18 Ordained to the Diaconate for Archdiocese of Cincinnati
04.30.25
On Saturday, April 26 at The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, The Most Rev. Robert G. Casey, Archbishop of Cincinnati and Chancellor of MTSM, ordained 18 men to the diaconate for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, all of whom have been formed at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology (MTSM).
Eight men were ordained into the transitional diaconate, the next step in a vocational discernment that, God willing, will see them ordained to the holy priesthood in a year.
They are Rev. Mr. Nicholas Emmerling (Cincinnati, St. Ann), Rev. Mr. Curtis Gross (Loveland, St. Margaret of York), Rev. Mr. Kraig Gruss (Coldwater, Holy Trinity), Rev. Mr. David Homoelle (Cincinnati, St. Robert Bellarmine), Rev. Mr. Daniel Jasek (Miamisburg, Our Lady of Good Hope), Rev. Mr. Benjamin Klare (Cincinnati, St. Ignatius Loyola), Rev. Mr. Benjamin Packer (Lebanon, St. Francis de Sales) and Rev. Mr. Jacob Schmiesing (Sidney, Holy Angels).
In addition, 10 men were ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and will serve their home Family of Parishes by assisting in Mass, preaching, presiding over baptisms and weddings and serving the community through works of charity. These 10 men are:
Deacon Mark Bade: St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes
Deacon Chris Bergman: Eastside Family of Parishes
Deacon Ron Burwinkel: St. John the Baptist, Harrison
Deacon Timothy Geiger: St. Susanna, Mason
Deacon Christopher Jasek: St. John Paul II Parish Family
Deacon Roger Kaiser: Holy Cross Family of Parishes
Deacon Jim Menart: St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes
Deacon Jack Rivetti: St. Gabriel the Archangel Family of Parishes
Deacon Phillip Theodore: Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes
Deacon David Ulmer: St. Columbkille, Wilmington
For some of the deacons ordained on Saturday, the vocational calling to ordained ministry runs in the family. Deacon Christopher Jasek was ordained to the permanent diaconate on the same day his son Rev. Mr. Daniel Jasek was ordained to the transitional diaconate. To learn more about the Jasek families vocational discernments and callings, please read this feature from The Catholic Telegraph.
Deacon Timothy Geiger is the father of Rev. Christopher Geiger, a 2016 MTSM alumnus who was a member of the seminary’s priest faculty from 2020-24. Fr. Geiger was the celebrant at Deacon Geiger’s first Mass at St. Susanna.
Deacon David Ulmer is the father of MTSM seminarian John Ulmer, with John and two of his brothers assisting as servers at Deacon Ulmer’s first Mass at St. Columbkille.
Upcoming Diaconate Ordinations
Saturday’s ordinations for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati kicks off a busy few weeks for the Seminary with celebrations for men who have either completed their formation to the permanent diaconate or are taking their first steps into ordained ministry with the transitional diaconate.
On Saturday, May 3, the Diocese of Covington will ordain seven men to the permanent diaconate who were part of the cohort along with the new permanent deacons from Cincinnati who began their formation three years ago. That ordination will take place at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington at 10 a.m. Those scheduled to be ordained by The Most Rev. John C. Iffert are: Dale Brockman, Chris Freihofer, Jason Gibson, Tom Kissel, Terry Mason, Eric Wehrman and Steve Winbigler.
In addition, two other sending dioceses are set to ordain men in formation at MTSM to the transitional diaconate in the coming weeks. On Saturday, May 24, Dan Stump is scheduled to be ordained to the transitional diaconate for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, while on Saturday, June 7, the Diocese of Charlotte is set to ordain seven men currently in formation at MTSM to the transitional diaconate: Robert Bauman, Michael Camilleri, John Cuppett, Maximilian Frei, Bryan Ilagor, Michael Lugo and Peter Townsend.