By Father Richard Lopez (Archdiocesan Vocations Director)

The Archdiocese of Atlanta recently celebrated a great event at the Cathedral of Christ the King when Archbishop Thomas Donnellan admitted three men, Bruce Wilkinson, Jeff Martin, and James Adams to candidacy for ordination as deacons and priests. Candidacy is one formal step on the long journey a man makes on his road to the priesthood.

In a sense the ceremony, celebrated in the presence of 25 priests and many of the faithful, symbolizes the call these men have responded to in their desire to be priests.

As the liturgy for the event proclaims about these men, “Our brothers here have already begun their preparation so that later they may be called to the ordination by the Bishop. Day by day they will learn to live the life of the gospel and deepen their faith, hope and love. In the practice of these virtues they will gain the spirit of prayer and grow in zeal to win the world to Christ. Urged on by His love and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they have come here to declare in public their desire to bind themselves to the service of God and of mankind.” And that is what those men did at the Cathedral and the Catholic community of Atlanta is richer because of their commitment.

Bruce, a native of Chicago, has worked this summer at Our Lady of Lourdes, and will soon return to his studies at the Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Jeff lived in Atlanta in his high school days, in Holy Cross parish and is studying at St. Vincent’s seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. Jimmy Adams is from the Assumption parish and did engineering work this summer (he is a Georgia Tech grad.) He also returns to St. Vincent’s this fall.

Our prayers go with these men on the road to ordination.