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On August 15, 2009, Father Joseph was ordained to the priesthood in the Abbey Church by Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas.

As the resounding applause of a packed church indicated, Fr. Joseph's ordination was a moment of immense joy for the whole Cistercian community, for it marked the first of a series of years in which, God willing, multiple brothers will be ordained each year.

On the following day, August 16, Fr. Joseph celebrated his First Mass in the presence of many family and friends. Following a longstanding tradition, Fr. Joseph asked another, Fr. Paul McCormick, to preach at the Mass. Fr. Paul gave a very moving homily (which can be found in the Meditations and Theology section), in which he commented on Fr. Joseph's new life as a priest and Form Master living in service of the Cistercian community. In his homily Fr. Paul said, "I understand that you had the opportunity yesterday [at your ordination] to meet many of the young men whom you will serve as Form Master for the next eight years and beyond. It is good that they were here. It will be a lifetime memory that they will share with you." Noting the depth of the relationship they will have with Fr. Joseph, he added, "As St. Paul so passionately wrote to his communities about spiritual paternity, so also you will find that as a pastor of souls your own happiness, and your own salvation is now intricately interwoven with theirs."

Fr. Joseph aptly summed up the significance of his ordination noting, "My ordination, linked with Philip and Augustine's final vows which commit them to the same trajectory, means that the increased number of young men in the Abbey in recent years isn't a fad or an experiment. There will be members of this generation to carry forward the special combination of consecration and apostolic service that is our Abbey's charism."

On August 30, 2009, Brothers Augustine Hoelke and Philip Neri Lastimosa were ordained as deacons in the Abbey Church by Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth. Both brothers are graduates of Cistercian Preparatory School, and so their ordination is a moment of special pride for the Cistercian community. After completing the formation process and professing solemn vows, a monk at Our Lady of Dallas is ordained to the transitional diaconate for six to twelve months, after which he is ordained to the priesthood. Deacons proclaim the Gospel at Mass, give homilies, and, if the need arises, perform baptisms and weddings. "As a Deacon, I will be closer than ever before to the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist--proclaiming the Gospel, preaching, and assisting the priest at the altar--I can think of no better preparation for the priesthood", says Br. Augustine.

Br. Philip, referring to the Prophet Jeremiah, said, "On the one hand, I feel as though God has chosen the clerical state for me since before I was born. On the other hand, I feel as though I do not know how to speak because I am so young. So in that respect, I'm deathly afraid of having to preach my first sermon next month. "But I trust that, like the prophet Jeremiah, God will place His words in my mouth when the time for preaching arrives."

This year Br. Augustine will pursue a Master's Degree in Spanish at the University of North Texas. Br. Philip will join four other brothers in Rome, where he will attend the Angelicum to complete his theological studies. Please keep both of these brothers in your prayers!

On August 20, 2009, the Feast of St. Bernard, five brothers made their religious vows during a special Mass in the Abbey Church. Brothers Augustine and Philip professed their Solemn Vows, committing themselves to life in the monastery "until death". Reflecting on the occasion Br. Augustine remarked, "I was overcome by the sense of how little the act of making vows has to do with the individual alone. It is totally about one's relationship with God and the community to which he joins himself." During the same ceremony, Brothers Ignatius, Thomas, and Ambrose, renewed their profession of vows for another three years, a period of time during which they can profess their Solemn Vows. All the Brothers promise stability, obedience, and the "monastic way of life" (which includes poverty and chastity).

During Vespers on August 19, 2009, the Vigil of the Feast of St. Bernard, the community welcomed its newest member, Ryan McNamara, now Br. Justin. Br. Justin hails from Chicago, where he was studying as a diocesan seminarian before coming to Dallas. Br. Justin is named after a second-century Roman martyr, who famously defended the Faith against Roman persecutors. He is also known for his writings, which contain beautiful and significant passages on Mary and the Eucharist.