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In a city that bleeds Black and Gold
We need champions to wear the Black and White
My Dear Friends in Christ,
It is with great joy and excitement that I welcome you to the new website for the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Our reason for creating this website is to provide you with a glimpse of the priesthood and of seminary formation in the Diocese. On this site, you will find the stories of priests and seminarians as well as resources to help guide the discernment of a call to the priesthood.
I am extremely excited about the Church in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Everywhere there are signs that even in these often challenging times, the Church is Alive! This Church Alive depends on the courageous response of men willing to step-up and answer God’s call to the priesthood.
Take a look around this site. Use the information to help your prayer and discernment. Remember to open your heart completely to God. Allow the Holy Spirit to move in you.
Then, if it seems that God may be calling you to be a priest, contact us. We would like to walk the road of discernment with you.
Bishop David Zubik
the Diocese of Pittsburgh presents:
STARTING
POINT
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
PRIESTS AND THE
PRIESTHOOD
the call to holiness
everyone has a vocation
"Therefore all the disciples of Christ, persevering in prayer and praising God should present themselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Everywhere on earth they must bear witness to Christ and give an answer to those who seek an account
of that hope of eternal life which is
in them" (Lumen Gentium 10).
Every baptized Christian shares the same primary vocation, the vocation or call to holiness. We are all called to live lives that show Jesus Christ to the world. We live out this call in different ways. Some people are called to marriage, where they will make Christ present through the Sacramental love that they share with their spouse. Some are called to remain single and live a fruitful life participating in the Church and in the world as an image of Christ. Some are called by God to the life of a Brother or a Sister in a Religious Community, making Christ present by their commitment to their brothers and sisters and to all of Gods people. Some are called to be priests...
what is the
priesthood
"Because he belongs to Christ, the priest is radically at the service of men and women. He is the minister of their salvation, their happiness, their authentic liberation." Pope Benedict XVI
The priest is a man. The priest is a man who is ordained beneath the hands of a bishop and through the calling down of the Holy Spirit. He is a man who is called to make Christ, the Head of the Church, present with his whole life.
"Priests are called to prolong the presence of Christ, the One High Priest, embodying his way of life and making him visible in the midst of the flock entrusted to their care. . . .
In the Church and on behalf of the Church, priests are a sacramental representation of Jesus Christ, the Head and Shepherd, authoritatively proclaiming his Word, repeating his acts of forgiveness
and his offer of salvation, particularly in Baptism, Penance, and the Eucharist, showing his loving concern to the point of a total gift of self for the flock, which they gather into unity and lead to the Father through Christ and in the Spirit.
In a word, priests exist and act in order to proclaim
the Gospel to the world and to build up the Church in the name and person of Christ the Head and Shepherd"
(Pastores dabo vobis, no. 15).
What does a priest do?
In the Church and on behalf of the Church,
priests are a sacramental representation of Jesus Christ, the Head and Shepherd, authoritatively proclaiming his Word, repeating his acts of forgiveness and his offer of salvation, particularly in Baptism, Penance, and the Eucharist.
(Pastores dabo vobis 15)
The priests that we all know best are our parish priests. These priests serve the people of God in the midst of their daily lives. They represent Christ Himself to His people. They offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every day and especially on Sundays. They hear your confessions, and visit and give the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to your loved ones who are ill. They preach. They run the daily operations of the parish. It is a lot. It is also a wonderful life!
Click thru to see what some of our priests are up to
Fr. Jim Chepponis is the pastor of St. John Capistran parish in Upper St. Clair and also directs the diocesan choir and writes beautiful music for Mass.
Fr. Kim Schreck works with college students at Pitt and CMU and with high school students at the Catholic high schools in Oakland.
Fr. Joseph Mele teaches homiletics, aka preaching, at St. Vincent Seminary and is the Spiritual Director at St. Paul Seminary. He is also the Vicar General of the Diocese and helps priests continue their education after they are ordained.
Fr. Malcolm McDonald is the Chaplain to the inmates of the State Prison.
Fr. Michael Zavage, Fr. Dan Langa, Fr. John Naugle and Fr. Nick Vaskov were just ordained priests in the summer of 2009 and are working as parochial vicars or assistant pastors, in parishes.
Fr. Charles Bober is the pastor of St. Kilian Parish in Cranberry. Fr. Bober and his parishioners just opened their St. Kilian Catholic School and are in the midst of building a new church.
Fr. Vince Kolo is the Catholic Chaplain at Allegheny General Hospital.
This is just a small sample of what priests are doing in our Diocese. As you can see, priests do a lot of different things. The Bishop looks at each priests gifts and talents and tries to make the very best use of them for building up God's Kingdom.
First of all, you have to pray about it.
You and the Lord have some talking to do. Give the Lord some room to help you think and help you listen to what He might be calling you to.
This is called discerning.
Here are some things to think about while you are discerning God's call for you:
1. Holy Eucharist.
Do you love the Eucharist? Is going to Mass one of the most awesome times of your week? Do you love praying before the Blessed Sacrament? Remember those "you might be a redneck jokes." Well if you answered yes to these questions, you might have a vocation!
2. Pastoral Ministry.
What would it feel like to celebrate the sacraments and preach the word? This may sound funny but, do you like people? Think about helping others, baptizing babies, hearing confessions, anointing the sick, preparing couples for marriage, visiting people in prison, burying the dead, feeding the poor. Can you see yourself doing this as a priest?
3.Teacher of the Faith.
What a challenge in today's world. Who is telling the truth? Everyone seems to have an opinion. Jesus Christ has given us the Way, Truth and Life. As a priest, you would preach the Gospel with love and conviction, hope and courage. Do you think that you could do that?
2. Man of Prayer
Do you pray? What kind of prayers do you say? Do you love Our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints? As a priest you are going to rely on the help of the Lord and His Mother Mary and all the Saints. If this is you already, sweet! If not, don't worry. It is something you can learn. What do you feel when you see the Cross? Do you see the great love that this suffering and death shows?
Think about these questions. Use them to help guide your discernment. Talk to your pastor and talk to me
So what happens if you discern that God may be calling you to be a priest?
THE NEXT STEP
THE CALL TO HOLINESS
WHAT IS THE PRIESTHOOD?
WHAT DOES A PRIEST DO?
HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM CALLED?
REAL STORIES
REAL MEN
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Seminarians
Priests
Our Bishop's Story
Parents
View All Our Seminarians
click on the person or their description to read their story
"As I approached the age of thirty, I began to take
a renewed interest in my own faith journey..."
KEVIN FAZIO
“Lord, I tried things my way and it got me
nowhere good; let me do things your way.”
DAN GALLAGHER
"I decided to enter the seminary and
truly discover if indeed God was calling
me to be a priest."
MIKE ACKERMAN
Drawn to the priesthood to serve the
people of God.
PATRICK CARUSO
We are actively involved in Patrick’s discernment by
talking to him often and asking him questions about
what he is learning and experiencing.
CHRIS AND JANICE CARUSO
We are very hopeful for the future of the Church
because of the young men we’ve met at St. Paul’s
seminary who are taking the time to listen
to God’s call.
MARLEA AND MICHEAL GALLAGHER
My Story
As a young child I wanted to be a priest. This lasted up through grade school and into high school but in high school the thought of priesthood was pushed to the back of my mind. I went to high school at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart where I played soccer, basketball, and baseball, and was a member of the National Honors Society. The thought of priesthood was never completely
absent and would surface from time to time as I learnt more about my Faith, but as I got more into academics, athletics, and girls I decided that it wasnt for me and that I wanted to get married and have a family of my own. I went on to college at Wheeling Jesuit University where I studied Biology with the intention on going on to Medical School. In college, as happens to so many people, I got into the party scene quite a bit and began to slip further and further from my Catholic faith. I still attended Mass on Sundays but my life-style certainly wasn't worthy of somebody who bears the name of Christ and as far as I was concerned the possibility of
becoming a priest was no longer on the table. After going to World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany the summer before my senior year of college and going on a retreat, I began to see how far I had drifted and how sinful my lifestyle was. I remember praying
"Lord, I tried things my way and it got me nowhere good; let me do things your way. "
As I continued to discover what God's way for me was through Prayer, Confession, and attending Mass more frequently, I began to feel as if God was calling me to the Priesthood. At the end of my senior year I decided to take a year off to try to figure out if I
wanted to go on to Medical School or enter the seminary. During that time I spent 5 months doing mission work in Kingston,Jamaica
at Mustard Seed Communities, a home for abandoned children who have mental and/or physical disabilities as well as children who were born with HIV/AIDS. These 5 months were critical for my spiritual growth and I have been privileged to make
three trips back over the past two years I have been in the seminary. A defining moment for me in my spiritual journey was when
Father James Wehner, the rector of Saint Paul's at the time, explained to me that the reason for entering into the seminary is to
discern if you are called to be a priest, not necessarily to become one. You can only discern a call to the priesthood to a certain
extent without entering the seminary. At some point, despite the uncertainty, you have to make a leap of Faith. I did not know at that point whether God was calling me to be a Priest, but I knew that it was something that had been on my mind and heart for long
enough that I owed it to myself and my Church to look more deeply into this matter.
PROFILE
Name: Dan Gallagher Age: 25 years old Hometown: Sheraden which is in the West End of Pittsburgh Seminary Year: 1st Theology
Home Parish: Holy Innocents
What is Drawing you to the Priesthood: The greatest thing drawing me to the Priesthood has been my love for the Eucharist and the desire to bring the Body and Blood of Christ to others and to encourage others to enter more deeply into this great Mystery.
Interests: Playing basketball, baseball, soccer, and golf.
Other interests include cheering for Pittsburgh sports teams, Irish music, spiritual reading, and Mustard Seed Communities.
Favorite Saints: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Augustine, St. Faustina, St. Francis Xavier, St. Patrick
Favorite Movies: The Natural, Field of Dreams, Dead Poets Society, The Scarlett and the Black, Tommy Boy.
Favorite Books: Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Lambs Supper by Dr. Scott Hahn, Screwtape Letters and The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, Redeemer in the Womb by John Saward
Favorite Quotes: "I say to the Lord: 'You are my God, my happiness lies in you alone.'''"~Psalm 16
"If everything I planned failed, all my wishes thwarted and all my work was in vain- a quarter of an hour in prayer would reconcile me and leave me just as happy as I was before." ~Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Founder of the Jesuits)
"To have nothing, to await all from God." ~St. Jeanne Jugan
"May your house never be big enough to hold all of your friends." ~Irish Toast
Favorite Music or Song: I enjoy all types of Music: Classic Rock, Country, Blue Grass, Classical, Reggae, etc. My dad sings Irish music professionally so I have always been real into that.
Heroes: Both of my brothers who are serving our country in the Armed Forces; my Grandfather Richard Givens; my parents; John Paul II; Father Gregory Ramkissoon who is the founder of Mustard Seed Communities in Kingston, Jamaica which is a childrens home for mentally and physically handicapped children as well as Children born with HIV/AIDS; My God Son Brandon Thompson and all of the Mustard Seed Children for the way they endure their sufferings and still reflect the love and joy of Christ.
BACK TO STORIES MAIN PAGE
I first considered the idea of priesthood around tenth grade in High School. I went to a large, secular high school
and was faced with a variety of questions from my peers that challenged my beliefs and values. It was through
these questions and much prayer that I was eventually drawn to the profound truths of our Catholic faith.
This new, fresh look at the faith that I had grown up with started to redefine my entire life.
My dad always used to remind me that whatever I would end up doing for the rest of my life, I had to be passionate
about it. I had thought up to that point that I would become some type of professional musician, because music was the most passionate aspect of my life. This, however, was about to change. I remember going to
Mass one Sunday and as I walked up to receive Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, I just remember feeling an intense, burning love in my heart that inspired me to find a way to centralize my life around the Blessed Sacrament.
Initially, I figured that I would just play organ, but that too would soon change.
Scouting had been a huge part of my life since first grade and when I received Eagle Scout my junior year, I
decided to reflect back on my memorable years of scouting. Out of the many experiences that I had, it was the ability to
serve others that really stuck with me the most. I decided that I would integrate serving others as much as possible into whatever path I would follow in life.
As I continued to pray about how I could centralize my life around Christ and serve others to the best of my ability, I
randomly stumbled across the idea of the priesthood which perfectly combined these two goals. It intrigued me from the get-go and as I continued to pray about it, I felt that the Lord may be calling me to serve him as a priest.
I knew that I would need to enter seminary to discern if this was truly what the Lord is calling me to. I entered Saint
Paul Seminary straight out of high school and I can honestly say that it was the best decision that I have made thus far in my life. I have felt a consistent peace of heart while in the seminary that has allowed me to feel confident that the Lord may indeed be calling me to the priesthood.
PROFILE Name: Patrick Caruso Age: 20 years old Hometown: Mount Lebanon Seminary Year: III College
Home Parish: Saint Winifred
What is Drawing you to the Priesthood: The ability to completely devote every part of my being to serving the people of God.
Interests: Playing Piano, Playing Drums, Frisbee, Mission Work, Cooking, Traveling, Tennis, Hiking
Favorite Movies: Waking Ned Devine, Bella, Oceans Eleven, The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, The Bourne Identity, The Italian Job
Favorite Books: Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology Of The Body ~ Pope John Paul II, The Unchanging Heart of the Priesthood ~ Father Tom Acklin, The Lambs Supper ~ Dr. Scott Hahn, When God Asks For An Undivided Heart ~ Father Andrew Apostoli, The Spirit of the Liturgy ~ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict), Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska ~ Saint Faustina, True Devotion to Jesus through Mary ~ St. Louis de Montefort, Happy Are You Poor ~ Father Dubay
Favorite Music or Song: Matt Maher, Coldplay, David Crowder Band, Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, Mat Kearney, Leeland, Aaron Shust, Danielle Rose, Kelly Pease, Brandon Heath, Audrey Assad, Chris Sligh, Bluetree, Hillsong United
Heroes: St.Louis de Montefort Pope John Paul II Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
I first thought that I might have a vocation to the priesthood starting in high school. I had always been active in my parish as
an altar server and had an attraction to the priesthood. However, as might be expected, our society is not very supporting
of a priestly vocation and I felt embarrassed, unworthy, and too scared to really search deeply into what this calling from God might be. I truly thought that perhaps I misheard God and that I could not be a priest; instead I would have a successful
career and family. I went off to college and intended to pursue a career in education as a teacher, and I believed that by working with young people I would find fulfillment and serve God. However, I found that this was not the case.
The more that I pursued my career in education, the more I felt that something was missing in my life. I kept feeling again
and again God's call to the priesthood, but I still did not have the courage or the ability to say yes and to accept what God
was asking me to do. I was still too focused on what I wanted and did not pray and trust enough to discover what God
wanted from me. However, once I graduated from college and started working, I found faith playing the most important role
in my life. I found myself going to mass and adoration more, praying more about important decisions, and really taking time to discover what God wanted from my life. Finally, I could not shake the idea of priesthood any longer and ultimately decided
to enter the seminary and truly discover if indeed God was calling me to be a priest.
PROFILE Name: Michael Ackerman Age: 25 years old Hometown: Aspinwall, in the Allegheny Valley Seminary Year: II Pre-Theology
Home Parish: Saint Edward
What is Drawing you to the Priesthood: The ability to serve others, and truly be Christ for them in their time of need.
Interests: Penguins Hockey and Steelers football, golfing, bowling
Favorite Saints: St. Francis, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John Vianney, St. John Newmann
Favorite Movies: Ghostbusters, The Ten Commandments, the Rocketeer, Christmas Vacation.
Favorite Books: The Bible for sure, but behind that probably Crime and Punishment or anything by Doestoevsky.
Favorite Quotes: "Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary use words." - St. Francis, "Do small things with great love" - St. Therese Lisieux.
Favorite Music: Classic Rock, Oldies, Dave Matthews, Neil Diamond.
the parents' perspective
NAME:
Chris & Janice Caruso
How big is your family?
Patrick (20) Seminarian entering his third year at Duquesne University and living at St. Paul Seminary
Michael (17) Mt. Lebanon High School senior with hopes of attending music school after graduation with a focus on percussion.
What was it like raising your family in the Church?
We have always stressed with our children the importance of our faith in everything that we do. When we would sit down for dinner as a family, we would often discuss how we should all practice our faith on a daily basis; whether it is at home, school, work or play. We have also tried to ensure that our children have understood that the practice of our faith comes before all of the other sports and music activities that they have been involved in over the years.
Our children learned about their faith at home and through their active involvement at church, CCD, summer bible school and youth group. The four of us have always attended church as a family and our faith has always been our number one priority.
During Easter and Christmas, we did our best to help our children understand the true religious meaning of the holiday; not just that it was a day to receive candy and gifts. Some examples of this would be during Lent; we would light the Lenten candles prior to saying prayers for our Sunday meals and would attend the services during Holy Week. During the season of Advent, our boys would anxiously open the next door on their Advent calendar and celebrate with anticipation the joys of the Christmas season. We also read them Christian stories which reinforced the true meaning of the holiday.
What was your reaction when your son told you that he was considering entering the seminary? How did your family and friends react to this news?
We reacted to Patrick's decision differently. Janice was thrilled by Patrick's decision because she always felt that Patrick would make a good priest. Chris, being analytical, wanted to understand what it meant to discern the priesthood before he shared in Janice's enthusiasm. Once Chris understood Patrick's decision and the overall discernment process he gained an appreciation for the commitment that Patrick was undertaking.
As expected, we had different reactions from family and friends ranging from very strong support to those who were skeptical of Patrick making such a significant decision at a very young age. We quickly learned that those who were strong in their faith would often be the most understanding and supportive of his decision. We also came to understand that some people would never understand the calling that a young man would have to the priesthood.
What proved helpful to YOU during your son's discernment process? What were your fears, concerns or surprises along the way?
Reverend Thomas Burke, who headed the High School Program for discerning the priesthood, and Reverend Kevin Dominik, Pastor of St. Winifred Parish were both a huge help in providing us with an understanding of the process that our son would be going through. Our son was a junior in high school when he made the decision to discern the priesthood and, at the time, we did not know much about what that meant. Reverend Burke and Reverend Dominik answered all of our questions and helped to address any apprehensions that we had.
After Patrick entered the seminary, it was helpful for us to become engaged in various seminarian activities including special masses, family events and the ordinations of new priests. Attending these activities has helped us to meet and get to know, the people who have become a big part of Patrick's life and ours.
What is it like now having a son studying to be a priest?
We are thrilled about Patrick studying to be a priest, but we understand that it is a long journey to discern his vocation. We have grown to know and appreciate the many other seminarians, faculty and priests who live and work with our son on a daily basis. We realize that these people will be lifelong friends and a part of our extended family.
What role do you play as a parent in your son's current discernment?
As parents, we have always tried to support and encourage our children in the pursuit of their interests. We strongly encourage and support Patricks decision to discern the priesthood. We are actively involved in Patrick's discernment by talking to him often and asking him questions about what he is learning and experiencing. We also actively participate in as many seminarian functions as possible.
How do you think parents should encourage vocations to the priesthood within the
home?
A parent who believes their son has the qualities and characteristics that would make a good priest should convey this to their son,
when the moment is right. Tell your son why you feel he would make a good priest. When other right moments come up, let your
son know again your thoughts and feelings. If the seed is going to grow it will but it has to be planted before it can grow.
Throughout the journey of discernment, it is important for parents to reinforce their support for their son's decision.
To a parent who has a son who is considering the call, what would you tell them?
We would recommend that the parent encourage their son to explore the calling by asking any, and every, question on their mind.
In addition, we would recommend that he visits the seminary as much as possible to experience the environment and to talk to
the seminarians and faculty to learn as much as possible. The seminarians and faculty are loving, kind, caring, spiritual and let us
not forget FUN to be around!
Anything else you'd like to share?
Patrick's discernment has helped bring us closer to our faith. By gaining an understanding of the calling that Patrick has, we have learned more about our faith, its history and the men and women who have dedicated their lives to spreading the word of God. Our appreciation for those who have chosen this path has grown as a result of our son's deep passion for the priesthood.
We have been extremely impressed by the caliber of the seminarians and faculty at St. Pauls Seminary and all the wonderful priests serving in our parishes.
“Our Lord Jesus in all of His Greatness and Infinite Goodness has entrusted this to me?”
How amazing is Our God to entrust to a Woman, the Son of God, and how Incredible is this God to entrust this Same Son into the Hearts and Hands of His Priests…
Once while working at a hardware store a woman bravely told me that she thought that I would be a great priest; I handed her the can of paint that I was mixing and said “thanks, have a nice day…” The voice of Jesus Christ often surprises the human heart. Now I am a priest of Jesus Christ forever, what a Sweet Surprise.
Brothers, go to Confession, live a moral life, avoid serious sin, be on your knees before Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament everyday and you will have peace, you will be in His will, and He will make you more than you could ever be by yourself!
PROFILE Name: Fr. Kim J. Schreck Age: 30 Hometown: Bethel Park, PA Ordained: June 30, 2007
Parish: St. Paul Cathedral- Parochial Vicar
What do you love about being a priest?: Beholding and Revealing the Heart of Jesus! I love ministering the sacraments: celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, hearing Confessions and proclaiming the Word of God. I love working with people and helping them find Christ Loving Them!
Interests: Ultimate Frisbee, Lawn Chair Ministry, Smoking a Pipe, Trying to Golf
Favorite Movies: Padre Pio: Miracle Man, Gattaca
Favorite Books: C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, Michael O’Brien’s books, The Scarlet Letter, Butler’s Lives of the Saints,
Heroes: My parents, my brother and two sisters, my Bishop, Pope John Paul II, St. Max, the Gypsies and Poor
Favorite Quote: "“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work…Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.”" Mother Teresa
“"Being a Priest is SERIOUS BUSINESS…”"
Hi! I am Bishop David Zubik, the Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. I was born
in 1949 in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, a small community 18 miles northwest of the
City of Pittsburgh. Way back when I was a child, I was a member of Saint Stanislaus Parish. At that time there were 7 Catholic parishes in Ambridge as well
as 7 steel mills. With the great shift in population and the downturn in steel production in my hometown, there is only one Roman Catholic parish in Ambridge
now - Good Samaritan.
I was ordained a priest on May 3, 1976; ordained a bishop on April 6, 1997;
installed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay in Wisconsin on December 12, 2003; and I returned to Pittsburgh and was installed as the Bishop here on September 27, 2007.
Actually, the road that God designed for me to take to the priesthood was not so conventional. The later part of my grade school days as well as my earlier years
in high school, I was very much looking forward to becoming an attorney, of being married and of being a father. At the end of our freshman year in high school, my best friend invited me to join him on a retreat. I did. It was one of the worst experiences of my life! I was certainly convinced at that time that God really
wanted me not to be a priest but to be an attorney.
Then something happened. In the middle of my junior year in high school, as a matter of fact in November of 1965, my same best friend tapped me on the
shoulder during 7th period study hall. The question he asked was familiar:
"Would you like to go on a retreat with me again?" My answer: "Absolutely not!
The last time you asked me to do that it turned out to be a disaster." My friend,
like the hound of heaven, wouldn't take no for an answer. He begged that I go
with him on the retreat as a personal favor to him. He wanted my support and
my company on the retreat. As a good buddy, I said yes. And that made all the difference in my life.
It was during that retreat that I began to sense that maybe God didn't want me to
be an attorney - that maybe God wanted me to be a priest. And over the course
of the next 10 years it became more and more obvious that that was what God wanted me to do - to be a priest!
What drew me to the priesthood was clearly God Himself. God used many people
to make that call clear. He used my best friend; He used my parents; He used
my maternal grandmother, who taught me a great deal about faith and trust and prayer; He drew me through my teachers; and He drew me through those precious moments of prayer that are still so very important to me after all these years.
What do I love about being a priest and now about being a bishop? Quite honestly
it is the thrill of drawing people closer to God. Whenever I celebrate the Mass; whenever I preach; whenever I hear confessions; whenever I am with people I try
to invite them to take a close look at God and His call in their lives. And that is
what I hope for all of you who are visiting this diocesan vocations website.
Is God calling one of you to be a priest? Think about it seriously! I once thought
the answer for me was no! But God knew otherwise. He finally got through.
And I am honored and delighted and excited about what it means to be a priest
and now bishop.
Won't you give that call a chance?
Oh by the way, just in case you are interested about some other trivia in my life, since I was 4 years old, I have taken a particular interest in learning about cars. While I have one car, I do get 5 car magazines every month, I can pretty much identify on the spot the makes and years of cars on the road. I also like to have
dinner with good friends (even though I dont have a whole lot of time to do that too often now that I'm a Bishop).
I like to see a good movie, especially a human interest story or a comedy that
causes lots of laughter. My favorite movies are: The Shoes of the Fisherman;
My Big Fat Greek Wedding; The Devil Wears Prada. My favorite book in all
honesty is the Bible. I like most music except for hard rock, country western and opera.
My heroes in life are: my maternal grandmother whom I lovingly called Porchy; Pope John Paul II, who taught me by example how much good can happen when
a person shows others how much they love God; and Father Edward Farina, the priest who supported me so much on becoming a priest and was such a model to me.
Thanks for giving me this chance to connect with you on this website and for letting me let you get to know me better.
BISHOP DAVID ZUBIK
All Our Seminarians
Click on picture for larger picture, home parish, and year of formation
Saint Scholastica Parish, II Pre-Theology
Saints Peter and Paul Parish, III College
Saint Paul Parish, IV College
Saint Winifred, III College
Saint Ferdinand, IV College
Saint Norbert, II Pre-Theology
Saint John Parish, I Pre-Theology
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, I College
Holy Rosary, I Pre-Theology
Saint Louise de Marrilac, II Pre-Theology
Saint Joseph, II Pre-Theology
Saints John and Paul, I Pre-Theology
Sacred Heart, I Pre-Theology
Holy Redeemer, III College
Saint Mary of the Assumption, III College
Saints John and Paul, II College
Saint Fidelis of Sigmarinen, I College
Saint Hugh, III College
Holy Angels, I Pre-Theology
Saint Germaine, I Theology
Incarnation, IV Theology
Saint Rose of Lima, I Theology
Saint Basil, III Theology
Saint Kilian, II Theology
Saint Bede, III Theology
Holy Innocents, I Theology
Saint Sylvester, II Theology
Saint Bernadette, I Theology
Saint Paul Cathedral, IV Theology
Saint Louise de Marillac, II Theology
Saint Paul Cathedral, III Theology
As I approached the age of thirty, I began to take a renewed interest in my own faith journey, and in Church teaching.
At the time I was vice president of marketing and sales for my family's business, Diamond Wire Spring Co., and was quite
happy and prepared to take over for my dad as president within the next few years. I was also dating a woman rather
seriously and discussing the possibilities of marriage. I began to become more involved in parish and young adult
ministries in the diocese: coaching basketball, teaching CCD, and attending young adult "faith-sharing" events. It
was during this time that I met a few newly ordained priests with whom I shared similar interests: Fr. Matt McClain
who played football in college and enjoys sports (I played basketball in college); Fr. Bob Vular who had worked in the
business world in sales and marketing before entering the seminary. And I met a few "veteran" priests such as
Fr. Charlie Bober, who happily shared their experiences of priesthood. All of these men seemed quite satisfied
with their decision to enter the seminary and follow what they thought and believed that God was calling them to do:
serve Him and His people as a Catholic priest.
Then I too began to feel the "tugging at my heart" that the Holy Spirit may be calling me to at least investigate the
possibility of entering the seminary to genuinely discern a priestly vocation. After battling this fire in my heart for a
few years, I finally contacted the rector at St. Paul Seminary so that I could get a taste of what seminary life would be
like. Meeting the seminarians who were there at the time and who offered their own advice greatly helped with my
decision to enter the seminary in the Fall of 2006. I have found that only in the seminary can a man seriously and
legitimately discern his vocation. Regardless of whether or not I am ordained, God-willing, the seminary experience
\has allowed me to become a better man and a better Catholic.
PROFILE Name: Kevin Fazio Age: 38 years old Hometown: Gibsonia (Hampton Township) Seminary Year: II Theology
Home Parish: Saint Kilian
What is Drawing you to the Priesthood: The Eucharist and the people
Interests: Basketball, golf, tennis, biking, swimming, aviation, the outdoors
Favorite Movies: Hoosiers, Star Wars
Favorite Books: The Razor's Edge, My Life With the Saints
Favorite Quote: "To be a saint means to be yourself."
Heroes: My Parents
