Here’s something you don’t see every day: a diocese ordaining identical twins to the priesthood:

Fathers Joel and Ben Sember, 27, were ordained June 30 by Bishop David A. Zubik at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay. Father Andrew Kysely was ordained with them.

To mark the occasion, Bishop Zubik used artifacts from previous bishops of Green Bay, including the crosier of Bishop Joseph Melcher, Green Bay’s first bishop, who served from the founding of the diocese on Dec. 3, 1868, to his death in 1873.

The two oldest sons of James and Marion Sember of Burlington, who are identical twins, recently completed three years of training at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Father Ben will return there this fall for studies in canon law. For the summer, he will serve at the diocesan marriage tribunal and help at three local parishes.

Father Joel will immediately begin parish work, serving as associate pastor at two parishes. He also will work in campus ministry at the Newman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

“Rome,” he said. “is an experience, both in terms of culture and faith, but I really am looking forward to doing pastoral ministry.”

The priesthood was not in the picture for them at the start. The twins were not raised in the Catholic faith and attended several churches in their youth. Their father had been raised Catholic, but was not practicing; their mother had been a Presbyterian.

So how did a couple non-Catholic twin boys from Wisconsin end up being ordained priests? Read the article for more.

And ponder anew what the Almighty can do.

Photo: Catholic News Service/The Compass