Two men to be ordained priests June 6

The Rev. Mr. Rusty P. Bruce and the Rev. Mr. Daniel J. Duplantis will be ordained to the priesthood Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre will be the ordaining prelate.

This event will follow whatever regulations for gatherings and social distancing are in place at that time. However, the liturgy will be live-streamed.

The Rev. Mr. Rusty P. Bruce is a 30 year old native of Cut Off, LA, and a 2009 graduate of South Lafourche High School in Galliano. He is the son of Paul A. Bruce and the late Marsha Hebert Bruce. He has one older sister, Tricha Bruce Gross, who is the manager of the Catholic Community Center in Galliano. She is married to Marshall Gross and they have two children, Jordan, who is his godson; and Kaylie.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and theological studies from St. Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict and graduated cum laude with a master of divinity in theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans in April.

As part of his priestly formation, the Rev. Mr. Bruce was assigned to work at St. Bernadette Church parish in Houma, St. Charles Borromeo Church parish in the St. Charles Community and St. Thomas Aquinas Church parish on the Nicholls State University campus in Thibodaux. He also did a summer internship as a hospital chaplain at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. His deacon internship was at St. Bernadette Church parish.

“I am most looking forward to continuing to minister to the people of God in a greater capacity, such as being an instrument of mercy in the sacrament of confession,” says the Rev. Mr. Bruce.

“We are proud of Rusty for his strong faith in God at such a young age. We always thought of him as our own son and we thank God for him in our life,” says the Rev. Mr. Bruce’s godparents, Gloria and Curley Griffin.

“When he was five years old, he began asking us to take him to Mass with us. He would try to follow the Mass and when we would get home, he would ask us questions about God and Our Lady,” they explain. “As he got a little older, he became an altar boy and developed an even greater interest in the church.”

When asked if they ever had any reservations about their godson’s decision to become a priest, they say “Absolutely not! We’re proud that he decided to go to the seminary. We know that God was calling Rusty to the priesthood at an early age. It will be such a blessing to have a priest in the family.”

“Shortly after he was born,” says Gloria, “my mother held him in her arms and told my older sister in French, ‘That’s my little priest.’ My mother was a very religious woman and it looks like her words are coming true.”

The Rev. Mr. Daniel J. Duplantis is a 26 year old native of Bayou Blue, LA, and a graduate of Central Lafourche High School in Raceland. He is the son of Clyde III and Denise Charpentier Duplantis, has a twin brother Matthew and a younger sister Emily. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from St. Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict and received a master of divinity in theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans in April.

As part of his priestly formation, the Rev. Mr. Duplantis was assigned to serve at St. Louis Church parish in Bayou Blue, St. Genevieve Church parish in Thibodaux, St. Joseph Church parish in Galliano, Maria Immacolata Church parish in Houma, and Annunziata Church parish in Houma. As part of his deacon internship he served at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS, where he performed sacramental ministry for the airmen and their families stationed there.

He is currently a chaplain candidate in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and holds the rank of second lieutenant. He will reappoint as an active duty chaplain in 2023.

“I am most looking forward to working with families and our military members as an Air Force chaplain,” says the Rev. Mr. Duplantis.

“We are very proud of Daniel,” says his parents. “He has always given his all to anything that he put his mind to. He has always been very dedicated to his faith and to the church. He was always involved with the youth group and serving the church. As he got older, he also showed an interest in the military. After being at seminary for a while, he decided, with permission from the bishop, to pursue service in the Air Force as a chaplain. He has been a candidate for chaplain ever since. He is so happy to be serving God's people in any way possible.”

His parents say that Daniel and his siblings would play church when they were growing up and would even put on plays using stories from the Bible. A family favorite and fond memory is the story of Jonah and the Whale.

“He was always happiest when he was serving at Mass. He's a people person and wants to lead people to God,” says his mother.
 
His parents didn’t really have any reservations about his decision to become a priest, however they were concerned about the cost. “We didn't know much about the process or financial aspect of seminary. Father Joey Pilola (pastor of Maria Immacolata Church parish) came over to our house and answered any questions that we had. We have never received a bill for his education. The diocese has taken care of everything. Also, his TOPS award transferred from McNeese State University where Daniel was enrolled at the time to Saint Joseph Seminary College. We had no idea that his TOPS scholarship could be used at seminary. Other than that, we had no reservations. We have known for a long time that this is where he wanted his life to be. Our family is very proud of his choice to serve God.”

Bayou Catholic will continue to post updates on the details of the ordination in the coming weeks as they change.