Archbishop William E. Lori will ordain five men to the priesthood June 20 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. The following is a profile of one of those future priests. New profiles of the other new priests will be added to the Catholic Review site daily from June 14 to June 18. Click here to read them.
Deacon Robert L. “Tre” Bart says what inspired him to consider the priesthood is “a short question with a long answer.”
As he prepares to be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore at age 43, he said he came back to the faith in the latter part of college through some powerful moments. Then, as part of his professional career, he worked in the Advancement Department for the archdiocese, helping especially with the Embracing Our Mission, Shaping Our Future capital campaign.
That experience brought him closer to the faith, with the opportunity for eucharistic adoration and daily Mass at the Basilica of the National Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary across the street from the Catholic Center. At the time, Monsignor Arthur F. Valenzano, who died in 2015, was the basilica rector.
It gave Deacon Bart the opportunity to see “his faithful witness and just seeing really just the joy and the love that one man can have for the priesthood.”
He didn’t necessarily want to be a priest, instead thinking and hoping that he would be called to married life and starting a family.
He had received a promotion to work for the Archdiocese of Washington, was dating “a great Catholic girl,” breaking ground on a new house and “checking all the boxes” for what he thought he wanted in life.
Then, at Mass Dec. 18, 2018, at 10:46 a.m. – he’s very specific about the time – as he knelt during the consecration, he asked what the Lord wanted from him. “And he said in that moment, as clear as I’m talking to you right now, that he wanted me to serve him, specifically as a priest of his church,” Deacon Bart said.
His mother, Virginia, known as Ginnie, had five full-term miscarriages, requiring that she be on bedrest during his pregnancy. She had another child after Tre, who died from sudden infant death syndrome, and then another miscarriage.
“It’s beautiful in itself, just knowing that I have six brothers and sisters praying for me up in heaven. But at the same time, it definitely adds a weightiness to what it took for my parents to really see it through,” he said of his mom and his father, Rob.
Those who know Deacon Bart often describe his empathy as one of his best traits. Roger Cassell, who has known him for about 30 years, first met the deacon through Tre’s father. Eventually Cassell hired the young man to work in his cell phone stores.
“The first thing that comes to mind is the level of empathy he has for others. Even in a sales role, solving the customers’ issues, that’s part of who he is,” Cassell said.
He praised the “real-worldliness” Deacon Bart brings to his homilies. “Maybe that’s a product of coming to his priesthood later in life.”
Nancy Crawford and her husband also originally got to know the soon-to-be priest through his father. She considers herself a “big sister” to Deacon Bart.
When Crawford’s husband was diagnosed with young-onset dementia, she said, “Tre was an incredible source of comfort, especially being a seminarian and just being able to listen and give me guidance.” When her husband died last July, Deacon Bart participated in his funeral, preached the homily and led the graveside burial service.
“I just see such an incredible love of the Lord and wanting to share his faith and his
journey with others. And I think that is just so powerful,” Crawford said.
“He’s got so much he’s bringing based on that wisdom of having been around a lot longer and having experience with very life-challenging things,” she said.
Father Michael M. Romano, rector/vice president of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, said Deacon Bart’s election as president of the house of seminarians this year shows their respect for him.
“There’s a huge level of maturity and those who come with experiences like Tre’s, who really embrace formation, demonstrate humility in ways that younger guys probably just can’t even imagine. You know, a guy like Tre who owned his own home, was successful in his career. Then all of a sudden, he has to come and live with a bunch of 20-year-olds,” Father Romano said.
“I think that he is going to be an incredibly encouraging confessor,” he said, noting that Deacon Bart will live out what Pope Francis’ call to accompany people on their journeys. “He’s not going to be surprised by the difficulties or the messiness of people’s lives. And I think he’s going to be able to bring that in as a really engaging homilist as well.
Deacon Bart said that he looks forward to celebrating Mass, of course, but he also looks forward to being able to hear confessions. “There’s a great weight and responsibility to that. At the same time, there’s something that’s just so freeing, you know, based upon my own experience with the sacrament.”
Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org
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