By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily at the ordination Mass for Father Andrew Martin del Valle, O.P., celebrated Jan. 17, 2026, at Saint Dominic Catholic Parish in Miami.
Photographer: Photographer: Courtesy Photo
Archbishop Thomas Wenski lays hands on Andrew Martin del Valle, O.P., ordained to the priesthood for The Province of St. Martin de Porres, Order of Friars Preachers, Jan. 17, 2026, at St. Dominic Catholic Parish in Miami.
Photographer: Photographer: Courtesy Photo
Archbishop Thomas Wenski lays hands on Andrew Martin del Valle, O.P., ordained to the priesthood for The Province of St. Martin de Porres, Order of Friars Preachers, Jan. 17, 2026, at St. Dominic Catholic Parish in Miami.
This is a day of great joy for the Del Valle family and for the sons of St. Dominic as Deacon Andrew Martin is ordained to the sacred priesthood.
The Gospel reading is rather sobering. I am reminded of the words of the mother of Saint John Bosco on the day of his ordination to the priesthood. Though illiterate, she possessed great faith and wisdom. She told him, “Giovanni, today you are a priest. You will begin saying Mass, so from henceforth, you will be closer to Jesus. Remember that to begin to celebrate Mass also means to begin to suffer. You will not realize this immediately, but little by little you will see that what your mother told you is the truth.”
In an increasingly secularized world where many have lost the sense of the transcendent, the priest is an enigma, a sign of great contradiction. Today, many view religious faith with hostility, or at best, with indifference. In a secularized world that pretends it can live as if God does not mater, the Church will always seem “out of step” and irrelevant. Such a church will often be regarded, if not with scorn and ridicule, then with utter incomprehension. As Jesus said once, “If the world hates you, realize that it has hated me first.”
Yet, by Christ’s design, though we do not belong to the world, we are "in" the world "for the life of the world." This call of the Church to be “in the world” and to be “for the life of the world” was strongly emphasized by Pope Francis. He criticized a “self-referential Church,” a Church closed in on herself. A priest, Pope Francis tells us, “is not to build walls but bridges.”
St. Dominic, of course, viewed the priesthood as a call to apostolic preaching, blending deep contemplation with active service, emphasizing holy poverty, chastity, study, and a life of prayer to effectively spread God's truth, mirroring Christ's humble example to combat heresy, and save souls. He stressed that priests should be "a person of faith, hope, and prayer" living simply and authentically, teaching by both word and deed, and passing on the "fruits of contemplation."
The priestly anointing we receive is not meant to just make us fragrant; rather, it is meant “for the poor, the prisoners, the sick, for those sorrowing and alone.” We are not men “out for ourselves” but men for others.
Remember, as a priest you will offer the Holy Sacrifice every day, therefore, sacrifice must also be the condition of your life. In giving Christ’s Body and Blood, we must also give our body and blood for the life of our people.
Brother, as you begin your priestly ministry as a member of the Order of Preachers, imitate the Lord in his perfect charity towards all. Do not shun the excluded or sinners but help them to turn, to convert, and return to the right path. With simplicity and generosity, be close to the sick and the poor. Face the challenges of your ministry without anxiety or mediocrity and don’t allow yourself to be intimidated or swayed by those who make power, wealth, or pleasure the main criteria of their lives. Rather, offer the witness of a life deeply rooted in Christ, a witness that will draw people to Christ by attraction.
You might not change the whole world by announcing the passion, death, and Resurrection, and the love of Christ. But by sharing this kerygma, this “good news” with people day after day, in season and out of season, there’s every chance that you could change their whole world... and who knows how many others in the process.
But your witness will be made more compelling by your detachment from material comforts and signs of status, by your readiness to obediently be available wherever your religious superior, to whom you pledge obedience, will send you in collaboration with the local bishop, and by your chaste celibacy which affirms that all human intimacy finds its deepest meaning and fulfillment when experienced as a participation in intimacy with God himself.
The demands of the ministry with its inevitable trials and disappointments and the fact that we carry the “treasure” of the Gospel in “earthen vessels” can sometimes tempt us priests to give into discouragement — and, perhaps, sometimes even try the patience of our people. Priests, of course, forgive sins in the name of Christ and his Church. I ask you to be generous with your time making yourself readily available to hear the confessions of the people. At the same time, I encourage you and the other priests here this morning that you do not neglect to avail yourselves of the consolations of the Sacrament of Penance. The Mercy of God is always greater than their — or our own — weakness and unworthiness.
No one wants you to burn out — a candle that burns out leaves a sooty mess. A burned-out priest is a mess too. But you are expected to work hard: you are not to burn out, but you are supposed to burn yourself up, to consume yourself in the service of Christ and his Church.
