Father Hathaway’s Column — June 7, 2026
On June 6, Bishop Michael Burbidge ordained seven new priests for our Arlington Diocese: Father James Harbour, Father Donghan Lee, Father Sean Mazary, Father Eric McDade, Father Alexander Solsma, Father Teko Teko-Agbo and Father Aaron Zanca. Please keep them in your prayers as they embark on an amazing, joy-filled life of serving God, His Church and His people. As you know, Father Solsma and Father Zanca are Saint Mary parishioners and were members of our Basilica staff before entering seminary. Father Teko-Agbo was our summer seminarian here at the Basilica in 2024. Father Zanca will celebrate his First Mass of Thanksgiving here at the Basilica on June 7 at 1:30 p.m. Father Solsma will celebrate his First Mass of Thanksgiving here on June 7 at 5 p.m. (Father Teko-Agbo will celebrate his First Mass at his home parish, Queen of Apostles in Alexandria.)
Following the 5 p.m. Mass on June 7, Father Solsma and Father Zanca will lead our traditional Corpus Christi Procession along South Royal Street, from the Basilica to the school gym at 400 Green Street. Benediction will take place there and the Blessed Sacrament will be reposed in the school chapel. After the procession, everyone is invited to a celebratory reception in the gym to honor the two new priests from our Basilica family. It also will be an opportunity for you to receive their traditional “First Blessing.” Because the priest’s hands have just been anointed with sacred chrism oil at ordination (the previous day, in this case), a First Blessing is considered highly sacred and a symbol of receiving God’s direct grace through the newly ordained.
Thou Art a Priest Forever by Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, OP (1802-1861)
To live in the midst of the world with no desire for its pleasures; to be a member of every family, yet belonging to none; to share all sufferings; to penetrate all secrets; to heal all wounds; to daily go from men to God to offer Him their homage and petitions; to return from God to men to bring them His pardon and hope; to have a heart of fire for charity and a heart of bronze for chastity; to bless and to be blest forever. O God, what a life, and it is yours, O Priest of Jesus Christ! Amen.
Please see Diocesan interviews with our new priests at:
Father Solsma https://bit.ly/49BvwhA
Father Zanca: https://bit.ly/3PAqV8F