STATESVILLE — Parishioners, family and friends filled St. Philip the Apostle Church in May to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Father Thomas Kessler’s ordination to the priesthood. Father Bernard Oleru, pastor, invited Father Kessler to celebrate Mass in honor of the occasion at the Statesville church because of his close ties to the parish.
Before his 2023 transfer to St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte, Father Kessler served as pastor of St. Philip the Apostle for 10 years, his longest tenure at any parish. Concelebrants of the Mass included Father Oleru and Father Paul Gary of St. Luke Parish in Mint Hill, a longtime friend of Father Kessler.
A festive reception followed in the new social hall that was completed during Father Kessler’s time as pastor.
After studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, he was ordained a priest in 1984 for the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Father Kessler began his ministry in that diocese, including five years of missionary work in Bolivia.
When he returned from Bolivia, he served as an administrator at Notre Dame High School in Easton, Pennsylvania. Then he was named director of pastor formation at Saint Paul Seminary, a major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He later transferred to the Diocese of Charlotte, where he served in several parishes before his 10-year tenure at St. Philip the Apostle.
— Catholic News Herald. Photos provided by Connie Ries
