Scores of priests in white robes marched into Sacred Heart Cathedral on Saturday for the first ordination of a Filipino priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.Choir music rose into the vaulted apse of the cathedral and flowed from the top of the grandiose organ down to the entrance of the church at 296 Flower City Park in Rochester.
The atmosphere was reverent, but more than anything, the jubilance of the occasion was evident on the faces of the faithful.
The feeling was that of a much-anticipated wedding, when the room is bursting with hope.
Waiting for the ordination to begin, Edison Tayag fielded hugs from friends and well-wishers.
He moved like a ball of energy, excitement lighting his eyes, but a peaceful expression on his face.
"I've been preparing for this since seven years ago," Tayag said. "When I felt I was called, I was afraid at first, and so not knowing whether to say yes or whether to say no, I said, 'God, take over.' And this is an affirmation of God taking over."
A youthful 34-year-old who enjoys hiking and kayaking, Tayag was born in the Philippines.
He was raised with his two sisters and brother by parents Eduardo, a woodworker, and Ofelia, an elementary school teacher.
Before going into the seminary, Tayag was a physical therapist for nearly 10 years, working in the Philippines before coming to the United States.
He arrived with little more than a bag of his possessions in each hand and continued his practice in Florida, Connecticut, Brooklyn, Brockport and Montour Falls, Schuyler County.
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, about 39 percent of newly ordained priests are in their 30s, and one-third were born outside the United States, with the largest numbers coming from Mexico, Vietnam, Poland and the Philippines.
There is also a growing number of Catholic Filipinos, points out Renato Aonan, the canon lawyer for the Tribunal, the judicial arm of the Diocese.
"It's really a big day for our Filipino community," said Aonan, who also is Filipino.
One of the groups present at the ordination were young men taking part in a discernment retreat called "24 Hours with the Lord," which is aimed to help them decide if they have been called to the priesthood.
Julia Lenhard of Penfield said her 18-year-old son Samuel Spinelli is one of the men taking part in the retreat.
Spinelli "has mentioned (becoming a seminarian) on and off throughout his life," Lenhard said. "It's really exciting. I'll be proud of him whatever he does."
Tayag's journey into priesthood began seven years ago with the same group, when he attended another ordination and felt that he was called to the priesthood.
There is only one priest ordained into the Diocese of Rochester annually, and that it is a great joy for the entire community, said Bishop Mathew Clark, who presided over the ordination.
"It's a reminder to us all that we need to be alert to God's call in each of our lives and to translate into prayer what we learn from sharing our gifts with others, what we learn from the feedback of the community –– and that we put all of that into what we want to do with our lives," Clark said.
There are currently 148 non-retired priests in the diocese, including externs from other dioceses and priests from other religious orders.
The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate projects the number of diocesan priests will decline to 96 by 2015 and only 62 by 2025 if current trends continue.
Tayag will be assigned for the summer to Our Lady of the Lakes in Penn Yan before returning to Rome this fall to complete his studies.
Asked if he had any specific goals he hoped to achieve as a priest, Tayag laughed and said:
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