By Brianna Dauby • Posted December 4, 2025

The flamboyant sounds of an angelic choir singing the joyful music of Mozart echoed throughout St. Francis Xavier Church in Philadelphia Nov. 15 as Father Alexander Joseph Mosko was ordained a priest for the Philadelphia Oratory.

It was the first ordination to occur at the oratory in about 20 years and only the second in the 35 years since the Philadelphia Oratory was founded at St. Francis Xavier Parish in the city’s Fairmount section.

With a transitional deacon and a novice currently in the Oratory, last month’s ordination might be among several in coming years.

The first oratory was established in Rome by St. Philip Neri, who wanted the focus of the Oratory to be on prayer, the sacraments, and preaching.

St. Francis Xavier Parish, itself founded in 1839, welcomed the Philadelphia Oratory in 1990. After the oratory received papal approval in 2000, it became the seventh in the United States.

Each Oratory of St. Phillip Neri is named after its location, reflecting the mission of the Oratorian clergy and brothers who live in religious community to serve the needs of their immediate community.

Father Alexander Mosko lies prostrate before the altar during his ordination to the priesthood for the Philadelphia Oratory. (Merciful Love Photography)

One of the reasons that Father Mosko chose to join the Oratory — besides the call of the Holy Spirit — was because Oratorians are assigned permanently, and the priests do not move between different oratories.

Father Paul Convery, who has been with the oratory since its founding, reflected on the permanency of the oratory in regards to parish life.

“There is a sense of family that is present in this way,” he said.

Father Mosko also liked that oratories typically include groups of between four and 12 men that are meant to replicate family life.

“You are supposed to have a unique relationship with each member of the community,” he said.

The impact that the Philadelphia Oratory has on the community and parish life at St. Francis Xavier is evident in the way that so many parishioners were supportive and excited for this ordination.

“A lot of people were (at the ordination) that I did not know, but I knew that they were there because they knew Father Paul or Father George (Theirs),” a priest who also has been at the Oratory since its founding.

“That was very very special,” said Father Mosko, “to see them come out to support these two men who have given their lives, given the last almost 36 years of their lives to this parish, to this community.”

Father Mosko teaches a religion class at St. Francis Xavier School, and was pleased his students were excited to attend the ordination Mass.

“I’ve never seen kids so pumped to go to church,” he said. “They would come up to me at recess and say, ‘Brother Alex, Brother Alex, I am coming to church on Saturday to see you become a priest.’”

Since the ordination was occurring at St. Francis Xavier, the Oratory’s parish, this meant that lots of planning and scheduling had to take place to make sure that the ordination ceremony and first Mass ran smoothly.

In what could have been a stressful time, Father Mosko explained how “it was really, truly a grace-filled time in the weeks leading up with the support from the parishioners.”

“It was really indescribable looking out” to the church, he said, “because most of the ordination Mass, aside from the procession in, you are looking straight at the altar and then at a certain point you are presented; you turn around and see everyone.

“We had just under 300 people in the pews, so it was a huge crowd for us and that was truly overwhelming in the best possible way.”

Prior to his first Mass the next day, which also included all Mozart compositions, Father Mosko heard confessions for 50 minutes. In doing so, he realized the powerful grace in administering the sacrament of penance and reconciliation. As he concluded confessions and prepared for his first Mass, he felt an intense feeling of calm and readiness.

“I felt closeness with Christ that I hadn’t truly experienced in that same way before,” he said.

Personal touches added to the beauty of the Mass, including Father Mosko wearing the alb of his uncle, a priest. He also carried the candle from his baptism, and used a white linen towel that his father used at his own baptism. The post-communion hymn for the Mass was the same one sung at his parent’s wedding.

Gratitude is the word that Father Mosko uses to summarize his ordination day and first Mass — gratitude to God, to the parishioners, and the Philadelphia Oratory.