Bishop Koenig is scheduled to ordain Rev. Mr. James M. Gebhart, a transitional deacon for the Diocese of Wilmington, to the priesthood on Saturday, May 18.
The Mass of Ordination will be held at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington. It will be livestreamed on the diocesan YouTube channel – www.YouTube.com/DioceseofWilm.
Rev. Mr. Gebhart, 26, is a native of Newark and attended St. Catherine of Siena and St. Elizabeth’s Elementary Schools, Delaware Military Academy and Goldey-Beacom College. He earned his undergraduate degree in Catholic Theology while at the College Seminary of the Immaculate Conception at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., where he received the honor of being named the 2019 Seton Hall valedictorian. On May 9, he will graduate from Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore with a master of divinity and a baccalaureate in sacred theology. During his priestly formation, he has done pastoral work at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bear, St. Ann’s Parish in Wilmington and St. John the Apostle in Milford and St. Bernadette in Harrington.
Rev. Mr. Gebhart is the son of Stephen and Mary Gebhart of Newark.
“I am looking forward to ordaining James to the priesthood,” said Bishop Koenig. “I invite the Catholic community of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore to join me in prayer for James as he begins his priestly ministry.”
“My excitement and anticipation only grows as I draw closer to ordination,” Rev. Mr. Gebhart said. “I feel a readiness to enter this most important chapter in my life, and I am so grateful for the multitude of people and parishes that have played such vital roles in my priestly formation. In this time of final preparation, I feel grateful to God for calling me to serve him and his church in this vocation, and I am appreciative of those who remember me in their prayers.”
The newly-ordained Father Gebhart will celebrate his first Mass on Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Hockessin, his home parish.
More information about the Diocese of Wilmington’s efforts to increase vocations-awareness and to work with people who may have priestly or religious vocations is available by contacting the Father Norman Carroll, director of priestly and religious vocations at 302-573-3113 or vocations@cdow.org. More information is available at www.cdow.org/vocations.
The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington was established in 1868 and comprises 56 parishes, 18 missions and 27 schools serving the state of Delaware and the nine counties of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Information is available at www.cdow.org.
