(May 16, 2018) Louisville, Ky. – On Saturday, May 26, 2018, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. will ordain Deacons Robert David Barnell, Brandon Tyler DeToma, David Joseph Farrell, Kien Trung Nguyen and Minh Dinh Vu to the diocesan priesthood for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville. The ordination will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 South Fifth Street. This is the highest number of men ordained since 2000, when Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, O.P. ordained six men to the priesthood.
Deacon Robert David Barnell, 30, is a native of Louisville, Ky. He is the son of Thomas and Joan Barnell of Louisville. Deacon Barnell earned a bachelor’s degree in geography and Spanish from Indiana University and master’s degree in divinity from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. He will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, May 27, 10:00 a.m. at St. Margaret Mary Church (7813 Shelbyville Road, Louisville). After ordination, he will serve as an associate pastor of St. Bartholomew Church in Louisville, Ky.
Deacon Brandon Tyler DeToma, 36, is a native of Louisville, Ky. and the son of Michael and the late Geri DeToma of Louisville. Deacon DeToma earned a bachelor’s degree in history and religion from Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky., a master’s degree in history from the University of Louisville, a master’s degree in Catholic philosophy from Saint Meinrad Seminary and a bachelor of sacred theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. Deacon DeToma will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, May 27, 11:30 a.m. at Epiphany Catholic Church (914 Old Harrods Creek Road, Louisville). After ordination, he will serve as associate pastor of St. Bernadette Church in Louisville, Ky.
Deacon David Joseph Farrell, 29, is a native of Brandenburg, Ky. and the son of Joseph and Patricia Farrell of Brandenburg. He earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Murray State University and a master’s degree in Catholic philosophical studies and divinity from Saint Meinrad Seminary. Deacon Farrell will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, May 27, 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Apostle Church (515 Broadway, Brandenburg). After ordination, Deacon Farrell will serve as an associate pastor of St. Augustine Church in Lebanon, Ky. and Holy Name of Mary Church in Calvary, Ky.
Deacon Kien Trung Nguyen, 36, is a native of Hop Thanh, Yen Thanh, Nghệ An in Vietnam and the son of Nguyễn Trung Tín and Phan Thị Thi. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English language at Duy Tan University in Vietnam and studied humanity, spirituality and philosophy at the Diocese of Vinh’s pre-seminary and major seminary programs. Deacon Nguyen earned a master’s degree in divinity from Saint Meinrad Seminary. He will celebrate Masses of Thanksgiving on Saturday, May 26, 5:00 p.m. at St. Gabriel Church (5505 Bardstown Road, Louisville) and on Sunday, May 27, 10:30 a.m. at St. John Vianney Church (4839 Southside Drive, Louisville.) After ordination, Deacon Nguyen will serve as an associate pastor of Holy Name and Holy Trinity Churches in Louisville.
Deacon Minh Dinh Vu, 34, is a native of Nghi Đồng, Nghi Lộc, Nghệ An in Vietnam and the son of Luis de Gozaga Hạnh Đình Vũ, who died in 2008, and Theresa Tuấn thị Nguyễn. He earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and a master’s degree in divinity from Saint Meinrad Seminary. Deacon Vu will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday, May 26 at 5:00 p.m. at St. Michael Church (3705 Stone Lakes Drive, Louisville). After ordination, he will serve as an associate pastor of the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Ky.
These five men will serve as diocesan priests for the Archdiocese of Louisville. A bishop ordains diocesan priests, also called secular priests, for a particular geographical area called a diocese or archdiocese. Diocesan priests usually serve in parishes, though they also serve in schools, hospitals, prisons or diocesan offices, depending upon local needs. Diocesan priests ordained for the Archdiocese of Louisville serve in the 24 counties in Central Kentucky that make up the Archdiocese.
Media wishing to interview any of the deacons should plan on interviews after the ordination liturgy (at approximately 1:00 p.m.) or contact us for an interview in the days before the ordination.
For information, call: Cecelia Price at 502/585-3291 or 502/417-7187 (cell).
