Dear Friends,
Each year in February our Diocese of Trenton makes the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA), an appeal to you to support the greater work and ministry in our four-county area. We benefit greatly from the ACA, although I do hear people hesitant to support it for various reasons. I have supported the appeal every year of my priesthood, since being ordained in 2009, because thanks to the appeal I was blessed to attend seminary and be ordained for service in the Church of the Diocese of Trenton.
Every path to the priesthood is unique, the hand of God ever-present. My road took a decisive turn in 2000 when attending the University of Virginia, I left one path to take up another. This led to me selling all that I had to follow Him, leaving family and my past life behind to join a new Carmelite foundation taking shape in Ohio. I ignored sage advice, but left everything to embrace this radical life on a farm, which led to me attending St. Vincent’s Seminary, a beautiful place still very special to me. Our Carmelite founder was caught up in that first wave of accusations against priests in 2003. The foundation failed. This was such a challenging time for me emotionally and spiritually. Dreams of Carmel dashed, I returned home, holding on to the conviction that if God were calling me to the priesthood, a path forward would be revealed.
Led to Trenton by a family friend, Deacon Bob Cunningham, I spoke with Fr. Mick Lambeth (rest in peace, my friend) who welcomed me to the family of seminarians studying for the Diocese of Trenton. He worked some magic to allow me to enter the Saint Charles Seminary mid-year. I happily left my gig as carpenter’s helper and once again continued along the road to the priesthood.
Trenton gave me a home and a path to priesthood. Among the seminarians, we formed a brotherhood. Each summer, I lived and served in a different parish and learned all about the diocese that I was planning to call home. Ordained in 2009, the path that began almost a decade earlier came to fruition. The road required a great deal of perseverance, hope and trust, but it would not have been possible without the generosity of the people of the Diocese of Trenton who funded my education and healthcare through the Annual Catholic Appeal. Without your support for the appeal, forming future priests would just not be possible. It is a great expense but also a great work, and part of the greater mission of our local church.
Thank you for supporting the ACA! Thank you for funding my path to priesthood! And if you are not yet a supporter, please make a gift this year. Realize that your contribution supports a greater work: forming priests and deacons for service in ministry, something that we cannot do on the parish level, but an incredibly valuable responsibility that benefits every parish in our four-county diocese.
Clergy and Religious Administration is only a portion of what the ACA helps fund. Evangelization, Catholic Social Services, Catholic Education Administration, and the Diocesan Youth Conference are also supported under this appeal. See p.7 in our bulletin for photos from the Diocesan Youth Conference that was attended by our Youth Group. More details about the Annual Catholic Appeal to come next week! We look forward to continuing to support our Diocese and the future of our faith!
May God bless your goodness!
Fr. Joel
