Apr 12, 2021
John O’Farrell, whose home parish is the Basilica of Saint Mary, was ordained to the diaconate on April 10 by Bishop Michael Burbidge at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington.
The following day, on April 11, O’Farrell preached his first homily during the 10:00 am Mass at the Basilica of Saint Mary. This podcast features that homily.
O’Farrell is currently a seminarian for the Diocese of Arlington studying at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town Alexandria is the first Catholic parish established in Virginia. Pope Francis named the church a minor basilica on December 6, 2017 due to its important role in the growth of the Catholic Church in North America.