HUNTERSVILLE — Alleluias reverberated from the tiled floors of St. Mark up to the heavens as 900 friends, family and clergy celebrated the ordination of seven seminarians as transitional deacons on June 7, taking them one step closer to the priesthood.
Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., presided over the Mass concelebrated by priests of the diocese. His message to the newly ordained men: Go out and publicly show the world their love for Jesus – particularly for those on the margins – as they become the public face of the Church.
“Don’t lose the moment,” he urged them. “You are about to embark upon His public ministry carried out in seven very different men. But a public ministry no less, and an important one where there are great expectations, but with greater grace. Realize that the rest of your life will be very, very public, but also realize that the rest of your life, God's grace will wash over you. And if you’re open, even a moment at a diner counter can be a moment of grace. Are you ready for that?”
Much like the 12 apostles spoken about in Acts 6, who chose seven among their group to go out and minister to the world, these seven seminarians were chosen by the Lord to publicly share their love of Christ.
Robert Warren Bauman and Peter James Townsend, both from St. Ann Parish in Charlotte; Michael Patrick Camilleri, from St. Elizabeth Parish in Boone; John Warren Cuppett, from St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem; Maximilian Karl Frei, from St. Dorothy Parish in Lincolnton; Bryan Ilagor, from Our Lady of the Americas Parish in Biscoe; and Michael James Lugo, from Immaculate Conception Parish in Forest City, received their first foundational sacramental ordination within holy orders - the diaconate.
All seven attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology in Cincinnati, Ohio. Six were among the first classes at St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly.
‘Let your heart be an open book’
“God calls you to publicly love Him,” Bishop Martin told the men in his homily. “In return, do not let your hearts be taken elsewhere. Do not allow this world to suggest to you that He is not enough for you. He is more than enough and will grace and bless and shower your heart with His Sacred Heart.
“Trust in Him and His love alone and let the world see that. Let your heart be an open book to the People of God, to see Christ's love made manifest in you.”
Then, drawing from the reading from Acts, the bishop reminded the men to always serve the people, especially those on the margins.
“The real mission of holy orders is to hold up to the world a vision of who the Church is, and to continuously remind ourselves that all of us are responsible for each other. That the nature of the Church is communal, and we are only as communal as when we care for those who are most uncared-for, whether that be the unborn or the alien. Wherever we might find ourselves in this world, we are publicly called to give witness to a Church that looks out to those for whom no one else is looking, to whom the world has cast aside,” he said. “The public life of holy orders is about to be yours.”
Bishop Martin continued with his third and “most difficult” aspect of holy orders. “Christ’s public mission led Him to the cross. Look at it. See it. Embrace it,” he told the men. “You are called to publicly sacrifice yourself, to be willing to die, and where does that death come? It comes not on some glorious Calvary, it comes in individual moments that will come to you, where you have to die to yourself, where it no longer is about your will and your image and your ideas, but rather about something greater.”
Following the homily, the deacons knelt before the bishop and affirmed their intentions to serve as deacons, then they lay prostrate in prayer before the altar as the entire clergy and congregation prayed the Litany of Supplication to invoke the saints to ask the blessing of God upon them.
Then in silence, Bishop Martin laid his hands on the head of each man and prayed the prayer of ordination, consecrating the seven as deacons.
Each newly ordained deacon was then vested by a clergy member who inspired them during their journey. Clergy members reverently secured the stole over their shoulders, symbolizing their new responsibility and authority to serve, and then clothed the new deacons with the dalmatic they will use during liturgies.
The ordination Mass was an emotional culmination of years of hard work, study and spiritual formation to commit their entire lives to the Lord.
Afterward, Deacon Bauman said, “When I was lying on the floor, I felt the general sense of all the angels and saints that have been praying for us leading up to this moment. They were there in a special way, interceding for us now. Not only praying like they have over the last couple of years, but praying for us with the mystical Body of Christ that was here in the congregation. It was a very powerful experience having the whole Body of Christ in heaven and Earth praying for us to be holy men of the Church as deacons.”
The new deacons, donned in their new vestments, slowly approached the bishop to receive the Book of the Gospels.
“Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach,” the bishop instructed each one.
‘We are in this together’
Earlier in his homily, the bishop comforted the newly ordained. “My brothers, look at these your brother deacons and your brother priests and your brother bishop here,” he said. “We pledge to you that you will not walk that difficult challenge by yourself. Don’t try. It’s a dead end. You need us, and we need you. We are in this together as we publicly are willing to die to ourselves for a greater goal, a greater good for Christ’s will.”
With dozens of priests and deacons present, the love and bond of the fraternal brotherhood was felt throughout the congregation. Each clergy member approached each of the ordained, welcoming them with Sign of Peace.
The seven deacons can now proclaim the Gospel at Mass, preach homilies when invited by the presiding priest, prepare the altar for the Eucharist, distribute Holy Communion, bring Viaticum to the dying, and officiate at baptisms, weddings and funerals.
Kathy Schmugge was among the large crowd, watching the ordination of her nephew, Deacon Frei. Her brother, also a priest, was in attendance, as well as Deacon Frei’s brother Walter, who is currently in discernment at St. Joseph College Seminary.
“I thought the bishop's homily was wonderful, and I could tell that he was getting emotional, because he was reflecting on his own ordination and commitment,” she said. “I just saw a lot of emotion. It was beautiful and inspiring, and it gave them a lot to do. He gave them their marching orders. You can just sense the Holy Spirit was here. When they all got up from the floor, they all had smiles of joy on their faces.”
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. Diaconate is the first of three ranks of holy orders; the other two are priest and bishop.
As the men embark on this phase of the journey, Bishop Martin reassured them: “May you know how happy the Church of Charlotte is for all of you. How proud we are of all of you, and how we commit our prayerful support for you as you publicly give witness to what you've been called to carry out.”
— Lisa Geraci. Photos by Troy C. Hull and Aidan Creter.
Meet the new deacons
Deacon Robert Warren Bauman
Home parish: St. Ann Church, Charlotte
Born and raised in: Wilmington, NC
Age: 22
Interests/hobbies: Hiking, disc golf, running and reading at a local coffee shop
Summer assignments in the diocese: Sacred Heart in Salisbury, Our Lady of Mercy in Winston-Salem and St. Lucien’s parish / St. Bernadette’s mission in Spruce Pine / Linville.
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Bauman: “Deacon Kolbe Murrey, because he has been a good friend throughout my time in seminary.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Bauman: “During an eight-day Ignatian silent retreat.”
Deacon Michael Patrick Camilleri
Home parish: St Elizabeth Church, Boone
Born in: Florida
Raised in: Northa Carolina
Age: 25
Interests/hobbies: Learning languages and calligraphy
Summer assignments in the diocese: St Jude, Sapphire; Our Lady of the Mountains, Highlands; St Gabriel, Charlotte
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Camilleri: "Deacon Ron Caplette: because I know him from when I was growing up."
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Camilleri: “I first heard the call to the priesthood when I was very young – 3 or 4 years old. My family loves to talk about how I used to “play Mass,” which is actually one of my earliest memories. I lost sight of the vocation in late elementary school until right before high school. I wanted to go into computer science.
While preparing to enter high school, by the grace of God, I decided to pursue what He put on my heart from that early age, and I entered the college seminary.”
Deacon John Warren Cuppett
Home parish: St. Leo the Great, Winston-Salem
Birthplace: Cary, NC
Raised in: Four Oaks, NC
Age: 27
Interest/hobbies: Sports and the outdoors, including hiking and camping
Summer assignments: Missionary work with the order of Jesus Crucified in Louisiana
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Cuppett: “Deacon Christopher Angermeyer, because he is a good friend of mine and has been a good mentor.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Cuppett: Cuppett played baseball at Belmont Abbey College and clarified the call while at college.
“During high school I was interested in joining the seminary after I graduated; however, I did very little in pursuing it and soon it faded into the background. From then on and up until college it was a fun idea, but nothing more. After high school I attended Belmont Abbey College on a baseball scholarship, where I played as a second baseman for four years.
During my time at the Abbey, I met Matthew Harrison, a Charlotte seminarian. I informed him of my past dream of becoming a priest and he invited me to visit St. Joseph College Seminary. I did, and then all my previous desires and hopes for the priesthood came crashing back. I quickly sought help in my discernment with the diocesan Vocations Office. My senior year at the Abbey, I started spiritual direction with Father Brian Becker, the diocese’s promoter of vocations, and he helped me tremendously by answering all my questions, fears and thoughts regarding my vocation. Together we discovered that my call to the priesthood was very real, and he referred me to Father Christopher Gober, diocesan vocations director, to begin the process of applying.”
Deacon Maximilian Karl Frei
Home parish: St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton
Birthplace: Villingen, Germany
Raised in: Braeunlingen, Germany
Age: 30
Interests/ hobbies: Chess, fitness and spiritual reading
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte; St. John Church in Waynesville and St. John the Baptist in Tryon
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Frei: “Deacon Anthony Del Cid Lucero will be vesting me, because he is a very joyful friend who I can always count on.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Frei: “The first time I can remember when I had a calling was when I was waiting in the confession line as a kid. Many years later in my mid 20's, after living a worldly and superficial life, it was Our Lord once more who called me to serve him as a priest.”
Deacon Bryan Ilagor
Home parish: Our Lady of the Americas, Biscoe
Birthplace: Pinehurst, NC
Raised in: Zitácuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
Age: 29
Interest/ hobbies: Expanding my knowledge of different cultures, such as Japanese, Korean, Filipino and many others; watching TV and movies and a football fan of La Liga, the Premier League and other leagues
Summer assignments in the diocese: Immaculate Conception in Hendersonville and St. Francis of Assisi in Lenoir
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Ilagor: “Deacon Charles D. Hindbaugh, because of our friendship over the past years and his role model as a humble deacon serving the local community.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Ilagor: “Many seminarians can recall dressing up as priests, and that was their realization. However, I did not have a big realization moment. Instead, it was a step I decided to take in my life (at least, that’s how I saw it at first). I was not big into participating in Church activities, but I always found myself helping in the Church instead of going out with my friends to watch a movie. I always found myself at peace while serving the Church.
Hence, if I had to decide a moment in my life when I first realized, it was when I was helping my Pastor Ricardo Sanchez to close the church one night. After locking all the doors of the church, turning off all the lights, and making sure no one was left behind, I met with my pastor at the Sanctuary to say goodbye. We were the only ones left at the church, and he asked me a question I have not forgotten. ‘Bryan, do you want to be a priest?’ Before I could respond, he said, “Before you answer, look at the Tabernacle; you are not going to answer to me but to God.” Great. I thought to myself. Now, I can’t lie or give an incomplete answer. I thought, ‘If this is God’s will, I will give it a shot.’ Shortly after, I told my pastor, ‘Yes.’ This first ‘step’ was accepting that God called me to enter the seminary. In the past, many parishioners had said, ‘You should be a priest,’ but dismissed them with ‘I don’t think it is my calling.’ Seven years later, I am here, realizing I will be ordained a deacon in a few months.”
Deacon Michael James Lugo
Home parish: Immaculate Conception, Forest City
Birthplace: Kansas
Raised in: Rutherfordton, NC
Age: 24
Interests/ hobbies: Running, skiing, euchre, reading and piano
Summer assignments in the diocese: Holy Cross, Kernersville; St. Lucian and St. Bernadette, Spruce Pine/Linville; St. John the Baptist, Tryon
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Lugo: “Deacon Joseph Yellico. We entered St. Joseph’s the same year and has been a great brother to me over the course of seminary.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Lugo: “They were several points growing up that I remember seriously considering it as an option. But I really started taking it seriously during Quo Vadis Days in the summer of 2018. Throughout the course of that week, spending time in prayer and learning about the priesthood, it seemed to me that the priesthood was the summation of everything I wanted out of life, particularly the way in which the life of a priest is completely dedicated to one thing: the service of God.”
Deacon Peter James Townsend
Home parish: St. Ann Church, Charlotte
Birthplace: Racine, Wisconsin
Raised in: Charlotte
Age: 24
Interests/hobbies: “I enjoy playing guitar in my free time and reading a good novel (right now I’m reading Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamozov). I’ve also found that I enjoy learning languages. Right now, I’m working on Spanish and would like to one day work on French (maybe even Italian and German!).”
Summer assignments in the diocese: “During my college days, I participated in the St. Joseph Workers’ program where myself and my brother seminarians traveled around the diocese performing different odd jobs like lawn mowing, mulch spreading, painting.
After entering theology, I spent my summers at St. John the Baptist Parish in Tryon, St. Mark Parish in Huntersville and Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro.”
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Townsend: “Deacon Nicholas Kramer. He and I have known each other since high school and entered the seminary the same year. Over the years, I’ve been grateful to God for his friendship and the brotherhood that has formed between us.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Townsend: “I always knew I wanted to be a priest, so I entered St. Joseph College Seminary straight out of high school.
“I first felt the call to the priesthood when I was about five years old, and the feeling never left me. So, when St. Joseph’s opened in 2016, I knew what I had to do.”