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| Deacon Joseph Baker |
MADISON — Deacon Joseph Baker will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison on Friday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Maria Goretti Church in Madison.
Everyone is invited to attend.
St. Maria Goretti is wheelchair accessible. There will be assistive-listening devices for the hard-of-hearing and a sign language interpreter for the deaf. Large-print leaflets will be available.
Rev. Mr. Joseph Baker
Parents: Kay and Mark Baker, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Home parish: St. Paul University Catholic Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grade school: McDonell Area Catholic Schools, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
High school: McDonell Central Catholic High School, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
College/degree: University of Wisconsin-Madison, fall of 2006 through fall of 2007; St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, spring of 2008 through spring of 2009; Catholic University of America (Basselin Scholar), Washington, D.C., fall of 2009 through spring of 2012, Bachelor of Philosophy and Licentiate of Philosophy; Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, fall of 2012 through spring of 2015, Bachelor of Theology; Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Rome, fall of 2016 to present, in progress, Licentiates of Sacred Theology in Moral Theology and Bioethics.
Seminary/degrees: Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Winona, Minn., spring of 2008 through spring of 2009; Theological College, fall of 2009 through spring of 2012; Pontifical North American College, Rome, fall of 2012 through spring of 2016.
Intern experiences: Camp Gray, Baraboo; Madison School District; assistant to Bishop Morlino; Sant’Eusebio Parish, Pollone, Italy; St. John the Baptist Parish, Montello; Sacred Heart Parish, Reedsburg; and St. John the Baptist Parish, Waunakee.
Deacon placement: St. Thomas University-Bernardi Campus, Rome.
First Mass: Saturday, June 25, 9 a.m., Holy Redeemer Church, Madison.
Mass of Thanksgiving: Sunday, June 26, 10:30 a.m., St. Charles Borromeo Church, Chippewa Falls.
Assignment after ordination: Parochial vicar, St. Cecilia Parish, Wisconsin Dells, with subsequent return for the 2016-2017 academic year to continuing Licentiate studies in Moral Theology/Bioethics while residing at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
Reflections on ordination to the priesthood
I look forward to spending my life in service to the faithful in the Diocese of Madison. I am thankful for the support of my parents, family, friends, and so many others during my years in seminary formation. In a particular way, I am grateful to the numerous priests that have made present Christ’s love for His Church, and who have acted as models and an inspiration for me. I am humbled to work along with the priests of the diocese as collaborators with the bishop to build up the People of God. While my journey to the priesthood in the seminary took over eight years, God was always faithful despite the ups and downs. Please pray for me.