HIGH POINT — Shortly after the Diocese of Charlotte was established, native Philadelphian and Oblate Father Joe Zuschmidt found himself in Charlotte. The year was 1978 and he was sent to help the young diocese after Bishop Michael J. Begley gave an address at Allentown College in Pennsylvania, asking for help to shepherd his growing flock in western North Carolina.
Father Joe, as he prefers to be called, had been a priest of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales for 13 years at that point. He had entered seminary in Philadelphia immediately after graduating from his Oblate-run high school in 1955.
He speaks candidly about his call to the priesthood.
"I began to wrestle with what I was going to do by the beginning of senior year (in high school)," he recalls. "I wanted to be a part of community and I had a draw to teaching, so I thought of the Christian Brothers, but I didn't stay long with that thought. The Oblates, through their wonderful way, attracted me more and the call to the priesthood became more prominent during that calling."
Pictured: Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Father Joe Zuschmidt, senior priest at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point, is pictured with kindergartners from Immaculate Heart of Mary School in May. (Photo provided by Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
"So I joined the Oblates 10 days after graduation. I was a young 18-year-old kid! I went to the novitiate in Maryland, and for a Philadelphian, going to Maryland was like going to the end of the world back in 1955," he jokes.
As education and teaching are fundamental to the Oblates' mission, Father Joe was assigned a teaching post at an Oblate-run high school in Detroit after earning his undergraduate degree at Niagara University. After two years, he then entered an international exchange program with the Oblates and continued his advanced degree studies in theology in Germany.
Father Joe was ordained to the priesthood in the seminary chapel in Germany on Nov. 20, 1965, by Oblate Bishop Edward Schlotterback, a missionary to southern Africa and the first American Oblate of St. Francis de Sales to be consecrated a bishop. He happened to be in Rome for the Second Vatican Council and traveled to the seminary for the ordination.
"He was an American and an Oblate. I thought it was wonderful that he was able to come up and ordain me. My father was able to come, my sister, and my aunt who was my godmother were also able to come."
For the next 13 years, Father Joe continued his studies and served at an Oblate high school and also at what was formerly known as Allentown College (now De Sales University) in Allentown, Pa., for five years.
After that fateful address by Bishop Begley and his move to Charlotte, Father Joe was assigned to campus ministry at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in July 1978.
"He didn't talk to me, he talked to my superior. All of a sudden, I found myself in Charlotte!" Father Joe says with a laugh.
Father Joe has served under all four bishops of the Diocese of Charlotte since his arrival four decades ago.
"In fact, our present bishop (Bishop Peter J. Jugis), I knew as a student at UNCC when I was a campus minister there. Little did I ever dream that he would be my bishop!" he quips.
He remembers finding a very vibrant faith community after arriving in the diocese – it was new, young, energetic.
In addition to his campus ministry duties, Father Joe also served as the first pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in north Charlotte, which is adjacent to the campus.
He remained active in campus ministry until 1985. After that, he continued to serve as pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, building a second building as the parish expanded.
After a brief sabbatical in 1988, Father Joe was assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point by then Bishop John F. Donoghue. For the most part, this is where he has served the most since the late 1980s. He was pastor for 10 years, during which time the parish purchased land to build a new church. It was dedicated by Bishop William G. Curlin in February 2002.
From 2003 to 2007 he was pastor of Queen of Apostles Church in Belmont, but he has been connected with Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish since 1989. He returned to the parish in 2007 as parochial vicar, and when he turned 75 in 2012, he was made senior priest.
Father Joe celebrated his 25th anniversary at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in 1990, so it seems fitting that now, as the parish's senior priest, he celebrates his 50th anniversary there. He will offer the vigil Mass at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, and a reception will be held afterwards in St. Edward's Hall.
Father Joe says he has learned many valuable lessons over the past 50 years of priestly ministry:
"Three L's: keep loving your vocation, keep listening and keep learning. You come out of the seminary you think you know everything and very quickly you learn you know nothing," he jokes.
"I have always been learning, taking sabbaticals when I can, attending workshops, and I read a lot. Listening is also an extremely important part of priestly ministry, which has helped me a lot. "Keep loving your vocation and the people you minister to."
His advice to men discerning a vocation to the priesthood?
"Talk to somebody! Go to your pastor, go to a priest you know, go to your deacon, go to somebody you trust who is a good, practicing Catholic and talk to them. Keep praying and listening, too, to the discerning voice while you are trying to hear the Lord talking to you."
What does he love most about the priesthood?
"I love preaching, I love celebrating the Eucharist. And I love teaching. I am in charge of the RCIA program and am involved in the adult education in the parish. I love anything involving Catholic education and formation.
Plus, I love celebrating the Mass and preaching."
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter