CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis led a prayer vigil and Holy Hour July 23 at St. Patrick Cathedral for two men – Jake Mlakar and Jonathan Torres – as they prepare to offer their lives as priests to the People of God in western North Carolina.
Both ordinands attended the Holy Hour with their parents and were seated near the front of the cathedral, close to where their vestments were draped over the pews near the base of the steps of the sanctuary in anticipation of Bishop Jugis blessing them, along with the chalices that they will use at their first Mass.
Mlakar will offer his first Mass at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at St. Matthew Church.
Torres will offer his first Mass at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at St. Ann Church.
The ordination Mass will be streamed live on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel starting at 10 a.m. Friday, July 24.
Watch the ordination Mass live here.
— SueAnn Howell and Kimberly Bender, Catholic News Herald
First Mass Vestments and Chalices
Father Jacob Mlakar
The chasuble I will wear for my First Mass is white with a gold cross down the front. It is in the ample “Charles Borromeo” style, which is named so because St. Charles favored this kind of vestment.
My chalice is from 19th-century Italy and has recently been restored. It means a great deal to me that I will be using a chalice that was used by other priests in the past, since the priesthood is also passed on through apostolic succession, and all priests share in the one priesthood of Christ. I also like that the chalice has four angels depicted on it, since it reminds me that the angels and saints are present at every Mass.
The vestments were given to me by my grandparents and the chalice was given to me by my parents, and I am very thankful for these sacred gifts.
Father Jonathan Torres
The vestments I will wear at my First Mass were made by Tiffany Peoples, through her company, Lily and Rose Vestments. On my chasuble, which is ivory and burgundy in color, there is an image of a phoenix on the back.
The phoenix is an ancient symbol which Christians have appropriated from Greek mythology that symbolizes 
Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Having majored in literature, I have always been fascinated by the use of archetypes and symbols throughout the stories of various cultures. Understanding Jesus Christ as the source and summit of all archetypes – in other words, what all good symbols point to – is what attracted me to the priesthood in the first place.
I found the chalice I will use at my First Mass in Assisi, Italy, while I was on a retreat there with my classmates from the Josephinum. I wasn’t looking for a chalice at the time, but I remember walking down the street and seeing it in a shop window and immediately loving it.
The images on the chalice portray Christ’s life – there are eight images total: four on the base of the chalice, and four on the cup. The image of the Last Supper on the bottom of the chalice is directly under the image of the Crucifixion, making the connection between the two events very apparent. Also, the adorning garnets help communicate the preciousness of the Blood of Christ, which the chalice will soon hold.
