Deacon Peter Rusciolelli: ‘I was always encouraged to pursue God's will for my life’
Home parish: St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte
Birthplace: Charlotte, N.C.
Birthday: Aug. 21, 1997
Raised in: Waxhaw, N.C.
Family: Parents - William and Deborah Rusciolelli; siblings - Sister Therese Marie (formerly Molly), Nathanael, Abigail, William, John Paul, Noah, Bridget, Celeste
College: St. Joseph College Seminary
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Belmont Abbey College
Theology: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Mark Church in Huntersville; St. Jude Mission in Sapphire Valley and Our Lady of the Mountains Church in Highlands; St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon, St. Ann Church in Charlotte.
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Deacon Rusciolelli: I enjoy playing sports, outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting, camping etc., fixing and building things, reading and studying philosophy, theology and liberal arts.
CNH: Any comments to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte about becoming a transitional deacon here?
Deacon Rusciolelli: Having been born and raised in the Diocese of Charlotte, I am very excited to be ordained and to begin to serve within this diocese. During my time as a transitional deacon and future ministry as a priest, I look forward giving back to the faithful who have given me so much.
CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?
Deacon Rusciolelli: It was gradual, in the sense that there was no one moment. I began discerning God’s will for my life when I was about 15 and by the time I was 18 I had made the decision to enter seminary.
CNH: Who did you first talk to about your vocation, and what advice did you get from them?
Deacon Rusciolelli: I spoke with my spiritual director and a friend. I was always encouraged to pursue God’s will for my life and to continue praying, particularly praying the breviary (Liturgy of the Hours).
CNH: How did you go about discerning where you felt called to explore your possible vocation?
Deacon Rusciolelli: I continued praying about my vocation, stopping at Adoration for time before the Blessed Sacrament, prayed the rosary and the breviary, talked about my concerns with my spiritual director, etc.
CNH: How and when did you reach out to the Vocations Office at the diocese?
Deacon Rusciolelli: I reached out to the Vocations Office at the diocese around Christmas time in the year of 2015. I emailed Father Christopher Gober (diocesan vocations director) and then had a subsequent meeting with him.
CNH: Tell us about what you have been doing as part of your discernment process.
Deacon Rusciolelli: I have continued my prayers and built upon them. I have meditated on the priesthood, studied it, and continued to talk about it with spiritual directors and formation advisers. I have read books on it and lived the life, as best as one is able, that a diocesan priest might be called to live.
CNH: What advice do you have for a young man discerning a call to the priesthood?
Deacon Rusciolelli: I would advise prayer and spiritual direction. One must discern God’s vocation for their life by having self-knowledge and remaining open to the will of God. Meditative prayer is necessary for this and a spiritual director can help one understand what God is saying in prayer. Also, talking with priests and seminarians about their experience, reading books on the topic, living the life and discerning whether this lifestyle brings peace and joy and the other fruits of the Holy Spirit – these are all helpful ways to discern a vocation. One must also pray for and work on obtaining a trust in God to make a decision without knowing or controlling all the outcomes.
CNH: What do you think has helped you the most to discern God’s will for your vocation?
Deacon Rusciolelli: Faithfulness and consistency in prayer.