By Gretchen Keiser

When he moved to Norcross, Georgia from the Chicago area seven or eight years ago, John DeVore came to take a new job as managing editor of Industrial Engineering Magazine.

Instead, he joined St. Patrick’s parish, came across the path of Father Ken Bayer, a Missionary of St. Francis de Sales, and found himself on an entirely new road.

The fulfillment of that path came last Friday night, Jan. 24, on the feast day of St. Francis de Sales when Deacon DeVore, who is 60 years old, was ordained a priest for the same order. The bishop presiding at the ordination was Auxiliary Bishop Eugene Marino of Washington, D.C., one of the nation’s 10 black bishops and recently elected secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Father DeVore said that he had come to know the bishop while living in the residence of the Josephite Fathers in Washington.

Father DeVore, who has been single throughout his life, has a brother who is a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church. He said his involvement with the St. Patrick’s parish St. Vincent de Paul Society led to his consideration of becoming a priest. “I said ‘I’m too old,’ but Father Bayer said no,” he recalled. His study included a year of novitiate in England and three and a half years of theology and philosophy at Oblate College in Washington, D.C. Others taking part in his ordination were his provincial superior from England, Father Terry McGrath and the rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Father Charles McMahon, as well as the priests of the order who pastor and staff the parishes of St. Patrick’s and St. Lawrence in Lawrenceville.