ROME — Diocese of Charlotte seminarian David McCanless was among 39 men from the Pontifical North American College ordained transitional deacons Oct. 1 during Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter's Basilica. His ordination is one more step along his journey of formation to the priesthood.
Cardinal Dolan, a native of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, an alumnus of the North American College and past rector, has been the archbishop of New York since 2010, and was created a cardinal in 2012.
In his homily, Cardinal Dolan spoke to those about to be ordained about the paradoxes of the Christian faith, which are manifested in the ordination rite itself.
"You were called forth and were said to be found worthy, and yet we began our prayer with an acknowledgment to God of our sinfulness. You come here freely and yet will make a promise of obedience to your ordinary. You are raised up to serve at the altar, yet in a moment you will lie down prostrate in a symbol of submission to the supplication to the saints on your behalf."
Cardinal Dolan continued that this is all perfectly fitting in the basilica dedicated to the Apostle Peter, whose own martyrdom, on a cross upside down, allowed him more clearly to see right side up the Jesus whose love he had come to imitate.
During the ordination, the new deacons promised to live a life of prayer, celibacy and obedience to their diocesan bishop. The new deacons will have an additional year of theological studies and spiritual formation before being ordained to the priesthood in their home dioceses.
As part of the ordination rite, the cardinal placed the Book of the Gospels in the hands of each candidate being ordained and said, "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach."
The Pontifical North American College serves as the American seminary in Rome. Founded in 1859 by Blessed Pius IX, the college has formed over 5000 priests near the heart of the Church for service in dioceses around the United States, Canada, and Australia. The College strengthens the bonds between Rome and local Churches worldwide, and it allows its students to study the Church's rich religious and cultural heritage at close range.
— Pontifical North American College
CHARLOTTE — The Kitson family suffered a terrible loss when their son Michael died on April 27, 2014, at the age of 20. Kitson was a seminarian for the Diocese of Charlotte, and his unexpected death on Divine Mercy Sunday shocked fellow seminarians, parishioners at St. Ann Church and everyone else who knew the outgoing young man.
His parents, Michael Sr. and Nancy, and his sisters Kelly and Courtney lost their beloved son and brother. The diocese lost a seminarian for the first time in its history.
Now, the Seminarian Michael G. Kitson Memorial Endowment Fund is being established to benefit other college-aged seminarians in the diocese. The endowment will be used to fund seminarians' education.
On average, it costs $30,000 to house and educate each seminarian annually. This year, the diocese has 16 seminarians studying for the priesthood.
"To have that title (for the endowment) ties in to what and who Michael was," said his father.
Kitson had been studying for the priesthood at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and priests who mentored him said after his death that Kitson "had a priestly heart" after only two years of formation.
His death on Divine Mercy Sunday was "providential," his family and friends say, as he had a devotion to the Divine Mercy even before he entered seminary. His gravesite at Belmont Abbey's cemetery features an image of the Divine Mercy, and a Divine Mercy statue was also recently dedicated at his home parish of St. Ann.
As the Church prepares for Pope Francis' call for a Jubilee Year of Mercy starting on Dec. 8, mother Nancy Kitson noted the beautiful connection of her son's life and death to the Divine Mercy – a "local thread in the tapestry" of God's plan, she called it.
"Michael also brought back to the forefront the devotion to the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Our Lord's promises of His Divine Mercy. He brought it to the forefront during a time of great need given today's reality," she said.
"People had forgotten, I think. We just need reminders sometimes that God's mercy is always present and there is no sin or anything we can do that is bigger than His mercy."
She added, "To have somebody like that in your midst – who could play and enjoy all sports, play tuba and piano, watch TV, have a good time and yet study hard and pray harder and die on this special day – God's fingerprints are all over this. I think the guys (at the seminary) are all witnesses to that."
As a community, the seminarians at the Pontifical College Josephinum are now praying the Chaplet together, and Kitson's influence is credited. An assistant dean at the seminary told Kitson's parents, "There have been changes in the student body itself, in the young men. The changes that I have seen in the young men in the spiritual direction I am giving to them, it is not human. It is divine."
KitsonThe Pontifical College Josephinum has also installed a seven-foot image of the Divine Mercy in the stairwell leading to the pub dedicated in Kitson's name. Another image of the Divine Mercy was added to the Pope Pius X Chapel there.
Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church, knew Kitson since early childhood and served as one of his mentors.
"I am so pleased that an endowment for our seminarians has been established under Michael's name," Father Reid said. "Michael loved being a seminarian for our diocese, and he embodied so many of the qualities we want our future priests to have. Having an endowment named for Michael Kitson is a wonderful and fitting way for us to remember him."
Jim Kelley, director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte, is thankful that the endowment fund has been established.
"Having this endowment fund will accomplish two things: Michael will be remembered in a special way for many generations, and the distributions from the endowment over time will literally impact dozens of future seminarians by helping to pay for their education. Those future priests will impact thousands of our parishioners."
Michael Sr. recalled, "Father (Matthew) Kauth, in his eulogy at Michael's wake, called him 'the complete package,' saying, 'That's the kind of young man we need.'"
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photo provided by the Kitson family and the Diocese of Charlotte
Learn more
For details about the Seminarian Michael G. Kitson Memorial Endowment Fund and to make a tax-deductible donation, contact Judy Smith, diocesan director of gift planning, at 704-370-3320 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..