Seminarian Caleb Kosch to be ordained a transitional deacon

Archdiocese seminarian Caleb Kosch will take on a higher level of service to the Church when he is ordained a transitional deacon on May 29.

He will soon be able to serve at Mass by proclaiming the Gospel, preaching homilies and assisting the priest at the altar. He will be able to witness the Sacrament of Matrimony, baptize new Church members and preside at some funeral rites.

In becoming a transitional deacon, Kosch also takes a big step toward priesthood.

He will be ordained to the transitional diaconate by Archbishop Michael G. McGovern during a 7 p.m. Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha.

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Kosch hails from St. Anthony Parish in Columbus. His family includes his mother, Cindy Lundy and her husband, Thomas Lundy, who brought his two sons, Jamison and Jaxson, into the family; sister Emily Williams and her husband, Jordan, and their sons Clayton, Archer and Lennox and a “baby on the way,” likely the first baby Deacon Kosch would baptize; brother Anthony Kosch; twin sister Courtney Dreher and her husband, Braydon, and their daughter, Evie; and sister Rebecca Kosch.

The seminarian’s father, Mike Kosch, died in 2018.

Ahead of the ordination, Caleb Kosch shared his thoughts about becoming a deacon:

I am very excited about being ordained a deacon. I cannot wait to be able to respond to the grace of ordination and to continue to grow closer to Christ as I serve him in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Even though I have been in seminary formation for seven years, I have to stop and wonder about what is the diaconate and what will this upcoming year consist of. I hope to witness weddings, baptize babies, pray for the dead at graveside burials, and continue to be formed to serve as a priest in Omaha. I think the diaconate is a very important step for formation for the priesthood, but I also hope all deacons know that they have a real role in the Church aside from priestly ministry. Deacons can really help to set the tone of  a parish and build up the laity around them. I have had some amazing deacons in my life and I am happy to join the brotherhood of deacons this May. I am glad to be in Omaha after many summers of study in St. Paul (Minnesota) and one summer in Mexico. I haven’t been in the city of Omaha for an extended time since I did my summer with the Institute for Priestly Formation. So I am certainly looking forward to learning more about the city and serving the amazing people in it.

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