By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
MCKINNEY — Bishop Edward J. Burns ordained three men to the priesthood May 23 at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church, urging them to embrace lives of sacrificial service, spiritual fatherhood, and fidelity to Christ as they begin ministry in the Diocese of Dallas.
Father Matthew Biaggi, Father Jeremy Maness, and Father Nicholas Weiss were ordained during a Mass in which Bishop Burns described priesthood not as “a possession” but as “a stewardship” entrusted to men called to serve the Church and its people.
“Heaven rejoices, through the laying on of hands and the prayer of the Church,” Bishop Burns said during his homily.
Addressing the ordinands, Bishop Burns said they would now “stand at the altar as priests of our Lord Jesus Christ,” carrying out ministries that include preaching the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments, and shepherding the faithful.
Reflecting on St. Paul’s exhortation to the presbyters of Ephesus, Bishop Burns reminded the men that the Church belongs to Christ.
“The people you will serve are not your own; they are his,” the bishop said.
Throughout the homily, Bishop Burns emphasized priesthood as a vocation rooted in love, humility, and spiritual fatherhood rather than personal ambition or administrative authority. He encouraged the new priests to accompany the faithful through prayer.
“Your people do not need functionaries; they need fathers,” Bishop Burns said. “They need priests who will pray with them and pray for them, suffer with them, and lead them to Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Burns also warned the ordinands that challenges would accompany their ministry, saying priests are called to remain courageous and faithful amid confusion, discouragement, and opposition.
“Never be afraid to love your people deeply,” he said. “The most beautiful moment in priesthood is when you don’t remember the impact you have on people’s lives, because you simply opened yourself up to being his instrument, whereby his words, his grace, his spirit will flow through you.”
At the center of priestly life, Bishop Burns said, must be the Eucharist. Quoting the words of consecration — “This is my body. This is my blood.” — he told the men that priesthood requires a life shaped by sacrifice and service.
“The priesthood is not first about work; it’s about love,” Bishop Burns said, pointing to Jesus’ question to St. Peter in the Gospel: “Do you love me?”
“If you love Christ deeply, you will persevere through every difficulty,” he said.
The bishop added that people may not remember every assignment or homily, “but they will remember that you were there” and that “you loved them.”
Bishop Burns concluded his homily by urging the newly ordained priests to remain close to Christ and devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout their ministry.
“The people entrusted to you need priests, priests who belong completely to Jesus Christ,” he said.
On July 1, the three newly ordained priests will begin serving their first assignments as parochial vicars for the Diocese of Dallas with Father Biaggi at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Plano, Father Maness at Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Parish in Irving, and Father Weiss at Christ the King Catholic Parish in Dallas.
Cutline for featured image: Newly ordained priests, from left, Father Matthew Biaggi, Father Jeremy Maness, and Father Nicholas Weiss pose together at the altar following their ordination Mass celebrated by Bishop Edward J. Burns at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney on May 23. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
