On Saturday, June 6, Father Dominic Couturier, Father Michael Goodwin, and Father Danny Orris Jr. were ordained our diocese’s newest priests by Bishop David Walkowiak at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew.

Attendance at the ordination Mass was by invitation only. With the 25% seating capacity designated as part of the guidelines for resuming public Masses, seating inside the Cathedral will be more limited than usual. For that reason, attendance at the June ordination Mass was by invitation only. The public was invited to view the livestream of Mass on the diocesan website and Facebook.

WATCH: Ordination Mass video (Facebook) | Bishop Walkowiak’s homily (YouTube)
VIEW: Ordination Mass photos (Flickr)

Watch: A Guide to Watching the Rite of Ordination for the Priesthood (Father John Kartje, rector of Mundelein Seminary)

Please pray for our seminarians, including the men being ordained this year, as they continue to respond to the call to serve the Lord and his people.

Celebration of the Eucharist with Rite of Ordination of Priests

Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, bishop of Grand Rapids, presiding
When: Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 10 a.m.
Mass was livestreamed on the Diocese of Grand Rapids website and Facebook page.
Where: Cathedral of Saint Andrew

Learn more about our new priests:


Father Dominic T. Couturier
, 41, is the son of Thomas and Roberta Couturier. He has five siblings: Jonathan, Nathan, Jacob, Monique and Mark. He is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Grand Rapids and grew up in Greenville where he attended St. Charles Borromeo Parish. He attended Davenport University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2004. He worked at Couturier Iron Craft Inc. until entering the seminary in 2014.

Father Dominic received his Master of Divinity from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois, in spring 2020. He completed his pastoral internship at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Norton Shores and St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Muskegon, under the mentorship of Father Charles Hall. He was ordained a transitional deacon on May 18, 2019 and ordained a priest on June 6, 2020.

Father Dominic celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 1935 Plymouth Ave. SE, Grand Rapids.

Bishop Walkowiak has announced that following ordination, effective July 1, Father Dominic is appointed parochial vicar of St. Robert of Newminster Parish in Ada.

 

Deacon Michael Goodwin
Father Michael J. Goodwin
, 37, is the son of Howard and Margaret Goodwin of Allendale, Michigan. He has four siblings: Phillip, Donald, Stephen and Elizabeth. He attended Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 2005. Raised in a loving Evangelical Christian home, Michael entered the Catholic Church at the 2011 Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Grand Rapids. He is a member of St. Luke University Parish.

Father Michael received his Master of Divinity from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois, in spring 2019. He completed his pastoral internship at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Grand Rapids under the mentorship of Father Peter Damian. He was ordained a transitional deacon on May 12, 2018 and ordained a priest on June 6, 2020.

Father Michael celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 2750 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids. View photo album (Google Photos)

Bishop Walkowiak has announced that following ordination, effective July 1, Father Michael is appointed parochial vicar of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Grand Rapids.

 


Father Daniel R. Orris Jr., 29, is the son of Daniel and Bernadine Orris. He has three siblings: Patti (Keith) Patterson, Nancy Orris and Jill (Mark) Dodds. He is a member of St. Dominic Parish in Wyoming, now merged with the Shrine of St. Francis Xavier and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Grand Rapids. He attended  Aquinas College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 2014.

Father Daniel received his Master of Divinity from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois, in spring 2020. He completed his pastoral internship at Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Rockford, under the mentorship of Father Anthony Russo. He was ordained a transitional deacon on May 18, 2019 and ordained a priest on June 6, 2020.

Father Daniel celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 50 Bellevue St. SE, Wyoming.

Bishop Walkowiak has announced that following ordination, effective July 1, Father Daniel is appointed parochial vicar of St. Jude Parish in Grand Rapids.

Coverage of Ordination to the Order of Deacon:

On May 16, Bishop Walkowiak ordained Noah Thelen to the order of deacon.
Learn more, view photos, and watch video of the ordination Mass here.

Learn more about:
Priestly vocations and formation
The Our Shepherds – Our Future capital campaign
Diaconate formation
Communities of women and men religious serving in our diocese