Answering the Call - 2022 Vocations

June 24, 2022

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org

Answering the call Respondiendo el llamado 10-13B ANNIVERSARIES

HEARTS AND SOULS

‘YES, JESUS’

‘MINISTRY OF PRESENCE’

Our 2022 jubilarians

Two priests reflect on their ministry 22-23B

The joyful witness of Sister Zeny Mofada 25B

Airport chaplains a source of peace

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

New priests Father Aaron Huber (left) and Father Darren Balkey flank Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, after their ordination Mass on June 18.

PHOTOS BY JAMES SARKIS AND AMY BURGER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Huber, Balkey ordained to the priesthood KIMBERLY BENDER CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

About the cover This year’s Vocations cover features the Diocese of Charlotte’s two newest priests: Father Darren Balkey and Father Aaron Huber.

Balkey is the second priest of the diocese to also serve as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy. Father Aaron Huber is the first graduate of St. Joseph College Seminary to be ordained for the diocese.

— Catholic News Herald

HUNTERSVILLE — “Your contribution will be priceless,” Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio told the two newest priests of the Diocese of the Charlotte, explaining all the ways they and their brother priests can nourish their communities.

Darren Balkey and Aaron Huber were ordained priests for the Charlotte diocese during a special two-hour Mass at St. Mark Church June 18.

Archbishop Broglio, who leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, celebrated Mass as Bishop Peter Jugis remains ill after recently contracting a series of non-coronavirus related viruses. He is working with his physicians to address a few lingering symptoms and expects to make a full recovery.

Bishop Jugis led a Holy Hour and Prayer Vigil at St. Patrick Cathedral for the two men Friday night, on the eve of their ordination.

Archbishop Broglio was already in town to concelebrate the ordination Mass because Father Balkey also has a commission as a military chaplain in the U.S. Navy with the rank of ensign. Father Balkey will be assigned to priestly ministry for three years in the Charlotte diocese, then he will be eligible for active-duty service as a U.S. Navy chaplain.

“It is fortuitous that Archbishop Broglio was here to celebrate with us today,” Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, told the congregation before the ordination liturgy began.

Archbishop Broglio said he has ordained many clergy, but these two men – Father Balkey and Father Huber – are only the fifth and sixth diocesan priests he has ordained so far in his episcopal ministry. He told the new priests that they would have many responsibilities and challenges during their priestly ministry, “but boredom will never be one of” them.

“Today we celebrate an amazing action by the Holy Spirit that will change Darren Balkey and Aaron Huber once and for all, and set them apart … for the mission given them by Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Broglio said during his homily. “We expect them to ignite a blaze of New Evangelization as they are ordained on the vigil of the opening of the Eucharistic Revival in our country.”

The National Eucharistic Revival, launched on June 19, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, has a mission to “renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist,” as stated on the initiative’s website. Sponsored by the U.S. bishops, it aims to inspire people to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist.

God gives the grace to respond and ignite, Archbishop Broglio continued, and God gives the grace to speak the truth.

“The truth is so important in our world today. You are charged to make sure that your brothers and sisters who will be entrusted to your pastoral care hear that message of truth among the many other voices that distract us in the world today.”

Archbishop Broglio said, “It will be your privilege to be Jesus Christ for men and women hungering for His saving touch and participating in His life of grace. You will leave this church this morning new men – changed and empowered. There is no doubt your ministry is essential and needed in today’s world.”

At the end of Mass, the newly ordained priests’ first assignments were announced by Monsignor Winslow: Father Balkey will serve as parochial vicar at St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, and Father Huber will serve as parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

— Catholic News Agency contributed.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See video highlights and more photos from the ordination Mass for Father Darren Balkey and Father Aaron Huber

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Huber y Balkey ordenados al sacerdocio KIMBERLY BENDER CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Above) During the ordination rite, Archbishop Broglio asks the men a series of questions to express their willingness to be ordained priests and fulfill the responsibilities that come with priestly ministry. Then, one at a time, the men approach the archbishop, placing their hands in his to signify obedience to the Church. The Litany of Supplication follows, during which the men lay prostrate before the altar as Archbishop Broglio and everyone gathered at the Mass kneels in prayer and the Litany of the Saints is chanted.

(Left) Deacon Christopher Brock approaches the ambo to proclaim the Gospel during the Liturgy of the Word. He himself was ordained to the diaconate just two weeks prior at St. Mark Church.

(Far left) The two ordinands stand before the altar at the start of the ordination rite.

HUNTERSVILLE — “Su contribución no tendrá precio”, dijo el Arzobispo Timothy P. Broglio a los nuevos sacerdotes de la Diócesis de Charlotte, explicando todas las formas en que ellos y sus hermanos sacerdotes pueden nutrir a sus comunidades”.

Darren Balkey y Aaron Huber fueron ordenados sacerdotes para la Diócesis de Charlotte el 18 de junio, durante una Misa especial de dos horas de duración.

El Arzobispo Broglio, quien dirige la Arquidiócesis de los Servicios Militares de Estados Unidos, celebró la Misa debido a que el Obispo Peter Jugis no se sentía bien. El Obispo Jugis continúa sintiéndose enfermo después de contraer recientemente una serie de virus no relacionados con el COVID-19. Está en tratamiento médico para abordar algunos síntomas persistentes y espera recuperarse pronto por completo. ​​El Obispo Jugis condujo una Hora Santa y Vigilia de oración en la Catedral San Patricio para los dos hombres el viernes por la noche, en la víspera de su ordenación.

El Arzobispo Broglio ya se encontraba en la ciudad para concelebrar la Misa de ordenación, ya que el Padre Balkey también tiene una comisión como capellán militar en la Marina de Estados Unidos con el rango de alférez. Será asignado al ministerio sacerdotal durante tres años en la diócesis de Charlotte, y luego será elegible para el servicio activo como capellán de la Marina de Estados Unidos.

“Somos muy afortunados de que el Arzobispo Broglio estuviera aquí para celebrar con nosotros hoy”, dijo a la congregación Monseñor Patrick Winslow, vicario general y canciller de la diócesis, antes de que comenzara la liturgia.

El Arzobispo Broglio dijo que ha ordenado a muchos religiosos, pero estos dos hombres, el Padre Balkey y el Padre Huber, son solo el quinto y sexto sacerdote diocesano que ha ordenado hasta ahora en su ministerio episcopal. Les dijo a los nuevos sacerdotes que tendrían muchas responsabilidades y retos durante su ministerio sacerdotal, “pero el aburrimiento nunca será uno de sus desafíos”.

“Hoy celebramos una acción asombrosa del Espíritu Santo que cambiará a Darren Balkey y Aaron Huber de una vez por todas y los apartará para la misión que les dio Jesucristo”, dijo el Arzobispo Broglio durante su homilía. “Esperamos que aviven la llama de una nueva evangelización puesto que son ordenados en la vigilia de apertura del Avivamiento Eucarístico en nuestro país”.

Dios da la gracia para responder y avivar, continuó, y Dios da la gracia para decir la verdad.

“La verdad es muy importante en nuestro mundo de hoy. Están encargados de asegurarse que sus hermanos y hermanas que serán confiados a su cuidado pastoral escuchen ese mensaje de verdad entre las muchas otras voces que nos distraen en el mundo de hoy”.

“Será su privilegio ser Jesucristo para los hombres y mujeres hambrientos de su toque salvador y participar en su vida de gracia”, dijo el Arzobispo Broglio. “Saldrán de esta iglesia esta mañana como hombres nuevos, cambiados y empoderados. No hay duda que su ministerio es esencial y necesario en el mundo de hoy”.

Al final de la Misa, Monseñor Winslow anunció las primeras asignaciones de los sacerdotes recién ordenados. El Padre Balkey servirá como vicario parroquial en la Iglesia San Leo el Grande en Winston-Salem, y el Padre Huber servirá como vicario parroquial en la Iglesia San Marcos en Huntersville.

Más online En www.catholicnewsherald.com: Vea videos destacados y más fotos de las ordenaciones del Padre Darren Balkey y el Padre Aaron Huber

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

It is a tradition for the ordinands’ mothers to receive a corsage before their son’s ordination Mass.

Pinning the corsage on Sheryl Balkey and Tamara Huber is Lainie Lord of the diocesan Vocations Office.

During the most solemn moment of the ordination rite, the ordinands approach the archbishop, who lays his hands on their heads and prays silently for the Holy Spirit to descend upon them. Other priests at the Mass follow suit in a sign of priestly fraternity and unity. (Below) Father Matthew Kauth, rector of St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly, and Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey – two men who guided and inspired the new priests – lay their hands on the ordinands’ heads.

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Archbishop Broglio gives the Sign of Peace to newly vested Father Aaron Huber.

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Archbishop Broglio anoints the hands of Father Balkey with sacred chrism and then wraps them in a cloth called a maniturgium. The priest then uses it to cleanse his hands. According to tradition, a new priest gives the cloth to his mother at his first Mass of Thanksgiving. After she dies, she is buried holding the maniturgium so that on the day of judgment she can present it to Christ the Lord and say, “My son too shared in your priesthood.”

The archbishop presents the newly vested priests with symbols of their priesthood: a chalice containing the wine, mixed with water, and the paten holding the bread. These are the sacred vessels used at each Mass to hold the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

During the vesting portion of the ordination rite, the men are vested by people who played meaningful roles in their journey to the priesthood. Father Balkey is vested by Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, and Father Huber is vested by Father Matthew Buettner, spiritual director of St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly.

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Above) The parents of the two new priests present the gifts to Archbishop Broglio.

(Left) Father Balkey and Father Huber stand with Archbishop Broglio during the start of the Eucharistic Prayer.

(Right) The archbishop elevates the consecrated Host during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Pictured with him are the two new priests and Father Christopher Gober.

(Far right) Father Huber kneels in reverence before receiving Holy Communion.

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

30th Anniversary of Priesthood The parishioners and the Knights of Columbus at Immaculate Conception wish to congratulate our pastor, Father Herbert Burke, on his 30th Anniversary of Ordination on June 6, 2022. We are grateful for the many hours that Fr. Burke and the artist, Lisa Autry, contributed toward designing and installing the artwork which is displayed throughout the church. We thank you for your many years of service to our parish. Your artwork and the church will always be a part of your legacy here at Forest City.

Stairway to Heaven Mural located in the Narthex

Father is Dedicated to spreading devotion to the rosary: “There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the holy rosary.”

– Servant of God Sister Lucia of Fatima Theophany of the Passion Mural located above the altar

June 6, 1992 Ordination at St. Matthew Cathedral Washington DC

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The new priests give their first blessings to Archbishop Broglio before the Mass concludes. After Mass, they give first blessings to their parents, then to wellwishers.

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

The new priests give first blessings to family and friends after their ordination Mass, using the kneelers they received as gifts from the Mary’s Sons apostolate. Learn more about this group that supports and prays for priest vocations online at www.maryssons.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 10B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Meet our new priests Father Darren Balkey Home parish: Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury Birthplace: State College, Pa. Birthday: March 1, 1992 Balkey

Raised in: State College, Pa.

Family: Parents Steven and Sheryl Balkey; siblings Matthew and Seth College: Belmont Abbey College Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Pre-Theology: Pontifical College Josephinum Theology: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte; St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte; St. John the Evangelist Church, Waynesville; and Queen of the Apostles Church, Belmont Interests/hobbies: Any sort of outdoor adventure – hiking, swimming, biking, climbing, paddling, etc. Also enjoys playing the trumpet and working with his hands in the woods or in a shop.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Aaron Huber

Answering the call

Home parish: St. John the Evangelist Church, Waynesville Birthplace: Mount Pleasant, S.C. Birthday: July 8, 1996 Raised in: Cruso, N.C.

Newly ordained Fathers Aaron Huber and Darren Balkey embark on priestly ministry

Family: Parents Eric and Tamara Huber; siblings Eric Jr., Joshua, Jessica, Sarah, Maria, Isaac, Noah and Benjamin Huber

College: St. Joseph College Seminary Degree: Bachelor of Philosophy, Belmont Abbey College Theology: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio Summer assignments in the diocese: Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury; Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro; St. Elizabeth Church, Boone; St. Mark Church, Huntersville; and St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte Interests/hobbies: Skateboarding, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, reading literature, chess and piano

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD STAFF

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eyond the Roman collars they wear, Aaron Huber and Darren Balkey share strikingly similar backgrounds.

Both have been active Catholics since they were kids. Both graduated from Belmont Abbey College. Both dated and considered marriage and a family. And on Saturday, both were ordained, called to serve God as priests.

The two men heard a similar call to the priesthood, yet their paths to ordination day unfolded in unique ways and have inspired them to different ministries.

COLLEGE SEMINARY’S ‘FIRST FRUITS’

Father Huber is the first priest ordained for the diocese who came through its St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly. He was among the first group of men to be accepted into the seminary program when it began in 2016.

The college seminary nurtures local vocations among the parishes and families in the diocese, close to home. Graduates go on to major seminaries out of state to complete their priestly formation, then return for ordination to serve in the diocese’s growing parishes.

At 25, Huber embodies how the college seminary will boost priestly vocations for the diocese – a high priority for Bishop Peter Jugis. In five years since its founding, dozens of young men discerning the priesthood have attended the college seminary program, which in 2020 opened a permanent home in Mount Holly.

“The program is a testament to the work and focus of the bishop and the priests involved,” Huber says. “Their perseverance and devotion to God’s will have really paid off, and we are just beginning to see the first fruits.”

The support of parishioners, he says, also was critical: “I think

parishioners are pleased to know their kids will have priests that are being formed right here in the diocese. They know they had a role in forming their priests through their support of the program… It’s a unifying force.”

Being part of the nascent program, Huber says he and the seven other seminarians became “just like a family, a brotherhood.”

“We’ve got a good mix of people from different cultures and backgrounds. We’re all very different, but we are united by one thing: Serving our Lord and aspiring to be His instrument in the world.”

FAITH LAID A FIRM FOUNDATION

The college seminary wasn’t the first influence on Huber’s vocation.

His Catholic faith was ingrained from his earliest memories of growing up in a large family – he’s the third of nine children – attending Mass, going to confession, altar serving, and living the faith with his family at home. Their parish, St. John the Evangelist in Waynesville, is small with a couple hundred families so everyone was expected to pitch in at church.

“That consistent witness was really helpful in my vocation, because it became a foundation which to this day I greatly

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appreciate,” he says.

Huber also participated in the Diocesan Youth Advisory Council as a teen, and on one of its retreats, he felt the call of the Lord more profoundly. “Youth ministry with my peers was something that helped me with discernment and led me to where I am now,” he says.

When Huber went to Belmont Abbey College, he briefly dated a fellow student he had met back in high school. Like most other young men, he assumed one day he would be married and have a family.

“I was clarifying things (in my life) at the time. I imagined that I would really love having a wife and children, as we are hardwired that way, to have a family. Yet you make the choice to give up some things to do what you are called to do – and really experience the joy of giving your life to the Lord,” he explains.

A VISIT WITH BISHOP JUGIS

Huber kept coming back to the idea of becoming a priest.

The concept had been planted in his mind as a child – and Huber distinctly remembers a visit with Bishop Jugis when he came to Huber’s Waynesville parish for confirmation, when Huber was about 12.

“He would come every year. He remembered our names and he talked about vocations. He gave us rosaries and asked that we pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life,” Huber recalls. “He said, ‘Pray that God will tell you your vocation.’”

Another moment came after he’d entered the college seminary program. At times, he found himself wondering about investing his talents and passion into other pursuits.

“Father Patrick Winslow said something that really stuck with me. He said, ‘Isn’t it wonderful that you are so capable, that you could do so many things with your life, and that God is calling you here? That this is where you will put all those talents to work?”

Now, the reality of being a priest means Huber can be more intimately connected to what he loves the most: “There’s one word for everything I love about the Catholic faith, and that’s the Eucharist.

Everything is tied into that. It is ‘the source and summit’ (of our faith) for a reason. It is God Himself. Everything in the Catholic faith is found there.”

NAVY CHAPLAIN AND PRIEST

Huber isn’t the only remarkable vocation this year. Balkey is only the second priest ordained for the diocese who will also serve as a chaplain for the U.S. Navy. (The first was Father Michael Klepacki, who became a chaplain in 1988 for the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard 10 years after his ordination.)

Balkey will serve here in the diocese for three years and then get an assignment through the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. “I’m looking forward to this period of mentorship and exposure to more experienced priests of the diocese,” says Balkey, 30. “This training period tells the military, ‘We have confidence he can succeed.’”

He will serve as a Navy chaplain for five years, then he can choose to continue serving, go into the Navy Reserve, or return to a parish assignment in the Charlotte diocese.

Why pull the “double duty” – serving the Church and the country?

Balkey says he has always wanted to be the kind of person who can be relied upon when times get tough.

“I have a heart for service,” he explains. “I really couldn’t separate my heart for service for my neighbor and my service for God.” From a young age, he was encouraged to be independent and have a broad range of experiences. He grew up in State College, Pa., in a Catholic family, the second of

three boys, and attended both public schools and homeschooling.

“It taught me to take initiative, to be a self-starter. It gave me a lot of training in looking for opportunities to learn.”

‘THE PRIEST IS HERE’

After graduating from Belmont Abbey College, Balkey worked for a couple of years to pay off student loans by working with troubled youth at a wilderness camp.

Even before he could really see it within himself, the campers saw he had a vocation.

“They did ask me there if I was going to be a priest,” he recalls. “They had reached the conclusion even before I was aware of it. I had a sense it might happen, but I didn’t have a when or a how.”

Service called to him – but at first it was volunteering with the Locke Township Volunteer Fire Department in Salisbury.

“Everybody loves a fire truck!” he says, laughing. “What was I looking for? I wanted a 24/7 community. I was looking for something that let me be the person people called. When you have a problem at 3 in the morning, who is going to show up? It was those people that appealed to me.”

Balkey says he loved the feeling he had riding in the fire truck. “The priest and the firefighter are the same in this regard – people have no idea of all the things that you do, but they know exactly what you do in certain circumstances. When you show up in uniform, they trust you to do it right: ‘Solve my problem. Fix my life.’

“You show up in firefighting gear, people say, ‘Oh, the fire department is here.’ You show up in a black shirt and white collar, they say, ‘The priest is here. Let’s let him do his work.’”

Like Huber, Balkey was an altar server, even into his college days. He was impressed by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey, whose charism is prayer and work, “ora et labora.”

“When I got to college and I was around the monks praying and interacting with students, I recognized, ‘Wow, this is guy doing this full-time.’ Their beliefs and convictions are their livelihood.”

He realized that life as a priest could be an option for him, too.

“I had been thinking I could be a Catholic in the military or I could be a priest,” he says. “Eventually I realized I could do both.

There’s a natural match there. And you know you have found what you are meant to do when you don’t have to ask why.”

“There are a lot of other things I could have studied, done or pursued, and they’d be great for what they are, but they don’t touch many areas of my life. It’s just a field that you go into. The Catholic faith is about the whole person and the whole of our lives, and I love that connection.”

LOOKING FORWARD

Both Huber and Balkey are excited about what God has in store for them.

Says Huber, “One of the things I am most looking forward to is simply being a priest” – offering the sacraments, hearing confessions and being an instrument in the hands of God. “Having that configuration to Christ the High Priest, and then my life becoming a sacrifice... Not simply when I am offering the Mass am I laying down my life, but every day through my configuration through Christ the High Priest – my whole life becomes a sacrifice. I realize that who I am has changed, and it has changed forever.”

Adds Balkey, “We are trying to save souls here. I will do anything I can to get you there.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: In two exclusive interviews, our newest priests talk about their vocation and what being a priest for the Diocese of Charlotte means to them

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Prayerful best wishes on the occasion of your ordination to the Holy Priesthood.

Fr. Darren Balkey

Fr. Aaron Huber

“If some of you hear the call to follow Christ more closely, to dedicate your entire heart to Him, like the Apostles John and Paul...

be generous, do not be afraid, ...because you have nothing to fear when the prize that you await is God Himself, for Whom, sometimes without ever knowing it, all young people are searching.”

- Saint John Paul II

Office of Vocations Diocese of Charlotte Father Christopher Gober Director of Vocations

(704) 370-3353 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203-4003 vocationsmail@rcdoc.org

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Conoce a nuestros nuevos sacerdotes Padre Darren Balkey Parroquia: Sagrado Corazón, Salisbury.

Lugar de nacimiento: State College, Pa. Fecha de nacimiento: 1 de marzo de 1992.

Criado en: State College, Pa. Balkey

Familia: Padres Steven y Sheryl Balkey; hermanos Matthew y

Seth.

Universidad: Belmont Abbey College.

Grado: Bachiller en Artes, Justicia Criminal.

Pre-Teología- Universidad Pontificia Josephinum.

Teología: Seminario Mount St. Mary, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Asignaciones de verano: Iglesia Santo Tomás de Aquino, Charlotte; Catedral San Patricio, Charlotte; Iglesia San Juan Evangelista, Waynesville; e Iglesia Reina de los Apóstoles, Belmont.

Intereses/hobbies: Deportes de aventura como hiking, natación, ciclismo, escalada, canotaje, etc. Disfruta tocar trompeta y el trabajo manual con madera.

Padre Aaron Huber Parroquia: Iglesia San Juan Evangelista, Waynesville.

Lugar de nacimiento: Mount Pleasant, S.C. Fecha de nacimiento: 8 de julio de 1996.

Criado en: Cruso, N.C. Huber

Familoia: Padre Eric y Tamara Huber; hermanos Eric Jr., Joshua, Jessica, Sara, María, Isaac, Noé y Benjamín.

Universidad: Seminario Universitario San José.

Grado: Bachiller en Filosofía, Belmont Abbey College.

Teología: Seminario Mount St. Mary, Cincinnati, Ohio.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Respondiendo el llamado Los recién ordenados sacerdotes Aaron Huber y Darren Balkey se embarcan en el ministerio sacerdotal

Asignaciones de verano: Iglesia Sagrado Corazón, Salisbury; Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Gracia, Greensboro; Iglesia Santa Elizabeth, Boone; Iglesia San Marcos, Huntersville; e Iglesia Santo Tomás de Aquino, Charlotte.

Intereses/hobbies: Skateboarding, baloncesto, frisbee, lectura, ajedrez y piano.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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ás allá de los cuellos clericales que usan, Aaron Huber y Darren Balkey comparten antecedentes muy similares.

Ambos han sido católicos activos desde que eran niños. Ambos se graduaron de Belmont Abbey College. Ambos alguna vez consideraron el matrimonio y tener una familia. Y el sábado ambos fueron ordenados, llamados a servir a Dios como sacerdotes.

Más allá de estas coincidencias, sus caminos hacia el día de la ordenación se desarrollaron de manera única y los han inspirado a diferentes ministerios.

‘PRIMEROS FRUTOS’ DEL SEMINARIO UNIVERSITARIO

El Padre Huber es el primer sacerdote ordenado para la diócesis que llegó a través del Seminario Universitario San José de la diócesis, ubicado en Mount Holly. Estuvo entre el primer grupo de hombres en ser aceptado en el programa del seminario cuando se inauguró en 2016.

El seminario universitario nutre las vocaciones locales entre las parroquias y familias de la diócesis, cerca a casa. Los graduados asisten a los seminarios mayores fuera del estado para completar su formación sacerdotal, luego regresan para su ordenación y servir en las crecientes parroquias de la diócesis.

A la edad de 25 años, Huber personifica cómo el seminario

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universitario impulsa las vocaciones sacerdotales para la diócesis, una prioridad para el Obispo Jugis. Desde su fundación hace cinco años, docenas de jóvenes que disciernen el sacerdocio han asistido al programa del seminario universitario, que en 2020 abrió un hogar permanente en Mount Holly.

“El programa es un testimonio del trabajo y el enfoque del obispo y los sacerdotes involucrados”, dice Huber. “Su perseverancia y devoción a Dios realmente han valido la pena, y apenas estamos comenzando a ver sus primeros frutos”.

El apoyo de los feligreses, dice, también fue crucial, “creo que a los feligreses les complace saber que sus hijos tendrán sacerdotes que se están formando aquí mismo en la diócesis. Ellos saben que tuvieron un papel en la formación de sus sacerdotes a través de su apoyo al programa… Es una fuerza unificadora”.

Siendo parte del naciente programa, Huber dice que él y otros siete seminaristas se convirtieron como en “una familia, una hermandad”.

“Tenemos una buena mezcla de personas de diferentes culturas y orígenes. Todos somos muy diferentes, pero algo nos une: servir al Señor y aspirar a ser Sus instrumentos en el mundo”.

LA FE PUSO UNA BASE SÓLIDA

El seminario universitario no fue la primera influencia en la vocación de Huber.

Su fe católica está arraigada desde sus primeros recuerdos de crecimiento en una familia numerosa: es el tercero de nueve hijos, asistía a Misa, se confesaba, servía en el altar y vivía la fe con su familia en casa. Su parroquia, San Juan Evangelista en Waynesville, es pequeña, con un par de cientos de familias, por lo que se esperaba que todos colaboraran en la iglesia.

“Ese testimonio constante fue de gran ayuda en mi vocación porque se convirtió en una base, lo que hasta el día de hoy aprecio mucho”, afirma.

Durante su adolescencia, Huber participó en el Consejo Asesor Juvenil Diocesano, y sintió más profundamente el llamado del Señor. “La pastoral juvenil con mis compañeros fue algo que me ayudó con el discernimiento y me llevó a donde estoy ahora”, dice.

Cuando Huber fue a Belmont Abbey College, salió brevemente con una compañera de estudios que había conocido en la escuela secundaria. Como la mayoría de los jóvenes, supuso que algún día se casaría y tendría una familia.

“Estaba aclarando cosas (en mi vida) en ese momento. Me imaginé que realmente me encantaría tener una esposa y un hijo, ya que estamos programados de esa manera, para tener una familia. Sin embargo, tomas la decisión de renunciar a algunas cosas para hacer lo que estás llamado a hacer, y realmente experimentas la alegría de dar tu vida al Señor”, explica.

UNA VISITA CON EL OBISPO JUGIS

Huber tenía la persistente idea de convertirse en sacerdote.

El concepto había sido plantado en su mente cuando era niño, y recuerda claramente una visita al Obispo Jugis cuando llegó a su parroquia en Waynesville para confirmarlo, cuando Huber tenía alrededor de 12 años. “Él venía todos los años. Recordó nuestros nombres y nos habló de vocaciones. Nos dio rosarios y pidió que rezáramos por las vocaciones al sacerdocio y a la vida religiosa”, recuerda Huber. “Él dijo: ‘Ora para que Dios te muestre tu vocación’”.

Otro momento llegó después de haber ingresado al programa del seminario universitario. A veces, se preguntaba si valdría la pena invertir su talento y pasión en otras actividades.

“El Padre Patrick Winslow dijo algo que realmente me quedó grabado. Él dijo: ‘¿No es maravilloso que seas tan capaz que puedas hacer tantas cosas con tu vida y que Dios te esté llamando aquí? ¿Que sea aquí donde pongas a trabajar todos esos talentos?

Ahora, la realidad de ser sacerdote significa que Huber puede estar más íntimamente conectado con lo que más ama: “Hay una palabra para todo lo que amo de la fe católica, y esa es la Eucaristía. Todo está ligado a eso. Es ‘la fuente y cumbre’ (de nuestra fe) por una razón. Es Dios mismo. Todo en la fe católica se encuentra allí”.

una comunidad 24/7. Estaba buscando algo que me permitiera ser la persona a la que la gente llama. Si tienes un problema a las 3 de la mañana, ¿quién llega? Fueron esas personas las que me atrajeron”.

Balkey dice que le encantó la sensación que tenía al viajar en el camión de bomberos.

“El sacerdote y el bombero son iguales en ese sentido: la gente no tiene idea de todo lo que haces, pero saben exactamente lo que haces en ciertas circunstancias. Cuando te presentas con el uniforme, confían en que lo harás bien: ‘Resuelve mi problema. Arregla mi vida’”.

“Te apareces con tu equipo de bombero y la gente dice, ‘el departamento de bomberos está aquí’. Te apareces con una camisa negra y cuello blanco y dicen, ‘el sacerdote está aquí. Dejémosle que haga su trabajo’”.

Al igual que Huber, Balkey fue monaguillo, incluso en sus días universitarios. Quedó impresionado por los monjes benedictinos de la Abadía de Belmont, cuyo carisma es la oración y el trabajo, “ora et labora”.

“Cuando llegué a la universidad y estaba rodeado de monjes rezando e interactuando con los estudiantes, reconocí: ‘Vaya, este es un tipo que trabaja a tiempo completo’. Sus creencias y convicciones son su sustento”.

Se dio cuenta que la vida de sacerdote también podría ser una opción para él.

“Había estado pensando que podría ser católico en el ejército o podría ser sacerdote”, dice. “Eventualmente me di cuenta de que podía hacer ambas cosas. Hay una coincidencia natural allí. Y sabes que encontraste lo que debes hacer cuando no tienes que preguntar por qué”.

“Hay muchas otras cosas que podría haber estudiado, hecho o seguido, y serían geniales por lo que son, pero no tocan muchas áreas de mi vida. Es solo un campo en el que entras.

La fe católica se trata de la persona en su totalidad y de la totalidad de nuestras vidas, y me encanta esa conexión”.

MIRANDO HACIA EL FUTURO

Tanto Huber como Balkey están entusiasmados con lo que Dios tiene reservado para ellos.

Dice Huber, “una de las cosas que más anhelo es simplemente ser sacerdote”, ofrecer los sacramentos, escuchar confesiones y ser un instrumento en las manos de Dios.

“Teniendo esa configuración con Cristo Sumo Sacerdote, y luego mi vida convirtiéndose en un sacrificio... No simplemente cuando ofrezco la Misa estoy entregando mi vida, sino cada día a través de mi configuración a través de Cristo Sumo Sacerdote – toda mi vida se convierte en un sacrificio. Me doy cuenta de que quien soy ha cambiado, y ha cambiado para siempre”.

Balkey añade: “Estamos tratando de salvar almas aquí. Haré todo lo que pueda para llevarte allá”.

Más online En www.catholicnewsherald.com: En dos entrevistas exclusivas, nuestros nuevos sacerdotes hablan sobre sus vocaciones y lo que significa para ellos ser sacerdote de la Diócesis de Charlotte

CAPELLÁN NAVAL Y SACERDOTE

Huber no es solo una vocación a destacar este año. Balkey es solo el segundo sacerdote ordenado para la diócesis que también se desempeñará como capellán de la Marina de Estados Unidos (El primero fue el Padre Michael Klepacki, que se convirtió en capellán en 1988 para la Marina, Marines y Guardacosta 10 años después de su ordenación).

Balkey servirá aquí en la diócesis durante tres años y luego obtendrá una asignación a través de la Arquidiócesis de los Servicios Militares de Estados Unidos.

“Espero con ansias este período de tutoría y exposición a sacerdotes más experimentados de la diócesis”, dice Balkey, de 30 años de edad. “Este período de entrenamiento le dice a los militares: ‘Tenemos confianza en que puede tener éxito’”.

Servirá como capellán de la Marina durante cinco años, luego puede optar por continuar sirviendo, ingresar a la Reserva de la Marina o regresar a una asignación parroquial en la diócesis de Charlotte. ¿Por qué realizar un “doble trabajo”, servir a la Iglesia y al país?

Balkey dice que siempre ha querido ser el tipo de persona en la que se puede confiar cuando los tiempos se ponen difíciles.

“Tengo corazón para el servicio”, explica. “Realmente no podía separar mi corazón para el servicio a mi prójimo y mi servicio a Dios”.

Desde muy joven, se le animó a ser independiente y tener una amplia gama de experiencias. Creció en State College, Pensilvania, en una familia católica, el segundo de tres hijos, y estudió tanto en escuelas públicas como en casa.

“Ello me enseñó a tomar la iniciativa, a ser emprendedor. Me entrenó mucho en la búsqueda de oportunidades para aprender”.

‘EL SACERDOTE ESTÁ AQUÍ’

Después de graduarse de Belmont Abbey College, trabajó durante un par de años con jóvenes con problemas para pagar sus préstamos de estudio.

Incluso antes de que pudiera verlo realmente dentro de sí mismo, los jóvenes vieron que tenía una vocación.

“Me preguntaron si iba a ser sacerdote”, recuerda. “Habían llegado a esa conclusión, incluso antes que yo me diera cuenta. Tenía la sensación de que podría suceder, pero no sabía cuándo ni cómo”.

El servicio lo llamó, inicialmente fue voluntario en el departamento de bomberos voluntarios de Locke Township en Salisbury. “¡Todos aman los camiones de bomberos!” dice, riendo. “¿Qué estaba buscando? Quería

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Congratulations and Best Wishes Deacon Sidney Huff 45th Anniversary and Deacon Roland Geoffroy 20th Anniversary Thank you both for your work and dedication.

From all of the faithful at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish

CATHOLIC N

14B iiJune 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com

Celebrating our 2 10 YEARS

Priests

Father Jason Barone Father Matthew Codd Father Ernest Nebangongnjoh Father Peter Shaw

5 YEARS Father Peter Ascik Father Matthew Bean Father Brian Becker Father Christopher Bond Father Christian Cook

20 YEARS

2

Father Paul Asoh, M.S.P. Father Larry LoMonaco Father Peter Nouck Father Henry Tutuwan

Father W. Ra

45 YEARS

50 YEARS

65 YEARS

Father Roger Arnsparger Father Philip Scarcella

Father Charles Donovan, C.Ss.R.

Father Francis Forster, O.S.B.

20 YEARS

25 YEARS

35 YEARS

Deacon Roland Geoffroy Deacon Scott McNabb

Deacon James Gorman Deacon Matthew Reilly Deacon Ramon Tapia

Deacon J. Patrick Crosby

Women religious 25 YEARS Sister Jacquelyn Laster, R.S.M. Sister Ann Mary Pulimoottil, S.C.V.

50 YEARS Sister Soledad Aguilo, R.S.M. Sister Martha Elizabeth Hoyle, R.S.M. Sister Jill Katherine Weber, R.S.M.

NEWS HERALD

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

2022 Jubilarians 15 YEARS Father Patrick Cahill Father Patrick Hoare Father HyoSuk Lee Father Felix Nkafu Father Bernard Oleru, M.S.P. Father Frederick Werth

25 YEARS

30 YEARS

ay Williams Jr.

Father Herbert Burke Father George Byers Father Stephen Hoyt Father Andrew Latsko Father John Putnam

Deacons 10 YEARS

15 YEARS Deacon John Barone Deacon Serge Bernatchez Deacon John Riehl

Deacon Jose Vargas

40 YEARS

45 YEARS

50 YEARS

Deacon Anthony Marini

Deacon Sidney Huff Deacon Ronald Sherwood

Deacon Ralph Eckoff

60 YEARS

70 YEARS

Sister Mary Louise Yurik, R.S.M.

Sister Francis Jerome Cruz, R.S.M. Sister Monica Perez, R.S.M. Sister Mary Andrew Ray, R.S.M.

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 16B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In their own words: How their vocations evolved

En sus propias palabras: ¿Cómo evolucionaron sus vocaciones?

Father Darren Balkey

Father Aaron Huber

Padre Darren Balkey

Padre Aaron Huber

CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?

Father Balkey: My first sense of a priestly calling was when I started serving Mass, about 9 years old. It seemed natural to want to be near the Word of God and the altar during Holy Mass.

Throughout the years, that desire to be near God and bring Him to others stuck around.

CNH: Who did you first talk to about your vocation?

Father Balkey: The priest who was my spiritual director at the time.

CNH: What type of feedback or advice did you get from him?

Father Balkey: He was very patient with me in college but challenging in the right way.

When I finally let God start opening the door to a vocation, I sent him an email about what was going on in my prayer life and thoughts. He replied, “Well, it’s about time!” I laughed when I read it, and knew that my email had made him laugh, too. That was exactly what I needed, because my own expectations were so much smaller than God’s plan.

CNH: How did you go about discerning where you felt called to explore your possible vocation?

Father Balkey: My vocation grew alive during my studies at Belmont Abbey College.

A lot of hours in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on campus and the Abbey basilica set a strong foundation. I also made retreats with Benedictine and Franciscan communities.

Right after I graduated, I started working in a behavioral health facility. There, I worked in a role of guardianship, and probably a lot like humble St. Joseph, I felt very inadequate! The youth I served were very much in need of a true, loving father, such as only the Eternal Father can be.

That experience cast priesthood into an amazing light. My hunger for the sacraments, prayer and Scripture became voracious. I knew that anything less than service of God would leave me empty.

CNH: Tell us about the types of things you did during your discernment process and time in the seminary.

Father Balkey: I have been praying the Angelus on a daily basis for a while now. The Incarnation is key for a Catholic, and I love pausing for that reflection in my day. The Liturgy of the Hours, which distributes the psalms throughout the daily routine of the Church, is an important root. Holy Mass is the gathering point for the Universal Church as well as the seminary community, and that helps me remember to gather and present all of my intentions, anxieties and priorities to the Lord.

CNH: Looking back, what do you think has helped you the most to discern God’s will for your vocation to the priesthood?

Father Balkey: First, time spent in silence.

Second, true friendship with Jesus, the saints, many good priests and my brother seminarians has been key to my discernment. One moment, though, sticks out. I interviewed Father Tom Kessler (pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville) for a class assignment. He mentioned something that really cut me to the heart. Men, he explained, often go to seminary trying to get built up big and smart and holy enough to be a priest. He rocked my world when he challenged me to ask God the opposite: “Am I little enough, like the Blessed Mother, to say ‘yes’ and let Him make me His priest?”

CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?

Father Huber: I first heard the call to the priesthood when I was young, possibly 10 or 11. I remember talking to a friend of mine about what we wanted to be when we grew up, and both of us voiced our desire to be the pope! While my aspiration for the papacy has certainly changed, the desire to serve Our Lord as His priest never left.

However, my attention to the call was sporadic.

When I was a junior in high school, I had a profound conversion experience in which I felt the deepest peace at the thought of being a priest. It was not until the summer after my freshman year at Belmont Abbey College while serving as a Totus Tuus missionary that the Lord really revealed Himself to me in such a way that I knew I had to pursue Him. CNH: Who did you first talk to about your vocation?

Father Huber: I first voiced my desire to be a priest to Father Matthew Buettner. My Totus Tuus team had been sent to St. Michael Church in Gastonia for the week, and it was there that the Lord placed the priesthood on my heart. Father Buettner was the pastor at the time, and what started out as a young man talking to a priest he barely knew turned into a long-lasting friendship.

CNH: What advice did he give you?

Father Huber: Father Buettner’s first piece of advice was to keep praying about my vocation.

Further, since St. Michael Church is only 15 minutes from Belmont Abbey, he told me to get in touch with him after I returned for the fall semester so that he could put me on the altar server schedule. Serving at the altar and prayer, specifically Eucharistic Adoration, were the two things he always recommended.

CNH: How did you go about discerning where to explore a vocation?

Father Huber: My interest in the priesthood was certainly not limited to the diocesan life. After my experience in high school, I was definitely more inclined to some form of religious life. I researched a couple of Franciscan communities and even reached out to a couple of them.

However, as my discernment progressed, I found that my attention had shifted to the diocesan priesthood. I exhausted the Charlotte diocese’s vocations webpage, then proceeded to look up any information I could on the diocesan priesthood.

CNH: What practices or activities have you been doing since discerning your vocation?

Father Huber: Daily prayer is a must. There have been times when mental prayer and devotional prayers were not easy, but through many successes and failures in discipline, I can say that prayer has been the surest way to navigate the challenges I have come across. Of course, by prayer, I also include the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. Spiritual reading, disciplines and charitable works are a part of my daily life and are essential to it. However, I knew that if I was not falling in love with Jesus in those things, then all of it is as straw. The further I progressed in seminary, the more time I spent in silence in His presence, and it is in those moments that I felt most affirmed in my vocation.

CNH: What has helped you the most to discern God’s will for your vocation?

Father Huber: Our Lord in the Eucharist has helped me through many difficulties in my life. He continues to be the source of love, forgiveness, consolation and acceptance in my life. Nothing can ever replace Him! I am constantly reminded that Our Lord is truly the source of all goodness in my life, and He will always be. Further, our Mother Mary and her pure spouse St. Joseph work overtime for me. Finally, friendships with priests and seminarians were so vital to my time in seminary. Being able to go through the ups and downs with fathers and brothers who have supported me has been a huge blessing.

CNH: ¿Cuándo sentiste por primera vez el llamado al sacerdocio?

Padre Balkey: Mi primera experiencia de sentir el llamado sacerdotal fue cuando comencé a servir en Misa, cuando tenía como 9 años.

Parecía natural querer estar cerca de la Palabra de Dios y del altar durante la Santa Misa. A lo largo de los años, ese deseo de estar cerca de Dios y llevarlo a los demás se mantuvo.

CNH: ¿Con quién hablaste por primera vez sobre tu vocación?

Padre Balkey: Con el sacerdote que era mi director espiritual en ese momento.

CNH: ¿Qué respuesta o consejo recibiste?

Padre Balkey: Fue muy paciente conmigo en la universidad, pero me desafió de la manera correcta. Cuando finalmente dejé que Dios comenzara a abrir la puerta a una vocación, le envié un correo electrónico sobre lo que estaba pasando por mi mente y vida de oración. Él respondió: “Bueno, ¡ya era hora!”.

Me reí cuando lo leí y supe que mi correo electrónico también lo había hecho reír. Eso era exactamente lo que necesitaba, porque mis propias expectativas eran mucho más pequeñas que el plan de Dios.

CNH: ¿Cómo hiciste para discernir a dónde te sentías llamado a explorar tu posible vocación?

Padre Balkey: Mi vocación cobró vida durante mis estudios en Belmont Abbey College. Muchas horas en la Capilla de Adoración de San José en el campus y en la basílica de la Abadía establecieron una base sólida. También realicé retiros con comunidades benedictinas y franciscanas.

Inmediatamente después de graduarme, comencé a trabajar en un centro de salud del comportamiento. Allí, trabajé en un rol de tutela, y probablemente muy parecido al humilde San José, ¡me sentí muy incómodo!

Los jóvenes a los que serví tenían mucha necesidad de un padre verdadero y amoroso, como solo el Padre Eterno puede serlo. Esa experiencia arrojó al sacerdocio a una luz asombrosa. Mi hambre por los sacramentos, la oración y la Escritura se volvió voraz. Sabía que cualquier cosa menos que el servicio a Dios me dejaría vacío.

CNH: Cuéntanos sobre lo que hiciste durante tu proceso de discernimiento y tu tiempo en el seminario.

Padre Balkey: He estado rezando el Ángelus a diario desde hace un tiempo. La Encarnación es clave para los católicos, y me gusta hacer una pausa para esa reflexión en mi día. La Liturgia de las Horas, que distribuye los salmos a lo largo de la rutina diaria de la Iglesia, es una raíz importante. La Santa Misa es el punto de reunión de la Iglesia Universal, así como de la comunidad del seminario, y eso me ayuda a recordar de reunir y presentar todas mis intenciones, ansiedades y prioridades al Señor.

CNH: Mirando hacia atrás, ¿qué crees es lo que más te ha ayudado a discernir la voluntad de Dios en tu vocación al sacerdocio?

Padre Balkey: Primero, el tiempo pasado en silencio. Segundo, la verdadera amistad con Jesús, los santos, muchos buenos sacerdotes y mis hermanos seminaristas, han sido clave en mi discernimiento. Un momento, sin embargo, sobresale. Entrevisté al Padre Tom Kessler (párroco de la Iglesia San Felipe Apóstol en Statesville) para una tarea. Mencionó algo que realmente me atravezó el corazón. Los hombres, explicó, a menudo van al seminario tratando de crecer lo suficiente para ser grandes, inteligentes y santos para ser sacerdotes. Él sacudió mi mundo cuando me desafió a pedirle a Dios lo contrario: “¿Soy lo suficientemente pequeño, como la Santísima Madre, para decir ‘sí’ y dejar que Él me haga Su

CNH: ¿Cuándo sentiste por primera vez el llamado al sacerdocio?

Padre Huber: Escuché por primera vez el llamado al sacerdocio cuando era joven, posiblemente a los 10 u 11 años. Recuerdo haber hablado con un amigo sobre lo que queríamos ser cuando fuéramos grandes, ¡y los dos expresamos nuestro deseo de ser el Papa! Si bien mi aspiración por el papado ciertamente ha cambiado, el deseo de servir a Nuestro Señor como Su sacerdote nunca se ha ido. Sin embargo, mi atención al llamado fue momentáneo.

Cuando estaba en el tercer año de la escuela secundaria, tuve una profunda experiencia de conversión en la que sentí la paz más profunda al pensar convertirme en sacerdote.

Finalmente, no fue sino hasta el verano después de mi primer año en Belmont Abbey College, mientras servía como misionero de Totus Tuus, que el Señor realmente se me reveló de tal manera que supe que tenía que seguirlo.

CNH: ¿Con quién hablaste por primera vez sobre tu vocación?

Padre Huber: Primero expresé mi deseo de ser sacerdote al Padre Matthew Buettner. Mi equipo Totus Tuus había sido enviado a la Iglesia San Miguel en Gastonia por una semana, y fue allí donde el Señor colocó el sacerdocio en mi corazón.

El Padre Buettner era el párroco en ese momento, y lo que comenzó como un joven que conversaba con un sacerdote que apenas conocía, se convirtió en una amistad duradera y valiosísima.

CNH: ¿Qué respuesta o consejo recibiste?

Padre Huber: El primer consejo del Padre Buettner fue seguir orando por mi vocación.

Además, dado que la Iglesia San Miguel está a solo 15 minutos de la Abadía de Belmont, me dijo que me pusiera en contacto con él después que regresara para el semestre de otoño, para que pudiera programarme como monaguillo. El servicio en el altar y la oración, específicamente la Adoración Eucarística, eran las dos cosas que siempre recomendaba.

CNH: ¿Qué prácticas o actividades has estado realizando desde que discerniste tu vocación al sacerdocio?

Padre Huber: La oración diaria es imprescindible. Ha habido momentos en que la oración mental y las oraciones devocionales no fueron fáciles, pero a través de muchos éxitos y fracasos en la disciplina, puedo decir que la oración ha sido la forma más segura de superar los desafíos que he encontrado. Por supuesto, en la oración incluyo también el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa y la Adoración Eucarística. La lectura espiritual, la disciplina y las obras de caridad forman parte de mi vida diaria y son esenciales para ella. Sabía que si no me estaba enamorando de Jesús en esas cosas, todo sería solo como paja. Cuanto más avanzaba en el seminario, más tiempo pasaba en silencio en Su presencia, y es en esos momentos que me sentí más afirmado en mi vocación.

CNH: Mirando hacia atrás, ¿qué crees es lo que más te ha ayudado a discernir la voluntad de Dios en tu vocación al sacerdocio?

Padre Huber: Nuestro Señor en la Eucaristía me ha ayudado en muchas dificultades de mi vida. Él sigue siendo la fuente de amor, perdón, consuelo y aceptación en mi vida. ¡Nada podrá jamás reemplazarlo! Se me recuerda constantemente que Nuestro Señor es verdaderamente la fuente de toda bondad en mi vida, y siempre lo será.

Además, nuestra Madre María y su casto esposo San José trabajan horas extras por mí.

Me he dado cuenta de que nunca podré amarlos lo suficiente, ni podré agotar su amor por mí.

Finalmente, la amistad con los sacerdotes y los seminaristas fue vital para mi estadía en el seminario. Poder pasar por altibajos con padres y hermanos que me han apoyado ha sido una gran bendición.

sacerdote?”

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Vocations resources If you or someone you know is contemplating a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, check out the following general resources online.

Talk with your pastor, reach out to the diocese’s vocations promoter, read up on consecrated life and the various religious communities that exist, and contact communities that interest you. Many offer “come and see” days or retreats that are good opportunities to learn more and meet others who have already accepted God’s call to religious life.

For young men and women, there are also summer discernment retreats offered by the Diocese of Charlotte and hosted at Belmont Abbey College: Quo Vadis Days for young men, and Duc in Altum for young women. This year’s retreats are already fully booked, but information about the 2022 retreats will be posted next spring online at www.charlottediocese.org/vocations.

Overall, remember: Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions!

During a June 17 prayer service at St. Patrick Cathedral, Bishop Peter Jugis blesses the chalices for Darren Balkey (left) and Aaron Huber (right) on the eve of their ordination as priests.

Assisting the bishop are new Deacons Peter Rusciolelli and Christopher Brock.

JAMES SARKIS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Learn more about the new priests’ vestments and chalices Father Balkey and Father Huber selected their first priestly vestments and chalices, which were blessed after Vespers and a Holy Hour June 17, the evening before their ordination, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. These treasures provide a tangible remembrance of their ordination to the priesthood.

Here they tell us about their new vestments and chalices:

FATHER BALKEY My chasuble’s base fabric is from Fatima, Portugal, and is the same worn by our clergy at major diocesan liturgies. Naval chaplaincy will take me far from my brother priests of Charlotte, and I find being “cut from the same cloth” a fitting reminder of their fraternity. The galloon, or accent trim, comes from Zhytomyr, Ukraine. Petr Mykalchuk, owner of Church Vestments and Fabrics, made it and shipped it to me less than three months before Russian forces invaded his country. The embroidery was masterfully stitched by Brynne Beal, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. The front features the cross with the alpha and omega symbols, as inscribed on the Paschal candle.

The back graphic was rendered by artist Emily Gross of Hamilton, Ohio. It merges the staurogram, the monogrammatic cross

(or tau-rho) with the anchor in a dual nod to Christian hope and naval heritage. Below, a scroll proclaims “Audemus exspectare” (“We dare to hope”), a phrase taken from Preface I of Advent. Tiffany Peoples, owner of Lily and Rose Vestments, supervised the design and executed the sewing and assembly. I selected the Roman pattern because it leaves my ribs vulnerable, as Our Lord’s own side was pierced: “Cuius latus perforatum, Vero fluxit et sanguine” (literally from the hymn “Ave Verum Corpus”: “from whose perforated side poured forth True blood”).

My sacred vessels reflect how Belmont Abbey Monastery nourished my priestly vocation. While I attended college at the abbey, the Benedictine monks introduced me to the Liturgy of the Hours. Abbot Placid Solari and the community generously allowed me to select a chalice and paten from the monastery’s collection. I hope to express my gratitude for these precious gifts each time I offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The scale paten has a stunning St. Benedict Cross on the underside that echoes the monastic roots which have nourished both the diocese and my own priestly vocation. The chalice was given to the late Benedictine Father Charles Kastner by his mother on May 30, 1931, in recognition of his eighth anniversary of priesthood. It is a neo-

Gothic vessel cast from sterling silver, and the bowl’s interior is plated in gold. I love its crisp, balanced beauty.

FATHER HUBER The day of my first Mass of Thanksgiving is the Feast of Corpus Christi. Thus, my vestment is a white Roman chasuble with a red cross on the back and a red stripe down the front. Further, there is an emblem on the back of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord. The vestment was made by a member of our diocese, Tiffany Peoples, owner of Lily and Rose Vestments.

I received my chalice as a gift from the monks of Belmont Abbey. The chalice was made in 1924 by the Benziger Bros. for Benedictine Father Robert Brennan, who died in 1964. The chalice is parcel gilt with three different precious metals: gold, silver and rose gold. The base has a cross on one panel and lilies on the others. My mother generously offered her wedding ring to be incorporated into the chalice, and that now constitutes most of the cross. I am grateful for the generosity of my mother and the monks of Belmont Abbey, and I am excited to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with this chalice for the glory of God and the sanctification of His people.

Conozca más sobre las nuevas vestimentas y cálices de los sacerdotes El Padre Balkey y el Padre Huber escogieron sus primeras vestiduras sacerdotales y cálices que fueron bendecidos después de las Vísperas y Hora Santa del 17 de junio en la Catedral San Patricio en Charlotte, la noche previa a su ordenación.

Estos tesoros proporcionan un recuerdo tangible de su ordenación al sacerdocio.

Aquí nos hablan de sus nuevas vestiduras y cálices:

PADRE BALKEY La tela de mi casulla es de Fátima, Portugal, la misma que usa nuestro clero en las principales liturgias diocesanas.

La capellanía naval me llevará lejos de mis hermanos sacerdotes de Charlotte, y considero que estar “cortado por la misma tijera” es un recordatorio apropiado de su fraternidad. El galón o adorno decorativo proviene de Zhytomyr, Ucrania. Petr Mykalchuk, propietario de Church Vestments and Fabrics, lo hizo y me lo envió menos de tres meses antes que las fuerzas rusas invadieran su país. El bordado fue magistralmente realizado por Brynne Beal, feligresa de la Iglesia Sagrado Corazón en Salisbury. El frente presenta la cruz con los símbolos alfa y omega, tal como aparecen en el cirio pascual. El gráfico posterior fue realizado por la artista Emily Gross de Hamilton, OH. Fusiona el estaurograma, la cruz monogramática (o tau-rho) con el ancla

en un doble guiño a la esperanza cristiana y la herencia naval. Abajo, un pergamino proclama “Audemus exspectare” (“Nos atrevemos a tener esperanza”), frase tomada del Prefacio I de Adviento. Tiffany Peoples, propietaria de Lily and Rose Vestments, supervisó el diseño y ejecutó la costura y el ensamblaje. Elegí el modelo romano porque deja mis costillas vulnerables, como el propio costado de Nuestro Señor fue traspasado: “Cuius latus perforatum, Vero fluxit et sanguine” (literalmente del himno “Ave Verum Corpus”: “de cuyo costado perforado brotó verdadera sangre”).

Mis vasos sagrados reflejan como el Monasterio de la Abadía de Belmont nutrió mi vocación sacerdotal. Mientras asistía a la universidad en la abadía, los monjes benedictinos me iniciaron en la Liturgia de las Horas. El Abad Placid Solari y la comunidad generosamente me permitieron seleccionar un cáliz y una patena de la colección del monasterio. Espero expresar mi gratitud por estos preciosos dones cada vez que ofrezca el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa. La patena tiene una impresionante Cruz de San Benito en la parte inferior, que hace eco de las raíces monásticas que han nutrido tanto a la diócesis como a mi propia vocación sacerdotal. El cáliz fue entregado al difunto Padre Benedictino Charles Kastner por su madre el 30 de mayo de 1931, en reconocimiento a su octavo aniversario de

sacerdocio. Es un vaso neogótico fundido en plata sterling, y el interior está enchapado en oro. Me encanta su belleza nítida y equilibrada.

PADRE HUBER El día de mi primera Misa de Acción de Gracias es la Fiesta de Corpus Christi. Así, mi vestidura es una casulla romana blanca con una cruz roja en la espalda y una franja roja en el frente. Además, hay un emblema en la parte posterior del Sagrado Corazón de Nuestro Señor. La vestimenta fue hecha por una miembro de nuestra diócesis, Tiffany Peoples, dueña de Lily and Rose Vestments.

Recibí mi cáliz como un regalo de los monjes de la Abadía de Belmont. El cáliz fue confeccionado en 1924 por la compañía Benziger Bros. para el Padre Benedictino Robert Brennan, quien falleció en 1964. El cáliz is una pieza dorada con tres diferentes metales preciosos: oro, plata y oro rojo. La base tiene una cruz en un lado y lilas en los otros. Mi madre generosamente ofreció su aro de matrimonio para que sea incorporado en el cáliz, y ahora conforma la mayor parte de la cruz. Estoy muy agradecido por la generosidad de mi madre y los monjes de Belmont Abbey, y anhelo ofrecer el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa con este cáliz para la gloria de Dios y la santificación de Su pueblo.

Diocesan Vocations Office Father Christopher Gober, Vocations Director: vocationsmail@rcdoc.org Father Brian Becker, Vocations Promoter: bjbecker@rcdoc.org

General information n www.foryourvocation.org: Set up by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life for both men and women. They are also on Facebook and YouTube. There are resources for parents and teachers, questions to ask yourself if you feel God is calling you, videos of vocation stories from priests and religious all over the U.S., and more. n www.religiouslife.com: The Institute for Religious Life’s website, with plenty of resources for both men and women interested in a vocation or those who wish to support religious life. n Not sure what religious communities are out there that might be a good fit for you? Check out www.religiousministries.com. Search this database to find a men’s or women’s religious community, whether you wish to become a priest, nun, brother or lay missioner, or just want to find out more about living a religious life. n www.cloisteredlife.com: Aims to bring to attention the gift of cloistered and monastic life in the Church, sponsored by the Institute for Religious Life.

Religious communities for men n www.cmsm.org: The Conference of Major Superiors of Men serves the leadership of the Catholic orders and congregations of the more than 17,000 vowed religious priests and brothers in the U.S. n www.religiousbrotherhood.com: Sponsored by the Institute for Religious Life specifically to increase awareness of the specific charism of religious brotherhood in the U.S.

Religious communities for women n www.cmswr.org: The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) is a canonically approved organization, founded in 1992, to promote religious life in the U.S. n www.lcwr.org: The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is an association of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the U.S.

Interested in becoming a permanent deacon?

If you would like to know more about deacons and their ministry or feel you may have a calling, please contact Deacon Bill Schreiber, director of formation, at cwschreiber@rcdoc.org or Deacon David Faunce, assistant director of formation, at dmfaunce@rcdoc. org. Details are online at www.charlottediocese.org/ permanent-diaconate.

— Catholic News Herald

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 18B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The Ordination Rite explained What is the sacrament of holy orders?

Holy orders is the sacrament of “apostolic ministry” – that is, how “the mission entrusted by Christ to His Apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time. …” (CCC 1536) The word “ordination” derives from the word “order,” which is the “appropriate disposition of things equal and unequal, by giving each its proper place” (St. Augustine, “City of God,” XIX.13). Order is used to signify not only the particular rank or general status of the clergy, but also the sacramental act by which they are raised to that status: ordination.

Ordination to the priesthood takes place within the context of the Mass. The rite, most of which dates back many centuries, has several distinct parts, but the essential element is the laying on of hands on the head of the ordinand and the bishop’s consecratory prayer.

The rite of ordination n Calling of the Candidates: In the ordination rite, after the opening prayers of the Mass and the scripture readings, the presentation of the candidate takes place.

The candidate responds, “Present,” (in Latin, “Adsum”) steps forward and makes a sign of reverence. n Presentation, Inquiry and Acceptance: The bishop then asks for testimony that the candidate has received proper training and is worthy of ordination. The diocesan vocation director attests that the candidate is prepared.

The bishop then says: “Relying on the help of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, we choose this man, our brother, for the Order of the Priesthood.” The people respond “Thanks be to God,” and also give their approval by a hearty round of applause. n Examination of the Candidate: After the homily, the candidate approaches the bishop, who asks him if he is willing to serve Christ and His Church as a faithful priest.

The examination concludes with this exchange: Bishop, “Do you resolve to be united more closely every day to Christ the High Priest, who offered Himself for us to the Father as a perfect sacrifice, and with Him to consecrate yourself to God for the salvation of all?” Candidate, “I do, with the help of God.” n Promise of Obedience: The candidate then promises obedience to the authority of the Church and to his own religious superiors, as he kneels before the bishop. Why? The bishop is the head of the local Church. St. Ignatius of Antioch said the bishop is “typos tou Patros” – he is like the living image of God the Father. (CCC 1549) “The promise of obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of the ordination liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience.” (CCC 1567) n Prayer for the Candidates: The bishop kneels and invites all of those present to join in prayer for the candidate. This period of prayer includes the Litany of the Saints. The chanting of the Litany of the Saints is an especially moving and memorable moment in the ordination ritual. The candidate prostrates himself before the altar as the prayers of the Litany invoke God’s saving mercy and the intercession of all the saints to send down the Holy Spirit upon this man, soon to be a priest.

The Litany of the Saints is an ancient prayer. The

Catholic Encyclopedia says, “It was used in the ‘Litania Septiformis’ of St. Gregory the Great, and in the procession of St. Mamertus. In the Eastern Church, litanies with the invocation of saints were employed in the days of St. Basil (d. 379) and of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (d. about 270). It is not known when or by whom the litany was composed, but the order in which the Apostles are given, corresponding with that of the Canon of the Mass, proves its antiquity.” n Imposition of hands: This is an outward sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus conferred His priesthood on His Apostles, so too does the bishop and other priests lay hands upon the ordinand. It is the most ancient and universal outward ritual of the Church. “The laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign” of ordination. (CCC 1538) In this moment, as the bishop lays his hands upon the head of the kneeling ordinand, he prays silently for the invocation of the Holy Spirit.

All the other priests who are present also join in the ordination ceremony. Each one in turn lays his hands silently upon the head of the candidate. This signifies that they all belong to, and participate in, the one priesthood of Jesus Christ. It is also a sign welcoming the newly ordained into the common brotherhood as priests. n Prayer of Consecration: The bishop prays: “Grant, we pray, Almighty Father, to this, your servant, the dignity of the priesthood; renew deep within him the Spirit of holiness; may he henceforth possess this office which comes from You, O God, and is next in rank to the office of Bishop; and by the example of his manner of life, may he instill right conduct. May he be a worthy coworker with our Order, so that by his preaching and through the grace of the Holy Spirit the words of the Gospel may bear fruit in human hearts and reach even to the ends of the earth.” n Vesting the New Priest: The newly-ordained priest now removes his deacon’s stole and is presented with the symbols of his new office in the Church: a priestly stole and chasuble. This is called the investiture. n Anointing of the Hands: The bishop anoints the palms of the new priest with sacred chrism, praying, “The Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, guard and preserve you that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.” After the anointing with the oil, the priest’s hands are wrapped with a linen cloth called a maniturgium. Anointing with sacred oil, or chrism, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. It is another ancient ritual that has Old Testament roots. n Presentation of the Gifts: After the gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar, the bishop gives to the new priest a chalice containing the wine, mixed with water, and the paten holding the bread. These are the sacred vessels used at each Mass to hold the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. As the priest receives the chalice and the paten, the bishop says: “Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God. Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.” n Sign of Peace: Lastly, the bishop gives the sign of peace to the new priest, saying: “Peace be with you.”

The Mass continues as usual, with the new priest concelebrating fully in his first Eucharistic sacrifice, standing closest to Bishop Jugis in a place of honor before the altar.

The new priest also helps distribute Holy Communion.

Happy Anniversary on your 15th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination,

Father Felix Nkafu.

Thank you for your joyful commitment to Saint Leo!

Your Saint Leo Family

Why does the Church ordain priests?

The rite of ordination is more than an “election” or “delegation” of someone as a priest. The sacrament “confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a ‘sacred power’ which can come only from Christ Himself through His Church.” (CCC 1538) The divine grace received through this rite sets these men apart – consecrates them, invests them – within the Church and gives them a unique mission among the People of God.

Why are only men ordained priests?

Jesus chose 12 men as His Apostles, conferring upon them the mission to serve in His place on earth, and the Apostles did the same when they chose others to join and to succeed them. The Church is bound by the choice that Jesus Himself made, so it’s not possible for women to be ordained.

Though in earlier times there were several semi-clerical ranks of women in the Church (called deaconesses), they were not admitted to orders properly so called and had no spiritual authority. They ministered to women in particular, in instances where customs called for men and women to remain separate.

An indelible mark Holy orders is one of three sacraments that have an indelible spiritual character – that is, they cannot be repeated or rescinded. The others are baptism and confirmation. From the moment of his ordination, a priest’s vocation and mission mark him permanently. (CCC 1583) Like the sacrament of marriage, in which men and women give themselves totally to each other and grow in holiness together, holy orders is directed toward the salvation of others through the gift of oneself. “They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God. …

Those who receive the sacrament of holy orders are consecrated in Christ’s name ‘to feed the Church by the word and grace of God.’” (CCC 1534-1535) A priest acts “in persona Christi” – that is, he acts with the authority of Christ, representing the person of Christ in administering the sacraments and shepherding the faithful – and “in nomine ecclesiae,” in the name of the Church. That doesn’t mean a priest is perfect! That just means that in administering the sacraments, the power of the Holy Spirit is assured.

‘The voice and hands of Christ’ In his 1990 address “On the Nature of the Priesthood,” then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) said: “Jesus gave His power to the Apostles in such a way that He made their ministry, as it were, a continuation of His own mission. ‘He who receives you receives me,’ He Himself says to the Twelve (Mt 10:40; cf. Lk 10:16; Jn 13:10).”

He added, “If Church usage calls ordination to the ministry of priesthood a ‘sacrament,’ the following is meant: This man is in no way performing functions for which he is highly qualified by his own natural ability nor is he doing the things that please him most and that are most profitable. On the contrary, the one who receives the sacrament is sent to give what he cannot give of his own strength; he is sent to act in the person of another, to be his living instrument. For this reason no human being can declare himself a priest; for this reason, too, no community can promote a person to this ministry by its own decree. Only from the sacrament, which belongs to God, can priesthood be received.

Mission can only be received from the One who sends, from Christ in His sacrament, through which a person becomes the voice and the hands of Christ in the world.”

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

More online At www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte: Father Miguel Sanchez talks about the ordination rite

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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El Rito de la Ordenación Sacerdotal ¿Qué es el sacramento del orden sagrado?

El orden sagrado es el sacramento del “ministerio apostólico”, así es como, “la misión encomendada por Cristo a sus Apóstoles se sigue ejerciendo en la Iglesia hasta el fin de los tiempos. …” (CIC 1536).

La palabra “ordenación” deriva de la palabra “orden”, que es la “disposición adecuada de las cosas iguales y desiguales, dando a cada una el lugar que le corresponde” (San Agustín, “La Ciudad de Dios”, XIX.13). La palabra orden se usa para significar no solo el rango particular o el estado general del clero, sino también el acto sacramental por el cual los candidatos son elevados a ese estado: la ordenación.

El Rito de la Ordenación al sacerdocio tiene lugar en el contexto de la Misa.

Este rito data de hace muchos siglos y contiene varias partes distintivas, pero los elementos más esenciales son la imposición de manos sobre la cabeza del candidato y la oración consagratoria del obispo.

la invocación de los santos se emplearon en los días de San Basilio (alrededor del año 379) y de San Gregorio Taumaturgo (alrededor del año 270). No se sabe cuándo ni quién compuso la letanía, pero el orden en que se presentan los Apóstoles, en correspondencia con el del Canon de la Misa, prueba su antigüedad”. n Imposición de manos: Esta es una señal externa del derramamiento del Espíritu Santo. Así como Jesús confirió Su sacerdocio a Sus Apóstoles, así también el obispo y otros sacerdotes imponen las manos sobre el candidato.

Es el ritual exterior más antiguo y universal de la Iglesia.

n Entrega de los Vasos Sagrados: Estos son los vasos que se utilizan en cada Misa para contener el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo en la Eucaristía. Mientras el sacerdote recibe el cáliz y la patena, el obispo dice: “Recibe la ofrenda del pueblo santo para presentarla a Dios. Advierte bien lo que vas a realizar, imita lo que tendrás en tus manos y configura toda tu vida con el misterio de la cruz del Señor”.

rangos semi-clericales de mujeres en la Iglesia (llamadas diaconisas), no eran admitidas en las órdenes propiamente dichas y no tenían autoridad espiritual.

Ayudaban a las mujeres en particular, en los casos en que las costumbres requerían que hombres y mujeres permanecieran separados.

n Beso de la Paz: Por último, el obispo da el beso de la paz al nuevo sacerdote, diciendo: “La paz sea contigo”. El resto de los sacerdotes se acercan a los recién ordenados

La marca indeleble

El rito de la ordenación n Llamamiento de los Candidatos: En el rito de ordenación, después de las oraciones de apertura de la Misa y las lecturas bíblicas, tiene lugar la presentación del candidato. A ella el candidato responde: “Presente” (en latín, “Adsum”) da un paso al frente y hace una señal de reverencia. n Presentación, interrogación y aceptación: El obispo pide testimonio o una ratificación fiel de que el candidato ha recibido la capacitación adecuada y es digno de la ordenación. El director diocesano de vocaciones da fe que el candidato está preparado. El obispo dice entonces: “Contando con la ayuda del Señor Dios y de nuestro Salvador Jesucristo, elegimos a este hombre, nuestro hermano, para el Orden del Sacerdocio”. El pueblo responde “Demos gracias a Dios”, al mismo tiempo que dan su aprobación con un caluroso aplauso. n Escrutinio del Candidato: Después de la homilía, el candidato se acerca al obispo, quien le pregunta si está dispuesto a servir a Cristo y a su Iglesia como sacerdote fiel. El examen concluye con este intercambio: El obispo pregunta: “¿Quieres unirte cada día más estrechamente a Cristo, sumo Sacerdote, que por nosotros se entregó al Padre como víctima santa, y consagrarte a Dios junto con Él para la salvación de los hombres? El candidato responde: “Sí, quiero con la gracia de Dios”. n Promesa de Obediencia: El candidato promete obediencia a la autoridad de la Iglesia representada por el obispo y a sus propios superiores religiosos, mientras se arrodilla ante el obispo. ¿Por qué? Porque el obispo es la cabeza de la Iglesia local. San Ignacio de Antioquía decía que el obispo es “typos tou Patros”, es como la imagen viva de Dios Padre (CCC 1549). “La promesa de obediencia que hacen al obispo en el momento de la ordenación y el beso de la paz del obispo al final de la liturgia de la ordenación significan que el obispo los considera como sus colaboradores, sus hijos, sus hermanos y sus amigos, y que a su vez ellos le deben amor y obediencia” (CCC 1567). n Oración por los Candidatos: En este momento el obispo se arrodilla e invita a todos los presentes a hacer lo mismo y a unirse en oración por el candidato. En este período de oración, el canto de la Letanía de los Santos trae un momento especialmente emotivo y memorable en el ritual de ordenación. El candidato se postra frente el altar mientras las oraciones de las letanías invocan la misericordia salvadora de Dios y la intercesión de todos los santos para que hagan descender el Espíritu Santo sobre este hombre, que pronto será sacerdote.

La Letanía de los Santos es una oración antigua. La Enciclopedia Católica nos dice que: “Se usó en la ‘Litania Septiformis’ de San Gregorio Magno y en la procesión de San Mamerto. En la Iglesia Oriental, las letanías con

FILE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

One especially poignant moment of the ordination rite is when the candidates prostrate themselves while the clergy and congregation pray for them, chanting the Litany of the Saints.

Un momento especialmente conmovedor del rito de ordenación es cuando los candidatos se postran mientras el clero y la congregación oran por ellos, cantando La letanía de los Santos.

“La imposición de manos por parte del obispo, junto con la oración consagratoria, constituyen el signo visible” de la ordenación (CCC 1538). Es en este momento, cuando el obispo pone sus manos sobre la cabeza del candidato arrodillado y ora en silencio por la invocación del Espíritu Santo. Como todo sacramento, éste se convierte en el signo visible de la gracia invisible que se derrama sobre la persona que recibe la ordenación.

Cada uno de los sacerdotes presentes por turno impone sus manos en silencio sobre la cabeza del candidato. Esto significa que todos pertenecen y participan en el único sacerdocio de Jesucristo. Es también un signo visible de la acogida de los recién ordenados al sacerdocio común de Cristo. n Oración de Consagración: El obispo reza: “Te pedimos, Padre todopoderoso, que confieras a estos siervos tuyos la dignidad del presbiterado; renueva en sus corazones el Espíritu de Santidad; para que reciban de ti el segundo grado del ministerio sacerdotal y sean, con su conducta, ejemplo de vida. Sean honrados colaboradores del Orden de los Obispos, para que, por su predicación, y con la gracia del Espíritu Santo y la palabra del Evangelio, den fruto en el corazón de los hombres, y lleguen hasta los confines del orbe”. n Vestimenta del Nuevo Sacerdote: El sacerdote recién ordenado ahora se quita la estola de diácono y se le presentan los símbolos de su nuevo oficio en la Iglesia: una estola sacerdotal y una casulla. Esto se llama la investidura. n Unción de las manos: El obispo unge las palmas del nuevo sacerdote con el sagrado crisma, orando: “El Señor Jesucristo, a quien el Padre ungió con el Espíritu Santo y su poder te guarde para que puedas santificar al pueblo cristiano y ofrecer sacrificio a Dios”. Después de la unción con el sagrado crisma, se envuelven las manos del sacerdote con una tela llamada Manutergium. Esta unción con óleo sagrado, o sagrado crisma, simboliza el Espíritu Santo. Es otro ritual antiguo que tiene sus raíces en el Antiguo Testamento.

y hacen lo mismo para unirse en un signo de colaboración con el obispo, dando la bienvenida nuevamente a su hermano al sacerdocio.

La Misa continúa como de costumbre, con el nuevo sacerdote concelebrando plenamente en su primer sacrificio eucarístico, posicionado cerca del obispo en un lugar de honor ante el altar. El nuevo sacerdote también ayuda a distribuir la Sagrada Comunión y al final se une a la procesión con el resto de los sacerdotes.

¿Por qué la Iglesia ordena sacerdotes?

El rito de la ordenación es más que una “elección” o “delegación” de alguien como sacerdote. El sacramento “confiere el don del Espíritu Santo que permite a la persona ordenada ejercer un ‘poder sagrado’ que solo puede provenir de Cristo mismo a través de su Iglesia” (CCC 1538). La gracia divina recibida a través de este rito separa a estos hombres, los consagra, los enviste, dentro de la Iglesia y les da una misión única entre el Pueblo de Dios.

¿Por qué sólo los hombres son ordenados sacerdotes?

Jesús escogió a 12 hombres como sus apóstoles, confiándoles la misión de servir en su lugar en la tierra, y los apóstoles hicieron lo mismo cuando escogieron a otros para unirse a la misión y sucederles.

La Iglesia está ligada por la elección que hizo el mismo Jesús, por lo que no es posible que las mujeres sean ordenadas.

Aunque en épocas anteriores había varios

El orden sagrado es uno de los tres sacramentos que tienen un carácter espiritual indeleble, es decir, no se pueden repetir ni rescindir. Los otros dos son el bautismo y la confirmación. Desde el momento de su ordenación, la vocación y la misión de un sacerdote lo marcan permanentemente (CCC 1583).

Como el sacramento del matrimonio, en el que el hombre y la mujer se entregan totalmente el uno al otro y crecen juntos en la santidad, el sacramento del Orden Sacerdotal se dirige a la salvación de los demás mediante el don de sí mismo.

“Confiere una misión particular en la Iglesia y sirve para la edificación del Pueblo de Dios. Quienes reciben el sacramento del orden sagrado son consagrados en el nombre de Cristo ‘para alimentar a la Iglesia por la palabra y la gracia de Dios’” (CIC 1534-1535).

Un sacerdote actúa “in persona Christi”, es decir, actúa con la autoridad de Cristo, representando a la persona de Cristo en la administración de los sacramentos y el pastoreo de los fieles. También actúa “in nomine ecclesiae”, es decir; en nombre de la Iglesia. ¡Eso no significa que un sacerdote sea perfecto! Eso solo significa que, al administrar los sacramentos, el poder del Espíritu Santo está asegurado.

‘La voz y las manos de Cristo’ En su discurso de 1990, “Sobre la naturaleza del sacerdocio”, el entonces cardenal Joseph Ratzinger (ahora Papa emérito Benedicto XVI) dijo: “Jesús dio su poder a los apóstoles de tal manera que hizo de su ministerio, por así decirlo, una continuación de su propia misión. ‘El que los recibe a ustedes, me recibe a mí’, dice Él mismo a los doce” (Mateo 10:40; cf. Lucas 10:16; Juan 13:10).

Agregó: “Si el lenguaje de la Iglesia llama a la ordenación al ministerio del sacerdocio un ‘sacramento’, esto quiere decir lo siguiente: este hombre de ninguna manera está realizando funciones para las cuales está altamente calificado por su propia habilidad natural, ni está haciendo las cosas que le agradan más y que puedan ser los más rentables. Al contrario, el que recibe el sacramento es enviado a dar lo que no puede dar por sus propias fuerzas; es enviado para actuar en la persona de otro, para ser su instrumento vivo. Por eso, ningún ser humano puede declararse sacerdote; por esto tampoco ninguna comunidad puede promover a una persona a este ministerio por su propio decreto.

Sólo del sacramento, que pertenece a Dios, se puede recibir el sacerdocio. La misión sólo puede recibirse de Aquel que envía, de Cristo en su sacramento, por el cual la persona se convierte en la voz y las manos de Cristo en el mundo”.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editora

Más online En www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte: El Padre Miguel Sánchez habla acerca del rito de ordenación

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 20B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Support our seminarians’ education and priests’ retirement Our seminarians’ education is possible thanks to the generosity of parishioners who give to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal, through a Seminarian Education second collection in November and a Seminarian Education second collection on Easter Sunday, distributions from seminarian endowments in the diocesan foundation, and those who contribute gifts to the Seminarian Education Campaign.

The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte has 24 endowments designated for seminarian education, totaling over $10.3 million: n The Msgr. Thomas Burke Seminarian Endowment Fund n Beatrice A. Chase Fund n The Conklin Endowment Fund n The A. Loraine Cox and C. Richard Cox Seminarians Education Endowment Fund n Doris & Walter Dietrich Endowment Fund n The Mr. A. Steven and Dr. Donna S. Ellington Endowment Fund (benefiting St. Joseph College seminarians) n The Fabrey Endowment Fund n FFHL Seminarian n Dick Kelly Fund n Seminarian Michael G. Kitson Memorial Endowment Fund n The Lee Endowment Fund n Don and Teresa Meanor Endowment Fund n William and Rosalie Rabil Family

Endowment Fund n The Reverend Timothy S. Reid Endowment Fund n Eugene & Carmen Rossitch Seminarian Fund n The Matthew Scheible Endowment Fund n Dr. Marvin L. Schrum and Paula B. Schrum Education Endowment Fund n The Seminarians Education Endowment Fund n The Abdou J. and Edna S. Showfety Seminarian Endowment Fund n Stephen D. Showfety Endowment Fund n The St. Lawrence Council (#1695) RSVP Endowment Fund n St. Lucien Seminarian Scholarship Fund n The Valentine Family Seminarian Education Endowment Fund n Vocations Endowment Fund

Each year, people also have the opportunity to celebrate the faithful service of our retired diocesan priests, as well as show gratitude to the priests currently serving in the diocese, by contributing to the diocese’s Priests’ Retirement and Benefits second collection.

For information on establishing endowments for seminarian education or priests’ retirement, contact Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development, at 704-370-3301 or jkkelley@rcdoc.org.

— Catholic News Herald

The start of a life of service Brock, Nnebe-Agumadu and Rusciolelli ordained deacons SUEANN HOWELL AND PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HUNTERSVILLE — “This is a great day for the Church of Charlotte, and for the Church Universal,” said visiting Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of the Archdiocese of Atlanta during a special Mass Saturday to ordain seminarians Christopher Brock, Chinonso NnebeAgumadu and Peter Rusciolelli as deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Archbishop Hartmayer presided over a June 4 ordination Mass at St. Mark Church in Huntersville in place of Bishop Peter Jugis, who was recovering from illness. During the start of the ordination rite, hundreds of people watched as the three men were called to stand before Archbishop Hartmayer at the steps of the altar. Father Christopher Gober, diocesan vocations director, attested to their preparedness for holy orders.

During the two-hour Mass, Archbishop Hartmayer delivered a homily aimed at the three men, explaining the various parts of the ordination rite and giving them advice as they begin serving God and the Church as ordained ministers.

“In sharing in the sacrament of orders, the deacon is authorized and empowered to order, direct and focus the attention of the people on their dignity as baptized members of the Body of Christ,” he said.

“The deacon is called to help the people, and himself, to judge wisely the things of earth and measure them by the things of heaven. Our new deacons will do that not just through their preaching and teaching, but in their conduct of their lives.

“Everything that you have done up to now in formation has been a preparation,” he told the three men. “Now there is going to be a firm commitment – that you will be a man of prayer, that you will be a man of service, that you will shape your life after the life of Christ Himself. There’s no longer an option, it’s a commitment.”

Through their promises of celibacy and obedience, Archbishop Hartmayer explained, the men demonstrate their “total gift of self to God and His people” and to their “wholehearted faith and trust” in God. Becoming a deacon means embracing a life of service, he continued.

“It takes some time and some discernment in our life as a deacon to understand what it means to serve,” he said. He encouraged them to proclaim the Gospel through their words and through their lives, remaining grounded in the truth found in the scriptures as they minister to others.

“These are the commitments that you are making today. They are the foundation for more,” he told them. “So enjoy your diaconate, learn from your diaconal ministry, because there’s more coming.

And unless you build a sound foundation as deacons, the burdens ahead, the will of God ahead, will become even more difficult to carry, if the foundation you are forming now as ordained deacons is not sturdy and solid.”

During the ordination rite, the men arose and, one by one, approached the archbishop. He laid hands on each man’s head and prayed the prayer of ordination over them, thus consecrating them as deacons. The laying on of hands, the archbishop noted, “links you to the teaching and the ministry of the Apostles.”

The men then lay prostrate before the

Newly ordained Deacons Christopher Brock (left), Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu (right) and Peter Rusciolelli (not pictured) are vested with the stole and dalmatic.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘Enjoy your diaconate, learn from your diaconal ministry ... because there’s more coming.’

Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read more about each of our new deacons and see more photos from their ordination Mass

altar – “a gesture of abandonment and trust,” Archbishop Hartmayer described it.

“That prostration is a gesture of selfemptying and a sign of humility, which must be a sign of your diaconal ministry,” he told the men. “It is more than a symbol.

It’s a sign that leads to the kind of life and commitment you are making – a humble commitment, a trusting commitment. And you cannot put yourself in God’s trust unless you empty yourself and leave room for Him.” The newly ordained deacons were then vested with a stole – symbolizing the deacon’s office of service – and the dalmatic, the outer garment used in the liturgy.

Deacon Christopher Brock was vested by Deacon Ruben Tamayo of his home parish of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

Before Mass, he explained that he had asked Deacon Tamayo “because he was very supportive of me as I discerned the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood, and he often encouraged me to consider going to seminary, even when I went through a period of running away from the call. He played an important role in my discernment overall, and I thought having him vest me would be a beautiful way to say thank you.”

Deacon Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu was vested by transitional Deacon Darren Balkey of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. Before Mass, he said, “I chose him because he has been a good friend of mine since I entered seminary, and he has been an exemplary figure in his prayer life, care for his brother seminarians, and care for souls.”

Deacon Peter Rusciolelli was vested by Deacon Carlos Medina of his home parish of St. Patrick Cathedral. He said he asked Deacon Medina “because I have grown up serving with him at the cathedral my whole life. He was probably the first deacon I even knew.”

The newly vested deacons then again approached the sanctuary one by one, receiving the Book of the Gospels from Archbishop Hartmayer and an acknowledgment from him, welcoming them to their new role in the Church.

The three deacons will now be able to proclaim the Gospel at Mass, preach at the invitation of the priest, prepare the altar for the sacrifice of the Eucharist, distribute the Lord’s Body and Blood to the faithful, administer baptisms, officiate at marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying, conduct funeral rites, instruct believers and nonbelievers in Church doctrine, preside over public prayer and perform works of charity.

The men are considered “transitional” deacons as compared to “permanent” deacons – a reflection that they intend to serve a year in pastoral, liturgical and educational preparation before they are considered for ordination to the priesthood in 2023. Deacons are one of three types of holy orders; the other two are priests and bishops.

Deacon Brock will serve his summer assignment at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu will serve his summer assignment at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. Deacon Rusciolelli will serve his summer assignment at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

21B

El inicio de una vida de servicio Brock, Nnebe-Agumadu y Rusciolelli fueron ordenados diáconos SUEANN HOWELL Y PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HUNTERSVILLE — “Este es un gran día para la Iglesia de Charlotte y para la Iglesia Universal”, dijo el Arzobispo Gregory J. Hartmayer, de la Arquidiócesis de Atlanta, durante una Misa especial realizada para ordenar a los seminaristas Christopher Brock, Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu y Peter Rusciolelli como diáconos de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

El Arzobispo Hartmayer presidió la Misa de ordenación del 4 de junio en la Iglesia San Marcos en Huntersville en reemplazo del Obispo Peter Jugis, quien se recupera de una enfermedad.

Durante el inicio del rito de ordenación, cientos de personas vieron como los tres hombres eran llamados a presentarse ante el Arzobispo Hartmayer en los escalones del altar y el Padre Christopher Gober, director diocesano de vocaciones, atestiguaba su preparación para recibir las órdenes sagradas.

Durante la Misa de dos horas, el Arzobispo Hartmayer pronunció una homilía dirigida a los tres hombres, explicando las diversas partes del rito de ordenación y brindándoles consejos para que comiencen a servir a Dios y a la Iglesia como ministros ordenados.

“Al participar en el sacramento del orden sagrado, el diácono está autorizado y facultado para ordenar, dirigir y centrar la atención de las personas en su dignidad como miembros bautizados del Cuerpo de Cristo”, dijo. “El diácono está llamado a ayudar al pueblo y a sí mismo, a juzgar sabiamente las cosas de la tierra y medirlas con las cosas del cielo. Nuestros nuevos diáconos harán eso no solo a través de su predicación y enseñanza, sino también en la conducta de sus vidas”.

“Todo lo que han hecho hasta ahora durante su formación ha sido una preparación”, les dijo a los tres hombres.

“Ahora van a tomar un compromiso firme: que serán hombres de oración, que serán hombres de servicio, que moldearán su vida según la vida de Cristo mismo. Ya no hay una opción, es un compromiso”.

A través de sus promesas de celibato y obediencia, explicó el Arzobispo Hartmayer, los hombres demuestran la “entrega total de sí mismos a Dios y a su pueblo” y su “fe y confianza de todo corazón” en Dios.

Convertirse en diácono significa abrazar una vida de servicio, continuó. “Se necesita algo de tiempo y discernimiento en nuestra vida como diácono para comprender lo que significa servir”, dijo.

Los animó a proclamar el Evangelio a través de sus palabras y vidas, manteniéndose cimentados en la verdad que se encuentra en las Escrituras, mientras realizan su ministerio de servicio a los demás.

“Estos son los compromisos que están haciendo hoy. Son la base para más”, les dijo. “Así que disfruten su diaconado, aprendan de su ministerio diaconal, porque hay más por venir. Y, a menos que construyan una base sólida como diáconos, las cargas por delante, la voluntad de Dios por delante, se volverán aún más difíciles de llevar, si la base que están formando ahora como diáconos ordenados no es firme y sólida”.

Durante el rito de ordenación, los hombres se pusieron de pie y, uno a uno, se acercaron al arzobispo, quien puso las manos sobre sus cabezas y rezó la oración

de ordenación sobre ellos, consagrándolos como diáconos. La imposición de manos, señaló el arzobispo, “los vincula con la enseñanza y el ministerio de los Apóstoles”.

Luego, los hombres se postraron ante el altar, en “un gesto de abandono y confianza”, como lo describió el Arzobispo Hartmayer.

“Esa postración es un gesto de anonadamiento y un signo de humildad, que debe ser un signo de vuestro ministerio diaconal”, dijo a los hombres. “Es más que un símbolo, es una señal que conduce al tipo de vida y compromiso que están haciendo: un compromiso humilde, un compromiso de confianza. Y no pueden ponerse en la confianza de Dios a menos que queden vacíos y dejen espacio para Él”.

Los flamantes diáconos fueron entonces investidos con una estola, que simboliza el oficio de servicio del diácono, y la dalmática, la prenda exterior utilizada en la liturgia.

El Diácono Christopher Brock fue investido por el Diácono Rubén Tamayo de su casa parroquial, San Vicente de Paúl en Charlotte. “Se lo pedí porque siempre me apoyó al discernir la posibilidad de vocación, y frecuentemente me alentaba a considerar el asistir al seminario, incluso cuando atravesé un período de alejamiento al llamado”, dijo el Diácono Brock. “Él jugó un rol muy importante en mi discernimiento, y creo que pedirle que lo haga es una bella manera de decirle gracias”.

El Diácono Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu fue investido por el Diácono transicional Darren Balkey de la Iglesia Sagrado Corazón en Salisbury. “Lo elegí porque ha sido un buen amigo desde que entré al seminario, y una figura ejemplar en su vida de oración, cuidado por sus hermanos seminaristas y sus almas”.

El Diácono Peter Rusciolelli fue investido por el Diácono Carlos Medina de su parroquia, Catedral San Patricio. Dijo que seleccionó al Diácono Medina “porque he crecido sirviendo con él en la catedral toda mi vida. Probablemente fue el primer diácono que conocí”.

Los diáconos recién investidos se acercaron nuevamente al santuario uno por uno, recibiendo el Libro de los Evangelios de manos del Arzobispo Hartmayer, quien los reconoció dándoles la bienvenida a su nuevo papel en la Iglesia.

Los tres diáconos ahora podrán proclamar el Evangelio en la Misa, predicar por invitación del sacerdote, preparar el altar para el sacrificio de la Eucaristía, distribuir el Cuerpo y la Sangre del Señor a los fieles, administrar bautismos, oficiar matrimonios, llevar el Viático a los moribundos, realizar ritos funerarios, instruir a creyentes y no creyentes en la doctrina de la Iglesia, presidir la oración pública y realizar obras de caridad.

Los hombres son considerados diáconos “transicionales” en comparación con los diáconos “permanentes”, un reflejo de que tienen la intención de servir un año en preparación pastoral, litúrgica y educativa antes de ser considerados para la ordenación al sacerdocio en 2023. Los diáconos son los primeros de tres tipos de órdenes sagradas; los otros dos son sacerdote y obispo.

El Diácono Brock cumplirá su asignación de verano en la Iglesia Santo Tomás de Aquino en Charlotte. El Diácono NnebeAgumadu lo hará en la Iglesia San Marcos en Huntersville. El Diácono Rusciolelli cumplirá su asignación de verano en la Iglesia Santa Ana en Charlotte.

Los diáconos Peter Rusciolelli Christopher Brock y Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu aparecen en la foto con el arzobispo Gregory Hartmayer después de su ordenación.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘Disfruten su diaconado, aprendan de su ministerio diaconal ... porque hay más por venir.’

Arzobispo Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv.

Más online En www.catholicnewsherald.com: Lea más acerca de cada uno de nuestros nuevos diáconos y vea más fotos de su Misa de ordenación.

Rejoicing with you on this special occasion.

Congratulations to all of our Priests, Deacons and Religious celebrating their Jubilee Anniversaries. ccdoc.org

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 22B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Touching hearts and souls St. Mark’s pastor grateful for gift of priestly vocation

Párroco de San Marcos agradecido por el don de su vocación sacerdotal

I

t seems strange to me that 30 years have gone by since my ordination in 1992. As I reflect back over that time, I can honestly say that the one word that comes to mind is gratitude. God can never be outdone in generosity. And even though there have certainly been struggles and difficulties along the way, all – in one way or another – have been a blessing.

When I was in the seminary, an elderly priest told me “never underestimate how much impact you can have on multiple lives during the course of your priestly ministry.”

He also noted my impact could be for good or ill, “so always keep that in mind.” I’ve never forgotten that.

Whether preaching, celebrating Holy Mass, hearing confessions, anointing the sick, praying with the dying or celebrating marriages and ordinations, each and every one of these is a brief point through which God can touch hearts and souls through the imperfect ministry of His priests. When you think about it, it is really amazing.

One of the special joys I have had over the years has been working with vocations, in one way or another. I’ve served on the diocese’s Vocations Board for many years now, and I have always seen the promotion of priestly and religious vocations as a joyful

Tocando corazones y almas

responsibility.

When I was ordained, the attitude often voiced was that God wasn’t really calling many folks. There was a shortage, and that required new ideas and new approaches. I didn’t buy that thinking then, and I certainly don’t now. God has been, is now and will be calling people to serve Him in consecrated service.

As a priest my task is to allow the Holy Spirit to work, show the joy that comes in this life, and then offer whatever help I can to nurture a vocation in someone else.

As the famed 19th-century French preacher Father Henri-Dominique Lacordaire opined, “My God, what a life; and it is yours, O priest of Jesus Christ.”

I give thanks for each of the past 30 years and pray the Lord will give me a few more to love and serve Him and His holy people.

FATHER JOHN PUTNAM is the pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville. He also serves as the judicial vicar for the diocese, overseeing the Tribunal. He celebrated his 30th anniversary of ordination on May 30.

M

e parece raro que ya hayan pasado 30 años desde mi ordenación en 1992. Al reflexionar sobre ese tiempo, puedo decir honestamente que la única palabra que se me viene a la mente es gratitud. Dios nunca puede ser superado en generosidad. Y aunque ciertamente ha habido luchas y dificultades en el camino, todo, de una u otra manera, ha sido una bendición.

Cuando estaba en el seminario, un sacerdote muy mayor me dijo: “nunca subestimes el impacto que puedes tener en múltiples vidas durante el transcurso de tu ministerio sacerdotal”. También señaló que mi impacto podría ser para bien o para mal, “así que tenlo siempre en cuenta”. Nunca lo he olvidado.

Ya sea predicando, celebrando la Santa Misa, al escuchar confesiones, ungiendo a los enfermos, orando con los moribundos o celebrando matrimonios y ordenaciones, todos y cada uno de estos momentos son un breve punto a través del cual Dios puede tocar los corazones y almas a través del ministerio imperfecto de sus sacerdotes. Cuando lo piensas, es

realmente asombroso.

Una de las especiales alegrías que he tenido a lo largo de los años ha sido trabajar, de una u otra forma, con vocaciones. He servido en la Junta de Vocaciones de la diócesis durante muchos años y siempre he visto la promoción de las vocaciones sacerdotales y religiosas como una responsabilidad gratificante.

Cuando fui ordenado, se decía a menudo que Dios en realidad no estaba llamando a muchas personas. Había escasez, y eso requería nuevas ideas y enfoques. No sostuve ese pensamiento entonces, y ciertamente no lo hago ahora. Dios ha estado, está ahora y estará llamando a las personas a servirle en el servicio consagrado.

Como sacerdote, mi tarea es permitir que el Espíritu Santo trabaje, mostrar la alegría que trae esta vida y luego ofrecer toda la ayuda que pueda para fomentar la vocación en otra persona.

Como dijera el famoso predicador francés del siglo XIX, el Padre HenriDominique Lacordaire, “Dios mío, qué vida; y es tuya, oh sacerdote de Jesucristo”.

Doy gracias por cada uno de los últimos 30 años, y oro para que el Señor me dé unos cuantos más para amarlo y servirlo a Él y a Su pueblo santo.

EL PADRE JOHN PUTNAM es párroco de la Iglesia San Marcos en Huntersville. También sirve como vicario judicial para la diócesis, supervisando el Tribunal.

Celebró su 30 aniversario de ordenación el 30 de mayo.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Waynesville, NC Prayerful best wishes to our native son, Fr. Aaron Huber on his ordination to the Holy Priesthood.

We also congratulate his fellow ordinand Fr. Darren Balkey.

May God bless you both as you begin your ministry!

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

23B

‘Where would our lives be without our faith?’ ‘¿Qué sería de nuestras vidas sin fe?’

Father Hoyt celebrates 30 years of priestly ministry

W

hen I was ordained, I was deeply grateful to God for receiving the ministerial priesthood. Since I had very good formation and an excellent education, l thought at the time that I proved worthy of this incredible gift. Now, after 30 years of service, l see things differently.

While I know I have grown in so many ways in my vocation, I realize more clearly I am never worthy of this vocation. The Lord’s generosity of grace has revealed to me how to trust wholeheartedly in God in order to be faithful in this ministry.

In particular, the pandemic that we all endured these past two years has made it clear to me how Our Lord operates a unique grace that has made it possible for all of us to not only make our way through this ordeal, but even flourish.

What do l mean by that? Consider how we were tested in unfamiliar ways and had to exercise unnatural behaviors such as social distancing, remote learning, refraining from physical contact such as shaking hands, and not being able to see one another’s faces because of masking. While all of this was uncomfortable and inconvenient, it was also an invitation to grow in charity. Whether we felt personally vulnerable to the virus or not, we were constantly reminded that others

around us had real health concerns and we needed to look out for each other. Interacting in a charitable way towards others – loving our neighbors as ourselves – took on a whole new perspective.

I have been quite inspired in how much I witnessed the mindfulness of parishioners to think of others and how to reach out in creative ways.

While we celebrate our 50th anniversary as a diocese this year, recall the words of St. Peter about how precious our faith is. We have much to reflect upon in gratitude. What would our lives be without our faith? How has our faith transformed our struggles into renewal?

My journey is united with so many others. When l look forward to continuing to serve, l believe if I keep my focus upon the Lord l will have more to celebrate – with blessings that truly are “more precious than gold.”

FATHER STEPHEN M. HOYT, V.F., is the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir. He also serves as vicar forane for the Hickory region. He will celebrate his 30th anniversary of ordination on Nov. 21.

El Padre Hoyt celebra 30 años de ministerio sacerdotal

C

uando fui ordenado, estaba profundamente agradecido a Dios por recibirme en el ministerio sacerdotal. Como tenía muy buena formación y una excelente educación, pensé en ese momento que era digno de este increíble regalo. Ahora, después de 30 años de servicio, veo las cosas de otra manera.

Si bien sé que he crecido de muchas maneras en mi vocación, me doy cuenta más claramente de que nunca seré digno de ella. La generosidad de la gracia del Señor me ha revelado cómo confiar de todo corazón en Dios para ser fiel en este ministerio.

En particular, la pandemia que todos soportamos durante estos últimos dos años me ha dejado claro cómo Nuestro Señor opera una gracia única que ha hecho posible que no solo superemos esta prueba, sino que incluso florezcamos. ¿Qué quiero decir con esto? Considere cómo fuimos probados de formas desconocidas y tuvimos que ejercer comportamientos antinaturales como el distanciamiento social, el

aprendizaje remoto, abstenernos del contacto físico como darnos la mano y no poder vernos las caras debido al uso de mascarillas. Si bien todo esto era incómodo e inconveniente, también era una invitación a crecer en la caridad. Ya sea que nos sintiéramos personalmente vulnerables al virus o no, se nos recordaba permanentemente que las personas que nos rodeaban tenían problemas reales de salud y que teníamos que cuidarnos unos a otros.

El interactuar de manera caritativa con los demás, amando a nuestro prójimo como a nosotros mismos, adquirió una perspectiva completamente nueva.

Me ha inspirado mucho el haber sido testigo de la preocupación de los feligreses por otros y cómo asistirlos de manera creativa.

Este año, al celebrar nuestro 50 aniversario como diócesis, recordemos las palabras de San Pedro sobre cuán preciosa es nuestra fe, tenemos mucho para reflexionar con gratitud. ¿Qué sería de nuestras vidas sin fe? ¿Cómo ha transformado la fe nuestros conflictos en renovación?

Mi camino está unido al de muchos otros. Espero continuar sirviendo, y creo que si mantengo mi enfoque en el Señor, tendré más para celebrar, con bendiciones que verdaderamente son “más preciosas que el oro”.

EL PADRE STEPHEN M. HOYT es párroco de la Iglesia San Francisco de Asís en Lenoir. También sirve como vicario foráneo de la región de Hickory. Celebrará su 30 aniversario de ordenación el 21 de noviembre.

congratulations on receiving the

Sacrament of Holy Orders rev. Darren Balkey | rev. aaron huBer May God’s love and guidance be with you as you follow the calling He has given to you.

Congratulations to our Pastor, Fr. Brian Becker on his 5th Anniversary of Ordination and to Deacon Ralph Eckoff on his diaconate Golden Jubilee.

The people of St. Margaret Mary’s parish are grateful for your service!

6616 Beechmont Ave | Cincinnati OH 45230 | 513.231.2223 | athenaeum.edu

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 24B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Consecrated religious jubilarians honored for decades of service SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Twenty consecrated religious serving in the diocese are being honored this year for decades of service to the Church in western North Carolina.

Religious sisters and brothers live in their respective communities, with apostolates that allow them to exercise their particular charism and enrich the local Church where their convents and monasteries are located. Consecrated religious are engaged in catechesis, health care, Catholic primary education, higher education, youth ministry and service to the poor – in other words, they give their lives in service to the Church.

Bishop Peter Jugis acknowledged jubilarians celebrating a milestone anniversary of their profession of vows at a Mass offered on the World Day for Consecrated Life. He honored both the 2021 and 2022 jubilarians at the Feb. 5 Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral since pandemic restrictions last year caused the Mass to be canceled.

“We thank God that we are able to come together in person this year to celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life,” Bishop Jugis said at the beginning of his homily.

“This year we are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of the Charlotte, and we praise God for blessing the diocese with many different charisms of religious life to enrich our witness to the presence of Christ’s kingdom. From the very beginning of the diocese, in fact, and even before the diocese was formed, some

of our religious communities were already here, making Christ known,” he added.

Bishop Jugis told the more than 50 women and men religious who had gathered for Mass that their lives are a powerful witness in our local Church of the primacy of God in one’s life. “You say with Isaiah, ‘My God is the joy of my soul, I rejoice heartily in the Lord.’”

He spoke of the demands of religious life, the self-denial and the carrying of one’s cross in service to the Lord. “Though the Lord does make great demands of those who follow Him, it is true, as we know, that His yoke is easy and His burden light,” Bishop Jugis said.

He recounted that some years ago, someone said to him, “You certainly chose a hard life for yourself, becoming a priest.”

Bishop Jugis stated that, “Rather than calling it hard, it actually is more accurate to say it is a constant companionship with Christ.”

“The vocation of following Jesus, to make Jesus one’s life, does entail taking up the cross and sacrifice and self-denial, but the grace of vocation is humbling and fulfilling and enables one to say with Isaiah, ‘My God is the joy of my soul,’” he explained.

The presence of men and women religious in the diocese enriches the life of the local Church and all its ministries, he said.

“Consecrated religious can be found active in ministry to the poor, ministry to the sick and homebound, ministry to seniors, ministry to homeless pregnant women, ministry to battered women, ministry to those suffering with AIDS, health care ministry, ministry to disabled

Members of the Missionaries of Charity, who serve in Charlotte, were among the consecrated men and women religious honored earlier this year.

FILE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

children and adults, day care ministry to little children, ministry of contemplative prayer for the Church and the world, ministry to migrant populations, ministry of catechesis and faith formation and Catholic education at all levels, parish ministry and prison ministry,” he noted.

“May the Lord bestow His blessing on our religious sisters, our religious brothers and religious priests, and especially those who are celebrating special anniversaries of religious profession,” Bishop Jugis said at the conclusion of his homily.

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

‘Yes, Jesus, I will follow you’ The joyful witness of Dominican Sister Zeny Mofada SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — When she took her vows 34 years ago, Dominican Sister Zenaida (“Zeny”) Mofada never imagined she would serve the Church living halfway around the world from her home in the Philippines.

Sister Zeny felt the tug of a religious vocation when she was 13, a freshman in high school in Surallah, South Cotabato.

Her religious education teacher inspired her to ask life’s big questions: Who am I? What is my purpose in life?

“He helped me understand that life is from God and what is important is our journey with (and back to) God,” she recalls. He helped her understand what he called the three paths to God – the priesthood, religious life or single life.

“He said if we choose the path of religious life, it is just like taking a plane, and you will reach your destination (back to God) shortly and efficiently. He said in religious life you have all the means you need to be holy. Your life is characterized by prayer, the daily Eucharist, and all of your hours are with Jesus or with God. “I was convinced with that! I wanted to be in the religious life because I want to go back to God faster. I want to have that direct contact with God, to do what He wills.”

She privately consecrated herself to God at that moment, and she began attending Mass more often, visiting a chapel for prayer every day, and cultivating a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

“I took all of those opportunities to be with Jesus. With that private consecration and with God’s grace, that love for the vocation to religious life was sustained.”

Sister Zeny went on to college, earning a degree in education from Notre Dame of Marbel University in Cotabato City. But still, religious life was calling her.

“During my time in college, God helped me discern what He wanted of me. I had a profound experience of Jesus’ presence one night while on a retreat, a vision of Jesus extending His hands, and He said, ‘Come, my child, follow me.’

“I found myself, when I was awakened, on my knees next to my bed. I said, ‘Yes, Jesus, I will follow you.’”

After graduation from college, she decided to join the Dominican order.

She entered the Congregation of Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine Siena, headquartered in Quezon City, Philippines,

and made her profession of vows in 1988.

In 2015, her congregation sent her as a foreign missionary – traveling to the United States to serve as the religious education director at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte.

“I was very happy to be sent here in 2015 to be part of the foreign mission in the Diocese of Charlotte,” Sister Zeny says.

In 2020, she started assisting with the faith formation work at St. Mark Parish, and last year she became the pastoral associate for catechesis.

Guiding religious education teachers, students and their families through virtual classes and isolation during the pandemic has been a big part of her leadership focus.

For Sister Zeny, meeting the challenges head on has been just one more way she can serve God. “Serving here at St. Mark has been

The faculty, staff, and seminarians of St. Joseph College Seminary congratulates

Fr. Aaron Huber who is the first graduate from the college seminary to be ordained to the Sacred Priesthood.

We also celebrate his fellow ordinand Fr. Darren Balkey.

Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech

PHOTO PROVIDED

another great experience for me to live (our community’s motto) to serve with compassion for truth and compassion for humanity, loving God and loving my neighbor through the Church, in my ministry.”

The Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine Siena have ministered in the Diocese of Charlotte for 27 years, serving as faith formation educators.

Sister Zeny believes that her order’s presence – their smiles, their prayers and work as teachers, even the habits they wear – encourage people in their own faith journey and show everyone how joyful it is to serve God no matter what one’s situation in life. The answers to life’s big questions, she believes, all point back to God. In October, she will wrap up her “foreign missionary” assignment here and return to the Philippines to continue her ministry of serving God and His people.

Says Sister Zeny, “I am thankful to God for the gift of my vocation and for the grace of sustaining me 34 years.”

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 26B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘A ministry of presence’ Airport chaplains a source of peace for travelers, especially during pandemic SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE COUNCIL KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS “IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR PRIESTS”

CONGRATULATES Fr. Aaron Huber Fr. Darren Balkey

Fr. Aaron Huber

Fr. Darren Balkey

On their Ordination as Priests for the Diocese of Charlotte Special Congratulations to those Priests & Religious who are ccelebrating their continued service to the Faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte www.kofcnc.org

CHARLOTTE — Providing a listening ear, assisting confused travelers, counseling distressed employees and praying for intentions left in the airport chapel are all in a day’s work for permanent deacons who serve as airport chaplains at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Add a worldwide pandemic over the past 27 months, and the need for chaplains to provide a shoulder to cry on, a calming presence and an encouraging word has increased as the stress level of both airline employees and travelers has skyrocketed.

Deacon David Reiser, executive director of the Inter-Faith Chaplaincy Program, has served in airport ministry for the past 11 years. He oversees the training and scheduling of the 23 other chaplains who serve with him at the nation’s sixth largest airport.

“The last two years or so have been a roller coaster ride,” he says. “In the beginning of the pandemic, people were coming to the airport very anxious because of masking and social distancing. Airport employees were very stressed, especially at first when their kids were home from school and they needed childcare. They really needed our guidance in those times.”

Deacon Reiser has noticed that with the advent of summer, the volume of travelers is starting to pick up. “The number of infrequent fliers is increasing, especially older adults and non-English speaking travelers. They experience anxiety in going through security and in not (having) enough time to check in or showing up too late. They find TSA lines are long, and they miss their flights. We try to lead them to a service counter and calm them down,” he explains.

“We see people too who are just unprepared to travel, like moms with infants who don’t pack enough diapers to account for flight delays. They get stranded, and they only have one diaper because they didn’t plan on getting stuck.

So we keep diapers in the chaplain’s office for those kinds of emergencies now,” he notes.

A key component of airport chaplaincy ministry involves providing emotional support to the 17,000 airport employees.

“We interact more with the cleaning crews, those working concessions, and in the restaurants – with all different types of people. We’re just a good listening ear for people to express themselves,” Deacon Reiser says.

The chaplains are also there to counsel employees who have suffered trauma on the job or suffered the loss of colleagues, many of whom died of COVID-19. The chaplains continue to offer live-streamed memorial services at the airport for those who cannot attend the services due to illness or distance.

Deacon Kevin Williams has served as an airport chaplain for the past 16 years.

He has noticed that as people have started coming back to the airport, employees are bearing the brunt of travelers’ frustrations and are experiencing stress because of the passengers who are acting out.

“Employees are sharing how much more stressful their job has become,” he admits.

“Flight attendants say that ‘the general public has no idea how stressed we are.’

PHOTO PROVIDED

That (stress) is the biggest change in what employees are saying that they are going through now.”

Deacon Williams says that his time in the ministry and helping others get through difficulties has impacted his faith in a positive way. “The crux of it for me is to be the person who is there to help them when they’re in distress. The giving back to people who need some help is what is most important to me.”

He likes wearing his clerics with his chaplain vest while on duty so that passengers and employees know “that it is someone wearing a collar that is helping people. I’m planting seeds by wearing a collar and just by being there.”

He is reminded daily that there are a lot of people going through life stressed and need help. “It’s a reminder for me that I may be doing okay but others aren’t. I want to help them through the situation,” Deacon Williams says.

Echoing his fellow chaplains, Deacon Jim Bozik notes that “our work is really grounded in ‘ministry of presence’ – of being present when someone is traveling (especially during the pandemic) for difficult reasons.”

An airport chaplain for the past six years, he shares a couple of instances when travelers asked him to pray. “One time a woman stopped by at the end of the service asking for prayers, as she was hoping to arrive (to her destination) before her mother passed away. Another time earlier this year, a man asked for prayers as he was traveling to Ukraine. He was setting up a field hospital as the war was just beginning.

“It was a reminder that often we are humbled by the witness and service of others.”

Learn more At www.cltairportchapel.org: Find out more information about the Airport Inter-Faith Chaplaincy Program

June 24, 2022 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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On the anniversary of your ordinations, we wish to congratulate and thank our priests and deacons for more than 100 years of service to the Church!

THE VERY REVEREND JOHN T. PUTNAM, PASTOR 30 years You are a priest of Jesus Christ forever.

Thank you for giving your life in service to God, the Diocese and St. Mark. We are blessed to have you as our pastor.

Parochial Vicar Fr. Matthew Bean 5 years, Deacon Ramon Tapia 25 years and Deacon Ronald Sherwood 45 years (l-r)

Congratulations to Fr. Darren Balkey and Fr. Aaron Huber on your Ordination to the Priesthood and to Deacon Christopher Brock, Deacon Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu, and Deacon Peter Rusciolelli on your Ordination to the Diaconate.

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2022 28B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Called By God… Supported By You In the academic year just ended, we have been blessed to have 45 seminarians at the major seminary in Cincinnati and at St. Joseph College Seminary who are discerning God’s call to serve you as priests in the Diocese of Charlotte. Your financial assistance pays for a portion of their tuition, room and board. This will help assure the diocese of having priests to shepherd the growing Catholic population in western North Carolina for years to come.

Fr. Aaron Huber and Fr. Darren Balkey were ordained as priests for the Diocese of Charlotte on June 18, 2022

Please invest in the lives and ministry of our future priests.

Make Your Gift Today!

DIOCESE

OF CHARLOTTE

Online: Donate securely online at: charlottediocese.org/donate, then click on Seminarian Education Campaign

By Mail: Seminarian Education Campaign 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203