BURLINGTON — Burlington Bishop Christopher J. Coyne will ordain Deacon Joseph J. Sanderson to the Roman Catholic priesthood on Saturday, June 17, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral in Burlington.
The ordination will be a special time for clergy to meet in a spirit of fraternity and camaraderie, as they, along with the faithful of the Diocese of Burlington, participate in the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood.
Sanderson grew up in Orwell and attended Our Lady of Providence Seminary and Providence College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. He did his major seminary training at St. John’s Seminary in Boston. He is the eldest of the three children of Jennifer and John Sanderson. “Reciting the rosary together as a family played the biggest role in my journey to the priesthood,” he commented.
As a priest, he hopes that as Christ’s instrument, he can bring others to Christ, “that they may experience His deep, abiding, eternal love for them, and in return that they may love Him,” he said. “To be loved by God and to love God in return is our destiny and gives us purpose and ultimate fulfillment.”