CHARLOTTE — Deacons Christopher Brock, Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu and Peter Rusciolelli will be ordained to the priesthood June 17 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville by Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv.
Amid an ongoing health concern, Bishop Peter Jugis announced June 1 he will not officiate at the Diocese of Charlotte’s ordination liturgies, which instead will be celebrated by the archbishop.
Bishop Jugis said he has been dealing with an “evolving health issue” and that medical tests recently revealed he has only one functioning kidney. His condition, he said, “is not life threatening but at times affects my ability to travel or participate in long liturgies and other occasions.”
At the bishop’s request, Archbishop Hartmayer presided at the June 3 diaconate ordination of seven seminarians and will also preside at the June 17 ordination of three men to the priesthood.
It was a little over a year ago that Bishop Jugis began experiencing symptoms that prevented him from presiding at some occasions, including the ordination
Masses last June. Archbishop Hartmayer assisted by presiding over one of those liturgies: the ordination to deacon of Christopher Brock, Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu and Peter Rusciolelli. Archbishop Hartmayer now returns to ordain them as priests.
The three young men all recently received their Master of Divinity from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology in Cincinnati, Ohio, the final academic step of their formation.
As ordination approaches, Deacon Rusciolelli, whose home parish is St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, said, “I am very excited for my ordination day as it is something I have been anticipating, thinking and praying about for a long time. I am extremely grateful for the graces Our Lord has given me to follow His holy will, as well as for all those who have supported me in so many ways during these years.”
For Deacon Brock, whose home parish is St. Vincent de Paul in Charlotte, there is a lot of excitement in the days leading up to ordination. “When I entered seminary six years ago, I did so because I believed God was calling me to be a priest, and so seeing my ordination day just around the corner is very joyful and exciting.”
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu, whose home parish is St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte, added, “I’m nervous because this is not an easy task, but I’m excited to see how God will use me as His priest in the mission of giving Him glory and drawing souls to Him. As this great day approaches, I can’t help but look back at the formation
I have received these past six years and trust that they have prepared me well for the life ahead.”
After their ordination, all three will serve as priests of the Diocese of Charlotte. Their first pastoral assignments will be announced at the end of the ordination Mass.
All are welcome to attend the 10 a.m. Mass Saturday, June 17, at St. Mark Church, located at 14740 Stumptown Road in Huntersville.
— Spencer K.M. Brown
New priests’ first Masses of Thanksgiving
Following their ordination to the priesthood on June 17, the new priests will offer first Masses at their home parishes in the Diocese. All are invited to attend.
Christopher Brock will offer his first Mass of Thanksgiving at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, June 18, at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte. A reception will be held immediately following the Mass in the Msgr. Pharr Activity Center.
Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu will offer his first Mass of Thanksgiving at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, June 18 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. Mass will be followed by a parish potluck and reception in honor of his ordination.
Peter Rusciolelli will offer his first Mass of Thanksgiving at 9:00 a.m., Sunday June 18, at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Charlotte. A reception will follow in the Great Hall at the parish.
Deacon Christopher Brock: ‘A deep sense of gratitude’ about being called to serve
Home parish: St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte
Birthplace: Woodstock, Va.
Birthday: Jan. 11, 1997
Raised in: Charlotte, N.C.
Family: Parents – Stephen and Susan Brock; siblings - Mary, Michael, Isaac, Sebastian, Felicity, Peter, Timothy
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: Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville, Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Deacon Brock: Playing piano and guitar, reading
CNH: Any comments to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte about becoming a transitional deacon here?
Deacon Brock: I am very excited to begin ministry as a transitional deacon here in the Diocese of Charlotte. Being a deacon will allow me to serve the people of God in new ways, and I am looking forward to seeing how God will use me to serve His Church during my time as a deacon.
CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?
Deacon Brock: Being a priest was something I was attracted towards ever since I was a boy. However, it was in high school that I began to really take the possibility of a vocation seriously. The Quo Vadis Days retreat( a discernment camp in the diocese), which I attended for multiple summers, played a huge role in my discernment, and being an altar server played an important role as well.
CNH: Who did you first talk to about your vocation?
Deacon Brock: I especially talked with priests at the Quo Vadis Days retreat, as well as my parents.
CNH: What type of feedback or advice did you get from them?
Deacon Brock: My parents were always very supportive of me as I discerned the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. The priests I spoke to gave me very helpful advice to guide me in my discernment process.
CNH: How did you go about discerning where you felt called to explore your possible vocation?
Deacon Brock: Time spent in prayer, especially in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, was instrumental in my discernment. Asking for advice from trusted priests was also very beneficial.
CNH: Tell us about what you have been doing as part of your discernment process
Deacon Brock: The most important thing is certainly daily time spent in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. As I move toward ordination, reflecting on my vocational journey and the way the Lord has led me throughout my whole life, and especially in seminary, gives me a deep sense of gratitude and strengthens my belief that I am indeed called to serve as a priest.
CNH: What advice do you have for a young man discerning a call to the priesthood?
Deacon Brock: I would say that the most beneficial thing you can do is to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ as much as possible. Time spent in prayer, especially in Eucharistic Adoration, is incredibly helpful. Also, do not be afraid to reach out to a trusted priest for advice.
CNH: What do you think has helped you the most to discern God’s will for your vocation?
Deacon Brock: Consistent time spent in prayer has certainly been the most helpful thing. I also think that spending time serving in a parish, whenever possible, is a great way to discern. I have generally found a great deal of peace and joy when I am in a parish setting, and this strengthens my belief that I am called to the priesthood.
Deacon Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu: ‘If priesthood is what I am called to do, then God's got me’
Home parish: St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Birthday: Oct. 24, 1995
Raised in: Charlotte, N.C.
Family: Parents - Samuel Nnebe-Agumadu (deceased) and Uche Nnebe-Agumadu; siblings - Arize, Ijeamaka, Munachi, Tobenna, Chukwuma
College: North Carolina A&T State University
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Biology
Pre-Theology: Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus Ohio
Theology: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Ann Church in Charlotte, Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, St. Therese Church in Mooresville and St. Mark Church in Huntersville.
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: I like to read, play soccer, and bake.
CNH: Any comments to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte about becoming a transitional deacon here?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: I am really excited about becoming a transitional deacon here in the Diocese of Charlotte. I recall my first day in seminary, when I recognized that this new journey would be different from any other thing I had done. So it is with becoming a transitional deacon. I am excited to make the different promises to the bishop, and also to proclaim the Gospel to the faithful people of this diocese who have been so kind and generous with me. It is a new way of life for sure, but I am happy with the formation and training I have received from this diocese to help me to be a good and faithful deacon.
CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: I believe the first time I considered a vocation to the priesthood was when I was in fourth grade, the same year I received my first Holy Communion. I think that was also the year I became an altar server, and I remember that I was always excited to see what the priest was doing at Mass.
It was however the summer before my senior year in high school that I had a profound experience that really got me to take the thought of being a priest more seriously.
CNH: Who did you first talk to about your vocation?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: I talked to my parents and siblings first about my vocation. I also think I told everyone, if I am being honest. I can remember a lot of my extended family members calling me “Father Nonso” at such a young age. I probably told a couple of priests then, but I can’t remember what they told me then. Fast forward to senior year of high school when I really considered the vocation, I told Father Frank Cancro, who was my pastor at that time at Queen of the Apostles Parish in Belmont.
CNH: What type of feedback or advice did you get from them?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: Overall I got positive feedback from all whom I informed. They prayed for me and encouraged me to spend time in prayer. My dad was the one who first encouraged me to spend time with Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration.
I was pretty young when I told them I was considering a vocation, but their reaction was always supportive. My parents and siblings had the mindset of doing whatever they could to help me discern properly. When certain things did not work out, they would always encourage me to trust in God’s plan. Father Frank always encouraged me to develop a strong prayer life, and he was willing to put me in positions to be of service to the Church. He actually encouraged me to wait until I was finished with college before applying to seminary, and I am glad that he did, because there was a lot of maturing that took place for me in college.
CNH: How did you go about discerning where you felt called to explore your possible vocation?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: I started to pray more, the rosary especially, and while I was in college, I started going to Mass more times during the week and spending more time in Eucharistic Adoration.
I originally was interested with discerning with the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), but it did not work out after I had a couple of phone calls with them. I had first considered them because of their influence in my dad’s life, and probably because they were the priests I had heard the most about. But after reflecting on my life, I realized that the priests who had influenced me the most were diocesan priests. So after some prayer and guidance, I thought it worthwhile to consider them. Providentially in the same year the plan with the Jesuits did not work out, Father Marcel Amadi became my campus minister in college, and he was of huge help to me then.
CNH: How and when did you reach out to the Vocations Office at the diocese?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: I believe I reached out to the vocations office after attending Quo Vadis Days (a discernment camp in the diocese) in the summer of 2015. I have Father James Duong of St. Benedict Church to thank for introducing me to camp. After such a good experience at Quo Vadis Days, I contacted Father Christopher Gober (diocesan vocations director) to inform him that I was considering the priesthood.
CNH: Tell us about what you have been doing as part of your discernment process.
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: One of the things I have tried to do is a daily Holy Hour. Particularly, I always like to start my day with a Holy Hour, to sanctify the day. I consider Mary very influential in my vocation, so I like to say the rosary every day, and offer myself to her every morning and evening.
Spiritual reading has also been important for me. I like reading and meditating on the works of the saints, so that by their very example and wisdom, I may learn to grow closer to the Lord.
CNH: What advice do you have for a young man discerning a call to the priesthood?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: Do not be afraid of the call! Do not run away from it! Do not be afraid to bring your worries and anxieties to God in prayer. Let Christ, Mary and the saints be your friends at this time. Go to Mass frequently, spend time with the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration, say the rosary and seek the saints’ intercession, particularly your confirmation saint. I was once told that “you don’t choose your confirmation saint, your confirmation saint chooses you.” This advice has helped me in my vocation and has drawn me closer to my confirmation saint, St. Ildephonsus. Never be afraid to empty yourself so as to make room for the will of God in your life.
CNH: What do you think has helped you the most to discern God’s will for your vocation?
Deacon Nnebe-Agumadu: Spiritual direction for sure. I am very thankful for the priests I have had as spiritual directors who have been there to guide and direct me especially in moments of difficulty.
Our Blessed Mother has also been a big help. She has brought me such joy and peace through praying the rosary and through her many intercessions. I also have her to thank for helping to draw me closer to St. Ildephonsus, whom I now constantly seek his intercession.
Another big thing has been fraternity with brother seminarians both in the diocese and in the different seminaries I have attended. The seminary was truly the first place I experienced such fraternity that encouraged me more towards my goal.
Most importantly has been the time spent with Our Lord in prayer and in silence. You just know that the journey is worth it, when you know that the Lord loves you.
Being able to experience His love, goodness, care and compassion every day in prayer and in Mass, just confirms to me that if priesthood is what I am called to do, then God’s got me, and that is really satisfying.
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.
The rite of ordination
- Calling of the Candidates: In the ordination rite, after the opening prayers of the Mass and the scripture readings, the presentation of the candidate takes place. The candidate responds, “Present,” (in Latin, “Adsum”) steps forward and makes a sign of reverence.
- Presentation, Inquiry and Acceptance: Bishop Jugis then asks for testimony that the candidate has received proper training and is worthy of ordination. Father Christopher Gober, diocesan vocation director, attests that the candidate is prepared. The bishop then says: “Relying on the help of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, we choose this man, our brother, for the Order of the Priesthood.” The people respond “Thanks be to God,” and also give their approval by a hearty round of applause.
- Examination of the Candidate: After the homily, the candidate approaches Bishop Jugis, who asks him if he is willing to serve Christ and His Church as a faithful priest. The examination concludes with this exchange: Bishop Jugis, “Do you resolve to be united more closely every day to Christ the High Priest, who offered Himself for us to the Father as a perfect sacrifice, and with Him to consecrate yourself to God for the salvation of all?” Candidate, “I do, with the help of God.”
- Promise of Obedience: The candidate then promises obedience to the authority of the Church and to his own religious superiors, as he kneels before Bishop Jugis. Why? The bishop is the head of the local Church. St. Ignatius of Antioch said the bishop is “typos tou Patros” – he is like the living image of God the Father. (CCC 1549) “The promise of obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of the ordination liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience.” (CCC 1567)
- Prayer for the Candidates: Bishop Jugis kneels and invites all of those present to join in prayer for the candidate. This period of prayer includes the Litany of the Saints. The chanting of the Litany of the Saints is an especially moving and memorable moment in the ordination ritual. The candidate prostrates himself before the altar as the prayers of the Litany invoke God’s saving mercy and the intercession of all the saints to send down the Holy Spirit upon this man, soon to be a priest.
The Litany of the Saints is an ancient prayer. The Catholic Encyclopedia says, “It was used in the ‘Litania Septiformis’ of St. Gregory the Great, and in the procession of St. Mamertus. In the Eastern Church, litanies with the invocation of saints were employed in the days of St. Basil (d. 379) and of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (d. about 270). It is not known when or by whom the litany was composed, but the order in which the Apostles are given, corresponding with that of the Canon of the Mass, proves its antiquity.” - Imposition of hands: This is an outward sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus conferred His priesthood on His Apostles, so too does the bishop and other priests lay hands upon the ordinand. It is the most ancient and universal outward ritual of the Church. “The laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign” of ordination. (CCC 1538) In this moment, as Bishop Jugis lays his hands upon the head of the kneeling ordinand, he prays silently for the invocation of the Holy Spirit.
All the other priests who are present also join in the ordination ceremony. Each one in turn lays his hands silently upon the head of the candidate. This signifies that they all belong to, and participate in, the one priesthood of Jesus Christ. It is also a sign welcoming the newly ordained into the common brotherhood as priest - Prayer of Consecration: Bishop Jugis prays: “Grant, we pray, Almighty Father, to this, your servant, the dignity of the priesthood; renew deep within him the Spirit of holiness; may he henceforth possess this office which comes from You, O God, and is next in rank to the office of Bishop; and by the example of his manner of life, may he instill right conduct. May he be a worthy coworker with our Order, so that by his preaching and through the grace of the Holy Spirit the words of the Gospel may bear fruit in human hearts and reach even to the ends of the earth.”
- Vesting the New Priest: The newly-ordained priest now removes his deacon’s stole and is presented with the symbols of his new office in the Church: a priestly stole and chasuble. This is called the investiture.
- Anointing of the Hands: Bishop Jugis anoints the palms of the new priest with sacred chrism, praying, “The Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, guard and preserve you that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.” After the anointing with the oil, the priest’s hands are wrapped with a linen cloth. Anointing with sacred oil, or chrism, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. It is another ancient ritual that has Old Testament roots.
- Presentation of the Gifts: After the gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar, Bishop Jugis gives to the new priest a chalice containing the wine, mixed with water, and the paten holding the bread. These are the sacred vessels used at each Mass to hold the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. As the priest receives the chalice and the paten, Bishop Jugis says: “Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God. Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”
- Kiss of Peace: Lastly, Bishop Jugis gives the kiss of peace to the new priest, saying: “Peace be with you.”
The Mass continues as usual, with the new priest concelebrating fully in his first Eucharistic sacrifice, standing closest to Bishop Jugis in a place of honor before the altar. The new priest also helps distribute Holy Communion.
Why does the Church ordain priests?
The rite of ordination is more than an “election” or “delegation” of someone as a priest. The sacrament “confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a ‘sacred power’ which can come only from Christ Himself through His Church.” (CCC 1538) The divine grace received through this rite sets these men apart – consecrates them, invests them – within the Church and gives them a unique mission among the People of God.
Why are only men ordained priests?
Jesus chose 12 men as His Apostles, conferring upon them the mission to serve in His place on earth, and the Apostles did the same when they chose others to join and to succeed them. The Church is bound by the choice that Jesus Himself made, so it’s not possible for women to be ordained. Though in earlier times there were several semi-clerical ranks of women in the Church (called deaconesses), they were not admitted to orders properly so called and had no spiritual authority. They ministered to women in particular, in instances where customs called for men and women to remain separate.
An indelible mark
Holy orders is one of three sacraments that have an indelible spiritual character – that is, they cannot be repeated or rescinded. The others are baptism and confirmation. From the moment of his ordination, a priest’s vocation and mission mark him permanently. (CCC 1583)
Like the sacrament of marriage, in which men and women give themselves totally to each other and grow in holiness together, holy orders is directed toward the salvation of others through the gift of oneself. “They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God. … Those who receive the sacrament of holy orders are consecrated in Christ’s name ‘to feed the Church by the word and grace of God.’” (CCC 1534-1535)
A priest acts “in persona Christi” – that is, he acts with the authority of Christ, representing the person of Christ in administering the sacraments and shepherding the faithful – and “in nomine ecclesiae,” in the name of the Church. That doesn’t mean a priest is perfect! That just means that in administering the sacraments, the power of the Holy Spirit is assured.
‘The voice and hands of Christ’
In his 1990 address “On the Nature of the Priesthood,” then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) said: “Jesus gave His power to the Apostles in such a way that He made their ministry, as it were, a continuation of His own mission. ‘He who receives you receives me,’ He Himself says to the Twelve (Mt 10:40; cf. Lk 10:16; Jn 13:10).”
He added, “If Church usage calls ordination to the ministry of priesthood a ‘sacrament,’ the following is meant: This man is in no way performing functions for which he is highly qualified by his own natural ability nor is he doing the things that please him most and that are most profitable. On the contrary, the one who receives the sacrament is sent to give what he cannot give of his own strength; he is sent to act in the person of another, to be his living instrument. For this reason no human being can declare himself a priest; for this reason, too, no community can promote a person to this ministry by its own decree. Only from the sacrament, which belongs to God, can priesthood be received. Mission can only be received from the One who sends, from Christ in His sacrament, through which a person becomes the voice and the hands of Christ in the world.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle