Three members of the Saint Anselm monastic community received the Sacrament of Holy Orders

 

On Saturday September 3, 2022, the Feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great, three members of the Saint Anselm monastic community received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Reverend Father Francis (Ryan) McCarty, O.S.B.’10 was ordained to the priesthood and Reverend Fathers Titus (Michael) Phelan, O.S.B.’12 and Basil (Louis) Franciose, O.S.B.’17 were ordained to the diaconate all by the Most Reverend Peter A. Libasci, Bishop of Manchester. Following ordination and according to house custom, Brothers Titus and Basil will now be addressed as Father Titus and Father Basil.

The culmination of years of monastic formation and seminary studies, Father Francis now takes his place in the Holy Priesthood of Jesus Christ. As deacons, Fathers Titus and Basil are now ministers of service for Saint Anselm Abbey and the wider Church, assisting priests with the administration of the Sacraments.

Fathers Francis, Titus, and Basil were presented for ordination by The Right Reverend Mark A. Cooper, O.S.B.’71, Abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey.

During the Rite of Ordination, Bishop Libasci offered words of instruction and encouragement: "As a Priest and as Deacons, joined to the priestly office of Bishops, you will be consecrated for the preaching of the Gospel, the sanctification and nourishment of God's people, and for divine worship, especially in the Lord's Sacrifice. With the help of God, you should go about all these duties in such a way that you will be recognized as true disciples of him who came not to be served, but to serve.”

Following the Litany of the Saints, the Laying on of Hands, and the Prayer of Ordination, Fathers Francis, Titus, and Basil were invested with the vestments of their new positions by Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B.

Father Francis completed his seminary studies by earning S.T.B and M.A. degrees at Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, MA. Father Titus completed his seminary studies by earning a Master’s in Theological Studies at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Brighton, MA. Father Basil is in his final year of seminary studies at Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, MA. Fathers Titus and Basil’s ordinations to the priesthood are planned for some time in 2023.

On Sunday September 4, Father Francis celebrated his first Mass of Thanksgiving in the Saint Anselm Abbey Church. He was assisted at the altar by Fathers Titus and Basil. Father Titus served as the homilist.

Father Francis is a native of North Smithfield, Rhode Island. He graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2010 with a degree in History and with a minor in Catholic Studies. Before entering the monastery, he served as a theology and computer science teacher at Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Father Francis currently serves as a Campus Minister at Saint Anselm College.

Father Titus is a native of Swampscott, Massachusetts. He graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2012 with a degree in Politics and with minors in Catholic Studies and Spanish. He completed the ECHO program, receiving a Master’s degree in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 2014. Before entering the monastery, he served as a college campus minister and high school theology teacher. Father Titus currently serves as the Coordinator for Academic Support and Student Programming at Saint Anselm College.

Father Basil is a native of Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2017 with a degree in Theology and a minor in Philosophy. Father Basil is currently in his final year of studies at Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, MA.

Watch the Ordination Livestream

Watch Father Francis' First Mass

Ordination Photos

Ordination to the Priesthood and Diaconate

First Mass Photos

Father Francis McCarty, OSB First Mass