Diocese of Raleigh Office of Vocations

Diocese of Raleigh Office of Vocations "You have not chosen me. I have chosen you. Go and bear fruit that will last." (Jn 15) The Office of Vocations helps people discover God's call.

What an awesome message to hear: "I have chosen you." God has created and chosen us for a particular purpose. Through baptism we are called into a life of holiness. Ultimately, some men are called to serve the People of God on their pilgrimage towards holiness as Diocesan Priests. These Priests serve in a diocese under the leadership of a Bishop, a successor of the apostles. In union with a bishop

, priests serve as shepherds of local flocks in this diocese called parishes. The Vocations Office of the diocese assists young men who are interested in exploring a possible call to the diocesan priesthood. The staff of this office provide opportunities for a young man to become aware of God's call, to discern the meaning of this call, to become educated about the life and ministry of a diocesan priest, and to provide for their formation should they be accepted as candidates for the diocese. All inquiries are confidential. This is an awesome call that demands a great deal of a candidate. It is a heroic life lived entirely for Christ and His people. Could God be calling you to this life? If you are interested in knowing more, please contact the Director of Vocations or the Assistant to the Director of Vocations. Imagine being a priest!

08/31/2026

Andrew Degele is entering Discipleship One at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Florida.

He was born in Durham and raised in a Catholic family... youth groups, good pastors, priests who mentored him. The first seed was planted by a chaplain at the UNC Chapel Hill Newman Center, who asked him after a retreat whether he'd ever considered the priesthood. He hadn't. But the question stayed with him, and by the end of college it had sprouted into a clear invitation. He finished his degree in three years, spent a year in volunteer service at a behavioral health unit in Richmond, then entered seminary.

Raleigh is home... born in Durham, family in Raleigh, college at Chapel Hill. This past year has taken him to new corners of the diocese: a rector experience in Jacksonville, ministry in Fayetteville and Williamston, and a summer at All Saints Parish in Hampstead. Meeting those parishioners and seeing the vibrancy of parish life has him eager to serve wherever the Lord sends him.

Please pray for Andrew Degele by name as he begins Discipleship One.

08/28/2026

Thomas Rees is entering his third year of formation for the Diocese of Raleigh.

He came to Raleigh from Wisconsin in 2016 to study at NC State. He'd grown up in the faith — Mass on Sundays, all the sacraments of initiation, a lot of boxes checked — but no personal encounter with Jesus underneath any of it. During a graduate year in 2020, he began asking where the truth was, and took what he calls a step of courage: to seek out what the Catholic faith actually held. It led him back to confession after eleven years.

Three years of work followed, and years of wrestling: pursuing the call, pausing, considering marriage, circling back. The cathedral in Raleigh became home; so did the diocese.

Please pray for Thomas Rees by name as he begins his third year of formation.

08/27/2026

Nicolas Guerra is from Colombia and is in formation for the Diocese of Raleigh.

He grew up in a traditional Catholic family, and he credits his mother with giving him the gift of the faith. The desire to become a priest goes back a long way. What fascinates him most about serving in this diocese is what it looks like on the ground: multicultural, diverse, a place where you can learn from many cultures at once.

Please pray for Nicolas Guerra by name as he continues in formation for our diocese.

08/26/2026

Anthony Pham is entering his fourth year of formation and will begin his first year of theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.

Faith was woven through his family life from the beginning... priests and religious in the home, Mass, youth group, involvement in the life of the Church. Through elementary school, middle school, high school, and college, he knew the Lord wanted something deep from him. An invitation that was always there. He applied at the end of college. What he looks forward to most is accompanying people as they grow in holiness - his hope for everyone in eastern North Carolina is that they come to know Jesus more, love him more, serve him.

Please pray for Anthony Pham by name as he begins theology studies.

08/25/2026

Keegan Moloney is beginning his pastoral year at San Juan Diego Mission in Robbins.

He grew up in a great Catholic family but as he puts it, the Lord was just one of the things in his life, not everything. That changed at the beginning of college through campus ministry at NC State, where a conversion moment left him in love with Christ and with the Church. He threw himself into that community: leading, retreats, men's groups, friendships. The Lord nudged him toward the priesthood during those years, but fear made him put it off. Near the end of college, on retreat, it came to light that everything he had loved... prayer, the Church, serving God's people... had been a desire for the priesthood all along.

Please pray for Keegan Moloney by name as he begins his pastoral year.

08/24/2026

Anthony May is entering his third year of formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Florida.

His first inspiration was close to home: an uncle he's named after, a priest. "I want to be just like Uncle Anthony. I want to be a priest." But the call deepened after his family came to the Diocese of Raleigh... and it kept deepening even after they moved out of state. The longer he spent here, the more he fell in love with this diocese and with the idea of serving as a priest in it.

Please pray for Anthony by name as he begins his third year of formation.

08/21/2026

Deacon Leonardo Espinosa Lopez was ordained a deacon ths year and is beginning his final year of seminary formation in Boston.

The desire began in Piedecuesta, Santander, Colombia, where he served at the altar in his home parish. Carrying the sacred vessels, standing close to the priest, close to the mystery... he describes the desire that grew there as intense. At 20 he stepped forward and entered seminary in Colombia. That road has led him here, to the Diocese of Raleigh.

Please pray for Deacon Leonardo Espinosa Lopez by name as he enters his final year of formation.

08/20/2026

Deacon Gabriel Nugent is in his final year of seminary formation for the Diocese of Raleigh.

He first sensed the Lord's call in fifth grade... the same year his family moved to North Carolina and began attending St. Catherine of Siena in Wake Forest. Altar serving put him close to the Eucharist and close to the priests who served there, and it was their life, prayer, and holiness that caught his eye and stirred up a desire for the same. Now ordained a deacon, he says he's "locked in here" and what he looks forward to most is the fraternity of the priests of Raleigh.

Please pray for Deacon Gabriel Nugent by name as he completes his final year of formation before ordination.

Meet Nicholas Semanko, one of four new seminarians for the Diocese of Raleigh.If he could travel anywhere, he'd go back ...
08/19/2026

Meet Nicholas Semanko, one of four new seminarians for the Diocese of Raleigh.

If he could travel anywhere, he'd go back to Croatia... the culture, the natural scenery, and the devotion that country has to the Catholic faith. His favorite place is Split. His favorite food is ćevapi. Somewhere in that country a young man saw what a whole culture shaped by the faith looks like, and it stayed with him.

He admires St. Faustina Kowalska for her love and devotion to Christ and to Divine Mercy... the saint who received the message that no soul is beyond the reach of mercy. He hikes. He'd be a great horned owl. His song right now is "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs.

He also has a twin brother... someone who has known him from the very beginning, now watching him start this.

Please pray for Nicholas.

Meet Benton Hamann, one of four new seminarians for the Diocese of Raleigh.We asked him where he'd travel if he could go...
08/18/2026

Meet Benton Hamann, one of four new seminarians for the Diocese of Raleigh.

We asked him where he'd travel if he could go anywhere in the world. His answer: the Diocese of Raleigh. "Where else would I rather be?"

For a man about to spend years in formation, that's the right instinct. A diocesan priest isn't sent to the ends of the earth. He's sent here... to these parishes, these families, this stretch of North Carolina. Benton is entering seminary already knowing where he wants to end up.

His favorite place is any adoration chapel. He admires Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, whose writing and lectures gave him a foundation in his faith and helped him cultivate a connection between mind and heart. He golfs. He collects vintage books... the oldest dates to the 1500s. He'd be an owl.

Please pray for Benton.

Address

7200 Stonehenge Drive
Raleigh, NC
27613

Telephone

+19849003403

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