Archbishop John Vlazny will ordain three men as priests on Saturday, June 9 at St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.

The Mass of Ordination will begin at 11 a.m. Those being ordained are Rev. Mr. David Brown, Rev. Mr. Jeff Meeuwsen and Rev. Mr. Ronald Nelson, Jr.

Rev. Mr. Brown was born in Hebron, Neb., in 1958. He is the son of Duane Brown, and Kathryn Brown (deceased) and Patricia Brown (stepmother). He is one of four children and attended elementary school in Welches. He graduated from Sandy High School. He attended Southern Oregon State College, graduating in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology. He worked as an insurance investigator for eight years prior to entering Mount Angel Seminary.

Rev. Mr. Brown’s ministry training has included assignments at Queen of Peace Parish in Salem; St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Astoria; the Benedictine Nursing Center in Mt. Angel; St. Mary’s Cathedral; St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Portland; study at the Mexican American Cultural Center in San Antonio, Texas; Clinical Pastoral Education at Emmanuel Medical Center in Omaha, Neb.; St. Anthony Parish in Forest Grove; St. Joseph Parish in Salem; and again at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Portland. He was ordained a transitional deacon in May 2006 by Archbishop Vlazny.

Rev. Mr. Meeuwsen was born in 1977 in Hillsboro. He is the son of Allen and Kelleen Meeuwsen. He is one of four children. Rev. Mr. Meeuwsen attended elementary school at St. Francis of Assisi school in Roy and graduated from Valley Catholic High School.

He attended Gonzaga University in Spokane and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies in 1999. He taught at Visitation School in Verboort prior to entry into Mount Angel Seminary.

As part of his ministry training, his assignments have included placement at St. Joseph Parish in Roseburg; Sacred Heart School in Gervais; assisting with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Portland; Blanchet High School in Salem; St. Cecilia Parish in Beaverton; St. Henry Parish in Gresham; and St. John the Baptist Parish in Milwaukie. Rev. Mr. Meeuwsen was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Vlazny in May 2006. He earned a master’s degree and a Master of Divinity degree at Mount Angel Seminary in May 2007.

Rev. Mr. Nelson was born in Portland in 1971. He attended elementary school in the Portland area and graduated from David Douglas High. He entered Mount Angel Seminary in 1998.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and literature from Mount Angel Seminary in 2002, and a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2005. He is currently working on a Licentiate degree in Spiritual Theology at the Pontifical Teresianum University in Rome.

His ministry training assignments have included working as an AIDS Hospice volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity; placements at St. Mary’s Cathedral; assisting with the Los Embajadores summer program; a pastoral year at Queen of Peace Parish in Salem; and Clinical Pastoral Education at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene.

He was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Vlazny in July 2005. After his ordination to priesthood Rev. Mr. Nelson will continue his studies in Rome. Assignments for Rev. Mr. Brown and Rev. Mr. Meeuwsen have not yet been announced.

All are invited to attend the Mass of ordination on Saturday, June 9, at 11 a.m.