Two to be ordained Dec. 17

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

WORCESTER – Two men are to be ordained during a 10 a.m. Mass, Dec. 17 at St. Paul Cathedral.
Deacon Joseph David Rice, of Our Lady of Providence Parish at St. Bernard’s Church, is to be ordained a priest.
Henry Ramírez Pínzon, of Colombia, is to be ordained a transitional deacon, a step in the preparation for priesthood.
Following the ordination there is to be a light reception in the cenacle on the lower level of the cathedral. It is being hosted by the Serra Clubs North and South, with assistance from the Knights of Columbus Council 13575 of Our Lady of Mount Carmel-St. Ann Parish. All are welcome to attend the Mass and reception.
Those wishing to view the ordination streamed live on the Internet can go to the diocesan website, www.worcesterdiocese.org, and click on the ordinations icon. The ordination is also to be archived on that site for viewing later.
The future Father Rice is to celebrate his first Mass at 4 p.m., Dec. 17 at St. Bernard’s. A light reception is to follow in the parish hall. He is to celebrate an additional Mass of Thanksgiving at 10:30 a.m., Dec. 18 at St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton.
The future Deacon Ram’rez is to serve his first Mass as a deacon at 10 a.m., Dec. 18 at Notre Dame Church in Southbridge. A light reception follows.

Joseph Rice

Joseph Rice, son of Dolores (Burke) Rice and the late Stephen Rice, was born April 7, 1967 in Worcester.
He attended Harlow Street Elementary School, Burncoat Senior High School and Worcester State University and got his bachelor’s degree from Fitchburg State University.
He attended Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston before going on to St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, where he completed studies this week for his baccalaureate in sacred theology and master’s of divinity.
His summer assignments have included the “Rome Experience,” a six-week program of study and spiritual experiences in Italy; Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Webster, St. Joseph Parish in Auburn, the Clinical Pastoral Education program at St. Vincent Hospital, St. Roch Parish in Oxford and St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton.
St. John’s pastor, Father Joseph M. Nally, a friend who once served at St. Bernard’s, is to vest him at his ordination.

Henry Ramírez Pínzon

Henry Ramírez, son of Myriam Pínzon and the late Alfonso Ramírez, was born Sept. 17, 1975 in the city of Bucaramanga, in the state of Santander, in Colombia. He has two brothers and a sister.
He attended Instituto Técnico Superior Dámaso Zapata, a high school in Bucaramanga run by the de La Salle Brothers. He briefly studied engineering. Then he began discerning a vocation to the priesthood with the Consolata Missionaries who administered his parish, Our Lady of Consolata in Bucaramanga.
As a seminarian, he went to Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1999.
In 2010 he got his theology degree from Fundacion Universitaria Luis Amigo.
He also served in Kenya, England and with Latinos and native indigenous groups in Colombia.
Bishop McManus accepted his application to study for the priesthood for the Worcester Diocese, and he came here in August 2014. He studied English at Clark University. He also received spiritual formation from Father James S. Mazzone, director of the Office for Vocations, at Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies.
In August 2015 he was assigned to St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, where he is enrolled in studies for his master’s of divinity degree, which is scheduled to be completed in May 2017.
His summer assignments have been at St. George Parish in Worcester and St. John Paul II Parish in Southbridge.
St. John Paul II’s pastor, Father Peter J. Joyce, is to vest him at his ordination.