Witnessing the Journey
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Mary Stadnyk | News Editor and Lois Rogers | Features Editor
Coming from near and far to witness the ordination of the diocese’s six new priests were a host of family members, friends and folks whom the men had come to know during their seminary formation as well as their parish assignments as seminarians and as transitional deacons.
Topping the list of priest visitors who concelebrated in the Mass were representatives from each of the seminaries: Father Robert Coleman, rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University, South Orange; Father Edward Griswold, dean of students and director of pastoral formation at St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, and Father Joseph Bongard, vice rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa.
Besides his 90-year-old mother, Josephine Testa, the contingent who came in support of Father Testa included friends he had made as a student at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science where he pursued a degree in marketing: Joe Panikowski, Mike Levandowski and John Demchuk.
Though it’s been 25 years since their 1986 college graduation, Panikowski recalled that even in college, when other students were out partying, Father Testa remained in his dorm room reading the Bible.
“Faith was always foremost in life,” Panikowski said of Father Testa.
Levandowski and Demchuck declared that they would not have missed their friend’s priestly ordination day – for anything.
“He’s a friend and I had to be here for him,” said Levandowski.
“It’ was such a long journey of faith for him and you have to commend him for that,” added Demchuk.
“John’s not a 28-year-old man; he’s 46 and he worked hard and he achieved his goal,” Demchuck continued. “With all the negative stories out there, this is such a positive thing. I wanted to come here and support his very positive efforts.”
Demchuck added that parishioners will “find in John a caring person with a great sense of humor.”
Todd Carter’s father, Harry Robert Carter – tall and lanky like his son and beaming with joy and gratitude – reflected on his son’s journey and the wonder of being able to describe him as a “man of God,” saying it was all but impossible to put the feeling into words. Seeing him become a part of something “so big and great” as a priest was very meaningful, he said.
The elder Carter reminisced about Todd’s growing up in a devout Protestant home, and how he arrived at his decision to become Catholic while he was a student at The College of New Jersey, Ewing. Even though father and son are of two different faith traditions, Harry Robert Carter remarked on how “great” it has been to engage in “philosophical discussions with Todd and know that he has the knowledge to defeat my arguments.”
“The thing for us as Protestants is to see the joy he’s experiencing in his faith,” said Carter. “Watching Todd as he made this journey, I have come to understand that this is not just a job choice.”
Also on hand to support Father Carter was a contingent from St. Catherine Parish, Middleton, which is not only Father Carter’s home parish, it is also where he served a seminarian assignment in the summer of 2007.
As they headed to their family’s car, Father Picollo’s parents, Dolores and Robert Picollo, and brother, Brian, stopped in the parking lot to chat about the extraordinary event they had just witnessed.
“I’m just so proud of all of them,” said a smiling Dolores Picollo, who then added that she still finds it quite amazing at times that Christopher had pursued a vocation to the priesthood, especially given the fact that he had worked for seven years following his graduation from La Salle University, Philadelphia, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting.
“But the calling had to be there,” said Dolores Picollo, and “it was a good calling.”
Parishioners and staff at St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson, are thrilled that Father Fernando A. Lopez, who served a summer seminarian assignment there in 2009, will be returning to the parish as parochial vicar.
“We’re very excited,” said Jen Schlameuss-Perry, pastoral associate.
“He’s a friendly, good-natured guy, and he’s an excellent cook too,” Schlameuss-Perry said, then with a laugh shared that when he was at St. Aloyisus as a seminarian, he served up his specialty of chicken and rice for the parish staff.
He’s excited about being a priest and getting knee-deep in ministry,” Schlameuss-Perry said. He’s going to make an excellent priest.”
Among those who came to the cathedral for Father Florez’s ordination and then for his first Mass in the following day in St. Joachim Church, a worship site of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, were Leroy and Alicia Gallus of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson.
Leroy Gallus said that he and his wife came to know and befriend Father Florez in 2009 when Father Florez served a summer seminarian assignment at St. Charles Borromeo.
“And we’ve been friends ever since,” said Gallus, adding that Father Florez has been to their home for dinner on a number of occasions, and that he and his wife attended Father Florez’s graduation from St. Mary Seminary and University. Most meaningful for the couple, Leroy Gallus said were the times they prayed the Office with Father Florez and having the privilege of helping him pick out his new chalice.
“We just love him,” Gallus said, and “I was absolutely elated to be at both his ordination and his first Mass.”
“I cried,” Gallus added, “but Carlos was crying and the bishops were crying too. It was a wonderful experience. It was beautiful.”
Gallus said that he was heartened this past week when the newly ordained priest accompanied him to visit a sick friend who was not able to attend the ordination.
“I think he’s going to make a fantastic priest,” Gallus said.
Amy Kimtis admitted that she and her husband, Edward, not only shed tears of joy as they witnessed their eldest son Kevin’s ordination, they were heartened to see both bishops showing their emotions as well.
The bishop was not only proud of the new priests “but of all of his priests,” said the mother of four boys.
“There’s a wealth of talent in our priests here in the diocese,” she said.
As she thought back to how she and her husband reacted when Kevin first spoke of wanting to become a priest, Kimtis said that it really didn’t come as a surprise.
“We could tell that this was what he wanted” – the priesthood, Kimtis said. “He seemed so happy. “And that’s what any parent wants for their children – for them to be happy.”
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By Mary Stadnyk | News Editor and Lois Rogers | Features Editor
Coming from near and far to witness the ordination of the diocese’s six new priests were a host of family members, friends and folks whom the men had come to know during their seminary formation as well as their parish assignments as seminarians and as transitional deacons.
Topping the list of priest visitors who concelebrated in the Mass were representatives from each of the seminaries: Father Robert Coleman, rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University, South Orange; Father Edward Griswold, dean of students and director of pastoral formation at St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, and Father Joseph Bongard, vice rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa.
Besides his 90-year-old mother, Josephine Testa, the contingent who came in support of Father Testa included friends he had made as a student at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science where he pursued a degree in marketing: Joe Panikowski, Mike Levandowski and John Demchuk.
Though it’s been 25 years since their 1986 college graduation, Panikowski recalled that even in college, when other students were out partying, Father Testa remained in his dorm room reading the Bible.
“Faith was always foremost in life,” Panikowski said of Father Testa.
Levandowski and Demchuck declared that they would not have missed their friend’s priestly ordination day – for anything.
“He’s a friend and I had to be here for him,” said Levandowski.
“It’ was such a long journey of faith for him and you have to commend him for that,” added Demchuk.
“John’s not a 28-year-old man; he’s 46 and he worked hard and he achieved his goal,” Demchuck continued. “With all the negative stories out there, this is such a positive thing. I wanted to come here and support his very positive efforts.”
Demchuck added that parishioners will “find in John a caring person with a great sense of humor.”
Todd Carter’s father, Harry Robert Carter – tall and lanky like his son and beaming with joy and gratitude – reflected on his son’s journey and the wonder of being able to describe him as a “man of God,” saying it was all but impossible to put the feeling into words. Seeing him become a part of something “so big and great” as a priest was very meaningful, he said.
The elder Carter reminisced about Todd’s growing up in a devout Protestant home, and how he arrived at his decision to become Catholic while he was a student at The College of New Jersey, Ewing. Even though father and son are of two different faith traditions, Harry Robert Carter remarked on how “great” it has been to engage in “philosophical discussions with Todd and know that he has the knowledge to defeat my arguments.”
“The thing for us as Protestants is to see the joy he’s experiencing in his faith,” said Carter. “Watching Todd as he made this journey, I have come to understand that this is not just a job choice.”
Also on hand to support Father Carter was a contingent from St. Catherine Parish, Middleton, which is not only Father Carter’s home parish, it is also where he served a seminarian assignment in the summer of 2007.
As they headed to their family’s car, Father Picollo’s parents, Dolores and Robert Picollo, and brother, Brian, stopped in the parking lot to chat about the extraordinary event they had just witnessed.
“I’m just so proud of all of them,” said a smiling Dolores Picollo, who then added that she still finds it quite amazing at times that Christopher had pursued a vocation to the priesthood, especially given the fact that he had worked for seven years following his graduation from La Salle University, Philadelphia, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting.
“But the calling had to be there,” said Dolores Picollo, and “it was a good calling.”
Parishioners and staff at St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson, are thrilled that Father Fernando A. Lopez, who served a summer seminarian assignment there in 2009, will be returning to the parish as parochial vicar.
“We’re very excited,” said Jen Schlameuss-Perry, pastoral associate.
“He’s a friendly, good-natured guy, and he’s an excellent cook too,” Schlameuss-Perry said, then with a laugh shared that when he was at St. Aloyisus as a seminarian, he served up his specialty of chicken and rice for the parish staff.
He’s excited about being a priest and getting knee-deep in ministry,” Schlameuss-Perry said. He’s going to make an excellent priest.”
Among those who came to the cathedral for Father Florez’s ordination and then for his first Mass in the following day in St. Joachim Church, a worship site of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, were Leroy and Alicia Gallus of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson.
Leroy Gallus said that he and his wife came to know and befriend Father Florez in 2009 when Father Florez served a summer seminarian assignment at St. Charles Borromeo.
“And we’ve been friends ever since,” said Gallus, adding that Father Florez has been to their home for dinner on a number of occasions, and that he and his wife attended Father Florez’s graduation from St. Mary Seminary and University. Most meaningful for the couple, Leroy Gallus said were the times they prayed the Office with Father Florez and having the privilege of helping him pick out his new chalice.
“We just love him,” Gallus said, and “I was absolutely elated to be at both his ordination and his first Mass.”
“I cried,” Gallus added, “but Carlos was crying and the bishops were crying too. It was a wonderful experience. It was beautiful.”
Gallus said that he was heartened this past week when the newly ordained priest accompanied him to visit a sick friend who was not able to attend the ordination.
“I think he’s going to make a fantastic priest,” Gallus said.
Amy Kimtis admitted that she and her husband, Edward, not only shed tears of joy as they witnessed their eldest son Kevin’s ordination, they were heartened to see both bishops showing their emotions as well.
The bishop was not only proud of the new priests “but of all of his priests,” said the mother of four boys.
“There’s a wealth of talent in our priests here in the diocese,” she said.
As she thought back to how she and her husband reacted when Kevin first spoke of wanting to become a priest, Kimtis said that it really didn’t come as a surprise.
“We could tell that this was what he wanted” – the priesthood, Kimtis said. “He seemed so happy. “And that’s what any parent wants for their children – for them to be happy.”
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