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Jason Cargo was Ordained to the Priesthood at The
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, August
11, 2007, with hundreds of family and friends gathered to participate in
the sacred ceremonies and greet him at the Reception which followed.
Numerous friends including: HTS Alumni Priests and Alumni from a variety
of Seminaries including St. Mary's in Houston, Priests, Deacons and
Religious, and hundreds of Boy Scouts from across the Diocese came to
witness this young man who grew up in Plano, become a Priest of the
Roman Catholic Church. (See more photos and interview below.)
(Right)
Bishop Farrell talks to Deacon Jason Cargo about the Priesthood.
Most Reverend Kevin J. Farrell anoints
the hands of Jason Cargo with oil.
 
(Below) Bishop Farrell blesses Jason.
(Above)
Jason with
his parents during the Entrance Hymn. (Below) Jason prostrates himself
as the congregation joins in singing the Litany of the Saints calling on
their help and guidance in his future priestly ministry.
(Right) Bishop Farrell blesses Deacon Cargo, as the Ordination Rite
continues.
 During
the service (Left) all priests come forward to place their hands upon
Jason's head in a sign of blessing for his Priesthood.
(At right) Fr. Jason is vested in the Stole and Chasuble of the Priest
by Rev. Michael Forge. The Chasuble is the proper vestment of the Priest
at the Eucharist.
(At Left) After vesting, Fr. Jason Cargo shares a special moment with
Msgr. Michael G. Duca, Rector, Holy Trinity Seminary, as he sits for the
first time with his brother Priests before the Mass continues (Below)
 
The Cathedral was packed as hundreds came to see the Ordination of this
new Priest for the Diocese of Dallas. (At right) Mr. & Mrs. Cargo of
Plano, present the Eucharistic Gifts during the Liturgy.
 The
services were held on the feast of St. Clare of Assisi, a favorite saint
of Fr. Cargo. (NOTE: This photographer noticed a stained glass window on
the East side of the Cathedral, and St. Clare seemed to be watching the
Ordination from the window.)
(Left) Young relative sleeps peacefully. (Below) Bishop Farrell embraces
his newest Priest-- Rev. Jason Cargo.
 
( Below) A unique and joyful moment -- as brother Priests applaud Fr.
Cargo when he exits the Cathedral in procession.
On a bright, sunny day --
the Lord gave the Diocese
of Dallas a gift.
He might be calling you:
"The harvest is plenty,
laborers are few,
come with Me into
the fields . . ."
For more information about the Priesthood,
contact Fr. Rudy Garcia, Director for the Office
of Vocations at (214) 528-2240.
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Some History on Jason Cargo at Holy Trinity Seminary and
studies in Rome, Italy.
 (At
left)
Deacon Jason Cargo, Dallas when he visited HTS earlier
in 2007.
Cargo attended Holy Trinity Seminary for his education and formation and
completed his Degree in Philosophy & Letters at the University of Dallas
in
 2002.
(See full interview below)
Jason
then went to study in Rome,
Italy, for the Diocese of Dallas, earning a
Bachelor's Degree in Sacred Theology from Pontifical University of St.
Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). He then began his studies for a two-year
License Program in Liturgy at the University of Santa Croce in Italy.
(At Left) Jason assists His Holiness Benedict XVI during Mass at St.
Peter's in Rome.
An
Interview with Deacon Jason Cargo at Holy Trinity Seminary:
July 24, 2007 by Patricia Martin, Office of
Development
PM - So, tell us a little more
about yourself?
JC - I was born in Blue Island, Illinois, and raised in
Texas. When I was about 6 months old we moved, and we lived in Plano
ever since.
PM - Describe some of your
experiences while studying in Rome?
JC - The most profound experience would have to be the death, funeral
of John Paul II, and the Conclave and Election of Pope Benedict XVI.
Another highlight moment was last year, after my ordination to Diaconate
in St. Peters – being called to assist Pope Benedict as a Deacon at the
Mass for All Saints at the Altar of St. Peter. My professor is one of
the MC’s for the Holy Father, and at the last minute the Pope decided to
have this Mass for the people. He asked if anyone wished to serve and
called my friend and the professor called him and said there were two
times they needed Deacons – a funeral and the All Saints Mass. It was
awesome because I was the only one besides the MC at the Altar assisting
him with Mass. To receive the sign of Peace from Him, to receive the
Eucharist from Him, to elevate the Chalice for him during the
Doxology—these are things that only as Deacon could I have done and
things that priests would have dreamed of it came true for me.
PM -
Are
there other significant moments of your spiritual journey that were tied
to Rome?
JC -
My Ordination to the Diaconate in the
Basilica of St. Peter was a highlight of my time in Rome. I remember
specifically poignant was the time I was at the prostration on the
ground and the singing of the Litany of the Stains, when what flashed
before my mind was when I used to prostrate at Holy Trinity to give
myself to Christ. My journey has come from the Seminary formation and
preparation – to a life lived as an ordained minister… and I was blessed
to .. God was showing me in the very Basilica—constructed to commemorate
St. Peter – His greatest disciple—that as I gave myself then and He was
with me in formation then.. He was walking with me as I gave myself
fully and radically to Him.
PM
-
Were you able to travel while studying
Theology in Rome? Where all did you travel during your four years in
Europe?
JC - I got to travel throughout much of Italy. Many of the Holy
sites in Italy as well as artistic centers –
Assisi is definitely – St. Stephano which is a simple Chapel, a
relatively unknown Chapel – of Romanesque design, thick walls and inside
pure silence. My favorite place outside of Italy was Krakow, Poland – as
we know – a place speckled with the touches of the late Pope John Paul
II – a place that has also been refined through suffering and trial – a
place of great Faith – where people come to adore our lord in the
Eucharist and see His mercy in Confession.
It is near the horrific site of
Auschwitz where we saw to what great depths of evil – man without grace
can fall – also a witness of great love in Maximilian Kolbe in the midst
of such evil.. Yet, at the same time, on the same day, I could go to the
Shrine of Divine mercy, by St. Faustina and witness the greatness of
Jesus Christ’s mercy for us.. even in the midst of great evil.
My favorite vacation was a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in
Spain. I walked for six days – over a hundred miles in rain, sun,
wind—along peaceful creeks, dark forests, small villages, pastures,
industrial plants, and highways. To me this pilgrimage mirrored the
spiritual journey that we take from Baptism when we begin a life of
Grace – until we are hopefully welcomed into the Father’s house at our
death. I went with a backpack and very little else – stayed in free
houses along the way.
PM - How did your Rome
experience help in preparing you for your life as a future priest?
JC - Easily the most important thing is being grounded in a life of
prayer and Sacrament. It is very clear to me that without these the
priestly ministry would be impossible. In Rome, I have never been as
busy or required to do as much in my life—moreover with the amount of
opportunities with what the city offers with museums, concerts,
spiritual talks and sites – or what nearby cities offer for travel—there
is always competing interests and good things that can be done.
True discernment is necessary. In the life of a priest in the parish –
there will also be many conflicting “goods” where discernment will need
to take place on which good to follow.
I become a priest on August 11, 2007 – very simply my life will be less
mine and more Christ’s. Hopefully, I will grow to be more of a living
Icon of Christ Jesus, so that really it is like
St. Paul that says, “It is not
I, but Christ lives in me.” This is my hope for the priesthood. That I
might be that light.. that instrument of Jesus Christ so that others may
experience His love, His all-consuming passion for them.
(Far Right) Jason Cargo during Living Stations of
the Cross - Spring 2002
Interview continued on August 8, 2007 at Holy
Trinity Seminary:
PM -
You attended Holy Trinity Seminary
for your initial formation. Looking back – what were some of the
highlights of those years? And, how did this formation help you on your
path of discernment?
JC - Living in the
community atmosphere with other Seminarians and getting to know other
men who desired to discern the call of Jesus Christ in their lives. By
living together we could inspire each other to know God deeper, to pray
with each other. It was a very healthy environment. The men I studied
with and being in a small community allowed me to come to know them,
come to understand how God had called them, and how they were led to
Jesus Christ which also drew me closer to Our Lord.
At Holy Trinity Seminary, this was the first time I took academic
study seriously. I was in an environment where other men were studying
philosophy and we were asking each other questions about our studies at
lunch, dinner, and on the hallway – not only for the sake of our
classes, but for the sake of those conversations –I felt like I needed
to really learn.
I would say
that out of the five universities I’ve studied at – it was the second
most difficult. For most of my Theological studies, I drew upon my
studies at the University of Dallas. Whether it was
Introduction to the Bible or Philosophy of Man, I used my notes to
understand more deeply my Theology Classes like the Pentateuch or
Christian Anthropology. This showed me that after all the blood,
sweat, and tears of my studies at UD—that it was worth it.
Believe it or not, I
greatly appreciated Friday afternoon "Word Order"-something I dearly
missed while I was in Rome. (NOTE: This is a
tradition where HTS Seminarians do a wide variety of chores both inside
and out--taking care of the building and grounds of the Seminary.)-Why?
You might ask? For me, work order was an opportunity to rest the mind
and work the body while making beautiful the things God has given us..
and to know that the entire community of HTS together was working
towards this was something very uplifting. I especially liked Work
Order outside. There was a machine – a lawn mower called the turf tiger,
I loved to do "wheelies" in that one! I only did that a couple of
times, but I did enjoy mowing the lawn. I enjoyed being outside.
In Rome, we didn’t have this, and I felt that something was missing.
The Formation Faculty
at HTS was instrumental in helping me to make the transition from
full-time ministry into the Seminary life. They helped me understand
more deeply how Christ enters into the depths of our being, and helped
me to be able to see how He works and how to hear His voice in all
aspects of life – our joys, sorrows, sufferings.
Fr. Jim Orosco and Mr.
Eric Hendry inspired me to go to seek Christ contemplatively.
I learned to pray the Rosary, through their guidance, in a contemplative
manner –
to move from saying mere words to an actual encounter with Jesus or with
His Blessed Mother. I appreciated Mr. Henry McDowell’s (Music Director)
sense of humor during times of intense study, and his encouragement for
us to go beyond ourselves musically and to take that "step of Faith."
I also greatly enjoyed
how present the Rector, Fr. Mike Duca (now Msgr.), was to each
Seminarian. It is my belief that every Rector, Pastor, or Bishop is
charged as a "Father" over those for whom he is responsible. Fr. Duca
displayed these paternal qualities, first and foremost, in his
desire to know each man.
An outside
project I enjoyed participating in during my second year was the
Alternative Spring Break Program through the University of
Dallas, and also helping to
start up the "Peer Ministry Program" at the University of Dallas – a
student to student evangelization and ministry program.
While at
HTS-- I studied intensely, I grew spiritually, and I loved the
community.
PM: Were there any funny memories you wish to share?
JC: A fond memory I’ll never forget which bridges my studies at Texas
A&M University as Meteorology Major with my life as a Seminarian at Holy
Trinity was when a tornado passed over (in close proximity) to the
Seminary in 2002. I remember our flag football game was cancelled, and
looking to the sky, I knew foreboding weather was approaching. I ran
back to the Seminary, jumped on the internet, and discovered that we
were in the path of a tornadic meso-cyclone. As I was running outside, I
heard Fr. Duca on the PA system telling everyone to go to the basement.
I had grabbed my dinner and was between the swimming pool and the
Seminary watching this storm approach. As I ate my dinner, I felt the
atmosphere grow still and an eerie green enveloped the area. I looked
towards the University of
Dallas while finishing my last
bite of dinner and saw very clearly, the center of circulation of what
had been the tornado over Highway 183.
One of Seminarians called for me to come inside as I gazed at this
awesome storm and the hail began to fall. I heeded his warning and came
indoors. Meanwhile, at least half a dozen men had gathered at the door
what was taking place outside. I gave them a description of what I’d
seen and decided to take one more glance again outside—when, opening the
door, a huge gust of wind hit with some hailstones! And, even knowing
that it wasn’t the tornado, I jumped back in fright and sent the rest of
the HTS men scurrying away for shelter! It still brings me laughter to
this day.
(Editor's Note: We
deeply appreciate Jason Cargo sharing his valuable time prior to
Ordination for these two interviews so that we could include them on the
HTS Website and in our Trinitarian Newsletter. Please
continue to pray for him as he listens to the Will of God
in his heart.
It was our distinct pleasure to be able to photograph the Ordination to
the Priesthood of Rev. Jason Cargo. May the Lord protect and encourage
him on his journey.)
Page Updated:
12 Dec 2007
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