Father Shawn O’Neal was ordained on June 3, 2000, at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte by Bishop William Curlin. His advice to those discerning a vocation: don’t be afraid to talk about it. (Photo Provided)
Father O’NealBREVARD — Father Shawn O’Neal has many wonderful memories as he looks back on 25 years of priesthood in the Diocese of Charlotte, yet what he treasures the most are the relationships he has built with people in the parishes he served.
He was ordained June 3, 2000, at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte by Bishop William Curlin. He served as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury, then pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Bryson City, before becoming pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Brevard in 2014.
While traveling in Belgium and Germany on an anniversary pilgrimage that included several days at the shrine of St. Juliana of Liege, he called in to offer some perspectives on his silver jubilee:
When did you first think you might want to become a priest?
My vocation really came into my mind during my college years as I was graduating from Appalachian State University and then later went to UNC-Charlotte to work on a master’s in education. I’m very grateful to Campus Ministry at both of those places, because it gave me a place to be able to discern, and I was encouraged to give it some serious thought. Both the campus ministers and my peers in college took seriously the idea of having a vocation in life and following the call of God. And they were real blessings because they helped me approach the idea of vocation with a degree of maturity, and not be afraid to follow God’s call when it came.
What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned in 25 years as a priest?
I have learned to put my relationship with God and my relationship with folks in the church side by side, and to call the people I serve friends. That helps to avoid the distance of treating everybody like clients. Priests need to be available because folks sometimes need help, and I want to be available in that way, to walk side by side with them. I think about my friends who are parents, and I know they are not going to say no to their kids when they need something, and I’m not going to say no to the flock.
Serving a parish in the mountains, what was the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene like for you?
I’m glad I could assist with sacramental needs at the same time that many others were generous with the skills that they had. I was able to cooperate in providing care for folks in body, in mind and in spirit, and I’m grateful I could help with that.
Is there one specific event in your priesthood that stands out in your mind?
There’s no specific event. What stands out are the relationships I have been able to build and keep with people I have served. For instance, there are people who I first met when I gave them their first Holy Communion, and I’ve kept in touch with them over the years and still stay in touch with them now that they are adults. That is very special.
Do you have advice for men who may be considering a vocation to the priesthood?
Don’t be afraid to talk about it. Don’t be afraid to listen to the calling. Just make sure to develop good relationships with both your peers and with older people who can help you with those kinds of questions. I say that because discernment can be a real struggle, and everything doesn’t become instantly clear. So it helps to take the long walk with the help of others.
I remember the help I got from those campus ministers as well as the diocesan vocation director and my pastor, Father Frank O’Rourke.
Do you have a favorite saint, devotion or prayer?
It’s very difficult to pick one favorite saint… I was taught about so many while I was growing up, and learned about more of them from Benedictines I knew during formation and men and women I’ve met from other religious orders. I’ve really gained a broad appreciation for all the different saints we have in the Church. One devotion that stands out for me is the devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel, which I was introduced to through the Augustinian tradition.
— Christina Lee Knauss