FR. DAN AND DCN. ELIZANDRO ORDAINED AT VILLANOVA

Originally scheduled for June 13th, the Priesthood Ordination of Fr. Dan Madden, O.S.A. and Diaconate Ordination of Dcn. Elizandro Contreras, O.S.A. was pushed back, due to safety concerns, to October 15th. The change was a fortuitous one, however, as the pair were able to celebrate their ordinations at St. Thomas of Villanova Church on the Feast of St. Thomas of Villanova. They were further blessed to welcome as their celebrant Philadelphia’s newly appointed Archbishop Nelson Perez.

“Today has incredible implications that you don’t know yet,” Archbishop Perez said in his homily, “The days, and the weeks, and the years and the decades to come are in God’s heart already, and it will unfold for you as you move along. Be careful to listen closely to the nuances of the Spirit guiding you.”

Fr. Dan, a Pennsylvania native and Villanova alumnus, arrived at St. Augustine Friary in Chicago after making his first Profession of Vows to the Order in 2016. In his first year, while studying at Catholic Theological Union, Fr. Dan served with Faith and Fellowship, a commission of the Archdiocese of Chicago that organizes faith sharing groups for those with mental illness. In his second year, he completed his ministry practicum at Bonaventure House on Chicago’s North Side, working with those who had HIV and offering social services to individuals who suffered from homelessness or addiction. In his final year of studies, Fr. Dan taught Catechism at St. Rita Parish and was a Deacon at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii. He has now begun his first assignment at Merrimack College in Andover, MA.

Dcn. Elizandro entered the Villanova Province from his native Dominican Republic, where grew up within an Augustinian Parish.

“As a young child I witnessed how they men gave themselves to the town, to the people in need, doing beautiful work,” recalled Dcn. Elizandro, “This drew me to religious life.”

While studying at CTU, he undertook ministry at the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants, ministering to the men and women who awaited deportation from the Kankakee Detention Center. He greeted the families of those who were to be deported, served as a translator, and offered them information about shelters available in Mexico and Central America, if they were needed.

“I was there from 6 a.m. every Friday until their buses departed to the airport, since they allowed me to pray with them and give some words of comfort.” Dcn. Elizandro continues to live at the Formation House in Chicago and will complete his graduate coursework in 2021.

The Midwest Augustinians were blessed by the presence and service of these two men, and we pray for their continued joy and success.