On July 25 Patrick Higgins stands in Ireland's Galway Cathedral before Bishop Edmond Carmody, the ordaining prelate, awaiting his consent and that of the assembled people of God for admission to the Order of Deacons, his last step before becoming a priest. He had just been called forward and presented as a candidate for Diaconate Ordination by Fr. James Stembler, Diocesan Vocations Director, standing next to Bishop Carmody.

"To Whomever I send you, you shall go". Jeremiah I were the prophetic words spoken during the first reading at Patrick Higgins's ordination to the diaconate, which took place July 25 in Galway Ireland.

He has related to those words throughout his journey toward the priesthood. The Mass of Holy Orders was held in the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, commonly known as Galway Cathedral. Possibly the most impressive building in Galway, this cathedral was the last great stone church constructed in Western Europe. Built in 1957 of fine cut stone, it features a marble floor and brown cedar ceiling. The woodwork stained glass and mosaics were all hand crafted by Irish people.

A native of Galway, Patrick is presently a seminarian at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio studying for the Diocese of Corpus Christi; He will continue his studies at Assumption until his ordination to the priesthood in approximately one year, after which he will receive an assignment in the diocese. This summer he completed his Clinical Pastoral Education requirements at Children Hospital in Los Angeles, CA where he works with sick children and their families. Last summer he spent in Mexico learning Spanish.

Family and friends from both Ireland and the United States attended the Mass of Ordination. It was Concelebrated by Msgr. Sean O'Flaherty, pastor of Galway Cathedral, Fr. Lawrence Christian, Rector, Assumption Seminary, San Antonio, Fr. James Stembler, Director of Vocations, Corpus Christi, Fr. Tadhg Quinn, Pastor St. John the Apostle, Galway, Fr. Robert D. Dunn, Pastor, Most Precious Blood, Corpus Christi.