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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2009 /  Seven men to be ordained priests Saturday; six for the Archdiocese of Detroit, one for Cameroon

The Michigan Catholic
Published May 21, 2010

Gregg McIntosh | The Michigan Catholic The Sacrament of holy orders will be conferred upon six men for the Archdiocese of Detroit and one man for the Archdiocese of Doula, Cameroon, Saturday at the Cathedral of the Blesses Sacrament, Detroit. From left, Deacon Benedict Bikoyogue Ehinack will be ordained to his native homeland in Africa, while Deacons Bernardo Cruz, Michael Zuelch, John Dumas, Adalberto Espinoza, Craig Giera and James Arwady will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Deacon James Fredrick Arwady
Age: 37
Parents: Lester and Judy Arwady, SS. Cyril & Methodius (Slovak) Parish, Sterling Heights

Deacon Arwady

Education: Amerman Elementary School, Northville; Smith Middle School, Troy; Troy High School, Troy; Oakland University, Rochester — Bachelor of Science Engineering, Master of Science, Engineering Management; Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio — Bachelor of Philosophy; Sacred Heart Major Seminary — Bachelor of Sacred Theology, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts.

Parish(es) where you grew up and current home parish: Our Lady of Victory, Northville (until sixth grade); St. Thomas More Parish, Troy (through 10th grade); Sacred Heart (now Sacred Heart of the Hills), Auburn Hills (from age 20 – 24); SS. Cyril and Methodius (Slovak) Church, Sterling Heights (age 24 to present) (home parish).

Masses of Thanksgiving (both where and when):

• SS. Cyril & Methodius (Slovak) Church, Sterling Heights, May 23, 10 a.m.;
• St. Lawrence Church, Utica, Sunday, May 30, noon.;
• Church of the Holy Family, Novi, Saturday, June 5, 5 p.m.;
• St. Raphael Catholic Church, Garden City, Sunday, June 13, noon.

Secular career before entering seminary (if any):
Test engineer for The Budd Company in Troy; electromechanical engineer for Chrysler Corp. in Auburn Hills; design and release engineer for General Motors Truck in Pontiac; manufacturing engineer for Mayflower Vehicle Systems in Farmington Hills; GM supplier integrated engineer for Vehma (Magna) in Troy (on site at GM, Pontiac).

Briefly describe your route to the priesthood (when you first began to think you might have a vocation, who - or what - were pivotal influences on you as you discerned your vocation):
I remember being in engineering school and speaking with my twin brother one day who said, "What if we don't like engineering?" And I joked, "Well, we could always become priests!" I have no idea where that came from because I never looked at the priesthood as a real option for my life. Anyway, we had a good laugh about it, but, as Bishop Robert Carlson likes to say, "The Holy Spirit gets the last word."

I never thought about priesthood since then until my twin brother mentioned the idea for himself after about five years into the auto industry (he was an engineer too, before entering seminary and being ordained a priest last year). At the time, I thought my brother was out of his mind, and the more I tried to talk him out of it, the more I started to quietly see that becoming a priest might not be a bad idea in order to do a lot of good in the world.

Then, after being laid off from work, I began to talk with my pastor after about three weeks; he said I should serve as an altar boy. "In my twenties?" I responded. The pastor said, "Yes, we have a grandpa who serves Mass." I eventually agreed and started to see Mass differently from the other side of the altar. It left a mysterious impression on me.

Then, well into the third month of being laid off, in the quiet of my own home, I asked God what I was missing. I thought to myself that surely someone with five years automotive engineering experience and a Master of Science degree cannot stay out of work for long. Then God answered, "Priesthood." I remember acting like I didn't even hear Him, and repeated my question, and then He was silent. After a few more minutes I said to God, "OK, if you really want me to seriously consider priesthood for my life, then put me back to work on Monday – in the industry. I know it's Wednesday, but you're God, and can do anything; so this is pretty easy for you. Besides, I have to be sure, so a near impossible task is not beyond you. Put me back to work on Monday, and then I will seriously consider priesthood."

So Thursday rolled around and I received a phone call from someone and spoke with him for more than an hour. Eventually, we agreed upon an interview time – Friday morning. We had the interview, and I went home. Just after 3 p.m. that same Friday the phone rang, it was the company I interviewed with; they said I start Monday. I hung up the phone and remembered the "bargain" I made with God two days before, and began to doubt. I rationalized the truth of the matter away saying to myself, "It's statistically likely that I should be employed by now; it's about time; this doesn't really have anything to do with what I said to God." Then as I sat in my living room joyful that I was reemployed, but disturbed that I may be doing something wrong, the phone rang again. Wouldn't you know it? A second job offer – two job offers within 15 minutes after absolutely no leads in three months. When I hung up the phone after turning down a second offer (because I just accepted one) I said, "Dang it!" From that moment forward I knew beyond any doubt that God was calling me to seminary. Nine years later, here I am.

Having decided you had a vocation, did you ever have second thoughts about it? How did you resolve any doubts or fears?
I had second thoughts about three times per day for the first three years of seminary. The only thought I kept going back to was why I entered seminary in the first place: two job offers in 15 minutes. God wanted me in seminary, and if He did not want me in seminary any longer, He would take me out because I knew that that was easy for Him to do, too. The only other part of the bargain was that I couldn't quit or leave of my own will. I wanted to be sure it was God's will I was following, and not my own.

What are the greatest challenges you see facing the Church? Where do you see the greatest hope?
All the challenges the Church (and the world) face stem from a wounded Mystical Body of Christ. We simply do not love one another as Christ teaches us to love, and most of the time we don't even know it. Jesus heals and reconciles His whole Body – all of us; but only if we give Him permission allowing Him into our hearts and our lives. We are afraid to allow Jesus to heal us, because for Him to do so we have to revisit the most painful memories of our early life.

Due to a widespread lack of prayer and the culture of distraction, we never learn to love one another with a pure and selfless love. Much of our love is conditional because of the way we've been wounded in love – it's the way we've been taught; and Jesus wants to show us a better way to love. We have to improve our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Generally speaking, we learn how to love by the way we've been loved. True loving relationships are a result of letting God heal and love us. Until we have a truly personal relationship with the three persons of the Trinity and the Virgin Mary, until we see God as "daddy," Mary as "mom" and Jesus as our brother and confidant, we will always have great difficulties relating to one another. As a result the whole Mystical Body of Christ suffers – we all suffer together. If we knew better how to love one another, than the whole Church and world would be better.

Perhaps if we read our New Testament scriptures more, we would meet Jesus. If we read our Catechism of the Catholic Church we would see that the Church truly teaches what is good for us to make us happy according to our human nature. If we've never really experienced forgiveness for our sins, we will find it difficult to truly love (Luke 7:47). If we never take time for prayer, how can we ever build a relationship with Him who is the source of relationship? Quiet time in prayer speaking to God and learning to hear His voice within us will make all our relationships better because God will teach us all we need to know. We must turn the television sets off for a certain part of our day, and dedicate it to quiet prayer time, or family prayer time, or reading the Scriptures. The culture of distraction is the devil's playground, and he knows how much we like to play.

I see hope in our Church leadership. Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI are simply amazingly gifted leaders for our Church today – great minds and hearts who are working for peace and unity in the world. I see the same kind of leadership in numerous bishops and priests throughout the Catholic world. I even see hope in other Christian Churches who are dialoguing with the Catholic Church. There is much to be seen in the way of hope.

I see great hope in the midst of tragedy. It sounds awkward, but it is where we learn to hope against all hope. We see people overcoming tragedy with faith. Tragedy is where we learn to grow, persevere and change ourselves to meet the demands that life throws at us. It is not a perfect world and it will never be perfect this side of heaven, but how do we cope? Only with faith in Jesus Christ. When we realize, especially as in recent years, how empty and insecure the world is, we turn back to God. We learn to trust Him for our well-being all over again, like we used to trust our parents for everything as little children.

I see hope in many of our young people who have a missionary idealism to spread the Gospel; and what a wonderful energy they bring to God's mission. The youth want what's "real," and we have to be able to show them that the ultimate reality is in God. I see hope for the pro-life movement and the future of our culture in these same young people. I see hope in more young people entering the seminaries, convents and houses of formation.

I see hope in a re-awakening of our existing Church all over our archdiocese. There are so many Catholics who have "re-verted" to their faith (as I did) and have come back stronger and more faithful than ever. There are so many people who are alive with missionary zeal, and it's contagious! The lay faithful are coming to realize how rewarding being a fellow servant can be, how much happier they are when they serve the Church giving their time and talent, what meaning it brings to their lives, and how connected they can be with a community that is spread throughout the whole world.

What are your hopes for your priestly ministry?
I hope to be a faithful example of a happy and holy priest. I hope to bring God's message of healing and reconciliation to everyone God sends me. I hope to give hope to others because there is enough pain to go around for everybody. I hope to strengthen the idea that we, as Catholics, are all missionaries to those who are not yet in the Catholic Church, and that we need to be inviting others in. I hope to teach the faithful how to build a personal relationship with the three persons of the Holy Trinity and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in this I hope for hearts to be open in God's divine love for one another. With God's grace, all things are possible.

What about your priestly ministry do you anticipate will be the most rewarding?
I anticipate a rewarding experience of learning from the beloved people of God, the lay faithful, as well as my future brothers in the priesthood. I anticipate the rewards of leading others to deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, one soul at a time. I anticipate the pure gift of standing in the place of Christ Himself at the altar and offering the perfect sacrifice of the Mass. I anticipate the privilege of being the instrument of Jesus in the sacrament of reconciliation as He heals and loves souls back to spiritual health.

Deacon Bernardo CruzRamirez
Age: 41
Parents: Jose Guadalupe Cruz and Maria de Jesus Ramirez, Guadalajara, Mexico

Deacon Cruz

Education: University of Guadalajara, Mexico – certified equivalent to Certified Public Accountant; Sacred Heart Major Seminary — Bachelor of Philosophy, Master of Divinity.

Parish(es) where you grew up and current home parish: I grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico. My home parish now is St. Gabriel, Detroit.

Masses of Thanksgiving (both where and when):

• St. Stephen-Mary, Mother of the Church, Detroit, May 23, 11 a.m.;
• St. Gabriel Church, Detroit, May 30, 9:30 a.m.;
• SS Peter and Paul Church, North Branch, June 6, 11 a.m.

Secular career before entering seminary (if any):
I had a degree in accounting from the University of Guadalajara. I worked for Volkswagen in the accounting department. I worked briefly for a construction company as an accountant as well.

Briefly describe your route to the priesthood (when you first began to think you might have a vocation, who - or what - were pivotal influences on you as you discerned your vocation?):
My parish priest had an influence on me when I was 15 years old. He was a joyful, happy, and very good priest who inspired me at this age. While listening to a hymn at church one day, I felt the Lord calling me to be a priest, and God has confirmed this since that time.

Having decided you had a vocation, did you ever have second thoughts about it? How did you resolve any doubts or fears?
Once I felt the call, I had many conversations with priests and my spiritual director, along with serving the poor that helped me understand more clearly my vocation. Especially early on, doubts arose, but God continued to guide and lead me in prayer.

What are the greatest challenges you see facing the Church? Where do you see the greatest hope?
The greatest challenge right now is to do a general evangelization of all people helping to convert and change their hearts closer to the Lord. The greatest hope is that God is always with us, will never abandon us, and gives us His grace particularly through the sacraments.

What are your hopes for your priestly ministry?
My hope is to grow in sanctity (to be a Saint) and to be a good example for others.

What about your priestly ministry do you anticipate will be the most rewarding?
I believe the most rewarding aspect of priestly ministry will be celebrating the Eucharist where Jesus will become the Body and Blood present at the altar along with all the sacraments and visiting those who are sick to be able to bring Jesus, their hope, to them.

Deacon Michael Christopher Zuelch
Age: 39
Parents: Michael and JoAnn Zuelch, Grosse Pointe Farms, St. Paul on the Lake, Grosse Pointe Farms.

Deacon Zuelch

Education: Kerby Elementary School, Grosse Pointe Farms; Brownell Middle School, Grosse Pointe Farms; Grosse Pointe South High School; Grand Valley State University; Magdalen College; Sacred Heart Major Seminary — Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Sacred Theology, Master of Divinity.

Parish(es) where you grew up and current home parish:
St. Paul, Grosse Pointe Farms, St. Edward on the Lake, Lakeport.

Masses of Thanksgiving (both where and when):

• Immaculate Conception Church, Lapeer, May 23, 4 p.m.;
• St. Paul on the Lake Church, Grosse Pointe Farms, May 29, 4:30 p.m.;
• St. Edward on the Lake Church, Lakeport, May 30, 11:30 a.m.;
• SS. Cyril & Methodius (Slovak) Church, Sterling Heights, June 13, 1:30 p.m.

Secular career before entering seminary (if any):
Dean of formation, Magdalen College

Briefly describe your route to the priesthood (when you first began to think you might have a vocation, who - or what - were pivotal influences on you as you discerned your vocation?):
I began to discern my vocation to the priesthood at the age of 22 when in college. I first thought of becoming a religious priest and spent time discerning with two religious orders: the Order of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and the Benedictines. The members of each of these communities had a great influence on my spiritual life and current priestly formation.

Having decided you had a vocation, did you ever have second thoughts about it? How did you resolve any doubts or fears?
No, I have never second guessed God's call in my life.

What are the greatest challenges you see facing the Church? Where do you see the greatest hope?
Pope John Paul II has named some of the great challenges in the Church and in the world today. He has addressed our present culture as the "culture of death," stating that the roots of this problem stem from "the eclipse of the sense of God and of man." The busyness and pace of our culture coupled with high-speed technological advancement tends to turn the focus of many away from a genuine, spiritual interior life. Many have become busily caught up in their own day-to-day affairs in an endless pursuit of doing and obtaining more. To be present and engaged, patient and selfless (what was rather natural to generations past) has become a virtuous undertaking in our day. The poet T.S. Eliot captures the essence of the person who is not wholly engaged, living in present "here and now" of reality. He describes this state of the person with these words: "distracted from distraction by distraction." The endless busyness of "distractions" results in the breakdown of relationships. Our relationship with God, neighbor and even ourselves — the integrity our natural and spiritual capacities — can become blunted, darkened or "eclipsed" if we do not strive for interiority and a life of genuine prayer.

I see great hope in the stability of the Church, which is a beacon of light and hope in the midst of a world in darkness and flux. Also, in the grace that is given to each one of us — to live as the light of Christ — through our Lord's passion, death and resurrection, which is poured out to all of the faithful through the sacraments of the Church.

What are your hopes for your priestly ministry?
I hope to do the will of God in all things and to grow in His grace alongside of the people of God.

What about your priestly ministry do you anticipate will be the most rewarding?
The opportunity to administer the sacraments to the faithful at the different stages of their lives: especially the holy Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation.

Deacon John GeraldDumas
Age: 48
Parents: Joseph and Dorothea Dumas (both are deceased), Oxford, St. Joseph the Worker, Lake Orion

Deacon Dumas

Education: Oxford Public Schools; University of Detroit — bachelor's degree in economics; Sacred Heart Major Seminary — Bachelor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Sacred Theology, Master of Divinity.

Parish(es) where you grew up and current home parish:
I grew up in Oxford Michigan and belonged to St. Joseph parish in Lake Orion. My current home parish is Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Grotto) in Detroit.

Masses of Thanksgiving (both where and when):

• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Grotto) Church, Detroit, May 23, 9:30 a.m.;
• St. Anastasia Church, Troy, May 30, 10:15 a.m.;
• St. Damian Church, Westland, June 5, 4:30p.m.;
• St. Damian Church, Westland, June 6, 8:30 a.m.;
• St. Damian Church, Westland, June 6, 11 a.m.;
• SS. Cyril & Methodius (Slovak) Church, Sterling Heights, June 13, 9:30a.m.

Secular career before entering seminary (if any):
I worked in banking at Comerica Bank for a good number of years performing a variety of functions from accounting and financial analysis, to project management, to budgeting, planning and forecasting.

Briefly describe your route to the priesthood (when you first began to think you might have a vocation, who - or what - were pivotal influences on you as you discerned your vocation?):
My route to the priesthood has actually been a life-long journey. While still a child, God ignited an interest in being a priest and in my late teens to early 20s I entertained the idea. The death of my father, however, led me to pursue what I thought at the time to be a more practical career choice. This resulted is a series of what I thought to be good practical career choices but they continually pushed the priesthood further and further away. Throughout my entire secular career, I had an almost continuous feeling that there was something else that I needed to do, something was missing. On Palm Sunday of 2003 I experienced a sort of awakening within me. It became clear that this seeking for something more was in fact a desire for the priesthood that had been with me my whole life. This then became the topic of my prayer and I began to seriously discern what I was being called to do and where God wanted me to go. I was led to Sacred Heart Major Seminary and I have not looked back since.

I credit my entire family, and some good Catholic friends, with being instrumental in helping to instill in me a strong sense of our Catholic identity and heritage. My parents, my three brothers and three sisters and my paternal grandmother were all sources of influence. Although they may not have known it, they all helped me to understand the importance of doing the will of God in our lives and it is this understanding that ultimately brought me to the awareness of my own true calling. There were also several priests throughout my life who showed themselves to be examples of what it means to be a good and holy priest. Two very worthy priests, both now deceased, would be Fr. Stanley Rockici and Fr. Robert J. Fox, and I must include Fr. Eduard Perrone and Fr. Dan Zaleski, two wonderful priests who influenced and supported me along my journey to the priesthood.

Having decided you had a vocation, did you ever have second thoughts about it? How did you resolve any doubts or fears?
No, I never had second thoughts. I had doubts and concerns before entering the seminary but I placed those doubts and concerns in God's hands and they were quickly resolved. This served as further support that I was making the right decision.

What are the greatest challenges you see facing the Church? Where do you see the greatest hope?
I think there are several challenges facing the Church today among them would be our culture of death, our relativistic society and its disordered fixation on hedonism, a lack of a sense of sin, a lack of faith and a lack of holiness. We, as Catholics, need to work hard to regain and maintain our closeness to the Lord, His Blessed Mother, the angels, and the saints. It is when we are a truly faith-filled and holy people that we will put up no obstacles to the will of God in our lives and we then in turn become effective instruments for the conversion of the world.

In spite of the challenges the Church faces, we should never lose sight of our greatest hope, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We, as Catholic Christians, have been truly blessed with the gift of the sacraments and we are beginning to witness a rebirth, a renewed interest in the sacraments especially Holy Communion and confession. These two sacraments offer us great hope as one restores our broken relationship with God while the other intimately joins us to God through our reception of the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ.

What are your hopes for your priestly ministry?
Simply put, I hope to be a good and holy priest.

What about your priestly ministry do you anticipate will be the most rewarding?
I think that the administration of the sacraments will be one of the things I will find very rewarding. The thought that God has chosen me to be His instrument in the transmission of His grace to the faithful is truly awe inspiring. Witnessing the return of those separated from Christ and His Church or seeing an existing relationship grow more profound is truly rewarding.

Deacon Adalberto Espinoza
Age: 42
Parents: Stephen and Maria Elva Espinoza, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Deacon Espinoza

Education: Escuela Revolucion Matutina; Secundaria No. 1: Nuevo Laredo City College; Tecnologico de Nuevo Laredo, Seminario conciliar de Matamoros; Seminario Arquidiocesano de Monterrey; Sacred Heart Major Seminary – Bachelor of Philosophy, Master of Theology.

Parish(es) where you grew up and current home parish: I grew up in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. My parish is Our Lady of Guadalupe, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Masses of Thanksgiving (both where and when):

• Holy Redeemer Church, Detroit, May 23, noon.;
• St. Michael the Archangel Church, Livonia, May 30, noon.

Secular career before entering seminary (if any):
Business administration.

Briefly describe your route to the priesthood (when you first began to think you might have a vocation, who - or what - were pivotal influences on you as you discerned your vocation?):
Since I was young I have been involved in the parish where I grew up, I was in the choir, the youth group, I visited old people around my neighborhood took care of them and prayed with them. But what helped me to decide to follow the Lord through the priesthood was the invitation from a missionary priest who was visiting my parish. He gave me a rosary and I prayed it every day asking our Mother to protect all missionaries especially those who were far away from their families. Two months later, during a summer, I went to a missionary land in a very poor area in Mexico. I enjoyed serving the people and bringing the Good News to them and my pastor encouraged me to follow my heart and my desire to serve my brothers and sisters in the faith.

Having decided you had a vocation, did you ever have second thoughts about it? How did you resolve any doubts or fears?
At one time I had doubts but through prayer and a spiritual direction I realized that the Lord wanted me to follow this path. Prayer and being in relationship with the Lord everyday will overcome all fears.

What are the greatest challenges you see facing the Church? Where do you see the greatest hope?
Many Catholics have left the Church and I would like to bring them back and evangelize them so they can learn more about the faith they grew up with. Dialogue and prayers among brothers and sisters is a good way to proclaim God's Word.

What are your hopes for your priestly ministry?
I hope I can be a good priest and a humble servant. I want to give a good testimony of the priesthood of Jesus Christ and bring all those who do not know him closer to God through the sacraments.

What about your priestly ministry do you anticipate will be the most rewarding?
Celebrating the Eucharist every day for the people of God would be the most precious gift to me.

Deacon Benedict Bikoyogue Ehinack
Editor's note: Deacon Benedict Bikoyogue Ehinack will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Douala, Cameroon.
Age: 27
Parents: Joseph and Marie-Salome Behina in Camaroon

Deacon Ehinack

Education: I attended École Maternelle Marie-Reine,(Kindergarden), in Sité-Sic, Douala (1987-88). My elementary school at the government bilingual primary school, Bepanda-Omnisport, Douala (1989-90) and then to the government primary school Barombi-Kang, Kumba (1991-95). After, my primary school (grade six) I was admitted into Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, Buea (September 1995-June 2002).
At Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, I obtained my general certificates of education, advanced level (high school diploma) and then applied to be a major seminarian for the Archdiocese of Douala. Upon admission, I was sent to do a spiritual year at the Séminaire Propédeutique Paul VI de Mbanga and then to a three years of undergraduate philosophy at the Grand Séminaire Philosophat Paul VI, de Bafoussam.
Since the fall of 2006, I have been at Sacred Heart Major Seminary — Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, STB.

Parish(es) where you grew up and current home parish: When I am back home, the parishes I call my home are Saint Antony of Padua parish, Kumba-Mbeng, and St Joseph Parish, Bonaberi, Douala. Here, I consider Immaculate Conception parish, Anchorville, where I did my ministerial internship, and also St. Mary Parish, Wayne, where I am assigned as a transitional deacon, home.

Masses of Thanksgiving (both where and when):

• St. Mary Church, Wayne. Sunday, May 23, noon. (This Mass will be sung by my friends and classmates from Cameroon who reside here in the U.S.);
• Immaculate Conception Church, Anchorville, Sunday, June 6, noon.

Secular career before entering seminary (if any):
None.

Briefly describe your route to the priesthood (when you first began to think you might have a vocation, who - or what - were pivotal influences on you as you discerned your vocation?):
It all started when I was 8 years old. I was so inspired by the way my pastor did things, especially the way he sang in church and the holiness with which he preached and celebrated the Eucharist. One day, I told my dad about my interest in becoming a priest. My dad behaved as if he did not hear. He never said anything to me in that regard, he still did not believe that I was serious until the test of time became a clarion sign that the Lord may be saying something to his little Ben. From then, my family gave all the support I needed.

When I completed primary school (grade six), he decided, despite all odds, that instead of going to a public school, I should rather go to the minor seminary for it was the best way to nourish and sustain the call to the priesthood that I had expressed.

Having decided you had a vocation, did you ever have second thoughts about it? How did you resolve any doubts or fears?
Once in my journey, I did not really think I was called to be priest. I spoke with my spiritual director about it with the intention of leaving. He told me to hang on and keep on praying about it. It my prayer, the image of Jonah running away from his call kept reappearing and resounding in my mind to my displeasure.

"From this time, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve" (John 6:66-67). This was the last inspiration that made me stay. I then felt in me a great zeal and determination for the priesthood. In fact, at that time, and even some years later, in my sincere desire to do God's will. I thought that I was doing God a favor by wanting to become a priest. Now, more than ever before, being a deacon transitioning into the holy priesthood, I have come to realize for sure that, it is God instead who is doing me a favor and I love it.

What are the greatest challenges you see facing the Church? Where do you see the greatest hope?
The greatest problem I see plaguing the Church today is summarized into the two questions (by God) in a song we use to sing when I was back in Cameroon. "How many years must my people exist before they know they are one?" (The Church as One?) "How many times must the curtain be drawn before you know I'm behind?" (Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament?)

My greatest hope lies in the increasing awareness of the awesomeness of the Eucharist and its link to our daily way of living The Eucharist testifies to our uniqueness and oneness.

What are your hopes for your priestly ministry?
All I hope is to be a priest whose presence communicate God's love and life, celebrates life, radiates joy and inspire hope to the poor and the little ones. Every day, I pray "Lord, don't allow those who come to me seeking your face to go back empty handed."

What about your priestly ministry do you anticipate will be the most rewarding?
Being there, being present in persona Christi to all seek the Lord so that they find Him and to those who have found Him, so that they may seek Him all the more. In other words, to answer positively and joyfully the question that God asked Cain: "Cain, where is your brother Abel?" (Genesis 4:9). Also, to preach the good news, without any fear or favor, even when people are not listening.

Deacon Craig Anthony Giera
Age: 32
Parents: Dave and Sylvia Ann Giera, Sterling Heights, Ss. Cyril and Methodius (Slovak) Parish, Sterling Heights

Deacon Giera

Education: Thorpe Elementary School, Sterling Heights; Grissom Middle School, Sterling Heights; Sterling Heights High School; College for Creative Studies; Wayne State University — Bachelor in Fine Arts; Sacred Heart Major Seminary —Bachelor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Sacred Theology, Master of Divinity.

Parish(es) where you grew up and current home parish: St. Rene Goupil in Sterling Heights was my home parish while growing up. My home parish now is SS. Cyril and Methodius in Sterling Heights.

Masses of Thanksgiving (both where and when):

• SS. Cyril & Methodius (Slovak) Church, Sterling Heights, Sunday, May 23, 6:30 p.m.;
• Church of the Holy Family, Novi, Sunday, June 13, 10:30 a.m.

Secular career before entering seminary (if any):
Artist, gallery work, and anything else that helped pay the bills.

Briefly describe your route to the priesthood (when you first began to think you might have a vocation, who - or what - were pivotal influences on you as you discerned your vocation?):
My first inclination about becoming a priest was when I was really young. I sat at Mass and thought, "Who in their right mind would ever want to do that?" Yet, at the same time, I secretly pictured myself up in the sanctuary preaching up a storm. It wasn't until I was out of college did I really consider that I might have a call to the priesthood.

There were three main influences that helped me to discern. First, I met a lot of holy and happy priests who love what they do, especially some of the young priests I met while I was in the Ukraine doing missionary work. These priests had an immense amount of responsibility, yet, they had a fire of joy inside of them and invited me into their fraternity like a brother. This goes for my pastor as well.

Second, was the quiet of my art studio. Hours upon hours I would paint or sculpt in silence. I can't tell you how much God spoke to me during this time.

Third, is the prayers of my mother. A mother's prayer is a powerful thing, and quite honestly, I don't know where I would be if she, and her prayer group consisting of my "spiritual mothers," stopped praying for me. I also consecrated my life to Mary, the Mother of God who is always interceding for us. She is the surest way to Christ. Thanks, moms.

Having decided you had a vocation, did you ever have second thoughts about it? How did you resolve any doubts or fears?
Of course, everyone goes through a long process of discernment. It is a pretty intense time trying to figure it all out. Yet, in the end there is an underlying peace about it. St. John the Evangelist tells us that perfect love casts out all fear. The only solution is to become more intimate with the one who is love: Jesus. So really, I prayed, prayed and prayed some more.

What are the greatest challenges you see facing the Church? Where do you see the greatest hope?
The greatest challenges I see facing the Church are the values that secular society hold that attack our faith. I see great hope, however, in the people of God. United as the Body of Christ, the Church will be able to withstand anything.

What are your hopes for your priestly ministry?
Simply put, I hope to be the best priest I can be with the grace of God.

What about your priestly ministry do you anticipate will be the most rewarding?
Getting to know and serving the people of God.