Seven men will be ordained to the priesthood or the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 23 at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica, including five monks from the Archabbey and two seminarians from China. Ordaining prelate will be Most Rev. Edward M. Lohse, a 1988 Saint Vincent Seminary alumnus who is presently serving as Bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio.
Brother Francisco Whittaker, O.S.B., of Grove City and Brother José Rosa, O.S.B., of Odenton, Maryland, will be ordained to the priesthood. Three Saint Vincent Benedictines will be ordained to the transitional diaconate, including Brother Bosco Hough, O.S.B., of Steubenville, Ohio, Brother Finnbar McEvoy, O.S.B., of Lafayette, New Jersey, and Brother Bede Maxson, O.S.B., of New Windsor, New York.
Two seminarians from China, Xiaojian (Joseph) Wang, studying for the Archdiocese of Beijing, and Xiaoguang (Joseph Peter) Zhang, studying for the Diocese of Zhaoxian, China, will also be ordained to the transitional diaconate.
PRIESTHOOD CANDIDATES
Brother Francisco and Brother José were ordained to the transitional diaconate in 2025, Brother Francisco on May 24 and Brother José on August 30 by Most Rev. Larry J. Kulick, J.C.L., Bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg.
Brother Francisco is the son of Daniel and Kathleen Whittaker of Grove City. He earned the Master of Arts degree in Catholic philosophical studies, summa cum laude, from Saint Vincent Seminary in 2022, and in 2026 he earned the Master of Divinity degree, summa cum laude. He also received the Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B., Sacred Scripture Award, which is given by the Scripture faculty to the student who most demonstrates excellence in the study of Sacred Scripture. He attended Mother of Divine Grace School, graduating in 2015. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry in 2019 from Saint Vincent College, magna cum laude.
He became a novice at Saint Vincent Archabbey in July of 2019 and professed simple vows on July 10, 2020 and solemn vows on July 11, 2023. He was assigned to serve at Saint Catherine Labouré Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh for his deacon assignment, where he assisted at Saint Louise de Marillac and Saint Joan of Arc.
Brother José is the son of Alex Rosa Jr. and Margaret Rosa of Odenton. He earned the Master of Divinity degree, summa cum laude, and the Master of Arts degree in systematic theology from Saint Vincent College and Seminary, magna cum laude, in 2026.
He graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School in 2016, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Saint Vincent College in 2020, majoring in philosophy and politics.
He entered the novitiate of Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 1, 2020, and made simple, or first profession of vows, on July 10, 2021 before Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B. He made solemn profession of monastic vows before Archabbot Martin on July 11, 2025. His assignment for his diaconate year was at Saint Joseph the Worker Parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
TRANSITIONAL DIACONATE CANDIDATES
Brother Bosco is the son of Brian and Nicole Hough of Steubenville. He is a 2014 graduate of West Shamokin Junior/Senior High School, and studied early childhood and special education at Saint Vincent College, graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He earned a Master of Science degree in special education from Saint Vincent in 2020. He began studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2021.
He entered the novitiate of Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 1, 2020, and made simple, or first profession of vows, on July 10, 2021 before Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B. He professed solemn vows, or vows for life, before Archabbot Marton on July 11, 2024.
Brother Finnbar is the son of Doreen Anne Binns of Hardyston, New Jersey and the late Timothy Patrick McEvoy. He is a 2009 graduate of High Point Regional High School, Wantage, New Jersey. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in math from The Catholic University of America in 2013. He received a Master of Education degree in high school math education from the University of Notre Dame in 2015. He began studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2022 and earned the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophical Studies, summa cum laude, in 2023.
He professed simple vows on March 22, 2021 as a monk of Saint Mary’s Abbey, Morristown, New Jersey. After transferring his vows in 2024, he made solemn profession on July 11, 2025 as a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey.
Brother Bede is the son of Jeff and Danielle Maxson of New Windsor. He is a 2016 graduate of Cornwall Central High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace administration and operations in 2019 from Oklahoma State University. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Catholic philosophical studies from Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, New York in 2021. He began studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in the fall of 2022.
He entered the monastic community of Saint Vincent Archabbey as a novice on July 10, 2021 and professed simple vows on July 10, 2022. He made solemn profession of monastic vows before Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B., on July 11, 2025.
Xiaojian (Joseph) Wang, is studying for the Archdiocese of Beijing. He is a 2015 graduate of QingXu High School, Shanxi, China. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Jilin University in Jilin, China, in 2019. He has accomplished studies in pre-theology at the Saint Michael Seminary in Beijing. His parents are Xuping Wang and Caifen Han of Shanxi, China. He began studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2023.
Xiaoguang (Joseph Peter) Zhang of the Diocese of Zhaoxian, China, earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hebei University of Economics and Business in 2014. Right after graduating, he entered Hebei Major Catholic Seminary, and there he completed a two-year philosophy course and got a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at the end of 2016. From 2017 to 2021, he was with the Jesuits and finished the Jesuit’s novice formation. In August 2021, after leaving the Society of Jesus, he returned to Diocese of Zhaoxian. He began studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2023.