Deacon Brendon John Harfmann will carry on a family tradition when he celebrates his first Mass as a Paterson Diocesan priest on Sunday, June 8 — the day after his ordination.
During the consecration, the new priest will raise a gold-plated, sterling silver chalice that belonged to his late uncle, Father John Harfmann of the Society of St. Joseph. He continues a family legacy of service to the Church, both in the clergy and among the laity. Another late uncle, Deacon James Hynes, was a permanent deacon in the Brooklyn Diocese.
Many clergy, religious, and laity who influenced Deacon Harfmann’s vocation will be present, either physically or in spirit, when Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordains him as a priest, along with Deacon Joseph Samuel DeMarzo III, during a Mass on Saturday, June 7, at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. He credits his active parents, Larry and Kim, and his parish of St. Matthias in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., for planting the seeds of his vocation.
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“As a priest, I want to celebrate Mass and hear confessions. I want to pass on to others God’s mercy, which I received in confession and from family and friends,” said Deacon Harfmann, 31. “God has been good to me. My family and friends support me. “I am grateful to Father Steven Shadwell, pastor of Our Lady of the Magnificat (OLM) Parish in Kinnelon, and the OLM parish family who have taught me so much about lived faith as they welcomed me during this period internship.”
Raised in the Glendale neighborhood of Queens, Deacon Harfmann was active at St. Matthias with his two siblings. He graduated from the school, played CYO basketball, and was an altar server and lector. Their parents were extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
Deacon Harfmann’s vocation was nurtured by the priests of St. Matthias, who were “there for everyone.” He said the School Sisters of Notre Dame who taught at the school “imparted the faith and morals and lived that witness.”
Another influence was the priests on staff when he attended — and later graduated from — Cathedral Preparatory Seminary for young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood in Queens. Bishop Sweeney is also an alum. Deacon Harfmann was active in the spiritual life of the school.
Deacon Harfmann also visited his uncle, Father Harfmann, in New Orleans for two weeks one summer, seeing “what a parish priest’s life is like.” He died in 2012. His other uncle, Deacon Hynes, died in 2008.
In 2022, Deacon Harfmann graduated cum laude from St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Penn., run by the Benedictine religious order. His studies changed his idea of the priesthood.
“It’s important for priests to remember that the Church is a ‘field hospital,’ as Pope Francis taught. We need to be close to those in need of healing,” Harfmann said.
After a period of discernment, Deacon Harfmann was incardinated in the Paterson Diocese and has served Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish in Kinnelon, where he will celebrate his first Mass as a priest on June 8 at 2 p.m.
