Called to serve
HUNTERSVILLE – Six men took a big step on their journey to the priesthood on Saturday as they were ordained deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte. Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., performed the ordinations at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, only three days after his ordination as the fifth Bishop of Charlotte on May 29.
Those ordained were: Deacon Christopher William Angermeyer, of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte; Deacon Anthony del Cid Lucero, of St. Joseph Parish in Newton; Deacon Nicholas James Kramer, of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Swannanoa; Deacon Kolbe Raymond Murrey, of St. John the Baptist Parish in Tryon; Deacon Andrew Jeffery Templeton, of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Gastonia; and Deacon Joseph Gerard Yellico, of St. Mark Parish Huntersville.
Before a crowd of family, friends and well-wishers that packed the pews, the men made promises to serve the diocese and Bishop Martin with humility and charity, then prostrated themselves before the altar during the Litany of Supplication. Bishop Martin laid his hands on their heads and prayed over them in the ancient rite of ordination. The six were then vested with the stole, a sign of the deacon’s office of service, and the dalmatic, an outer garment used at Mass.
Bishop Martin presented each of them with the Book of the Gospels, stating their mission as: “Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”
The six deacons will now be able to proclaim the Gospel at Mass, preach at the invitation of the priest, prepare the altar for the sacrifice of the Eucharist, distribute Communion to the faithful, administer baptisms, officiate at marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying, conduct funerals, instruct believers and nonbelievers in Church doctrine, preside over public prayer and perform works of charity.
All six are graduates of St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly and are now considered “transitional” deacons as compared to permanent deacons. Transitional deacons generally serve a year in pastoral, liturgical and educational preparation before being considered for ordination to the priesthood.
Called to serve
During his homily, Bishop Martin stressed the special nature of the new role the men will have as deacons. He urged them to turn their complete spiritual and mental focus toward the duties of a deacon.
“The diaconate is the foundation of holy orders – it is not something that you will graduate from, but rather something that your priesthood will be born out of and will always be rooted in,” Bishop Martin said. “These next 12 months are not some preparation for a future moment. They’re rather the firm rock upon which the sacrament of holy orders is grounded.”
He reminded them that the central part of their new role is the call “to serve, not to be served,” just as Christ did.
Bishop Martin also had a lighthearted bit of advice for the deacons’ families.
“I say this especially for your parents: do not serve these men – stop serving these men,” Bishop Martin said, drawing laughter from the deacons, their families and the congregation. “These men now are here to serve you. Finally, it’s your turn. Help them to realize that right up front when they come home. You can use my name if you want. ‘Hey, get off the couch and go do those dishes! You’re here to serve, not to be served.’”
‘God is good’
After the Mass, the deacons and their families posed for photos with Bishop Martin. Parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives took time to contemplate the meaning of the special day.
“It’s really hard to put into words how I feel today,” said Deacon Yellico’s mother, Lissette Yellico of Huntersville. “I just keep saying over and over ‘God is good.’”
Deacon Kramer’s mother, Sarah Kramer, stood with his grandfather, Patrick Westrick, and talked about how his ordination was the result of years of work and dreams.
“We feel very blessed to be here after all the work he has put in – it’s been very special to watch this holy man blossom,” she said.
The new deacons have the following parish assignments this summer:
• Deacon Christopher Angermeyer: Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Winston-Salem
• Deacon Anthony Del Cid Lucero: St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem
• Deacon Nicolas Kramer: St. Mark Parish in Huntersville
• Deacon Kolbe Murrey: St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem
• Deacon Andrew Templeton: St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte
• Deacon Joseph Yellico: St. Ann Parish in Charlotte
See all the seminarians summer assignments.
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Amy Burger, Patricia L Guilfoyle and Travis Burton
Meet the Deacons
Deacon Christopher William Angermeyer
Home parish: St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte
Birthplace: Charlotte
Age: 27
Raised in: Charlotte, NC
Family: William and Melissa; siblings Caitlin, Elizabeth, Sarah and Megan
College: St. Joseph College Seminary
Degree: Philosophy
Theology: Mount St. Mary Seminary (Cincinnati, OH)
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. John the Evangelist in Waynesville; St. Michael Church in Gastonia; Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro; Our Lady of Mercy in Winston-Salem
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Angermeyer: Deacon Matthew Dimock. “Deacon Dimock is a very close friend. We have gone through the seminary process together, and he has been a great friend throughout seminary.”
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Angermeyer: “Some of my hobbies include reading. I enjoy playing sports, and I also play chess.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Angermeyer: “I first considered the priesthood at the age of 8, and I genuinely considered it my freshman year of high school.”
Deacon Anthony del Cid Lucero
Home parish: St. Joseph, Newton
Birthplace: Hickory, NC
Age: 28
Raised in: Newton and Hickory area
Family: Second child of three sons. Parents live in Guatemala; brothers live in Hickory
College: Catawba Valley Community College; St. Joseph College Seminary
Degree: Associates in art; Philosophy and a minor in Latin
Theology: Mount St. Mary Seminary (Cincinnati, OH)
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Mark Church in Huntersville; Mary Help of Christians in Shelby; Immaculate Conception in Hendersonville and St. Leo Church in Winston Salem
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Lucero: Deacon Jose Palma Torres. “Deacon Palma is a good friend that I have had through seminary. He was one of the first seminarians that I encountered before going into seminary.”
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Lucero: “I enjoy lifting weights, hiking, cooking and watching movies along with studying and reading books on my free time.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Lucero: “My serious discernment began the year I graduated from high school. I knew that I was called to do great things in life. I always saw the love my parents had for Our Lord and the Blessed Mother and was something that I wanted to have from a young age. As a young adult outside of high school, I started to really ask God what He wanted from me. From there I noticed my profound longing for the Lord in prayer, service, and in the sacraments. The Blessed Virgin Mary was also always a guide through my discernment.”
Deacon Nicholas James Kramer
Home parish: St. Margaret Mary, Swannanoa
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Age: 24
Raised in: Old Fort, NC
Family: Oldest of six; family lives in North Carolina
College: St. Joseph College Seminary, Pontifical North American College
Degree: Philosophy and Latin
Theology: Mount St. Mary Seminary (Cincinnati, OH)
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Joseph Vietnamese, St. John the Baptist in Tryon, St. Mark in Huntersville
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Kramer: Deacon Matthew Harrison. “This is based primarily on our long-term friendship.”
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Kramer: “Mountain biking, running, carpentry, languages.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Kramer: “When I was about 7 years old, I was visiting my grandparents. While at their parish for Sunday Mass, the parish showed a promotional video for the priesthood, and from what my parents told me my face just lit up when I saw what it was that a priest is capable of doing.”
Deacon Kolbe Raymond Murrey
Home parish: St. John the Baptist, Tryon
Birthplace: Durham
Age: 24
Raised in: Mills River, NC
Family: Carlton and Jennifer Murrey; six sisters: Ellen, Cecilia, Adelaide, Emeline, Veronica and Magdalene; and one brother, Sebastian
College: St. Joseph College Seminary, Pontifical North American College
Degree: Double major in Philosophy and Latin
Theology: Mount St. Mary Seminary (Cincinnati, OH)
Summer assignments in the diocese: Holy Cross in Kernersville; St. Ann in Charlotte, and intermittent assistance with Sacred Music at St. Joseph College Seminary
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Murrey: Deacon Christian Goduti. “He’s my best friend and has been a great influence and companion during my seminary formation.”
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Murrey: “I love music. I was classically trained in violin and since then have worked on folk and sacred music. Banjo and guitar (outside of the liturgy), and organ (in the liturgy). Of course, singing both folk music and Gregorian chant or polyphony is great fun as well. The outdoors and chopping firewood are some other enjoyable hobbies. Lastly, I recently got back into model building from the recommendation of a good friend.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Murrey: “I have served on the altar since second grade and have had numerous priests as mentors and examples for me throughout my childhood to the present day. The experience of assisting at Holy Mass and having great examples of priestly vocations definitely drew me into this vocation alongside cultivating my interior life of prayer.”
Deacon Andrew Jeffery Templeton
Home parish: St. Michael the Archangel, Gastonia
Birthplace: Gastonia, NC
Age: 25
Family: “I am the youngest of two sons. My home parish has been St. Michael's —since I was born. I received all my sacraments of initiation there. I attended St. Michael’s Catholic School—pre-K through eighth. My mom and dad were married at Belmont Abbey Monastery/College, where they met.”
College: St. Joseph College Seminary
Degree: Philosophy and Latin
Theology: Mount St. Mary Seminary (Cincinnati, OH)
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Jude and Our Lady of the Mountains in Sapphire Valley, Highlands; Our Lady of Mercy, Winston Salem; St. Mark, Huntersville; St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Templeton: Deacon Kevin Martinez. “He is one of my closest friends. We have been in seminary together for seven years.”
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Templeton: “I like to exercise, cook, travel, read books, fish, hike, and cut grass.”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Templeton: “I thought priests were cool and interesting from a young age. I was around priests a lot growing up, especially when I started altar serving in fifth grade. At age 14, I attended a youth retreat in Hanceville, Alabama, at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament (EWTN). It was there that the Holy Spirit put on my heart that He wanted me to be a priest. On this retreat, we spent so much time in silence before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration. It was in these moments that the Holy Spirit moved me, and it became clear what He was asking. A week after the retreat, I went on a mission trip to Kingston, Jamaica, and served alongside the Missionaries of the Poor. It was here that God touched my heart even more, and the tug to be a priest only persisted.”
Deacon Joseph Gerard Yellico
Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville
Birthplace: Long Island, NY
Age: 29
Raised in: Long Island; moved to North Carolina in 2006
Family: Oldest of six kids; three boys and three girls. His third sibling, Sister Mary Agnes, is part of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother in Charlotte.
College:St. Joseph College Seminary, Pontifical North American College
Degree: BA Biology at Belmont Abbey College
Theology: Mount St. Mary Seminary (Cincinnati, OH)
Summer assignments in the diocese: St. John the Evangelist, Waynesville; St. Margaret Mary, Swannanoa; St. Ann, Charlotte
CNH: Who vested you and why?
Yellico: Deacon Kevin Tran: “Throughout my time in major theology, Deacon Tran has always been willing to help me learn the ropes from theological concepts to liturgical rubrics. Since he has helped me so much in my training for the diaconate, it is an honor to have him vest me. He is very joyful, loves the Lord and will definitely make a great priest.”
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Yellico: “When I was younger, Mom would take my siblings and I to the library frequently. She encouraged all of us to branch out and learn different subjects which really instilled a love for reading. Occasionally she would buy art supplies and have us watch a Bob Ross episode in order to replicate what he painted on the canvas. While most of the time we just argued over whose tree looked better, art has always been one of my favorite hobbies.
“Astronomy has also been an interest of mine since my grandpa taught me the different planets and constellations over summer breaks. I also enjoy going to the gym, hiking and being out in nature. Over my past two summer assignments, I hiked a lot of trails off the Blue Ridge Parkway; if you never had the chance to hike them, I would highly recommend it. God placed us in a gorgeous state with so much natural beauty!”
CNH: When did you first realize you had a call to the priesthood?
Yellico: “Although I always felt that I was being called to the priesthood, I never gave it too much thought. My goal throughout high school and college was to become a neurologist because of my interest in neuroscience. Moreover, I didn't really appreciate the importance of priesthood at the time. Two years after college graduation, I worked in a radiology lab as patients came in for imaging. Oftentimes, patients would come in order to determine whether an existing condition was terminal or not. Thankfully most patients received positive news. But what struck me was how often some, after hearing that they were healthy, seemed almost disappointed that they had to continue living. Up to this point, my drive was to become a doctor in order to help people live healthy and whole lives.
“However, despite being physically healthy, many patients were not spiritually healthy; in other words, there wasn't a medical treatment that could reach those deeper wounds that caused them pain. That was the moment when priesthood was no longer some abstract spiritual career, but really a spiritual doctor who sacramentally heals souls in and through Jesus Christ the Divine Physician. This was when I realized the importance of the call and that Jesus was already beginning to form me. I am so grateful to God for His patience in leading me along this road, especially placing me alongside my brothers who will be ordained with me. I am excited to see what He has in store for this next leg of the adventure!”
