On May 31, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will ordain six men of the Diocese of Trenton to the priesthood during a 10 a.m. Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

The ordination will be live streamed beginning at 10 a.m. on May 31 via the homepage of www.dioceseoftrenton.org and www.trentonmonitor.com

The men, who have been serving as transitional deacons, are Rev. Messrs. John K. Butler; Carlo James Calisin; Jerome J. Guld; Jean Ronald Felicien; Mark Ronald Directo Nillo, and Rafael Enrique Esquen Odar.

John K. Butler heeds a higher call

At first glance, one might stipulate the mid-stream career change by Rev. John K. Butler is an about-face. The 54-year-old corporate attorney will be ordained a priest by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, May 31. But, one can accurately take another course of argument under advisement: the future priest is merely redirecting his focus from the laws of man to the Law of God.

Rev. Mr. Butler, son of Claire Garvey Butler and the late John K. Butler, was born March 10, 1959, in Orange. He attended the public Lincoln Elementary School, Newark, before beginning his Catholic school education in Our Lady of the Valley School, Orange. Completing his high school years in Seton Hall Preparatory School, Rev. Mr. Butler earned a bachelor’s degree in U.S. history from Columbia University, New York, in 1981.

Law school was the next step. Rev. Mr. Butler earned his juris doctorate from Fordham University School of Law, Manhattan, in 1985, then embarked upon a quarter century as a corporate attorney, eventually earning partnership in a law firm. He admits he had been pondering the priesthood since childhood, but the self-described “north Jersey native” switched gears to set down personal and professional roots in Princeton.

The new Princeton resident became a member of that town’s St. Paul Parish and volunteered as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. “One year in, I became involved with the Knights of Columbus in my adopted home parish,” he recalled, eventually achieving the rank of Grand Knight in the fraternal service organization.

The call to the priesthood became louder than the sound of his law office’s client calls, however. One day in 2009 while at work in his law firm, Rev. Mr. Butler answered that clerical summons. “When I started getting serious about this, I placed a call to Msgr. Walter Nolan [then-diocesan director of Priest Personnel] on a Monday. He called me back within seconds,” Rev. Mr. Butler laughed. 

The seemingly sudden transformation was positively received by his mother, who will turn 84 in June, and his seven younger siblings. “My mom said instantly, ‘You have my approval and you have my blessing,’” Rev. Mr. Butler recalled. “I told my brothers and sisters one at a time and they were all supportive.”

Rev. Mr. Butler entered Immaculate Conception Seminary on the campus of Seton Hall University, South Orange, in 2009, and pursued a master of divinity degree and a master’s degree in Church history, both of which he was awarded this month.

Rev. Mr. Butler’s summer assignments included Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown; St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel; and St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake. His hobbies include running, swimming, reading and travel to out-of-town baseball stadiums.

As a deacon, the Rev. Mr. Butler “enjoyed far and away” celebrating the introduction of new Catholics to the faith in St. Catharine Parish. “I got lucky working with Msgr. [Thomas A.] Luebking,” he recalled. “When I arrived I almost immediately got involved with Baptisms. It’s a joyful experience to baptize a brand new baby and see smiling parents, smiling godparents, smiling grandparents.”

Rev. Mr. Butler had chosen Msgr. Luebking to be his vesting priest, but the pastor’s illness will not enable him to attend the ordination; longtime St. Catharine weekend assistant Augustinian Father Dennis J. Gallagher will perform the duty instead. The future priest is looking forward to his first assignment as parochial vicar in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, and in the Diocesan Chancery office of clergy.

In a final nod to his soon-to-be-former profession of a man of the law, Rev. Mr. Butler noted that his legal firm’s partners and staff also plan to be present as one of their own join the ranks of Men of the Highest Law.

Rev. Mr. Carlo James Calisin fulfills lifelong dream to be priest

For Rev. Mr. Carlo James Calisin, being a priest is about serving as a model of faith to a congregation, and leading from among the people.

“A priest has a responsibility to take care of the people, to safeguard their faith and reach their faith,” he said. “As a priest, you should be a model for that. You should be the leader for them. You are not above them; you are just there for them to guide them.”

On May 31, Rev. Mr. Calisin will join the brotherhood of the clergy in the Diocese of Trenton and, after years of preparation, have the opportunity to be that very kind of leader for his own future parishioners.

Rev. Mr. Calisin will be ordained by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., May 31 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, and will be vested by Msgr. Gregory D. Vaughan, director of the diocesan ministry of vocations and pastor of St. Catharine Parish, Holmdel.

In the days leading up to his ordination, Rev. Mr. Calisin was captivated with excitement and anticipation.

“I feel great,” he shared. “It is God’s blessing to me – at a young age, I will be ordained as a priest.”

Rev. Mr. Calisin is the son of Jesus and Cecilia Calisin and brother of Carla, Jamela, Zen Ken II, and Khiara Victoria. He was born May 14, 1986, in Tabaco City, Philippines, and attended Holy Family School and St. Gregory the Great Minor Seminary there.

Rev. Mr. Calisin entered the seminary at age 12, and has spent much of his life pursuing the priesthood. The decision to pursue a vocation in the Church, he says, was greatly supported by his devout parents.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City, Philippines, and decided to move to the United States in 2009.

“I looked for a multi-cultural place,” he said in a prior interview. “In the Philippines, all you see are people from the Philippines.”

After a short time working in an American call center, he entered St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, where he has since earned a master of divinity degree and a bachelor of sacred theology degree, conferred on May 15.

As he was growing up, however, becoming a priest was not at the forefront of his future plans, he said.

The young man had a passion for basketball, and wanted to become a professional player in his high school days. He also developed a strong interest in journalism, and in particular, photojournalism, during his early studies – even winning a photojournalism award during a competition among high schools in the Philippines.

But he later realized that his calling was of a different sort.

And while he still plays basketball to unwind and indulge in his love for the sport, his motivation drawn from his earlier interests has since become centered on discerning his priestly vocation.

For Rev. Mr. Calisin, being a seminarian brought about a great sense of support and love, both critical elements in supporting men preparing for a life dedicated to the Church.

“It is nice to have a nice group of people, especially in the parishes, support you as a seminarian,” he said.

In his tenure as a seminarian, Rev. Mr. Calisin served in Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle; St. William the Abbott Parish, Howell; and Epiphany Parish, Brick. He served his transitional diaconate year assignment in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold.

Upon his ordination, Rev. Mr. Calisin will serve in St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Highlands.

At just 28 years old, he believes he will have a strong ability to connect with younger Catholics.

“I want to work with the youth,” he said, pointing out his own young age. “At my age, I think I can relate to the youths of today.”

He sees the role of a priest as a threefold mission – priest, prophet and shepherd.

A priest should, he believes, “pastor the souls and take care of the people, especially with their spiritual needs.”

Rev. Mr. Jerome J. Guld anticipates life of service

Though some young men might view ordination to the priesthood at age 49 as a delayed vocation, Jerome J. Guld is not one of them. Rev. Mr. Guld, one of the six transitional deacons due to be ordained by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral May 31, believes ordination in mid-life is the perfect culmination to a number of important vocations he has fostered throughout his life of service.

Rev. Mr. Guld, son of the late Jerome and Wanda Guld and brother of John, was born Dec. 16, 1964 in Philadelphia. The family soon relocated to New Jersey where he attended St. Joseph School (now St. Mary of the Lakes), Medford, and Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken.

Rev. Mr. Guld earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Christendom College, Front Royal, Va., and completed his college career at Drexel University, Philadelphia, where he graduated summa cum laude, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and was a member of the Pi Lambda National Honor Society.

After graduation, Rev. Mr. Guld worked at ADP as a computer programmer but left the company to fulfill another vocation: to care for his parents. “Religious life has co-opted the word ‘vocation’,” he declared. “Any Christian calling is a vocation. Both [my parents] were sick for a long time before their deaths; I’m glad I was there.”

Rev. Mr. Guld called his next five years working as a consultant “fun yet unfulfilling.” Another vocation soon arose: in 2008 he decided to serve the Lord as a priest.

“It happened at Mass one day,” he remembered. “I heard the Scriptures, ‘Feed my sheep’ and ‘O Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.’ I had heard those lines a million times, but this time it was really different.”

“No one person influenced me, Rev. Mr. Guld continued. He entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., in 2008, from which he earned a master of divinity degree and a master’s degree in pastoral theology this month.

Rev. Mr. Guld’s summer assignments included Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport (2011); St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor (2012); and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown (2013). His hobbies include running, bicycling, riding motorcycles, watching movies and reading science fiction.

During his diaconate assignments, Rev. Mr. Guld most enjoyed the opportunity to “introduce people to the reconciliation of Christ and forgiveness of one another. It carried me through [the seminary],” he stated. His advice to a man considering the priesthood is to be more active than passive.

“Stop worrying about ‘being called;’ it is discerning,” Rev. Mr. Guld advised firmly. “Stop thinking about it, start praying. Make sure you are hearing the authentic voice of Jesus Christ, and let God take the initiative.”

“The Cross is Christ forgiving us, his redemption poured out,” he concluded. “We must forgive one another, we must take it seriously.”

Rev. Mr. Guld’s vesting priest at ordination will be Father Mick Lambeth, pastor of St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor, and former diocesan director of vocations.

Following his ordination, the new priest will serve as parochial vicar in St. Dominic Parish, Brick.

Rev. Mr. Jean Renald Felicien feels at home in priesthood

When Rev. Mr. Jean Renald Felicien is ordained a priest May 31 by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in St. Mary the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, he will be joined by his family and friends from both his native country, Haiti, and his current home, the United States.  While his mother, Bertha, who passed away six years ago, will not be there physically, Rev. Mr. Felicien knows she will be there in spirit.

“I know I will miss her at that moment, on that day when I become a priest,” he reflected. “I miss her every day.  But I know she will be there looking down [upon] me.  Her spirit will be there.”

It is no doubt his mother played an important role in his faith development as he and his brother, Jacques, and sister, Jacqueline, grew up in a family and home dedicated to practicing their Catholic faith. He attended Mass regularly with his parents, Bertha and Wilson, and his siblings and was struck with the way his local parish priests cared for the members of the parish community.

As Felicien mentioned in the past, “That was something I wanted to emulate. From that time on, being a priest was an idea that came often in my heart.”

With that impression etched into his mind and heart, he received a Catholic education in his hometown of Gonaives, Haiti, a city in northern Haiti.  He began his formal preparation for the priesthood when he began his studies in The Grand Seminaire Notre Dame d’Haiti where he earned a degree in philosophy, followed by a year of theology studies in the Central Institute for Religious Formation.

His family immigrated to the United States in 2008 and settled in Georgia.  It was during a visit to a friend in New Jersey that Rev. Mr. Felicien was introduced to the Diocese of Trenton that set him on the course to his ordination.

Rev. Mr. Felicien enrolled in St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, where he received his master of divinity degree and a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology.

As a seminarian, he served the parish families of Corpus Christi, Willingboro, and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport.  He was ordained a transitional deacon last May and is currently assigned to Christ the King Parish, Long Branch.

Upon his ordination by Bishop O’Connell, he will become a parochial vicar in Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, a parish with a large Haitian population. He noted that the parish recently welcomed Cardinal Chibly Langlois, Haiti’s first cardinal, who celebrated Mass in the St. Anthony worship site.

Rev. Mr. Felicien’s ordination to the priesthood is the realization of the dream that began many years ago.  His vesting priest is Redemptorist Father Nickson Predelus, a priest from St. Gerard Parish, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

“I am so grateful to the Diocese of Trenton,” he shared, while acknowledging the sanctity and holiness of this momentous milestone in his life.

“I feel very prepared. It has been very many years, discerning my vocation, and I am very excited and very prepared for that moment when I am ordained a priest for the Diocese of Trenton,” he said.

Rev. Mr. Mark Ronald Directo Nillo from extended family of priests

For Rev. Mr. Mark Ronald Directo Nillo, his invitation to join the Diocese of Trenton community came in the form of a suggestion from a close friend.

“I was invited by one of my classmates, who is getting ordained with me, to try to apply for the Diocese of Trenton – and I passed,” he said in a recent interview.

And on May 31, Rev. Mr. Nillo will join that very same classmate and friend – Rev. Mr. Carlo Calisin – as the two men, both natives of the Philippines, are ordained to the priesthood by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. His vesting priest will be Father Oscar Sumanga, diocesan judicial vicar.

Rev. Mr. Nillo is the son of Jaime Carnat and Marilyn Directo-Nillo and brother of Michael and Maru. He was born Jan. 15, 1984, in Pasay City, Manila, Philippines, and attended Manresa Elementary and High Schools in Parañaque City, Manila.

Following in the footsteps of devout parents and two blood relatives who serve as priests in the Philippines, he entered Christ the King Seminary – also known as Divine Word Mission Seminary – in Quezon City, Philippines, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and magna cum laude designation in philosophy.

Following his studies there, he taught philosophy to students in the seminary for two years as he took time to further discern his vocation.

“I chose to teach philosophy at the college seminary I learned from,” he said, adding that he enjoyed the chance to teach young men who were in the same shoes he was in during his studies there.

It was then that he was approached by Rev. Mr. Calisin with the opportunity to apply to the Diocese of Trenton to complete his seminarian studies and priestly formation.

“I was hesitant at first, because I had just gotten out of seminary and I wanted to experience a life outside,” he said. Considering his options, he spoke to a close friend, also the rector of his home seminary, who offered to write a recommendation on his behalf.

“I took that as God’s way of letting me know that he really wants me to be a priest,” he said.

After coming to the United States, Rev. Mr. Nillo entered St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, where he has since earned master of divinity and bachelor of sacred theology degrees.

Rev. Mr. Nillo began considering the priesthood when he was just seven years old, with the influence of his family members who have pursued their own vocations weighing heavily in his mind. His years in the seminary, he said, contributed even further to his growth.

“Seminarian formation allows you to grow in many different aspects,” he said. “It helps you grow as a person. It helps you acknowledge your talents, and also your weaknesses – (so) you can improve yourself, make yourself better as a person and as a Christian.”

He said that while many have the impression that life as a seminarian is reclusive, the reality of the experience is that it is a time of spiritual, academic, personal and social growth that truly prepares men for lives of ministry in the outside world.

In his time in the Diocese of Trenton, Rev. Mr. Nillo has served seminarian assignments in Sacred Heart Church, Trenton, and St. William the Abbot Parish, Howell; and his transitional diaconate year in St. Rose Parish, Belmar. Upon his ordination, he will be assigned as parochial vicar to St. James Parish, Red Bank.

His hobbies include photography, traveling and playing the piano.

In the days leading up to his ordination, Rev. Mr. Nillo reflected on some of the things he is most looking forward to as a priest. Topping the list, he said, is the ability to celebrate the sacraments with his parishioners and fellow Catholics – notably, in celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

He is also looking forward to celebrating his first Mass, especially after having the privilege of assisting during Masses as a seminarian and transitional deacon.

When speaking about the role of a priest in the lives of Catholics, Rev. Mr. Nillo described a faith journey that is taken by both clergy and parishioners together – a journey towards encountering the Lord.

“Sometimes, you bring Jesus closer to them,” he said, “and sometimes, they themselves bring me – the minister, the priest – closer to Jesus.”

Rev. Mr. Rafael Enrique Esquen Odar completes 14-year journey

“My whole life – this is what I have always wanted,” Rev. Mr. Rafael Enrique Esquen Odar said as he reflected upon the momentous occasion of his ordination to the priesthood by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., May 31.

“This has been a 14-year vocation journey, my 14-year dream,” he continued, recollecting his years in the seminaries that brought him from Piura, Peru to receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders during a 10 a.m. Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

The son of Maximo and Carmen, Rev. Mr. Esquen was born in Piura, a city in northwestern Peru, in 1982.  He attended elementary and high school in Piura with his two brothers, Roger and Percy, and his sister, Sonia.

He received a degree in philosophy from the Seminario Mayor San Carlos y San Marcelo, Trujillo, Peru, in 2003, and a degree in theology from the Universidad San Alfonso, Bogotà, Colombia, in 2006.  He continued his studies at the Seminario Mayor San Jose, Buenos Aires, Argentina, until he left his native homeland and South America in 2008 for the United States.

“I left Peru to continue my studies,” he explained, acknowledging that his family, including his parents and siblings, still reside in his former hometown in Peru.

He attended St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, upon his arrival to the United States where he studied theology. From St. Mary Seminary he completed his formal studies in Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University, South Orange, from where he was awarded a master of divinity degree and a master’s degree in systematics.

Following his ordination to the transitional diaconate by Bishop O’Connell last May 18, Rev. Mr. Esquen served in St. Catherine Parish, Middletown. While a seminarian he also was assigned to Christ the King Parish, Long Branch, and Sacred Heart Parish, Trenton.  Upon his ordination, he has been named parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Red Bank.

“I am so happy,” he said joyfully. His parents and brothers and sister have already arrived from Peru and as Rev. Mr. Esquen offered, “they are anxiously awaiting the big event.”

Also joining Rev. Mr. Esquen, his family and friends, is his vesting priest, Father Juan Anzora.  Father Anzora, born in El Salvador and ordained in 2008, currently serves as a priest in the Diocese of Atlanta.

When Bishop O’Connell ordains Rev. Mr. Esquen a priest, it will culminate a journey of fervent faith and spiritual growth and bring to fruition “a life I always wanted,” he admitted.

But Rev. Mr. Esquen is also very much aware of the challenges that will present themselves as he begins his new journey in the priesthood.

“I know there will be challenges, challenges that need to be overcome, but I also have faith in God and always put my faith and trust in God,” he said.

And while the trials and tribulations will undoubtedly present themselves, there is no doubt that the newly ordained servant of the Lord, Father Esquen, will find grace and joy in the hardships and continue to place his hope and trust in God.

“I am so thankful to God for everything, but most especially I am thankful to God for my vocation – I am thankful for His call.”