CHARLOTTE — Diocesan Director of Vocations, Father Christopher Gober, recently discussed the call to the priesthood with the Catholic News Herald:
CNH: What are some of the paths the men who have already been ordained have taken to the priesthood under your directorship?
Father Gober: One of the strong signs of vitality in our diocese is that all 17 seminarians are from here. Because we have such a young group of seminarians, the majority of them entered seminary after college. Over the years we have ordained men from various professional backgrounds: law, business and engineering.
CNH: What is the process you follow with a potential seminarian when they come to you? What type of advice or guidance do you give these men?
Father Gober: When a potential candidate comes to me, I encourage him to meet regularly with his pastor. I then spend time learning about his life experiences and exploring the reasons why he believes he is being called to the priesthood. Men who aspire to serve God's people, strive to imitate our Lord through daily prayer and service, who are drawn to our Lord in the Eucharist, desire to preach the Gospel, and who wish to bring God's mercy to the physically and spiritually poor are some of the authentic signs of a possible vocation to the priesthood. I would encourage him to reflect on these topics.
CNH: Describe types of prayer that are helpful for discernment.
Father Gober: It is important to cultivate a love for the Mass and spend time with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, foster a true devotion to the Blessed Mother, begin to pray the Divine Office and practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
CNH: Why do you recommend spending time in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament?
Father Gober: We are fortunate to have an annual Eucharistic Congress in the Diocese of Charlotte which encourages all the faithful to come to know Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Since the Holy Mass is the most perfect prayer a priest offers, it is important for somebody discerning a vocation to the priesthood to cultivate a great love for the Lord in the Holy Eucharist.
CNH: Are there specific books that you suggest a man discerning the priesthood should read?
Father Gober: Sacred Scripture; Father Bret Brennan's "To Save a Thousand Souls" is a very comprehensive guide; Father Thomas Dubay's "Authenticity: A Biblical Theology of Discernment"; and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's "The Priest is Not His Own" and "Those Mysterious Priests."
CNH: Are there specific persons men should seek out to mentor them during the discernment period?
Father Gober: If somebody is serious about discerning a vocation to the priesthood, I would first encourage him to speak with his family and his pastor.
— SueAnn Howell, staff writer
Support our seminarians' education and priests' retirement
The education of our seminarians is possible thanks to the generosity of our parishioners who give to the Diocesan Support Appeal and the Easter Sunday Seminary and Priests' Continuing Education Collection, and those who contribute leadership gifts to the Friend to Seminarians program. To learn more about how you can donate to seminarians' education efforts or support our retired priests, call diocesan Director of Development Jim Kelley at 704-370-3301. They are also online at www.charlottediocese.org: click on Departments, then Stewardship and Development.
Interested in the permanent diaconate?
Catholic men who are active in their parish and bring a certain experience of the spiritual life including apostolic zeal and a desire to increase their faith through obedience and fraternal communion, and who are at least 33 years old, married or unmarried, can inquire into becoming a permanent deacon in the diocese. Preparation for the permanent diaconate takes several years to complete, and includes completion of the two-year Lay Ministry program. The Lay Ministry program starting this fall will be essential to meet the deadline for the application process that will start in 2013. Check out the norms for applicants online at www.charlottediocese.org: click on Ministries, then on Permanent Diaconate. A class is formed roughly every four years. Don't miss out on this opportunity! For inquiries, contact Director of Formation Deacon Scott Gilillan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Learn more about our faith through the Lay Ministry program
Interested in learning more about the faith, becoming a catechist or religion teacher, or discerning the possibility of becoming a permanent deacon? The diocesan Lay Ministry Office offers a two-year program with classes in Arden, Bryson City, Charlotte, Greensboro and Lenoir. Applications for the 2012-2014 year are now being accepted. For details, contact Dr. Frank Villaronga at 704-370-3274 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Vocation resources
If you or someone you know is contemplating a religious vocation, check out the following general resources online. Talk with your pastor, read up on consecrated life and the various communities that exist, and contact religious 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. And don't be afraid to ask questions!
Diocesan vocations office
Father Christopher Gober, Director of Vocations: 704-370-3327, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
General information
- 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, see videos of the vocation stories from priests and religious all over the U.S., and much more.
- 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.
- 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.
- www.cloisteredlife.com: Aims to bring to attention the gift of cloistered and monastic life in the Church, sponsored by the IRL.
Religious communities for men
- 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 of the U.S.
- www.religiousbrotherhood.com: Sponsored by the IRL specifically to increase awareness of the specific charism of religious brotherhood in the U.S.
Religious communities for women
- 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.
- 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.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor
‘Your work is to prefer nothing whatsoever to Christ’
Eight more men enter St. Joseph College Seminary
CHARLOTTE — Sunday, Aug. 4, was a special day for eight young men, as they entered St. Joseph College Seminary to begin a journey of discernment for the priesthood.
The day began with Mass at St. Ann Church celebrated by the college seminary’s rector, Father Matthew Kauth.
The eight men of the “Delta Class,” dressed in their black suits and ties, occupied the first pew of the church, where they listened to Father Kauth’s homily mostly directed to them on this important day.
“You are proclaiming to everyone in this church that you are going to attempt to do something, not knowing where the end lies, and not absolutely certain of the Lord’s will, but you are going to try to do something. You are going to try to die (to self),” he told them.
“St. Paul says if you have been raised to life with Christ, he also says you have died to get there, and then you seek the things that are above. He speaks about putting on the virtuous man, putting to death the old man, and allowing the new one to live. That is why the priest wears black,” Father Kauth explained.
“That whether we accomplish it or not, we are attempting to be some sign, that to this world ‘I have died and I no longer seek its vanities,’ he noted.
He reminded the men that they will not be able to accomplish growth in virtue or holiness, or to become priests, without the Lord doing the work in them.
“Your work is very simple, it is to seek the things that are above,” Father Kauth said. “Not the things of this earth. In the words of St. Benedict, ‘Your work is to prefer nothing whatsoever to Christ.’”
Concelebrating Mass with Father Kauth were Father Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, who serves as a formation advisor for the college seminary. They were joined by judicial vicar and seminary formation advisor Father John Putnam and Father Matthew Buettner, college seminary house spiritual director. Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church and seminary formation advisor, was in choir.
After Mass, the eight men and their families moved the men’s belongings into one of four of the seminary residences located on Hillside Avenue adjacent to St. Ann Church.
Like any college move-in day, the scene was joyfully chaotic as families pitched in to move the men into their double rooms.
The Martin family of St. Mark Church in Huntersville now has two sons in college seminary, as Patrick has joined his brother Luke in discerning the priesthood. Parents of seven children, Tom and Heather Martin are grateful to God for His goodness in two of their sons’ discerning religious vocations.
“It’s a wonderful day,” Tom Martin said. “The Lord has called them both. We are just trying to make sure we are being obedient to the Lord and offer our children up to Him as He calls them. There are many things they can go do. This is what God wants for them. This is what we want for them.”
Tom Martin is currently in formation for the permanent diaconate. On the topic of her husband and sons following the will of God in their lives, Heather Martin added, “I am thrilled that God is calling the men in my life to serve Him. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Glen and Lissette Yellico of St. Mark Parish in Huntersville are the parents of Delta Class member, Joseph Yellico, the oldest of their six children.
During the Mass Glen Yellico reminisced about their former home parish in New York City and how similar it is to St. Ann Church.
“I was thinking back to when Joseph made his first Holy Communion at St. Agnes Church in Manhattan and now he’s here. It just gave me chills. I am a little emotional about all of this,” he said.
“We are so thankful to God, in spite of us, he is here,” Lissette said. “This is God’s work in our family and His blessing to us.”
The Yellicos said they have prayed the rosary as a family, and have been active in the parish which they believe has contributed to Joseph’s discernment.
Father John Putnam, pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, is pastor to both Joseph Yellico and Patrick Martin, making a total of five seminarians studying for the priesthood from his parish in Huntersville.
“We have actively promoted vocations at St. Mark,” Father Putnam said. “Obviously vocations are the future of the Church, so we have to keep working as hard as we can.”
He believes prayer and Perpetual Adoration are key to the growth in vocations.
“We make sure we have folks pray every day for vocations,” he said. “Happy priests (are important, too). Showing them that the life that we lead is something worthwhile and something joyful and that is contagious,” he added.
Allen and Gini Bond, who helped start weekly and now Perpetual Adoration at St. Mark Parish, have a unique family vocation dynamic.
With their grandson, Simon Ohlhaut, entering college seminary in the Delta Class, they now have three grandsons in seminary. They also have a granddaughter who is a Franciscan sister and their son, Father Christopher Bond, is a priest of the Diocese of Charlotte serving as parochial vicar of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.
Of all the blossoming family vocations, Gini Bond said, “It’s a gift, a surprise. It’s a joy.”
She noted that their son, Father Bond, is Simon’s godfather, which is very special.
“It’s all a work of God, we’re the vessel that it came through. We don’t know how or why, and we don’t feel deserving,” Allen Bond said. “We are truly blessed and we love it. Words can’t fully express how we feel.”
Dan Ohlhaut, Simon’s father, says that for him, seeing another son discern the priesthood is humbling. “God is good. Despite my weakness, he feels called to give this a try,” Ohlhaut said.
David Cruz Pérez, a member of the Delta Class, said, “I feel happy to be here. It’s like a place I belong. I think God wants me to be here to do His work.”
Heriberta Pérez, his mother, said he is going to miss her cooking. “He loves tamales, pozole, mole de olla. I am going to miss him a lot, I love him and I want to be a good support for him.”
Father Kauth was beaming with fatherly joy as the men were moving in, going room to room greeting parents and siblings.
“I am very proud of the young men,” he said. “In the midst of the media that is always highlighting failures, they are still courageous to say ‘I can do all things.’ I am very proud of these men for having the courage to do it. I ask for people’s prayers for perseverance, that they will continue to persevere.”
The eight men of the Delta Class at St. Joseph Seminary now make a total of 40 men studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Charlotte.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
New college seminary building takes shape
MOUNT HOLLY — The St. Joseph College Seminary building currently under construction has seen notable progress this summer.
The diocesan Properties Office reports that framing and drywall work is progressing, shingles have been installed on the roof, and brick and pre-cast masonry work has begun on the exterior.
The brick is custom made by Taylor Clay, a Salisbury brick company owned by the Charles Taylor Jr. family, who are parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury.
The two-story building will include a chapel, classroom, library, conference rooms, a kitchen and refectory (cafeteria), faculty offices, and a guest room for speakers and visiting priests. It will also include 40 dorm rooms or “cells” for the college seminarians.
The building is projected to be substantially completed by next spring.
The college seminary will have the permanent address of 22 Arctus Ave. The name was specifically selected as “arctus,” is Latin for “narrow.” Avenue was chosen because it abbreviates to “Ave” – a nod to “Ave Maria.” The number 22 was chosen to coincide with the feast of the Queenship of Mary on Aug. 22.
Opened in 2016, St. Joseph College Seminary has been a magnet for young men wanting to discern the priesthood. Enrollment growth has been faster than the diocese had anticipated, from eight students in its first year to 26 this year.
Campaign fundraising is under way, with $11 million of the $20 million raised so far.
For information about the St. Joseph College Seminary capital campaign, go to www.stjosephcollegeseminary.org or contact Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development, at 704-370-3301 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter