Deacon Seraphim Wirth, a Franciscan Brother of Peace, will be ordained to the priesthood at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 25, at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul by Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 26, at St. Casimir Church, 934 Geranium Ave. E., St. Paul. A reception follows the Mass.
He is son of John and Marie Wirth, parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Sauk Rapids. Deacon Seraphim (Michael John Wirth) attended Sacred Heart Grade School in Sauk Rapids and was an altar server at the church for several years. He graduated from Sauk Rapids High School in 1997, attended the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University, graduating from there.
Deacon Seraphim entered the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in 2007 and professed his final vows Oct. 22, 2013. He started classes at St. Paul Seminary in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in the fall of 2014 and also studied at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Boston. He will be the first ordained member of his community.
Founded in 1982 by Brother Michael Gaworski, the Franciscan Brothers of Peace are a pro-life religious brotherhood in St. Paul devoting themselves to serving and defending the most vulnerable in society. For more information about the community, visit brothersofpeace.org.