DOMUS GALILAEAE, Jerusalem — On the eve of the Feast of Corpus Christi, in a setting that speaks directly to the heart of the Catholic faith, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, ordained four new priests on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the same waters where the Lord called His first disciples and where He multiplied the loaves for the hungry crowd.
The ordination Mass was celebrated on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Church of the Twelve Apostles within the Domus Galilaeae International Center, a striking modern complex perched near the summit of the Mount of Beatitudes. The four men ordained: Francisco Hurtado Cárdenas of Colombia, José Pablo Morera Mesén of Costa Rica, Adolfo René De León Salguero of Guatemala, and David Sotgiu of Italy. They were all formed at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Galilee, a seminary of the Neocatechumenal Way that serves the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
There Is No Eucharist Without a Priest, nor a priest without the Eucharist
Cardinal Pizzaballa chose the timing of the ordination with care. Noting that it fell on the eve of Corpus Christi, the great feast celebrating the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, he drew a direct and profound connection between the priesthood and the Eucharist.
“There is no Eucharist without a priest, nor a priest without the Eucharist,” he told the four newly ordained men and the gathered faithful. His words echo the constant teaching of the Church, most recently reaffirmed by Pope Leo XIV, that the priest is not merely a functionary but an alter Christus — another Christ — who makes the Lord’s sacrifice present on the altar each day.
The Cardinal also offered the new priests a striking image of what their vocation demands: “Love cannot be locked within itself; it must be communicated, it must become a gift according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.” He warned them against the temptation to treat the priesthood as a personal achievement or possession. “If you keep it for yourselves, it will be stifled; it must always become a gift,” he said.
Four Men from Four Nations, One Church
The four newly ordained priests represent a remarkable breadth of the universal Church. Three come from Latin America, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala, while one comes from Italy. Their formation at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Galilee, which is based in Nazareth, reflects the Neocatechumenal Way’s distinctive approach to priestly formation: rooted in a deep personal encounter with the Scriptures, the liturgy, and the community of faith.
The Neocatechumenal Way, founded in Madrid in the 1960s by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, is a post-baptismal catechetical journey that has produced a remarkable number of priestly vocations worldwide. Its Redemptoris Mater seminaries, the first of which was opened in Rome in 1987 by Pope St. John Paul II, now operate in dioceses across the globe, forming missionaries who are sent to the most challenging and needy corners of the Church.
This is not the first time Cardinal Pizzaballa has ordained priests from this seminary in the Holy Land. In June 2025, he ordained three others at the same church: John Oscar Nuñez of the Philippines, Giacomo Pagliariccia of Italy, and Lucas Solbach of France. A sign of the steady, quiet growth of the Church in a land marked by conflict and uncertainty.
A Church “Wounded by Many Situations”
At the close of his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa spoke with characteristic honesty about the reality of serving the Church in Jerusalem. He described it as “a small, complex reality wounded by many situations,” a community that lives under the constant shadow of political tension, violence, and displacement.
“Here, it is necessary to go to the very depths, to live the life of God to the fullest, right where the Word became incarnate and became tangible and real,” he told the new priests. His words carry particular weight in the current moment. In March 2026, Israeli police prevented the Cardinal himself from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, a stark reminder that the Church’s presence in the Holy Land is not taken for granted but must be defended and sustained with courage and prayer.
The ordination of four new priests in this context is therefore not merely a joyful celebration but a statement of hope. It is the Church saying, in the face of all that wounds and divides, that she is here to stay, that she will continue to form servants, to celebrate the Eucharist, and to bring the love of Christ to a land that needs it desperately.
| The Four Newly Ordained Priests | Country of Origin |
| Francisco Hurtado Cárdenas | Colombia |
| José Pablo Morera Mesén | Costa Rica |
| Adolfo René De León Salguero | Guatemala |
| David Sotgiu | Italy |
As we give thanks for the gift of these four new priests and for the Church’s enduring presence in the Holy Land, let us resolve to:
The Sacrament of Confession: To approach the priest — the minister of God’s mercy — with renewed gratitude and trust, recognizing in him the face of Christ who forgives and restores.
Eucharistic Adoration: To pray for the four newly ordained priests, for Cardinal Pizzaballa, and for the entire Christian community in the Holy Land, that they may be sustained in their courageous witness.
The Holy Rosary: To entrust the peace of Jerusalem to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking her intercession for an end to the violence and injustice that wounds the land of her Son’s birth and death.
The Holy Mass: To participate with deeper awareness of the gift of the priesthood, giving thanks to God for every priest who makes the Eucharist present in our lives.
Sacred Scripture: To meditate on the Lord’s words by the Sea of Galilee: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), renewing our own commitment to bring others to Christ.
To remain informed about Catholic life, teachings, and global Church developments, readers may be encouraged to visit www.ewtnvatican.com for trusted Catholic news and resources.
