Archbishop Lori ordains 12 transitional deacons

Editor’s note: A list of the new deacon assignments can be found at the end of this story, along with a photo slideshow and a link to the livestream video. Ordination of deacons

Archbishop William E. Lori presents the Book of the Gospels to Deacon Van Thang Pham during his ordination to the transitional diaconate for the Archdiocese of Baltimore May 16, 2026, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Though he had been studying a long time for the moment, Hernan Daniel Salazar Hernandez was nervous, and his hands were shaking, he said, the morning of his ordination to the transitional diaconate May 16 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. That all changed when Archbishop William E. Lori laid his hands on Hernandez’s head followed by the prayer of ordination.

“That was a beautiful moment. In that moment, I said ‘Okay, okay, I’m here and definitely ready to receive the responsibilities,” Deacon Hernandez said after the liturgy. “I can’t express my feelings inside of me at this moment.”

It was a morning full of special moments as 12 men – Jeremy A. Belk, Luis Hernando Castrillon, Andrew Ryan Chase, Jhonny Alejandro Escobar Castano, Kevin T. McCarthy, Michael William Moore, John Brophy Morris, Benjamin Luke Oursler, Joan David Perez Correa, Thang Van Pham, Khoa Tran and Hernandez – were ordained to the diaconate in front of a crowd of 1,895, including 81 priests, 46 seminarians, 45 deacons, Archbishop Lori, Auxiliary Bishop Adam Parker, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden, Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, more than 30 religious and proud family members and friends.

Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, retired Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and former archbishop of Baltimore, was among those attending the ordination Mass for the transitional diaconate May 16, 2026, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Their ordination as transitional deacons is the final step before they are expected to be ordained to the priesthood next year.

“The Lord is calling you to take a decisive step on your journey to the holy priesthood by being ordained deacons of the church,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “You are placing the whole of your humanity at the service of the Lord and the church. And by the prayer of the church and the laying of the hands, the Lord himself will today touch the very depth of your being. It is at once a moment of grace, of joy, of wonder, of awe.”

The archbishop informed them that their humanity “will always be a work in progress,’ and that the Lord will “daily challenge” them to grow in virtue, self-mastery and holiness.

Like all good friendships, their relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ, must be nurtured, he said.

“As you take time to pray each day, your friendship with Christ will deepen,” Archbishop Lori said. “You yourselves will share the very love shared by the Father and the Son. And you will be amazed just to think that Christ loves you with the same infinite, pure and self-giving love he shares with his father.”

Father Steven Roth, vocations director and associate vicar for clergy, presents twelve seminarians to be ordained to the transitional diaconate May 16, 2026, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Their friendship with the Lord, the archbishop said, will help them learn “what it means not to be served, but to serve” and will be reflected in all they do, from their preaching to their work with the poor.

“Ministry exposes people to the whole range of human beings,” Archbishop Lori said. “And by responding generously and compassionately, we will bring many to Christ and to the church.”

After the archbishop laid his hand on each deacon, the prayer of ordination was said, and the deacons were vested with their stole and dalmatic. The cathedral erupted with applause at the end of Mass.

“It sounds like to me, they’re pretty happy,” Archbishop Lori quipped.

Deacons were surrounded by their loved ones at the end, as they gathered for photos in the cathedral. Deacon Pham’s parents traveled to the United States from Vietnam to attend.

Deacon Van Thang Pham introduces his father Nang Pham, right, and mother Xuan Hoang, to Archbishop William E. Lori following his ordination to the diaconate May 16, 2026, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. Deacon Pham’s parents traveled from Nam Dinh City, Vietnam, to see their son ordained and hopes to return for his ordination to the priesthood in 2027. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

“They’re so happy to come here for the first time for this special day,” Daughters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Sister There Nguyen said, speaking for Deacon Pham’s father, Nang Pham, and his mother, Xuan Hoang.

Most of Deacon McCarthy’s family came from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he said, to celebrate with him.

“God is good. God is very good. I’m just at peace,” Deacon McCarthy said. “It’s like Mary said, ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.’”

As Deacon Perez’s parents are in Colombia, Daniel and Mirella Young have taken the young man under their wing the last five years throughout his journey to this moment.

“We are his spiritual family,” Mirella Young said, a parishioner of St. Philip Neri in Linthicum. “I am very happy for him – seeing how hard he has been preparing for this moment. He is a great, great young man.”

Mary Ann and Jim Moore could not be prouder of their only child, Deacon Moore

Newly ordained Deacon David Perez reacts as a friend calls out his name during the recessional for the ordination Mass to the transitional diaconate May 16, 2026, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

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“My son is so happy,” Mary Ann Moore said. “What more does a mother want for her child?”

“We are blessed,” Jim Moore said.

While he did not know how to express himself fully with words, Deacon Castrillon said he felt peace “coming from God.” A highlight, he said, was when Archbishop Lori led the prayer of consecration “asking the Holy Spirit to be poured down upon us,” he said.

“It was like a special connection with God, with the Holy Spirit,” Deacon Castrillon said. “It’s like God saying to me, ‘yes, I have chosen you. I am here because I brought you here. God, I am yours. I am here to say ‘Yes.’”

At the end of Mass, Archbishop Lori announced the deacon’s assignments as follows:

From left: Deacons Luis Hernando Castrillon, David Perez, Jeremy Austin Belk, Benjamin Luke Oursler, Khoa Anh Tran, John “Jack” Brophy Morris, Auxiliary Bishop Adam J. Parker, Archbishop William E. Lori, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Denis J. Madden, Deacons Andrew Chase, Van Thang Pham, Michael William Moore, Jhonny Alejandro Escobar Castaño, Kevin McCarthy, Hernan Daniel Salazar Hernandez, following their ordination to the diaconate May 16, 2026. The 12 new deacons will be ordained to the priesthood in the summer of 2027. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Deacon Kevin McCarthy – St. Peter the Apostle, Libertytown

Deacon Daniel Salazar Hernandez – St. Michael, Popular Springs

Deacon David Perez – St. Bartholomew, Manchester

Deacon Van Thang Pham – St. Joseph, Cockeysville

Deacon Khoa Anh Tran – Resurrection and St. Paul, Ellicott City

Deacon Jhonny Alejandro Escobar Castano – St. John, Frederick and St. Joseph-on-Carrollton Manor, Buckeystown

Deacon Luis Hernando Castrillon – Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore

Deacon Andrew Chase – Continued studies at the Pontifical North American College, Rome

Deacon Michael William Moore – St. Louis, Clarksville and St. Francis of Assisi, Fulton

Deacon Jack Morris – Sacred Heart, Glyndon

Deacon Benjamin Luke Oursler – Continued studies at the Pontifical North American College, Rome

Deacon Jeremy Austin Belk – Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Roland Park

Use the navigation arrows below to watch a slideshow from Kevin J. Parks. To view more photos or purchase prints, visit our Smugmug page by clicking here. For capsule profiles of each of the new deacons, click here. To watch a recorded livestream of the ordination, click here.

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org