January 9, 2026 // Diocese

Local Deacon Chants Gospel on Epiphany at St. Peter’s

Todays Catholic

Deacon Patrick Ernst, a seminarian of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend who is studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, was chosen to chant the Gospel reading during Mass on Tuesday, January 6, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, at St. Peter’s Basilica. The day also marked the closing of the worldwide Jubilee Year of Hope. Deacon Ernst, who was ordained a deacon at St. Peter’s in October, chanted the day’s Gospel reading from Matthew in Latin, which recounted the story of the Magi who visited the Christ Child in Bethlehem.

Screenshots via Vatican Media/YouTube