Jacob Bovee’s transitional diaconate ordination was May 17
By William Van de Planque | For On Mission
GREEN BAY, WI — The diaconate ordination Mass of Jacob Bovee — the first seminarian ordained after completing the Kairos Year of formation — took place at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The inaugural Kairos Year, the propaedeutic or preliminary year of formation before seminary, began in the fall of 2020 at the Holy Name of Jesus House of Formation in Green Bay. It was completed by Deacon Bovee and Nicholas Vande Hey, who will be ordained a transitional deacon in October, and every seminarian of the Diocese of Green Bay after them has completed this stage of formation.
“That’s a pretty profound mark, that over these years… now, everyone has gone through that stage of formation,” said Fr. Mark Mleziva, who will be concluding, in July, his time as vocation director for the diocese, a role in which he has served for the past eight years.
After the Mass, Fr. Mleziva offered a special thank you to Fr. Adam Bradley, the current pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Green Bay, who was the first director of the Kairos Year and the formator of Deacon Bovee.
Bishop David Ricken welcomed home the seminarians of the Diocese of Green Bay who traveled from Saint Francis de Sales Seminary and Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in the Milwaukee area, Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota, and Saint John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Visiting priests and deacons from other dioceses were also present at the ordination, including Fr. Gregory Ihm, Deacon Bovee’s uncle, who serves as a parochial administrator for seven churches in the Diocese of Madison. Priests from the seminaries where Deacon Bovee studied concelebrated the Mass, including Fr. Stephen Huffstetter, SCJ, president and rector of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology.
Deacon Bovee’s family and friends gathered in a special way to support him in this major step toward his priestly ordination, which will take place next year.
“Jon and Laura, parents of Jacob, thank you for the gift of your son to the church and for cooperating so beautifully with his formation and his preparation all these years,” Bishop Ricken said. “We’re so grateful to you.”
Deacon Bovee will serve at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Green Bay this summer.
“As a deacon, Jacob is looking forward to proclaiming the Gospel at Mass,” Bishop Ricken said.
In his homily, Bishop Ricken pointed to the diaconate of St. Francis of Assisi as a model for the way that deacons should live out their vocation, specifically focusing on two areas of diaconal life, preaching and pastoral charity.
“(St. Francis’) preaching came out of his own suffering and from a deep union with God,” he said. “He was also constantly reaching out to the poor and the marginalized.”
Deacon David DeYoung, who has served at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Greenville, Deacon Bovee’s home parish, for nearly 14 years, vested the newly ordained with the deacon stole and outer vestment called the dalmatic.
To see more photos of the ordination, visit onmiss.io/boveediaconatephotos.
For more information about vocations in the Diocese of Green Bay, visit gbvocations.org.