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Ryan Winger To Be Ordained To Transitional Diaconate
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May 5, 2023Amarillo—Ryan Winger, a seminarian for the Diocese of Amarillo, will be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek during a 10:00am Mass Saturday, June 3 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1200 South Washington.
The Ordination Mass is open to the public and the Faithful are encouraged to attend and show their support for Winger and for vocations in the Diocese of Amarillo. The Mass will be broadcast on St. Valentine Catholic Radio, at 1010AM throughout the diocese; 94.5FM in the Amarillo/Canyon metro area and online at kdjw.org, beginning at 9:50am.
The Mass will also be livestreamed on the St. Mary’s Cathedral website, stmarysamarillo.com.
A native of Gruver, Ryan Winger was born to Davin and Teague Winger on Aug. 15, 1986. He is the oldest of three children, with a younger brother, Reid and a sister, Leigh Anne. Winger graduated from Texas Tech University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. After graduation, he went to work for North Plains Chemical in Gruver for three years. He later became a teacher and worked at Spearman Junior High, teaching seventh-grade Texas History and Math for five years.
"It was during these years of teaching that I began to grow in my Faith and truly consider a vocation to the priesthood,” Winger said. “Father Gregory Bunyan, my priest at the time, and Father Jim Schmitmeyer were especially encouraging in helping me understand the peace-centered life of loving Christ through the vocation of the priesthood.”
Winger saw this beauty for a priestly vocation in his life and contacted Father Gabriel E. Garcia, Vocation Director for the Diocese of Amarillo, to begin the discernment process and apply to be a seminarian. Winger applied to the Diocese of Amarillo in the summer of 2018 and attended St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana the following fall. He completed his Masters in Catholic Philosophical Studies in 2020. Winger has continued his theology studies at St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana and is scheduled to graduate in May 2024.
For additional information about vocations in the Diocese of Amarillo, please call Father Garcia at St. Joseph’s Church, Amarillo, at 806-355-5621.
