HUNTERSVILLE —This Pentecost weekend, rain could not prevent the Holy Spirit’s rays from penetrating the stained-glass windows and resting on the four seminarians ordained as transitional deacons at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, taking them one step closer to priesthood.
Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., presided over the May 23 bilingual ordination Mass, where more than 700 family members and friends gathered. A long line of clergy processed into the crowded church, while the Perpetual Hope Gospel Choir from Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte and the choirs of St. Patrick Cathedral and St. Mark hit the high notes as they sang “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.”
After the Gospel reading, the four seminarians, James Johnson IV from Our Lady of Consolation and Bradley Loftin, Patrick Martin and Connor White, all of whom had attended St. Mark Parish since childhood, were presented to the bishop by Vocations Director Father John Eckert. Johnson is one of an estimated nine Black Catholics to be ordained nationally this year, according to Black Catholic Messenger.
Bishop Martin’s Pentecost message to the newly ordained deacons was simple but difficult: to get on “God’s level” – to truly serve – one must die to themselves.
“The four of you have to allow your lives to speak to all of us who need to appreciate a different level so that we can understand what God is talking about,” said the bishop. “Your lives need to be so compelling that the world comes to understand that other level.”
The four men knelt before the bishop, placing their hands in his and vowing respect and obedience, while the congregation experienced glimpses of that higher level radiating from the faithful young men who committed themselves to lives of humility and charity.
During his homily, Bishop Martin compared the duties of a deacon to a Swiss Army knife – stepping in to help wherever needed.
They later promised to go forth and proclaim the Gospel at Mass, preach homilies, prepare the altar for the Eucharist, distribute Holy Communion, bring Viaticum to the dying, and officiate at baptisms, weddings and funerals.
The four seminarians then prostrated themselves face down on the floor during the Litany of Supplication, offering their entire lives to God.
Bishop Martin laid his hands upon the men, saying the prayer of ordination and invoking the Holy Spirit while passing down spiritual authority and the grace of office.
The newly ordained deacons then entrusted mentor clergy to cover their albs with new vestments symbolizing their new positions. Deacon Martin had his father, Deacon Tom Martin, secure the stole over his left shoulder, while Deacon Johnson had his mentor, 88-year-old retired Deacon Curtiss Todd, dress him with the wide-sleeved dalmatic, which will be worn during liturgies. Soon-to-be-priests Deacon John Cuppett and Deacon Bryan Ilagor vested Deacon White and Deacon Loftin.
Donned in their new vestments, the deacons knelt before the bishop, for the third and last time, receiving the Book of the Gospels.
“Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach,” the bishop commanded each one.
With more than 40 priests and deacons present, the bond of brotherhood was palpable as clergy members shook the hands of the new deacons, welcoming them with the Kiss of Peace.
Afterward, Deacon Tom Martin shared that vesting his son Patrick was an emotional moment: “It was a true honor when I was vested almost five years ago, but to do it for my own son, it was even more so. When I was vesting him, I told him that his grandfather would be very proud of him, and then I cried. My dad was a deacon as well, so he is a third-generation deacon.”
Regina Gellineau, a long-time member of Our Lady of Consolation, has been watching and praying for Deacon Johnson since he was a child.
“I always knew when he was a little boy that he was going to become a priest,” Gellineau said. “It was just something about him. I knew, and he is on his way there.”
Dr. Carl Semmler, president of Christ the King High School, sat in the back of the church, smiling as he watched two of his former students graduate to the next level spiritually.
“I do think family, friends, parents and teachers of each of them have worked so hard for so many years to plant seeds,” Semmler said. “It is great to see that the Holy Spirit watered that vocation and these young men responded generously. It is a blessing and a fulfillment of the good work that God began in them.”
The newly ordained are called “transitional” deacons instead of “permanent” deacons, a distinction that reflects their intent to serve a year in pastoral, liturgical and educational preparation before being ordained into the priesthood. Deacon is the first of three ranks of holy orders; the other two are priest and bishop.
As the men embarked on the next step in their journey toward priesthood, Bishop Martin congratulated them.
“I am so excited for who you are and who you will be as deacons and future priests,” he said. “You're helping us to see another way. Know that we are with you in your self-denial for the sake of the Kingdom. We are with you in your dying to yourselves, and we look forward to the tremendous fruit that God will bring forth from your sacrifice because, as Jesus tells us, that's how we see Him.”
— Lisa M. Geraci. Photos by Troy C. Hull and Amy Burger
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.
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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
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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.”
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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.
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