Congratulations Father LaBranch
"You are a Priest forever in the line of Melchizedek"
(Psalm 110:4)
by Sir Knight Chris Ward.
By the time you read this, fellow Knights and parishioners, Deacon Derek LaBranch, will have been elevated to the Priesthood here in the Diocese of Sacramento. I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down with him for a few moments during this busy time leading up to his ordination after he had just returned from a week long retreat with Father Groeschel in New York.
Derek's story goes back about 28 years ago when mom, Cecilia, was working at the California Youth Authority and Father McSweeney blessed him while still in the womb. Growing up in Fair Oaks, he attended Earl Legette, Andrew Carnegie, and matriculated at Mira Loma high school. Derek knew that he had wanted to be a priest as early as age 12, particularly influenced by Father Doheny and Father McSweeney. To that end, Father LaBranch attended Mt.Angel Seminary College in Oregon, graduating with a B.A. in philosophy in 2001. During that time, he joined the Knights of Columbus, becoming a Third Degree member in 1998 and taking the Fourth Degree on August 19, 2001.
Taking a two year leave of absence from the seminary, Derek received a Masters in Teaching Education from the University of San Francisco. He also put his education to practical use as a substitute teacher with the Diocese of Sacramento School Department, primarily working at St. Lawrence School in North Highlands and St. Ignatius in Sacramento. Education is very important to him and he enjoys teaching on many levels. He especially enjoyed the time (seven years) that he worked at Camp Pendola and assisting Delight Hart with the C.C.D. program at St. Mel's.
When he returned to Priestly Formation in 2002, he was assigned to residency at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas and continued his academic work at the Oblate School of Theology. He then moved on to his Pastoral Year at St. Theresa Parish in South Lake Tahoe. During that year when delivering reflections (a seminarians sermon) he would often pass out evaluations to the parishioners for their input as to how well he did. He told me how he would perhaps get 25 responses and 24 would be good, but he would focus on that 25th one, many times over the next week, trying to improve. Father admits that he strives for perfection and that shows today as I have had several parishioners here at St. Mel's express how much they enjoyed his sermons.
Father LaBranch was ordained a Deacon by Auxiliary Bishop Richard Garcia at the Cathedral on May 29, 2006. Also, a half of a month later he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a Chaplain Candidate, sworn in by his father (and fellow Knight) David LaBranch, a Chief Warrant Officer 4 in the U.S. Army. Derek completed his graduation from the Oblate School of Theology in May 2007 with a Master of Divinity Degree and a Masters Degree in Theology.
What does the immediate future hold? After ordination on June 29th at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, and celebration of his first Mass at St. Mel's on July 1st at the 4:30PM Mass, Father LaBranch will be on military duty in the Denver, Colorado area for a month. Afterwards, he will return to the area and on August 19th will take up his position as the Parochial Vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish in Folsom. Father Haran (the pastor), was looking for a young, energetic, self starter of a priest to help serve the 4,000 families of his Parish, and Bishop Wiegend agreed that Father LaBranch would fit the bill.
Father LaBranch would especially like to thank the Knights of Columbus, Fair Oaks Council # 6066 and Centennial Assembly # 1903 for all of their prayers and financial support over the years to help him reach this point. He has great admiration for our vocation. That will always be one of his goals to help people recognize their own individual vocations and holiness.
Father LaBranch wants to emphasize that he is a servant to the people of the world and that he is not being ordained for himself alone. His challenge, as he sees it, is to meet the people where they are, and show them that God loves them.
Please congratulate Father Derek LaBranch and his family when you see them and continue to keep him in your prayers as he takes on the challenge of the priesthood.