Media Advisory: Five men to be ordained for the Catholic Priesthood
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27 12, 2026 |
CONTACT: Georgina Wilkinson 301-221-6226 [email protected] Sean Caine: 443-857-4372 |
Five men to be ordained for the Catholic Priesthood
WASHINGTON, DC — Three immigrants from Central and South America, a triplet who studied mechanical engineering at UMD and a former football coach will be ordained priests for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington this Saturday by Washington Archbishop, Cardinal Robert McElroy.
Mass of Ordination
Saturday, June 20, 2026
10:00 a.m.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
400 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, DC
More than 2,000 priests, family and friends are expected to fill the Basilica for the ordination. The men are among 55 who are preparing to become priests for the archdiocese; seminary studies typically take five or more years.
Brendan Parlett (30) grew up in Crofton, Md., attending Sacred Heart Parish in Bowie. A graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in mechanical engineering, Brendan had a self-described “reversion” to the faith during college—sparked by a powerful encounter with God’s mercy in Confession, which ignited a transformation that led him to daily Mass, deeper ministry involvement, and ultimately a call to the priesthood. A triplet with a love of fitness, soccer, and classic films, Brendan says he was especially drawn to the priesthood through the beauty of the Mass and the desire to become an instrument of God’s mercy for others.
Jessiah Rojas (28) was raised in an Evangelical Protestant family in Upper Marlboro, Md. where his father served as an associate pastor of their church. Jessiah first encountered Catholicism as a football player at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Md., and eventually embraced it at age 19 after wrestling deeply with the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist. Before entering seminary, he spent several years coaching college football, discovering in that role a passion for mentoring young people and leading them toward Christ. That same desire – to walk with others and help transform their lives – became the foundation of his call to the priesthood.
David Ezequiel Narváez Vargas (35) is originally from Ecuador, and brings an international and missionary spirit to his priesthood, shaped by his formation in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Hyattsville, Md. and his involvement in the Neocatechumenal Way, a Catholic formation program focused on adult faith formation, community life, and missionary outreach. His vocation took a decisive turn during World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, where he felt a clear call to become a missionary priest and responded with “total availability” to serve anywhere in the world. David is from a large Catholic family, with seven siblings, one of whom is also a priest.
Pedro Antonio López Berrios (33) hails from Nicaragua, and arrived in the United States at age 18. Pedro has also been in formation at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, where his vocation has been shaped within the missionary spirituality of the Neocatechumenal Way. His call began in a deeply personal way as a teenager, when a passage about Abraham leaving everything for God struck him powerfully and stayed with him over time, gradually drawing him toward the priesthood. His experiences at a national youth pilgrimage in his home country and three formative years living in the Holy Land led him to experience that was God calling him to abandon everything and follow Him. Witnessing the joy and freedom of missionary priests ultimately inspired him to embrace a similar life of service to the Church.
Federico José Mariano (33) is a native of Argentina, who grew up in a Catholic family as the third of seven brothers and sisters, first sensing a call to the priesthood at nine years old. Federico has been formed at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary after offering himself for mission during World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro when he was 20, an experience rooted in his lifelong participation in the Neocatechumenal Way. His vocation took shape as he encountered Christ more personally through community life, retreats, and the example of missionary priests, leading him to see the priesthood not only as a calling, but as the answer to the restlessness he had experienced.
Check out the Catholic Standard for more coverage of the five new priests.
Media are welcome to attend. For more information or to schedule an interview with any of the newly ordained priests or vocations staff, please contact [email protected].
A recording of this Mass will be made available on the Archdiocese’s YouTube channel.
The five new priests who will be ordained for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington on June 20, 2026 by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception include, from left to right, Deacon David Ezequiel Narváez Vargas, Deacon Federico José Mariano, Deacon Pedro Antonio López Berrios, Deacon Brendan Basil Parlett, and Deacon Jessiah S. Rojas. (Catholic Standard photo by Mihoko Owada)
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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is home to more than 655,000 Catholics, 140 parishes and 90 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.