May 19, 2023

Reverend Mr. Randall J. Kraft to be Ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez

The Ordination Mass will be streamed live at www.scs.edu, Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/ArchbishopPerez/ and www.facebook.com/StCharlesSem/

The Reverend Mr. Randall J. Kraft, 26, son of Mr. and Mrs. Randall and Christina Kraft, will be ordained to the Priesthood by Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia.

Saturday, May 20, 2023
10:00 a.m.
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103

A native of Southampton, Deacon Kraft has been serving as a transitional deacon at Saint Patrick Parish in Norristown (Montgomery County) for the past year in final preparation for Ordination to the Priesthood.

He attended Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School (2011) in Southampton and Holy Ghost Preparatory High School (2015) in Bensalem. He earned Bachelor of Arts (2018), Master of Divinity (2022), and Master of Theology (2023) degrees from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood.

Father Kraft will celebrate his First Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving on
Sunday, May 21, 2023
3:00 p.m.
Our Lady of Good Counsel Church
611 Knowles Avenue
Southampton, PA 18966.

The homilist will be Reverend Patrick Welsh. Concelebrants include Reverend Robert Suskey, Reverend Christopher Rogers, Reverend Augustus Puleo, and Reverend Manuel Flores.

Catholic Philly recently published a profile on Deacon Kraft’s journey to the priesthood. To read his profile, “Deacon Finds Peace and Joy in Following God’s Lead,” please click here.

There are seven men from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the Ordination Class of 2023. Following the conclusion of Mass with the Rite of Ordination, they will be assigned to an Archdiocesan parish where they will serve as parochial vicars. A parochial vicar is a priest appointed by the Archbishop to assist the pastor of a parish.

Thanks to the generous support of the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia, the Mass will be streamed live via the Archdiocesan Vimeo Channel (https://vimeo.com/event/2470138); Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ArchbishopPerez/); Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary’s website (https://www.scs.edu/); and Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/StCharlesSem/); beginning at 10:00 a.m.

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Editor’s Note: If you would like to receive a photograph of Father Kraft, please contact the Office for Communications at 215-587-3747 or email [email protected].

Background on Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary

Founded in 1832, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary has been forming men for priestly service in the Catholic Church for more than 190 years. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will be relocating to Lower Gwynedd Township. It includes the construction of a new chapel, and a student life center which will consist of a refectory, classrooms, library, administrative offices, fitness center and additional housing for seminarians and resident faculty. Its inauguration is scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year. For more information on Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, please call 610-667-3394 or visit www.scs.edu, FacebookTwitterLinked InInstagram or YouTube.

About the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia 

The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia (CFGP) is an independent, nonprofit community foundation committed to growing philanthropy according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Grounded in the principles of faith and service, CFGP meets the diverse needs of donors and Catholic institutions through charitable fund management and development consulting. Our services ensure an investment in the future of our faith. To learn more about CFGP, please visit https://thecfgp.org/.

Contact:

Jhoselyn Martinez
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747 (office)