Bishop O'Connell to ordain four men to priesthood June 2

Four men who have been called by the Lord to follow in his footsteps will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., during a 10 a.m. Mass June 2 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

The ordination will be shown via live video stream on DioceseofTrenton.org and TrentonMonitor.com, beginning at 10 a.m. An archive of the video stream will be available later in the day on the same sites.

For live posting from the Cathedral, be sure to follow the Diocese of Trenton on Facebook and Twitter.

The Monitor’s reporting and photos from the ordination will be posted to TrentonMonitor.com beginning June 2, and will be published in a keepsake magazine, that will be mailed to all subscribers June 14.

Brief background on the four soon-to-be priests follows:

• Rev. Mr. Christopher Dayton, 30, was born in Long Branch. He is a 2006 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and a 2010 graduate of Christendom College, Fort Royal, VA, where he received degrees in political science and economics. He prepared for the priesthood in St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, from where he graduated May 17 with bachelor of sacred theology and master of divinity degrees.
• Rev. Mr. Michael G. DeSaye, 34, was born, in Newton. He is a 1997 graduate of Holy Family School, Lakewood; a 2001 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and a 2005 graduate of Ithaca College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music and piano. Recognizing a desire to serve the Church, Rev. Mr. DeSaye entered St. Mary Abbey, Morristown, and became a Benedictine brother, completing his novitiate and professing simple vows. As a seminarian for the Diocese of Trenton, his formal education includes earning a pre-theology certificate from Theological College on the campus of The Catholic University of America, Washington, in 2015, and matriculating in Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., where he was awarded a master of divinity degree on May 4.
• Rev. Mr. James R. Smith, 38, was born in Trenton. He attended Parkway Elementary School, Trenton; Incarnation School, Ewing, from where he graduated in 1993, and Ewing High School, Ewing, from where he graduated in 1997. For more than 10 years following his high school graduation, Rev. Mr. Smith worked in various capacities – including as a musician – while pursuing liberal arts studies at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor. Rev. Mr. Smith studied for the priesthood in St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, from where he was awarded bachelor of sacred theology and master of divinity degrees on May 17.
• Rev. Brother Nicholas Dolan, 25, was born in Brick. He attended Allenwood Elementary School, Allenwood; New School of Monmouth County, Holmdel; Wall Intermediate School, Wall Township, and Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft. Rev. Brother Dolan went on to attend Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 2014. His preparation for the priesthood included spending a year in St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, from 2014 to 2015, and Mt. St. Mary University and Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., from where he was awarded a master of divinity degree on May 4. Rev. Brother Dolan is part of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri that’s located on the property of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Red Bank, his home parish.