The Canons Regular joyfully announce that on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 10 a.m. through the power of the Holy Spirit and the imposition of hands by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Br. Andrew Panzer, SJC was ordained a transitional Deacon at Holy Name Cathedral.
Dcn. Andrew preached and assisted as Deacon at the 9:00 am and 11:00 am Masses on Sunday, May 14. All were welcomed to attend. Please continue to pray for Dcn. Andrew as he continues his path toward ordination to the Holy Priesthood, serving the Canons Regular.
Ordination photos by Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic
Deacon Andrew Panzer, SJC
Dcn. Andrew Panzer, SJC, who has been with the Canons Regular since 2021, was ordained to the Order of the Diaconate on Saturday, May 13th at 10:00 am by Cardinal Blase Cupich at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Although the ordination attendance was limited to family only, you can watch the livestream here.
Dcn. Andrew’s first Masses as a Deacon, and when he will offer his first homilies, will be celebrated at St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago, IL on Sunday, May 14th.
Dcn. Andrew Panzer, SJC grew up in Prospect Heights, IL and is the son of Laurel Panzer. He attended Wheeling High School before studying music at the DePaul University. During his time at DePaul he frequently attended Mass and received spiritual direction at St. John Cantius parish. He completed Mundelein Seminary at the beginning of May 2023.
Some of Dcn. Andrew’s hobbies include outdoor activities such as climbing, backpacking, and biking. He has also taken up racquetball and squash.
Dcn. Andrew will minister at St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, IL as he prepares for his Ordination to the Priesthood in the Spring of 2024.
Reflecting before his ordination, Dcn. Andrew shared, “Living our vocation is a commitment to the journey, one which will require us to decide again and again to make the same commitment, though perhaps for different reasons than we had initially. The primary call of our vocations is, then, to Love. Only true love will sustain us through the many different motivations and circumstances with which our vocations test us. My prayer is that God will keep this love alive in me as I set out on this new part of my vocational Journey.”
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About the Canons Regular: The Canons Regular of St. John Cantius is a religious community of men dedicated to the restoration of the sacred. The community was founded in 1998 under Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. and now has 24 members from the United States, Canada, and Poland. Currently the Canons Regular serve in 3 parishes in 2 dioceses: St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago, St. Peter Parish in Volo, and St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Springfield, Illinois.
Living in imitation of Christ, and radical opposition to the values of the world; the Canons Regular work to restore the sacred in the Church and their own lives, seeking the sanctification of all.