With joy and thanksgiving, the Congregation of Holy Cross celebrated the final profession of vows of four men in formation on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame.
Rev. William M. Lies, C.S.C., provincial superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, presided at the Mass and received the vows of Rev. Mr. Andrew Fritz, C.S.C., Br. James Henke, C.S.C., and Br. James Walters, C.S.C. He was joined by the provincial superior of the Moreau Province, Br. Thomas Dziekan, C.S.C., who received the vows of Rev. Mr. John Sebastian Gutierrez, C.S.C.
Deacon Andrew Fritz, C.S.C. and Deacon John Sebastian Gutierrez, C.S.C., were ordained to the Order of the Deacon on Sunday, August 28, 2022, in the Moreau Seminary Chapel by Bishop William A. Wack, C.S.C.
According to the Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the four men profess perpetual vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. For the past several years, they have been in a period of temporary vows, which they renewed annually. On August 27, they committed their lives and work to the communal life and ministry of Holy Cross.
Deacon Andrew Fritz was born in Columbia, Maryland, the second of four children of David and Peggy Fritz. His home parish is St. Louis Catholic Church in Clarksville, Maryland. He enrolled at the University of Notre Dame in 2012 and began his formation with Holy Cross that same year as a member of the Old College Undergraduate Seminary. During his time in Old College, he earned bachelor of arts degrees in anthropology and philosophy. He earned his Master of Divinity from Notre Dame in 2021.
While in Old College, Fritz visited priests at Holy Cross House; taught second-, third-, and fourth-grade religious education at two parishes in South Bend, Indiana; and served the poor and homeless with organizations including Open House in London, England, Catholic Worker’s Our Lady of the Road in South Bend, and My Brother’s Keeper at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. While at the Holy Cross Novitiate in Cascade, Colorado, from 2016-2017, Fritz served as the spiritual care chaplain at Penrose-St. Francis Hospitals, volunteered at Marian House (Catholic Charities) and Namaste Alzheimer Center, assisted at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Holy Rosary parishes in Manitou Springs and Cascade, and made communion visits to the homebound at Center at Centennial. He also assisted at St. Ignatius Martyr Parish in Austin, Texas, during the winter of 2017. From 2017-2018, he volunteered at the Women’s Care Center in South Bend and Mishawaka, Indiana; over the summer of 2018, he worked with the André House of Hospitality in Phoenix, Arizona. He conducted the RCIA program at the University of Notre Dame from 2018-2019. He spent the summer of 2019 in the International Summer Immersion at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Srimangal, Bangladesh. He taught marriage preparation for couples at St. Pius X Parish in Granger, Indiana, from 2019-2020, then served as the associate director of Old College from 2020-2021. From 2021-2022, he completed his pastoral year at St. John Vianney Parish in Goodyear, Arizona. He continues at St. John Vianney Parish serving as a deacon.
Deacon John Sebastian Gutierrez, born in San Antonio, Texas, is the oldest of two children of Patricia Sanchez. His home parish is Prince of Peace Catholic Church in San Antonio. He attended the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, earning a degree in communication arts with a concentration in production in 2015. He received his Master of Divinity from Notre Dame in 2022.
Gutierrez began his formation ministry as a volunteer at Dujarié House and Quinn Memory Center at Holy Cross Village and served as a mission team leader for Holy Cross College’s Campus Ministry from 2015-2016. During the summer of 2016, he assisted at Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties in Catskill, New York, and Hudson, New York. During 2016-2017 he spent his novitiate year serving in Colorado Springs, Colorado as a chaplain at Penrose-St. Francis hospitals, as a volunteer at the Namaste Alzheimer Center, and as a volunteer at Catholic Charities Marian House. He then spent the winter of 2017 ministering at St. John Vianney Parish and School in Phoenix, Arizona, followed by a second year at Holy Cross College Campus Ministry as a mission team leader. From 2018-2019, he assisted at Our Lady of the Road Drop-in Center and St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker Men’s and Women’s Houses of Hospitality. That summer, he served at Nuestra Señora Santisima de la Luz Parish in Monterrey, Mexico. He spent 2019-2020 teaching online theology courses in Spanish for the Camino program at Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. From 2020-2021, he worked with Notre Dame Campus Ministry’s Multicultural Ministry. Most recently, he served as an assistant hall director at Holy Cross College. Following his final vows, Gutierrez will spend his diaconate year assigned to St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church in Austin, Texas.
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Br. Jimmy Henke is the oldest of three children of Robert and Ellen Henke. Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic Church in Greenwood, Indiana, is his home parish. He enrolled at Notre Dame in 2012 and began his formation with Holy Cross by joining Old College in 2014. He graduated in 2016 after earning a bachelor of arts in philosophy/theology. He received his Master of Divinity from Notre Dame in 2021.
Henke’s first ministry placement was as a CCD catechist at St. Joseph Parish in South Bend, Indiana, from 2014-2015, followed by a year working with Hope Ministries in South Bend. He spent the summer of 2016 at Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Oregon, then spent 2016-2017 assisting Notre Dame’s Campus Ministry with Bible studies and volunteering at André House in Phoenix, Arizona. During his novitiate year in Cascade, Colorado, he served as a hospital chaplain and volunteered with Catholic Charities in Colorado Springs. In January of 2018, he worked with King’s College Campus Ministry in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, then served as basketball chaplain at Holy Cross College (2018-2019). He spent the summer of 2019 ministering in Bangladesh, then returned to teach the Common Goods Seminar and Practicum at Holy Cross College (2019-2020). During the summer of 2020, Henke was a teaching assistant serving high schoolers who attended the Vocations Office’s Summer Seminary Immersion Program (SSIP) at Notre Dame. He then served as the club president of Notre Dame’s Catholic Peace Fellowship (2020-2021). He spent 2021-2022 as a pastoral assistant at St. Joseph the Worker parish in Bangladesh. Following final vows, Henke begins his apostolate as a brother working with King’s College’s campus ministry. He is also a volunteer at the Shoval Center, the college’s service-engagement center.
Br. James Walters was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, as the only child of Rodney and Lisa Walters. His home parish is Holy Angels in Sidney, Ohio. He earned his bachelor’s in theology from Holy Cross College from 2013-2017 and began his formation with Holy Cross as a member of Old College in 2014. He earned his Master’s of Divinity from the University of Notre Dame in 2021.
During Walters’ time in Old College, he served as a catechist at Notre Dame’s Sacred Heart Parish from 2014-2015, interned at the Logan Center in South Bend in 2015, and wrapped up that year teaching English at St. Joseph’s Hill Secondary School in Kyarusozi, Uganda. During 2016 he volunteered at St. Patrick’s Parish in London, UK, served as an RCIC instructor, ministered to the homebound at Christ the King Parish in South Bend (2016-2017), and interned at Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Oregon. During his novitiate year, he served as a chaplain intern at Penrose and St. Francis Hospitals in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as interning at Holy Rosary Chapel and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Cascade and Manitou Springs, Colorado. Walters assisted the University of Portland’s Campus Ministry during the winter of 2018, then worked as a chaplain intern at Elkhart General Hospital in Elkhart, Indiana. He interned at André House in Phoenix, Arizona for the summers of 2019 and 2020, in between which he interned with the Catholic Peace Fellowship in South Bend. He served as a sacristan coordinator at Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart from 2020-2021. For the last year, he has worked as the campus minister for retreats and faith formation, as the assistant athletics chaplain, and as a pastoral resident at Stonehill College. He continues to serve as the campus minister for Retreats and Faith Formation at Stonehill College.
