Brother-Priests

In an event that gives new meaning to the term "vocations exacta,"identical twins were ordained last night for the service of the diocese of Erie:

The 26-year-olds [James and Joseph Campbell] said they always wanted to be priests. They used to play at saying Mass at home, using communion wafers they made from bread.

Their parents, Dolores and John Campbell, named the boys after their late pastor at St. Andrew Church, Monsignor James Joseph Gannon.

So much for the prophecies of ecclesiastical doom in Erie. After all, not even Fabian Bruskewitz has ordained a set of identical twins.

But the real question is whether James Joseph Gannon was related to the late, great John Mark.... Some of you remember the latter well, no?

Many congratulations to the new Fathers Campbell.

SVILUPPO: The following dispatch has arrived from on-the-ground, by the Lake:

St. Peter Cathedral was filled to standing room for the ordination of the three new priests in Erie last evening.

The pastor for whom the Campbell twins were named, Msgr. James Joseph Gannon was a nephew to Archbishop John Mark Gannon (Bishop 1918-1968; Erie Ordinard 1921-1966; Archbishop 'ad personam'). Msgr. James Gannon also had a brother (not a twin), Msgr. John Mark Gannon, who was Chancellor for his uncle.

When he was a chaplain in World War II, Msgr. James Gannon's altar server was the late "Moose Krause" of Notre Dame fame. Moose Krause's son, Fr. Ed Krause helped to vest the new Fathers Campbell last evening.

They along with their classmate, Fr. Marc Solomon, are Bishop Trautman's 33rd, 34th and 35th ordainands to the priesthood in his 16 years as Bishop of Erie.

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