Bishop ordains Fr. Clever to Priesthood

As you do Anointings of the Sick, as you bring people into the Church, you get to confirm and baptize, you get to do all these, you realize that Jesus Christ is the one doing it, and the funnest ride in the world is being a priest and getting to watch Jesus work in every person.”

Father Dane Westhoff, a priest and military chaplain of the St. Louis archdiocese, who is a friend and mentor of Fr. Clever, to newly ordained Father Gregory Clever

CLICK HERE to read the text of Bishop McKnight’s homily

CLICK HERE to see a gallery of photos from Fr. Clever’s Ordination Mass.

CLICK HERE to see a gallery of photos from Fr. Clever’s first Mass of Thanksgiving.

“I can’t believe I’m calling you Father!”

“I’m having a little trouble getting used to it, too!” Father Gregory Clever told a friend before dispensing one of hundreds of priestly blessings on his Ordination Day.

Through the laying-on of hands and the summoning of the Holy Spirit, Bishop W. Shawn McKnight ordained Fr. Clever to the Holy Priesthood on Dec. 7 in the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

“A glorious day for the Diocese of Jefferson City!” the bishop stated.

The Cottleville native, who calls Hermann and Starkenburg home in this diocese, will serve as associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Sedalia, effective Dec. 21.

Fr. Clever attended Kenrick-Glennon Seminary for college and three years of theology studies for the St. Louis archdiocese before stepping away from formation.

He taught religion and science for two years in the archdiocese at Sacred Heart School in Valley Park while maintaining his prayer life and making regular visits to one of his favorite places, the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Starkenburg.

Drawn to rural life and to brotherhood with several priests whom he had known in the seminary, he again felt called to continue his formation, this time for the Jefferson City diocese.

He completed his theology studies at Mundelein Seminary in Chicago and was ordained a deacon on June 1.

He served in the diocesan Youth/Young Adult Ministry  Office this summer and then at Helias Catholic High School.

An exuberant congregation from near and far filled the Cathedral of St. Joseph for his priestly Ordination Mass on the sunny, mild first Saturday of December.

Several dozen priests from this diocese and others concelebrated the Mass.

“Faithful steward”

This was the diocese’s second priestly ordination of 2024, with Father Christopher Hoffmann having been ordained on June 1.

The cathedral bells rang out as the recently completed organ and diocesan choir segued into the opening hymn.

The soon-to-be-ordained priest took his place in the front pew next to his parents and waited to be summoned forward after the readings.

Bishop McKnight thanked Henry and Dorothy Clever for the gift of their son to the Church.

As part of the Ordination Rite, Fr. Clever publicly promised to carry-out the duties of a priest as a minister of Scripture and sacraments, to pray without ceasing, to work obediently and respectfully with the bishop, and to imitate Jesus, who offered himself up as servant and sacrifice.

Fr. Clever then lay face-down on the floor before the altar, in a gesture of humility, obedience, total dependence on God and total self-giving.

The priests, congregation and choir chanted the Litany of Saints, imploring the holy men and women in heaven to pray for Fr. Clever and for the entire Church.

Fr. Clever then knelt before the bishop, who silently laid hands on his head in the biblical act of bestowing the gift of the Holy Spirit.

One by one, the other priests also placed their hands on the new priest’s head, signifying their prayers for strength and grace.

Monsignor James J. Ramacciotti, a priest of the St. Louis archdiocese who has served as a priestly model and mentor to Fr. Clever, ceremonially helped him put on his priestly vestments.

Bishop McKnight anointed Fr. Clever’s hands with the Oil of Sacred Chrism, symbolizing the power of the priest to sanctify, with the words: “The Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, guard and preserve you, that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.”

The bishop prayed the Prayer of Ordination, asking God to help Fr. Clever “be a faithful steward of your mysteries, so that your people may be renewed in the waters of rebirth and nourished from your altar; so that sinners may be reconciled and the sick raised up.”

At the Offertory, Fr. Clever’s parents presented the bread and wine to Bishop McKnight for consecration.

Kneeling before the bishop, Fr. Clever accepted it as a symbol of his most important duty: celebration of the Eucharist.

Following a sign of peace from the bishop and the other priests, Fr. Clever remained in the sanctuary as a concelebrant and spoke part of the Eucharistic Prayer.

“In his great love”

Among the many concelebrating priests were Monsignor Robert A. Kurwicki, vicar general; Father Paul Maina Waithaka, dean of formation for Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois; Father Paul Clark, diocesan director of vocations and seminarians; and the priestly deans of each deanery.

Assisting them were Deacons Enrique Castro and John Schwartze.

Seminarians of the diocese served in various roles at the Mass.

The Diocesan Choir, conducted by Andrew Meagher, director of music for Cathedral of St. Joseph Parish, and accompanied by organist Annette Kehner, led the singing.

Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus served as the honor guard. Members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem took part in the processions.

Caleb Villmer, who was one of Fr. Clever’s students at Sacred Heart, proclaimed the first reading.

“It was really an honor,” he said. “I’ve known Father for a long time, and it was really cool to be able to be part of the celebration today.”

Fr. Clever gave his first priestly blessing to Bishop McKnight after processing out of the Cathedral at the end of Mass.

In written remarks, Fr. Clever thanked his parents, siblings, grandparents and extended family; the people of his home parishes and the communities where he served as a seminarian; his seminary formators and fellow seminarians; Bishop McKnight; and all others who helped him discern his vocation.

He also thanked God, “who called me today to be a priest, not because I am worthy of it, but because he, in his great love, has asked this of me. Please pray for me to be a saintly witness to his love.”

“Out of God’s way”

That evening, Fr. Clever offered a Mass of Thanksgiving by candlelight in the ornate St. Martin Church Museum on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Starkenburg.

Father Dane Westhoff, a priest and military chaplain of the St. Louis archdiocese, who is a friend and mentor of Fr. Clever, preached the homily.

Fr. Westhoff noted that God is working in Fr. Clever.

“I can see you bringing tons of people back to the Lord,” he said.

Fr. Westhoff advised Fr. Clever to cast aside pride, continue dying to himself, and follow St. Teresa of Kolkata’s dictum to “stay out of God’s way” in exercising the priestly ministry that comes from and belongs to the Eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ.

“This is the day you’re supposed to love the Priesthood the least,” Fr. Westhoff stated. “Tomorrow, you should love it more! The next day, even more!

“And as you do Anointings of the Sick, as you bring people into the Church, you get to confirm and baptize, you get to do all these, you realize that Jesus Christ is the one doing it, and the funnest ride in the world is being a priest and getting to watch Jesus work in every person,” said Fr. Westhoff.

At the end of Mass, Fr. Clever presented to his mother the ornate linen cloth upon which he had wiped the fragrant Sacred Chrism with which Bishop McKnight had anointed his hands during the Ordination Rite.

Fr. Clever also presented to his father the stole the new priest had worn to hear his first Confession.

These items are traditionally kept by the parents for the rest of their lives and then buried with them in death.

“So that when they approach the throne of God, and Jesus says to them, ‘I gave you life. I gave you love. I gave you the gift of a family,’ they can present this before God and say, ‘I gave you my son, a priest!’” said Fr. Clever.