On Saturday, May 15, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron ordained Fr. John Dudek and Fr. Robert Voiland to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Both later vocations, Fr. Dudek spent 26 years as a special education teacher while Fr. Voiland worked several decades as an electrician.

“I give God praise and thanks that you become today what God made you for … this is indeed a great blessing,” Archbishop Vigneron said in his homily. “You have obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and after many years of preparation have come here today to receive this gift from Jesus, being chosen to bear much fruit.”

Following their ordinations, Fr. Voiland thanked family, friends, formatters, faculty, staff, parishioners, and the archbishop on behalf of him and Fr. Dudek for their prayers and support of their vocational discernment of the priesthood.

“Your Excellency, thank you for ordaining us,” said Fr. Voiland. “Thank you for trusting us as later vocations and allowing us at this stage of our lives to bring the gifts that God has given us to serve the people of God, to serve those who He has called together as the body of Christ.”

(Photos courtesy of Tim Fuller Photography | Detroit Priestly Vocations)