Michael Shutt had never met a priest like Father Andrew Defusco.
When the young clergyman arrived at St. Andrew by the Bay in Annapolis in 2020 for his first assignment as pastor, he was in his 30s – playful with parishioners yet profoundly devoted to his faith. His authenticity and joy drew people of every generation, Shutt recalled.
“He completely changed my mind on what living out the faith actually could look like,” said Shutt, a 22-year-old Loyola University Maryland graduate. “He really made me believe that the faith is for everyone and that everyone is called to live in this sort of way. He changed me, my family and our whole parish.”
Now a newly accepted seminarian for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Shutt said Father Defusco’s witness – combined with the example of Jesuit priests at Loyola, where he studied business management – proved decisive in his discernment.
Father Steven Roth, vocations director and associate vicar for clergy, said Shutt’s story reflects a wider pattern.
“We have phenomenal pastors throughout the archdiocese who love their ministry, and it’s contagious,” Father Roth said. “These men see that their pastors and associate pastors are happy and that’s very appealing to our applicants. … They want to follow in their footsteps.”
That contagious joy is bearing fruit. This year, 12 men – ages 18 to 35 – have been accepted as seminarians for the archdiocese, including one from Colombia and another from Western Maryland. In total, 60 men are now preparing for the priesthood – up from 28 in formation in 2007 and 52 in 2020. Within the next three years, 22 priests are expected to be ordained.
The impact could be transformative. Father Roth noted that the growing numbers may soon allow priests to return to full-time ministry in Catholic high schools – a presence that dwindled when numbers were smaller.
“In high school is when we begin to lose children in the sense that they begin to question their faith,” he said. “It’s great to have strong teachers and parents helping, but to have a priest there to work alongside of them – to me, I really think that’s going to be a game changer when it comes not only to faith, but in particular discernment of vocations as well.”
Renewal extends beyond diocesan priesthood. Several men and women have recently professed vows or been ordained in religious communities. Formation for permanent deacons is also thriving.
Nine men recently completed two years of deacon aspirancy – the first stage of formation – and have joined another candidate in beginning three years of theological and pastoral training to become permanent deacons. Fourteen more are expected to be ordained to the permanent diaconate next year.
Father Michael Foppiano, director of the diaconate and pastor of St. Mark in Fallston, described the new candidates as “very dedicated” and eager to advance in formation.
For William Baird III, one of those deacon candidates, the call to service is rooted in family legacy. His great uncle was Cardinal Lawrence Shehan, and his aunt, Mercy Sister Marian Joseph Baird – a former missionary to Belize – often urged him never to forget those on the margins.
“My family has always been very active in our parishes and very active in the faith life of our local communities,” said Baird, a Loyola Blakefield and Loyola University Maryland graduate who is completing a master’s degree in theology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. “That was instilled in us as young people.”
Baird, who has been married for 35 years and has three children, also brings deep leadership experience. A former chief financial officer for the Archdiocese of Baltimore with a career in the investment industry, he now serves as partner development director for the Rebuilt ministry at Church of the Nativity in Timonium.
For seminarians such as Shutt, the current moment carries particular weight. In the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, the need for faithful priests has never been more urgent.
“God is still calling men to the priesthood,” said Shutt, who is in his “propaedeutic year” – an introductory year – at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg. “If someone feels called, they’re only going to live their most happy, fullest life if they pursue the path that God has created for them.”
Listen to a Catholic Review Radio interview with Father Steven Roth about vocations at tinyurl.com/cr-roth.
New seminarians
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has accepted 12 men this year for formation as priests for the archdiocese. In total, there are 60 in formation.
Peter Bronzi
Age: 18
Hometown: Frederick
Home parish: St. John the Evangelist, Frederick
William Cleary
Age: 19
Hometown: Edgewater
Home parish: Holy Family, Davidsonville
Andrew Cogswell
Age: 23
Hometown: Toms River, N.J.
Sponsoring parish: St. Mark, Fallston
Shawn Crisman
Age: 20
Hometown: Oakland, Md.
Home or sponsoring parish: St. Peter the Apostle, Oakland
Luis Hernandez
Age: 29
Hometown: Santa Marta, Colombia
Home parish: Mary, Mystical Rose, Santa Marta
Nicolas Holland
Age: 18
Hometown: Glen Arm
Home parish: Church of the Nativity, Timonium
Noah King
Age: 19
Hometown: New Market
Home parish: St. Peter the Apostle, Libertytown
Daniel Otto
Age: 35
Hometown: Oxford, Ohio
Home parish: St. Leo the Great, Little Italy
Michael Shutt
Age: 22
Hometown: Annapolis
Home parish: St. Andrew by the Bay, Annapolis
Matthew Sitzwohl
Age: 18
Hometown: Millersville
Home parish: St. John the Evangelist, Severna Park
Daniel Torres
Age: 27
Hometown: Newburgh, N.Y.
Sponsoring parish: Our Lady of Good Counsel, Baltimore
Timothy Welsh
Age: 23
Hometown: Baltimore
Home parish: Church of the Resurrection, Ellicott City
Email George P. Matysek Jr. at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org
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