Prayer for Vocations
Lord Jesus Christ,
Living Bread come down from heaven,
in Your name we ask the Father
to bless the Diocese of Baker
with vocations to the priesthood.

By the prompting of the Holy Spirit
call forth from among us
men who are able to sympathize
with our weakness
and deal gently with the wayward,
men who will give us confidence
to draw near to the font of Mercy
and find grace in time of need.

Send us priests
to bring comfort to the afflicted,
pardon to the sinner,
and peace to the dying;
priests to hand You over to us
in the Breaking of the Bread.

High Priest
of the New and Eternal Covenant,
we place our trust in You.
To You be glory and praise forever.
Amen.
Composed by Bishop Liam Cary

Meet our Seminarians

Deacon Caleb Cunningham

Seminarian, Caleb Cunningham, was ordained to the Diaconate on June 25, 2020, at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Baker City, OR

Caleb is from St. Bernard parish in Jordan Valley, OR, and grew up on a cattle ranch near there. He studied Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville, graduating in 2016. Caleb started his Theology studies at Mt. Angel Seminary in 2016 and has now completed two years of Theology and a Pastoral Year at St. Francis of Assisi in Bend. He started Third Theology at Mt. Angel in fall 2019.

Over the course of time, in the Latin Church, the diaconate came to serve as a transition to the priesthood. The Second Vatican Council restored the permanent diaconate for men who would not go on to become priests. alongside the transitional diaconate. Ordination to the transitional deacononate is the last major step before ordination to the priesthood, which usually follows within a year.

Caleb's formal title is now “Reverend Mister” because he is to be ordained priest in the coming year. Deacons are given authority to baptize, to witness marriages, and to preach the Gospel. Unlike a priest, deacons cannot absolve sins, offer Mass, consecrate the Holy Eucharist, or administer the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Confirmation.

"Inspiring, educating, and forming the next generation of priests." Since 1889, Mount angel Seminary has sent thousands of priests to serve more than 11 million Catholics in nearly 100 dioceses and religious communities around the world. As the oldest seminary in the western United States, Mount angel is the only seminary in the West that offers a College of Liberal Arts, a Graduate School of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry.