• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Father Steven Roth is the newly appointed vocations director for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

New director of vocations hopes to show others the joy he finds in being a priest

May 30, 2018
By Emily Rosenthal Alster
Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Vocations

When Father Steven Roth was a child growing up in Scranton, Pa., he would turn his room into a church, using Necco Wafers and a tabernacle he built from Legos to “celebrate” Mass.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology, and a master’s degree in counseling – all from the University of Scranton – and attending St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park, his dreams became a reality. In 2012, he was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

As the archdiocese’s new director of vocations, he is dedicated to helping others understand the joy he finds in being a priest.

“As long as I’m vocation director, I want to make sure that no one ever says, ‘I thought about being a priest, but I just didn’t have the courage to say ‘yes,’” said Father Roth, who is currently transitioning from his role as pastor of St. Isaac Jogues in Carney. “I want to do everything that this office can do to help people to say ‘yes.’ I don’t want anyone to miss out on what an amazing life this is.”

Father Roth hopes he will help all find their true vocations, but his office primarily works with those discerning the call to the diocesan priesthood. For those men, he encourages prayer and concrete steps, such as reaching out his parish priest, or contacting the vocations office.

“We (the vocations office) have the ability to meet the individual where they are,” Father Roth said.

The office is prepared to help candidates through the application process. It offers a variety of resources and events designed to help discerning men find their vocations.

“I really think that there are a lot of vocations in the archdiocese and it’s just a matter of finding them,” Father Roth said.

Once he switches to the director of vocations role full time Aug. 1, he hopes to spend weekends preaching at different parishes about vocations. He also plans to institute two pilot programs that will look at the best ways to encourage vocations in the African-American and Hispanic communities.

While out in force, reaching the closest and farthest points in the archdiocese, he hopes to make it easy and comfortable for men to take the first step in vocalizing that their consideration of priesthood.

In addition to fostering new vocations, Father Roth is looking forward to working with Baltimore’s 39 seminarians.

“They are really top-notch, very talented men,” he said. “Every time I encounter them I am just so inspired by their willingness to serve, their dedication to the church and the sacrifices that they make to be in formation.”

He hopes to use their advice, and that of his fellow priests and parishioners, to make improvements in his new role and to learn what would best help discerners.

One of the hardest parts of discernment, Father Roth said, is realizing that no one is worthy of the call.

“We look at ourselves and we realize that we’re not perfect, we’re broken in a variety of ways,” he said. “And yet, somehow, God is still calling us to this life that is just beyond what we could expect and beyond what we really deserve.”

Often times, he said, the nudge into a vocation comes from a friend who asks if the person has ever considered the priesthood or a religious vocation. Father Roth hopes to encourage the faithful to invite others to consider the possibility.

“Imagine if every single person just asked one other person if they’ve ever considered priesthood,” he said. “We just never know what power that invitation can have. … We can look to the example of the Gospels. Jesus simply said, ‘Come and follow me,’ and it worked.”

 

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Emily Rosenthal Alster

Emily Rosenthal Alster, a former staff writer for the Catholic Review, is a contributing writer. She is a lifelong resident of Maryland and a parishioner of St. John in Westminster.

Emily is a graduate of Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa. She holds a bachelor's degree in business communication from Stevenson University.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • St. Mary’s High School swimmer breaks record held by Michael Phelps
  • Long homilies are ‘a disaster,’ keep it under 10 minutes, pope says
  • Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program
  • Catholics look to night skies as new comet reveals ‘the glory of God’
  • Movie Review: ‘The Pale Blue Eye’

| Latest Local News |

Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale

Catholic Charities assists in counting Baltimore’s homeless population

Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program

| Latest World News |

Former priest Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, faces sexual misconduct allegations

Mission begins by meeting Jesus in the Scriptures and Eucharist, pope says

Bishop’s heroic crusade against America’s suicide epidemic is personal

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale
  • Former priest Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, faces sexual misconduct allegations
  • Analysis: As GOP primary season nears, will pro-lifers embrace Trump or hold out for a new hero?
  • Mission begins by meeting Jesus in the Scriptures and Eucharist, pope says
  • Catholic Charities assists in counting Baltimore’s homeless population
  • Bishop’s heroic crusade against America’s suicide epidemic is personal
  • Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program
  • Ukraine’s religious leaders renew invitation to pope to visit Kyiv
  • ‘I love you, Papa!’: Maryland Catholics recall encounters with Pope Benedict XVI

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED