By Thea Jarvis

The long and sometimes arduous journey on the road to the priesthood will come to an end this summer as four men preparing for ministry within the archdiocese are ordained.

Archbishop Thomas Donnellan will confer the sacrament of Holy Orders on Brent Bohan, Dave Kukielski, and Bruce Wilkinson at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta June 27. Austin Fogarty will be ordained by the archbishop at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Dublin, Ireland on July 11.

All four men will be priests of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Brent Bohan, born and raised in Florida, began his studies as a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Miami at St. John Vianney Minor Seminary. When his family later moved to Atlanta, he requested a transfer from the Miami Archdiocese and continued his major seminary studies at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida.

While at St. Vincent’s, Brent brought his Spanish to fluency, since many of his classmates were from Puerto Rico. Brent himself traveled to that country and helped in parishes there during his vacation time. Other summers were spent as a counselor at a Dominican boys camp in New York State. On his most recent summer assignment, Brent was deacon at Good Shepherd Church in Cumming, Ga.

Father Alan Dillman, former pastor at Good Shepherd, remembered the “creative bent” in Brent’s preaching. “He related very well to a small parish community,” said Father Dillman. “He played the guitar and worked with the folk group and even gave a month of his time to a recreation program run by the Dominican sisters at ‘The Place.’”

Brent’s parents, Shirley and Bob Bohan, are members of St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro and Brent is the oldest of their three boys. His first Mass will be celebrated at St. Philips’s on June 27 at 6:30 p.m. and his first assignment as assistant pastor will be at St. Jude’s Church in Sandy Springs.

Dave Kukielski came to Atlanta by way of the Midwest. Born in Chicago. Dave attended schools in Nebraska before heading south with his family. After a year at Georgia Tech, he entered St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana and upon graduation was sent to the North American College in Rome, Italy to study theology.

Vacations at home in Atlanta brought Dave summer parish duty at Sacred Heart Church downtown and Holy Family Church in Marietta. On the European front, he had the opportunity to help sisters in Rome distribute food to the needy and to serve as an assistant to an army chaplain in Germany.

Father John Adamski, former vocations director for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, described Dave as “a gentle, caring person--very kind.” He said that these qualities have been most evident in the warm relationship Dave has with members of his own family.

Elizabeth and Bob Kukielski, Dave’s parents, and their family live in Tucker and are parishioners at Holy Cross Church in Chamblee. Dave will celebrate his first Mass there at noon on June 28. After his ordination, Dave will return to Rome for year to complete his studies and receive his Licentiate (license to teach).

Like Dave Kukielski, Bruce Wilkinson was born in Chicago and spent his formative years there. An interest in engineering led him to Purdue University in Indiana for one year and to Morehouse College in Atlanta for two years.

While in Atlanta, Bruce, raised in a Baptist household, became interested in Catholicism and was eventually received into the Church at St. Anthony’s parish in southwest Atlanta, near Morehouse.

Bruce’s further decision to follow a religious vocation brought him to St. Meinrad’s Seminary in Indiana for two years and later to the Collegium Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio for the study of theology.

Bruce, a gifted organist, has lent his considerable talent in music and other areas to Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Decatur and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Atlanta during summer vacations.

Father Adamski, who knew Bruce well during his years at Morehouse and later at St. Anthony’s, said he is “excited to have someone who joined the Church at St. Anthony’s return to the community as a priest.”

Bruce’s parents, Elijah and Martha Wilkinson, still reside in Chicago and his only brother lives in Dayton, Ohio. Bruce will celebrate his first Mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Atlanta July 5 at 8:30 a.m. and will serve as assistant pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Church after graduation.

Irish-born Austin Fogarty studied at All Hallows Seminary in Dublin and St. Peter’s in Wexford before coming to the States. An invitation from the bishop of Brownsville, Texas brought him across the Atlantic to complete his studies, and in 1976 Austin was accepted as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Four long years and some bureaucratic inefficiency stood between him and his goal, however. When a long-awaited visa was finally issued, Austin spent three months at Christ the King Cathedral in Atlanta and for the past year has served as a deacon at St. Michael’s Church in Gainesville.

Father Ed O’Connor, pastor at St. Michael’s, noted that Austin “cooks a nice fried egg,” and since the Gainesville clergy are responsible for their own cooking, culinary talent is a necessity.

“He did great work with the youth at St. Michael’s,” Father O’Connor continued, “particularly through the Search weekends. He was also involved in the charismatic prayer group and began Bible study groups for adults and children. We will have difficulty continuing all the good things he started here.”

In Texas, Austin worked closely with Mexican-Americans and during his waiting period prior to re-entry into the States helped with handicapped patients at Stewarts Hospital in Dublin.

Because of the bonds that grew during his time at Stewarts, Austin will have many handicapped children in attendance at his ordination. He feels that liturgical celebrations should have “space for wheelchairs” so that the handicapped can participate more fully in the Mass.

Austin’s family lives in Dublin, but he has extended a special invitation to all members of the Archdiocese of Atlanta who might be visiting Ireland to attend his ordination July 11. Georgians hold a special place in his heart.

“The faith of the Catholic people here is incredible,” he said recently. “The distances people come for Mass, the spontaneity--it’s a whole new dimension of Catholicism--a living Church!”

After ordination, Austin will be assigned as assistant pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta.

Father Richard Lopez, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, said he is anxious to have the men serving in north Georgia.

“I have great hopes for their ministry in the archdiocese,” he said with enthusiasm, echoing the thoughts of many Georgia Catholics who are preparing to welcome the new priest into their community.

Members of the Archdiocese of Atlanta are cordially invited to share in the ordination ceremonies at 10 a.m. June 27 at the Cathedral of Christ the King.