Fr Zachary Boazman In the second known instance in the United States, a man who believed himself to be a validly baptised Catholic and ordained priest had to “re-receive” all of his sacraments, including ordination, after discovering that his baptism was invalid.
Fr Zachary Boazman, a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, thought he was validly ordained in 2019. But in August, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a doctrinal note, reminding Catholics that baptisms are not valid if the minister of the baptism changed the words, or formula, of the baptism from “I baptise you” to “we baptise you.”
Fr Boazman, who was baptised in another diocese in 1992, reviewed a videotape of his baptism after the announcement from the Vatican and discovered that the deacon ministering his baptism had used the invalid “we baptise you.”
Heartbreaking
Within days of Fr Boazman’s discovery, he was validly baptised Catholic and validly ordained as a priest.
“This has been a heart-breaking experience for Fr Zak, but one that he handled with grace and patience,” Archbishop Paul Coakley said in a letter.
“I am certain this past week, as unsettling as it was, will further strengthen Father Zak’s resolve to serve God’s people and develop an even deeper appreciation for the gift of the priesthood.”