PALM BEACH GARDENS | Presiding at his first chrism Mass March 31, 2026, at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez exhorted his priests to “believe in the power of the grace bestowed upon” them on their ordination day.
“Believe that you have been given the sacred power to bring down from heaven the Body of Christ, so as to nourish the souls of His flock — therefore, celebrate the Eucharist with profound devotion and ardent zeal,” the bishop told the many priests attending the annual liturgy. (His full homily is provided here.)
After the homily, the priests renewed their vows to priestly ministry as directed by Bishop Rodríguez. They agreed to stay united with Christ in their ministry, and to be faithful, humble stewards and teachers of the faith. The bishop asked the lay faithful to pray that the Lord pour out his gifts on the priests, and asked them to pray that he may each day become a living and more perfect image of Christ.
A central part of the Mass is the bishop’s task of preparing and blessing the holy oils that will be used for sacramental purposes for the next 12 months throughout the five-county diocese.
At the end of the liturgy, Bishop Rodríguez announced the names of those priests who are celebrating milestone anniversaries of ordination and thanked them for being dedicated to their Catholic communities and building up God’s church.
To learn about upcoming events in the Diocese of Palm Beach, visit www.diocesepb.org/news/
