From left, Capuchin Friars Nathan Linton, OFM Cap., Truong Dinh, OFM Cap., Provincial Minister Mark Joseph Costello, OFM Cap., Bishop Jeffrey Haines, and Francisco Javier Rodriguez, OFM Cap., stand together at the Rite of Ordination celebrated June 24. (Photo courtesy the Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order)
Friar Nathan Linton was ordained to the priesthood for the Capuchin Franciscan order by Bishop Jeffrey Haines, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Milwaukee, on Saturday, June 24.
A 2013 graduate of Cumberland High School, he entered Capuchin formation in Chicago, spent a brief period of discernment as a seminarian for the Diocese of Superior, and then returned to the Capuchin order as a postulant in 2015.
He professed first vows in August 2017 and continued his ministry formation and undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2019. He professed final vows in 2021, graduated with a Master’s of Divinity degree from the Catholic Theological Union in 2023 and was ordained a deacon at St. Lawrence Seminary High School, where he serves as campus minister and senior dorm supervisor.
The friar’s call to religious life and the priesthood came as his father followed a vocation to the permanent diaconate in his teenage years. Dcn. Steve Linton serves as parish life coordinator at St. Anthony Abbot, Cumberland; he and his wife, Mary, have a long history of service.
“My parents set a great example of service to our community and to the church,” said Friar Linton. “I am incredibly grateful for the life that God has called me to and I look forward to serving God and his people as a priest of Jesus Christ.”
He celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Anthony Abbot, Cumberland, on Thursday, July 13.
The order released this statement following the ordination:
Since its founding in Italy in 1525 and establishment in the Midwest in 1857, the friars of the Capuchin Franciscan men’s religious order have been known for contemplative prayer and serving marginalized communities. Today’s ordination of these new priests continues that commitment. The Capuchin Franciscan order’s mission to serve others, especially those in need, continues to be a guiding force for these new priests in their journey of faith. The ordination ceremony was a joyous occasion for the Capuchin Franciscan community and a testament to the continued dedication of the order to serving others.
