MEDIA ADVISORY

Archdiocese of Toronto Celebrates the Ordination of Three Priests

TORONTO (May 13, 2011) On Saturday, May 14, three new priests will be ordained for service to the Archdiocese of Toronto. His Grace, Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, will preside at the ceremony, which will take place at St. Michael’s Cathedral at 10:00 a.m. Approximately 1,000 guests are expected to attend.

Having spent no less than five years preparing for their ordination, the newest priests for the Archdiocese will each assume a role of service in one of 225 parishes, which stretch from Oshawa to Mississauga and north to Georgian Bay.

The “Class of 2011” include:

• Reverend Mr. Eric Mah, 34, born in Vancouver, a former lawyer who practiced full time before entering the seminary in 2005.
• Reverend Mr. Allyn Rose, 34, born and raised in Orangeville, studied accounting at the University of Windsor and entered the seminary in 2005.
• Reverend Mr. Russell Asch, 39, born in Montreal, spent his formative years in England, where he studied Restoration Stone-carving and attended Bevis Marks Sephardic synagogue. He was baptized in 1997 and entered the seminary in 2004.

Prior to this year’s ordinations, the Office of Vocations will host a breakfast for current seminarians and those interested in learning more about the priesthood. After the breakfast, attendees will make their way to St. Michael’s Cathedral for the ordinations.

As one of the most diverse dioceses in the world, the Archdiocese of Toronto is home to 1.9 million Catholics, with more than 800 diocesan and religious priests providing pastoral leadership in churches throughout the GTA. Mass is celebrated each week in more than 30 different languages.

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Background Resources:
Background information on the “Class of 2011” and extensive resources explaining the ordination ceremony are available here.

Media Contact:
Neil MacCarthy – Director, Public Relations & Communications, Archdiocese of Toronto
(416) 934-3400 x 552  (416) 879-2846 (cell) neilm@archtoronto.org www.archtoronto.org