BOSTON -- Father Stephen Baruffi became a priest to "repent for his sins" back when he was a lawyer.

So joked Father Mark Kreder, a friend of Father Baruffi's who attended his ordination at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Father Kreder and Father Baruffi were law school classmates. Father Kreder had a feeling that Father Baruffi would become a priest someday.

"I always thought Steve was special," Father Kreder said. "He had a spiritual side to him."

"It feels wonderful," Father Baruffi said about being a priest. "It's indescribable."

He added, "The tremendous goodness of God provided me with this opportunity to have all my family and friends here, all believers, so just a lot of different thoughts, but all in gratitude."

Father Baruffi and four other men -- Father Giris Azize, Father Javier Padilla, Father Diego Alejandro Pena, and Father Johnathan Saniuk -- were ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Boston at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Richard G. Henning on May 16.

The Mass opened with a grand procession of clergy through the cathedral. As always, the Rite of Ordination began with the five candidates being called forth and presented to Archbishop Henning. The archbishop asked if they were willing, ready, and suitable for the responsibilities of the priesthood. The candidates announced that they were, so Archbishop Henning selected them for ordination. The assembly broke into applause to approve the candidates.

The archbishop told the priests, "beloved sons," that they would be responsible for teaching and sanctifying the faithful. They would have to strive to live without sin, unify the people of God, and follow the example of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve. In his homily, Archbishop Henning quoted the words of Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen: "The priest is not his own." He said that in conversations with the five candidates, it was clear that they understood Blessed Archbishop Sheen's words. When speaking to the soon-to-be priests, Archbishop Henning saw the same "serene and joyful" countenance that he saw in Pope Leo XIV upon his election.

"There is a beautiful serenity, a gentle and quiet joy in each of you, as you recognize what you have received, the grace and mercy of Jesus, and you desire with loving hearts to share that same with the people of God," he said.

He said that God longs for his people to trust in him and love him as much as Jesus loved them when he died on the cross for them.

"We do not give something of ourselves," the archbishop said. "We give away ourselves. It runs, of course, contrary to our own contemporary culture, but probably to most cultures across history."

He said that in today's world, people are constantly trying to find themselves. Paradoxically, the way to find oneself is to give oneself entirely to God in service of others.

"To understand that the words you will pray with and for the Church in Holy Mass are meant not only to describe what Christ does and gives to us, but to be an expression concretely of how you live your life as a priest," he explained. "'This is my body, my blood, given for you.'"

That, the archbishop said, is the kind of man that God made the candidates to be. He referenced Blessed Archbishop Sheen's teaching on "spiritual generation."

"We are not called 'father' merely because we exercise pastoral care," Archbishop Henning said. "We are called 'father' because we generate new life for the Church by our own witness and example, and by calling others to the Lord by our preaching and by the sacraments."

Using one of his favorite metaphors, he explained that the priests should be like the chalice used during Mass; a vessel emptied of nothing but that which belongs to God.

"Our possessions too often possess us," he said, "but to give ourselves the faith and trust of the Lord again is to find our true selves, our greatest freedom."

As he visits schools and parishes throughout the archdiocese, he often hears the words, "I'm praying for you."

"It's a very powerful thing," he said. "God's holy people, we pray for them. We recite the office, we celebrate the Holy Mass, but they pray for us."

He told the priests to rely on those prayers, which stem from God's love. The same Holy Spirit which inspired the miracle of Pentecost, and which causes bread and wine to be transformed into the body and blood of Christ at every Mass, will now "soak into" the souls of the candidates.

"It will transform you this day, and it will guide you, console you, and strengthen you," he said. "The Lord has given and continues to give everything for you. Now you give him the gift that brings the greatest joy to his heart, the gift of your trust, the gift of yourself."

After the homily, each of the candidates promised that they would faithfully and honorably execute the duties of the priesthood, and that they would obey Archbishop Henning and his successors. As a show of obedience to God, they lay prostrate before the altar as the assembly prayed the Litany of Supplication, invoking all the saints to pray for the new priests.

Archbishop Henning laid his hands over each of the priests and prayed the Prayer of Ordination, ordaining them priests. The rest of the priests present also laid their hands on the newly ordained. The new priests then received their stole and chasuble, symbols of their new office and ministry. Archbishop Henning anointed the priests' hands with the sacred Chrism oil and presented them the paten and chalice, which they would use to consecrate the Holy Eucharist. He then gave them the Kiss of Peace, as did all of the priests present. After Mass, the new priests were swarmed by crowds of family, friends, fellow clergy, seminarians, and faithful.

Father Azize said he thought of the life of each saint whose name was sung. He prayed that God would help him imitate their lives, so he can be the priest God wants him to be.

"It's hard to put into words," he said after his ordination, "but it's a joyful feeling and energy within you from the Holy Spirit, that just overwhelmed you."

During his transitional diaconate, Father Azize was nicknamed "Deacon G." Now he's looking forward to being called "Father G." Friends of his from high school and even all the way back to fourth grade were there to see his ordination. His plan is to be "the best priest I can be for the great glory of the Lord."

"I'm here, blessed be God, I'm here," said Father Saniuk, "and it's my turn, and God has given me the grace."

He said that, as he laid before the altar, he prayed that God would give him the grace to be a good priest.