By Christina Leslie| Correspondent
Eight young men of the Diocese had the recent opportunity to travel from Medford to Baltimore for a guided visit through two of the city’s famed cathedrals in an effort to explore their possible call to religious life.
“I am currently discerning a vocation to the priesthood, so it was very nice to spend time with several other young men who are open to the same vocation,” said Kyle Holler, a junior in Holy Cross Preparatory Academy, Delran.
The trip was the third in a series of excursions led by Father Daniel Swift, who serves as an assistant director of vocations for the Diocese. Previous trips included to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., and New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Baltimore – the home of the first Roman Catholic diocese in the United States, established in 1789 – seemed a natural next destination, Father Swift said.
Father Swift, pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, was accompanied by Father Roy Ballacillo, parish parochial vicar. The boys ranged in age from grades eight through 12.
“These vocations outings provide the opportunity for the young men who were called, or at least had expressed a desire to learn about vocations,” Father Swift said.
The trip to Baltimore was a mix of old and new. The first stop was the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in northern Baltimore, now the archdiocese’s co-cathedral, which was completed in 1959 at the bequest of local Irish merchant, Thomas J. O’Neill. A sacristan unlocked the house of worship and led a detailed tour of the double-spired, English-Gothic style house of worship for the boys and priests.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was next on the itinerary. The first Roman Catholic Cathedral built in America under the guidance of the first American bishop, John Carroll, the basilica was blessed and opened in May 1821 and named to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
Father Swift described the boys’ fascination with the tour, noting, “They were amazed that relatives of Bishop Carroll had signed the Declaration of Independence.”
A dinner at Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor served as a last destination before the group’s return to Medford.
“Spending time in Baltimore, at both the first cathedral in the United States, now a basilica, and the newer cathedral and receiving private tours was a great honor,” Holler said. “Thanks to Father Dan and Father Roy, I was able to not only learn more about the history of the Catholic Church in America, but also deepen my faith. Vocation trips like these help me to better feel God’s calling for me.”
Any young man interested in attending future outings like this or considering a possible vocation to the priesthood can contact Father Swift at father_dan@smlparish.org or 609-654-8208, ext. 115.