Vocations

After his engagement was broken off, Deacon Jeremy Smith had a life-changing conversation with Father Charles Canterna that put him on the path to the priesthood.

While Deacon Ponton said that he “lived life, got kicked around a little,” the pastor who gave him his first holy Communion said that it is that background which will make him a “great” priest when he is ordained for the Archdiocese of Baltimore Aug. 22

While he acknowledges that he will miss his priest-mentors, Deacon Gough said, “It’s good to have that hope that on the other side now there’s an intercessor – and that is even more helpful, in a sense, than having their friendship and companionship in this life.”

“You need to be kind to people,” Deacon Crowley said. “A priest has to come off as relatable. The days are gone where people will listen to a priest and view him as someone with authority just because he is a priest. If you come off as cruel, judgmental, harsh, legalistic or unrelatable, people today will just write you off.”