CHARLOTTE — Four seminarians will be ordained deacons this month as they take this step toward the priesthood together for the Diocese of Charlotte.
Bradley Loftin, Patrick Martin and Connor White, all from St. Mark Parish in Huntersville, and James Johnson IV from Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte will be ordained deacons May 23 at the home parish for three of them.
All four men are studying theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, after graduating from St. Joseph College Seminary.
Loftin, who attended Catholic schools in the diocese, graduated from Christ the King High School. He credits his high school chaplain at the time, Father Paul McNulty, and his pastor, Father John Putnam, for fostering his vocation.
He first heard the call when he was a junior at Christ the King High School.
“I realized that the life I was living wouldn’t fulfill me. I wanted to sacrifice my life for something noble, and I knew I wasn’t living a life that would make me happy,” Loftin said.
White, who attended school with Loftin since kindergarten, also looks to Father McNulty as a priestly role model.
“Living the Catholic life is not a solo endeavor, and I have met some of my closest friends in school, some of whom are also in seminary,” White said.
Martin grew up seeing his parents active in his parish. His father, Tom Martin, serves as a deacon at St. Mark and his mom Heather is a cantor.
Johnson, who has served as the president of the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association, pursued his vocation after being asked if he considered becoming a priest by three people after three different Masses he assisted with as an altar server during one weekend.
Since becoming a seminarian, he said he’s learned about the true universality of the Church.
“I’ve visited all sorts of different parishes, seeing the spirituality and the charisms that they have. That has helped me understand we’re not a uniform Church. There’s a diversity in ways of showing our faith, which is a beautiful thing,” Johnson said.
All four have chosen deacons to place their vestments on for the first time during the ordination Mass.
Loftin will be vested by Deacon Bryan Ilagor, who will become a priest on May 30. He said he chose Deacon Ilagor because he’s a great example of service.
“He is a friend I can count on 100%,” Loftin said. “I met him at St. Joseph’s our first year. Our rooms were right next to each other, so he always came over and hung out. It was like having another roommate. He would always lie on the floor, and we would just talk.”
White’s running partner Deacon John Cuppett, who will be ordained a priest the following Saturday, May 30, will be vesting him. Cuppett believes White’s approachability and friendliness will serve him well when the time comes to lead his own flock.
“Deacon Cuppett and I entered seminary together in 2020 and quickly became close friends,” White said. “We shared so many great memories in seminary, and I asked him to vest me so this occasion will be yet another event that we can share together.”
Johnson will be vested by Deacon Curtiss Todd from Our Lady of Consolation.
“Deacon Todd has been an inspiration to me of what quiet, humble service is,” Johnson said. “Deacon Todd has always reminded me to keep Christ as the model of priest I want to be.”
Martin has chosen his father, Deacon Thomas Martin, to vest him.
After their ordination, these four men will be transitional deacons and will continue their studies on the path to becoming priests next summer.
All are welcome at the 9 a.m. ordination Mass at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville.
— Kimberly Bender. Photos by Troy C. Hull
Get to know each of the seminiarans:
James Johnson
Age: 26
Home parish: Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte
Favorite saints: Venerable Augustus Tolton and St. Joseph
Favorite prayer: Litany of Humility, which trains the heart to desire to do the will of God for His glory rather than my own
Favorite hobbies: Traveling and learning about new cultures
What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned about the faith as a seminarian?
I’ve learned about the true universality of the Church, something I’d never really thought about until seminary. Before that, I went to Our Lady of Consolation and that is how I saw the Church for many, many years. Since coming to seminary, I’ve visited all sorts of different parishes, seeing the spirituality and the charisms that they have. That has helped me understand we’re not a uniform Church. There’s a diversity in ways of showing our faith, which is a beautiful thing.
Read his latest Seminarian Spotlight
Bradley Loftin
Age: 26
Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville
School: St. Mark Elementary, Christ the King Catholic School, St. Joseph Seminary
Status: Started Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, August 2022
Hobbies: Golf, fishing, cooking, coaching football and tutoring
Favorite saints: Mary, St. Joseph the Carpenter and St. Philip Neri
Inspired by: Father John Putnam and Father Paul McNulty
Read his latest Seminarian Spotligh
Patrick Martin
Age: 25
Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville
Schooling: Home-schooled, St. Joseph Seminary, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati
Hobbies: “I’m really big into athletics. I grew up playing soccer and swimming and still like to play soccer in seminary. I spend time playing with my brother seminarians, and we have a makeshift team. I’ve also gotten into weightlifting and in recent years got into marathon running – I started that my first year here in Ohio. I train with fellow seminarian Connor White, who is an avid runner. The training is a great way to let our brains reset. It helps me to regulate and re-engage. Every spring I’ve been running a marathon called the Flying Pig here in Cincinnati, which takes its name from the city’s history as a leader in the pork industry.”
Who is your favorite saint?
“The saint I hold most dear is St. John the Evangelist – I have a statue on my desk of him looking at me right now. I chose him as my confirmation saint, and he’s been my go-to saint on multiple levels since then. I’m the middle child of my family and the youngest boy, and seeing John the Evangelist, John the Beloved, as the youngest of the apostles was impactful to me, because as the youngest boy I felt some competition growing up. I saw that John was the youngest but was also impactful. He has a special relationship with Christ, a closeness to our Lord, and was particularly there with Him during the Passion. He was the one who helped Our Lady through the Passion.”
Read his latest Seminarian Spotlight
Connor White
Age: 26
Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville
Colleges: Elon University and St. Joseph College Seminary
Degrees: Philosophy and Latin
Theology: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology (Athenaeum of Ohio)
Summer assignments: Holy Cross (Kernersville), St. Margaret Mary (Swannanoa) and St. Francis of Assisi/St. Frances of Rome (Jefferson and Sparta).
What are some of your hobbies? I love running and playing golf with family and friends. I also enjoy reading, cooking with friends and making coffee/espresso-based drinks.
When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood? I first began discerning a call to the priesthood during my confirmation retreat around the beginning of high school.
Why did you decide to become a priest in the Diocese of Charlotte? I was born and raised in the Charlotte area, so this diocese is home. I received the sacraments here and attended Catholic school (K-12) at St. Mark and Christ the King. I feel called to minister to this diocese, as this is where my faith has been cultivated and vocation fostered.
Do you feel a special devotion to any saints? My closest saint-friends are St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and St. Therese of Lisieux. They both have taught me how to pray and charitably live with others. St. Elizabeth emphasizes the Divine Indwelling (the Holy Trinity residing within the soul of a baptized person), something I was immediately drawn to. I also have devotions to other priest-saints: St. Thomas Becket, St. John Fisher and St. Pius X.