CHARLOTTE — For the second year in a row, seminarians of the Diocese of Charlotte stood before Bishop Peter Jugis at St. Patrick Cathedral during a livestreamed Mass and affirmed their desire to advance along the path toward the priesthood.
Seven men officially embarked on a more focused period of formation during the special Mass May 29 that featured the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders. The next steps in their formation are ministry of lector, ministry of acolyte, ordination to the transitional diaconate, and finally, ordination to the priesthood.
The seven men include: Christopher Angermeyer of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte; Anthony del Cid Lucero of St. Joseph Church, Newton; Nicholas Kramer of St. Barnabas Church, Arden; Luke Martin of St. Mark Church, Huntersville; Kolbe Murrey of St. John the Baptist Church, Tryon; James Tweed of Sacred Heart Church, Brevard; and Joseph Yellico of St. Mark Church, Huntersville.
During his homily, Bishop Jugis said, “My dear brothers, we are happy to accept your petitions for admission to candidacy and, today in this Mass, to accept you formally as candidates for holy orders and bestow upon you the official blessing designating you as candidates for holy orders. You join the ranks of your brother seminarian candidates who are ahead of you on their formation journeys.”
“Jesus in His love for you, has brought you along thus far in your path of discernment, and He will continue to lead you. Trust in Him. Give yourself to Him. Spend time with the Lord in prayer. He will give you the graces you need to grow in your vocation,” he told them.
Angermeyer, Cid Lucero, Martin and Tweed will study this fall at The Athenaeum of Ohio (Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology) in Cincinnati.
Kramer, Murrey and Yellico will study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
Of the opportunity to join fellow seminarians Christian Goduti and Matthew Harrison studying in Rome, Yellico said, “It is certainly a humbling experience, I really never thought this would happen to me… but clearly the Lord had plans and the bishop wants me to go and train with that in mind. I will always be grateful for everything I will be able to experience there.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
