Three to be ordained to the priesthood

Three seminarians from the Diocese of Wichita will be ordained to the priesthood at a 10 a.m. Mass Saturday, May 28, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita.

Bishop Carl A. Kemme will ordain the Rev. Mr. Seth Arnold, the Rev. Mr. Ty Taylor, and the Rev. Mr. Jon Tolberd during a liturgy that will be streamed at YouTube.com/DioceseOfWichita.

The Rev. Mr. Seth Arnold

Deacon Seth Arnold said he is excited about his upcoming ordination.

“It is humbling to think that God is calling me to participate in the priesthood of Jesus Christ and to be an instrument through which God sanctifies his people,” he said in an email. “Spending time in prayer with the Letter to the Hebrews has helped prepare me to receive this awesome gift, especially chapter five, which describes the humility and reverence with which the ministerial priesthood ought to be conducted.”

A graduate of Mundelein Seminary, located north of Chicago, Deacon Arnold is a member of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Goddard and the son of Adam and Connie Arnold of the parish.

Seminary time flew by

He said it seems as if he began his seminary education “just the other day” when it has actually been seven years since he traveled to study at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri.

“I never could have imagined the incredible experiences I have had during my time in seminary,” he said. “The people I have met, the life of prayer that God has called me to, and the joy of studying theology have left me grateful to God for the gift of the past seven years of my life.”

Deacon Arnold said he would miss his friends and the seminary community but added that he is eager to move on to the next chapter of his vocational journey. His family is, too, he said.

Supportive family a gift

“It has been a great gift to have such a supportive family throughout this process, and we are looking forward to the weekend of ordination as not just a family celebration, but as a celebration of the entire church,” he said.

“The (ordination) weekend is not about me, it is a celebration of how God works in our lives and how he communicates his love and mercy through the sacraments. It is a celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the memorial of the Eucharist that he left us, to sanctify us and to sustain us on our journey toward Heaven.”

He said he was grateful for the prayers of the faithful of the diocese. “I hope to repay them by serving the diocese as a good and holy priest for the rest of my life. I hope to follow in the footsteps of Fr. Paul Ponziglione, Fr. Kapaun, Bishop Gerber, and all the holy priests of the diocese who have inspired me over the years and are exemplars of how to give one’s life to the Lord in service of his church.”

The Rev. Mr. Ty Taylor

Deacon Ty Taylor said in an email he can’t put into words how excited he is to be ordained a priest.

He is a graduate of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, and the son of David and Betty Taylor, members of St. Michael Parish in Mulvane.

After practicing to hear confessions and celebrate Mass, Deacon Taylor said he is looking forward to actually celebrating the sacraments, “bringing the mercy of the Father to those who come to the confessional, who leave healed and at peace; and to make our Lord present in the Eucharist. Of course, all of the other sacraments will be wonderful too, but those two are the ones that I imagine I will celebrate most often.”

Deacon Taylor said he is grateful to everyone who has assisted him in his seminary journey. “It is such a blessing to have the time and space to prepare well for the priesthood, and to discern the call freely and without pressure. Please keep me in your prayers in this final week!”

He added that his family has always been supportive of his vocation and is looking forward to celebrating his ordination.

The Rev. Mr. Jon Tolberd

Deacon Tolberd said he was “beyond excited” about his ordination.

“I am overwhelmed by emotions,” he said. “I am excited to enter into the vocation God has given me. I am nervous about all that being a priest will entail.”
He added that he has a tinge of sadness about leaving the seminary, but is thankful for the formative moments over these past nine years. “The guiding sense throughout these waves of emotion is an abiding peace. God will take care of me. I know that He will be with me always.”

Deacon Tolberd is a graduate of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and the son of Jeffrey and Liz Ann Tolberd, members of the Church of the Magdalen in Wichita.
Preparing for ordination, he said in an email, has seemed like completing a never-ending list of tasks such as making a guest list, crafting and sending invitations, designing a priest prayer card, and preparing for his First Mass. “It is starting to shorten, but the one task that never goes away is to pray. It has been my relationship with Jesus that has sustained me throughout my life, especially during my time in the seminary, and even more so during this time of intense ordination preparation. It is this constant support that keeps me hopeful for my future as a priest.”

Parents ‘full of joy’

Deacon Tolberd said his parents – who have been assisting him with preparations – are full of joy.

“They, thankfully, have handled most of the event planning surrounding the weekend of my ordination,” he said. “This service comes from their own deep relationship with God, which has been evident to me throughout my life.”

He added that they are looking forward to and sharing the news about his ordination. “It is in those conversations that I see the joy and pride they have for me. They light up to talk about it, which on one hand is embarrassing and on the other is beautiful to see.”

Deacon Tolberd said he was thankful to all of the faithful of the diocese for their support of all the seminarians of the diocese. “We could not have gotten so far without you. Sometimes it takes a village to raise a man. You have been in my heart and in my mind throughout my entire time as a seminarian. You make our diocese so special. Thank you for your witness to the faith. Thank you for the prayers and support. I hope to repay you all by being a holy priest of our diocese.”