On April 18, 2026, Redemptorist deacon Steve Urban was ordained a priest at the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Kansas City, Missouri. The ordination was officiated by Cardinal Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, also a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (CSsR).
Steve Urban, CSsR, completed his novitiate at St. Gerard Parish in Lima, Ohio. He professed perpetual vows on August 1, 2025, and was ordained to the diaconate on August 2, 2025, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Houston, Texas.
In his homily, Cardinal Tobin said: “Dear friends, we need to reflect for a moment on what Steve is about to receive. In the summer of 2016, I had a conversation with Pope Francis; he said to me: ‘Tobin, I don’t know why I’m here: the cardinals asked me to take this post.’ I didn’t know if he was joking, and I didn’t know what to say, so I preferred to remain silent… Then he added: ‘But since this wasn’t my plan, I believe that was HIS PLAN.'”
I remember visiting the Redemptorist community in Buenos Aires when Francis was appointed archbishop of the archdiocese. The first thing he said to me was: “I don’t know what to do, because I can’t distance myself from the people; I will die without my people, I will die without my people. But I must accept it because it is God’s will.”
Something similar is happening with Steve now: perhaps he had studies to finish, projects planned, but they weren’t part of God’s will. But Steve bears the name of the first deacon in history (Stephen), and therefore he should know that following Christ isn’t always easy. The Lord’s call requires something special from each of us: marriage, religious life, or the priesthood. But in all of this, there’s a calling that unites us all: the calling to service. I must also say that Steve has chosen the Redemptorists, so he will go to preach not only Christ, but the Abundant Redemption. That is, dying with Christ to be resurrected with him.
But you are not alone: as a Redemptorist, you will have the COMMUNITY, and united with the community, you will have the support and strength to reach out to those most in need. You will become a follower of Christ and bear witness with your life.
Mass of Thanksgiving
The next day, we gathered once more under the watchful gaze of our Mother of Perpetual Help for Fr. Steven’s Mass of Thanksgiving. At the Mass, we heard from Fr. Gary Ziuraitis, former pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who knew Fr. Steven from the beginning of his vocational journey. Fr. Gary’s homily was all about full-circle moments.
He painted the picture of the generations of Redemptorists ordained at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church: now Fr. Steven joins that same line. Fr. Gary commended the parish for creating the perfect conditions for young men to hear and answer the call to the priesthood.
Fr. Gary went on to give three pieces of advice to Fr. Steven. First, always preach the spirit of the Congregation: With Jesus, there is abundant Redemption. Second, from Paul’s advice to Timothy, “The Lord has given us no cowardly spirit, but a spirit that is strong, loving, and wise.” And continuing, “Preach the word. Be prepared in-season and out-of-season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.”
Third, from a letter by then-Superior General Joseph Tobin, “Preferences for situations for evangelization in the strict sense together with the choice in favor of the poor is the very reason the Congregation exists in the Church today and is the badge of its fidelity in the vocation it has received.”
At the end of Mass, Fr. Steven thanked all who were present, especially his family and his confreres.
Scala News / denverlink 04.24.26 (photos are from the St. Gerard Church Facebook page)
You can watch the complete ordination ceremony at the link below:
