College Celebrates Ordination of Alumni Priest
(from the Fall 2000 Newsletter)
Fr. Ramon Decaen
The first Mass newly-ordained Fr. Ramón Decaen wanted
to celebrate on returning to California from the Diocese of
Lincoln (Nebraska) was at Thomas Aquinas College. “I
found my vocation there; it was only right that, on my return
home, I celebrate my first Mass of thanksgiving there.”
Fr. Decaen’s homecoming was all the more special because
he grew up in nearby Ventura, California. He entertained thoughts
of a religious vocation during his public high school days
and wanted to attend a college that would help him discern
it.
He settled on Thomas Aquinas College, in part because his
brother Chris was attending here, and because he had known
College chaplain, Fr. Gerard Steckler, S.J., since his youth.
Fr. Steckler helped him confirm his religious vocation in
his freshman year, but to Ramón’s great disappointment,
transferred unexpectedly to Oregon at the end of the year.
Despite this setback, Ramón was blessed the following
year with the spiritual direction of the new chaplain, Fr.
Thomas Conn, S.J., who continued to nurture Ramón’s
vocation.
But then Fr. Conn was diagnosed with brain cancer and was
forced to curtail activity. He died in October, 1997. Chaplain
Fr. Wilfred Borden, O.M.I., then became Ramón’s
spiritual director. “All three priests were incredible
blessings to me and very influential. And so was the example
of the faculty and staff families at the College. I got to
see first-hand what it means to live by faith because of the
great sacrifices they made to teach and work there.”
Over the next two years, Ramón corresponded with alumnus,
Mike Goyette (‘94), who was studying for the priesthood
in the Lincoln Diocese. In his senior year, Ramón settled
on a vocation to the diocesan priesthood and was attracted
to the strong orthodoxy of the Lincoln Diocese under the authority
of Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz. He visited during Easter break
and knew it was for him. One week after graduation he joined
the Diocese’s summer program for seminarians.
Ramón was then sent for studies at Mount St. Mary’s
Seminary, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Normally, those who enter
the seminary with a philosophy degree are still required to
take one or two more years of spiritual and philosophical
formation. The requirement was waived for Ramón, however,
because of the intensive philosophical and spiritual formation
he received at the College. “This was a very bold move,”
he said, “because the backbone of the seminary formation
is Aristotle and St. Thomas. They were hesitant at first,
but they could see how strong our foundation was in these
subjects.”
On May 27, 2000, after four years of seminary training, he
was ordained – an astoundingly brief time for the normal
candidate, made brief because of the intellectual and spiritual
formation he had received at Thomas Aquinas College. There
to vest him at ordination was his first spiritual director,
Fr. Steckler.
Fr. Decaen’s first assignment has been as Assistant
Pastor at St. Mary’s Church, in Nebraska City, Nebraska,
a parish of 450 families. He celebrates a Spanish Mass every
couple of weeks to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic
population coming into the area. He also teaches religion
to junior high and high schoolers at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic
School, and a weekly catechism class for junior high students
from public schools. In addition, he serves on the Marriage
Tribunal for the Lincoln Diocese.
Fr. Decaen is in awe of his new vocation. “I love being
used by the Lord in such a powerful way. To make present the
Holy Eucharist and sacraments to the people of God is such
a powerful reality. To be called in the middle of the night
to bring the Eucharist to someone’s dying husband –
I’m glad that people want that, and I’ve been blessed
enough to provide it.”
-- Qtrly Newsletter, Fall 2000
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