Presbyter for the Diocese:

Rev. Mr. David W. Bechtel

Born May 26, 1978, son of David and Alice Rescorla Bechtel, of Pottsville, Rev. Mr. David W. Bechtel is a native son of St. John the Baptist Church, Pottsville, in the Diocese of Allentown.

The ordinand received his early education in local Catholic schools, attending All Saints Elementary School and graduating from Nativity B.V.M. High School in the Allentown Diocese.

He began his priestly formation by entering St. Pius X Seminary, Dalton, in 1996, at which time he began undergraduate studies at The University of Scranton. Upon earning his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies in 2000, he continued his seminary training at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, where he received a master of arts degree in theology in 2003.

Rev. Mr. Bechtel completed his theological training and preparatory studies for ordination to the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and University, Wynnewood, where he received his master of divinity degree in 2007.

As a newly ordained priest, Father Bechtel will serve as principal celebrant and homilist at a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, June 29, at 3 p.m. in his home parish of St. John the Baptist Church. Concelebrants for the liturgy will include numerous priests from the dioceses of Scranton and Allentown and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Rev. Mr. Gregory A. Reichlen

A native of the Diocese of Scranton, Rev. Mr. Gregory A. Reichlen was born March 14, 1977, son of Robert and Anna Smith Reichlen, Friendsville, where they are members of St. Joseph/St. Augustine Parish.

Rev. Mr. Reichlen attended Choconut Valley Elementary School in the Montrose School District and graduated from Montrose Area High School in 1995. Prior to entering the seminary, he attended the University of Rochester, N.Y., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and music in 2000.

The ordinand entered St. Pius X Seminary, Dalton, in 2000 and enrolled at The University of Scranton, receiving a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the university’s Dexter Hanley School in 2002.

During 2002-04, he pursued graduate studies in theology at the Theological College at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and completed a pastoral year in 2005 at All Saints Parish in Plymouth.

The priest-candidate completed his seminary formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, where he earned a master of divinity in 2007 and, most recently, a master’s degree in theology.

Father Reichlen will offer his Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, June 29, at 12:30 p.m. in St. Joseph Church in St. Joseph, Friendsville. Concelebrating the liturgy will be Father Philip Altavilla, V.E., Episcopal Vicar of the Northern Pastoral Region, who will also serve as homilist; Monsignors Joseph Prior and Joseph Quinn; and Fathers Ronald Altrui, Martin Boylan, Charles Connor, Gregory Kelly, William Pickard, Casimir Stanis, Brian Van Fossen, Donald Williams and Jeffrey Walsh, V.E., Episcopal Vicar of the Eastern Pastoral Region.

Rev. Mr. John J. Victoria

Rev. Mr. John J. Victoria, of Towanda, where he is a parishioner of SS. Peter and Paul Church, was born Oct. 2, 1963. He is the son of Henry Victoria, of Fairfield, Conn., and the late Theresa Pointkowski Victoria, who was a native of Nanticoke.

He received his early education in Fairfield public schools and is a graduate of Andrew Warde High School. Upon graduation, he enrolled at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1985.

The ordinand originally began seminary studies in 1994 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. In 1999, he would enter priestly formation as a seminarian for the Diocese of Scranton at St. Pius X Seminary, Dalton.

Rev. Mr. Victoria pursued further theological training for the Diocese at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and recently completed his preparatory studies for the Diocesan priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood.

Father Victoria will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in his home church of SS. Peter and Paul on Sunday, June 29, at 3 p.m. Serving as concelebrants for the liturgy offered by the newly ordained priest will be: Father James Rafferty, who will give the homily; Father John Chmil, Father James Parker, Father Brian Clarke, Father Gregory Kelly, Father Alan Okon, Father Alphones Perikala and Father Roque Lim.