The Rev. Mr. Nye Frederick “Joseph” Wiley III will be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 1. He will be ordained by Archbishop William E. Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
Priests, deacons and religious of the diocese will gather for the ordination along with Deacon Wiley’s family and friends.
“Deacon Wiley has a heart for God‘s truth revealed in the life of Jesus Christ,” said Father Dennis Schuelkens Jr., director of Vocations for the diocese. “He wants nothing more than to share the Good News of the Gospel.”
“My upcoming ordination will mark the end of the last seven years of my life which has been being formed spiritually, intellectually, pastorally and personally to prepare for priesthood,” said Deacon Wiley. “I am so excited to experience being spiritually transformed into a priest, minister the sacraments and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
During the ordination, Deacon Wiley will stand before Archbishop Lori and promise to serve the people of God as a priest. The archbishop will call down the Holy Spirit through the ancient gesture of imposition of hands on Deacon Wiley’s head and then pray the consecratory prayer of Priestly Ordination.
His fellow priests will then vest the newly ordained with the stole and chasuble. Deacon Wiley will be vested by Monsignor Paul Hudock, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish and School in Wheeling, and Father Gary Naegele, associate pastor of St. Ann Parish in Shinnston, West Virginia, and St. James the Apostle in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
Deacon Wiley will then kneel before the archbishop, who will anoint his palms with holy chrism. The archbishop will then present the paten of bread and chalice of wine to him.
Deacon Wiley converted to the faith 14 years ago. He was baptized at the Seoul Cathedral in South Korea in 2005 and confirmed at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, in 2008. He is the only son of Nye and Mary Wiley. He grew up in Minneapolis and spent eight years working in South Korea as an English teacher.
Deacon Wiley received a degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2009. As a seminarian, he completed a two-year philosophy and catechetics program at the University of St. Thomas and has a Master of Divinity Degree from the Catholic University of America.