Hundreds of people headed to St. Augustine Cathedral on Saturday morning to celebrate the ordination of a new priest for the Diocese of Tucson.
Alán Valencia, a native of Nogales, Arizona, was welcomed into the Diocese by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas and dozens of clergymen from across the country.
“This is an important day for Nogales because of Alán,” Kicanas said, shortly before Valencia was officially ordained and welcomed into the priesthood.
The service started with a processional of priests from the Diocese of Tucson, faculty from Valencia’s seminary, clergymen from Sacred Heart Parish in Nogales, where Valencia is a parishioner, and visiting priests from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and Fresno, California.
Valencia smiled broadly, offering greetings to the congregants as he walked down the aisle toward the alter.
Kicanas stopped along the way to bless a small child, and attendees snapped pictures from their seats to capture the special occasion.
“The priesthood is where I feel God is calling me to be, to serve, to love and to be happy,” Valencia has said on the Diocese website.
Before entering seminary at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, Valencia attended the University of Arizona for four years, majoring in psychology and Spanish literature, and minoring in criminal justice.
He said he was on his way to a career in federal law enforcement when he got the calling to priesthood, and his adventure began there.
“To the Diocese of Tucson, I just want to keep expressing my gratitude for all the support in all of these years of formation,” he said.
His first appointment will be St. Anthony Parish in Casa Grande.
