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PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
K E E P T H E F A IT H A L I V E
‘DON’T WAIT. SEIZE THE HAND OF CHRIST.’
DEACON JOHN L. MCDERMOTT Society of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles Cromwell, Conn.
Photo by Katie Pugliese Photography
I was blessed to be raised in a strong Catholic community. Our neighborhood cul-de-sac was home to 65 Catholic children, all of whom hopped and skipped their way to daily Mass. My father was a Knight of Columbus, and he always spoke with esteem about the Order. After attending Catholic grade school and high school taught by sisters and Xaverian Brothers, I began to dream of being a Catholic missionary overseas. But the work seemed too radical and gave me pause. Instead, I followed a path to the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, the U.S. Navy, the Defense Intelligence Agency and 35 years of law practice in Honolulu. Still, the Lord kept calling softly. Following Ignatius of Loyola, I read about the lives of the saints and began to engage in more Catholic activities. By God’s hand, I then discovered the Society of the Missionaries of Holy Apostles. For those discerning a vocation — don’t wait. Seize the hand of Christ. Persevere, persevere, persevere. As I approach priestly ordination, my joy is still in pursuit of the Lord.