Priest ordination, May 29

Church Life

Friar Nathaniel Maria Gadalia to be ordained a priest at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral May 29

Story by Janet Marcel

Friar Nathaniel Maria Gadalia, a member of the Poor Friars and Poor Nuns of Jesus and Mary, will be ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Saturday, May 29, at 10 a.m., at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre will be the ordaining prelate.

Friar Nathaniel Maria Gadalia

is a 37-year-old native of Orléans, which is about 70 miles south of Paris, France, and a graduate of a French High school in Orléans, France. He is the son of Alain Gadalia and Danièle Maurel.

He attended a seminary in Sicily for about two years, then a seminary in Burkina Faso, West Africa, for two more years. After that, he attended the Pontifical Lateran University for one year, earning a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology. Some years later, he studied for two more years at a college in Catania, Sicily, where he obtained a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology.

As part of his priestly formation he has been involved in the following ministries at Holy Family Church in Grand Caillou: Preaching the homilies every two weeks, organizing eucharistic ministers to visit the homebound every Sunday, while also serving as one of the ministers; funerals and baptisms. He is also translating and researching documents in order to complete the English formation program of his religious community.

“I am most looking forward to being able to more efficiently help people turn and walk toward the glorious immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53) and everlasting happiness of heaven (John 16:24), especially through the sacraments of confession, communion and anointing of the sick, through preaching and any other pastoral means I could use as priest,” says Friar Nathaniel.

“The heart of the charism of our community is to encourage people toward frequent reception of the sacraments, or toward a more intense participation in them. To achieve this goal, we assiduously dedicate ourselves both to prayer, and to evangelization,” he says. “In particular, we often go out into the streets in simplicity, poverty and competence: In the imitation of Christ, who explained the meaning of the Scripture to the disciples of Emmaus along the street, leading them back to the eucharistic banquet where their eyes were opened as soon as he broke bread (Luke 24:31-32; LG 48).”

Friar Nathaniel says that until the age of 17, he was an unbeliever and a member of a group of anarchists.

“I am grateful to God, Mary, the saints, and also to Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, Friar Volantino, the founder of our religious community; Sister Veronica, the co-foundress; Father Antonio, the superior of our Formation House in Louisiana; Father Andre’ Melancon, my pastoral director; Father Henry Sebastian, my spiritual director; all of the diocesan staff who contributed toward my ordination, Bishop Emeritus Sam G. Jacobs for inviting us to the United States, all my brothers and sisters in our religious community, and many other people who greatly helped me to arrive at this point of my journey with Christ,” adds the friar.

Father Gadalia will celebrate his first Mass on Trinity Sunday, May 30, at 10:30 a.m., at Holy Family Church. The Mass is currently scheduled to be outdoors. BC

Friar Nathaniel Maria Gadalia

Birthdate: March 2, 1984 Home parish: I began the Catechumenate in 2001 at the age of 17, in the St. Laurent Church parish, Diocese of Orléans (France). I was baptized in 2004 at the age of 20, in St. Maurice Church parish, Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon (France). Seminary: The Pontifical Lateran University, Rome, Italy Favorite field of study? The Bible, history of the church, approved Marian apparitions, the Shroud of Turin Favorite saint? Saint Francis of Assisi Hobbies? Hitchhiking to evangelize people, visiting Sacred Shrines, drawing or painting