Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   LOCAL FEATURES Friday, May 24, 2002 Bishop will ordain Miller, McCaffrey at May 25 ceremony Peter Haladej will be ordained in native Slovakia in June By Susan K. Virgalitte The Ordination Class of 2002 for the Diocese of Youngstown consists of three men, two of whom will be ordained tomorrow in Youngstown, and the third who will be ordained in his native Slovakia next month. Deacons Robert Miller and Kevin McCaffrey, both in their 40s, come to ordination after having worked for years in the business world before making the decision to enter the priesthood. Deacon Peter Haladej knew he wanted to be a priest from an early age, but the call to minister in the United States came only after he served at a parish in Alaska while studying for the priesthood. On May 25, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin will ordain Deacons Miller and McCaffrey to the priesthood during a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Columba Cathedral. A reception hosted by the Serra Club and open to the public will follow in the cathedral hall. The ceremony will be broadcast on ETC (the Ecumenical Television Channel) at 8 p.m. May 28 and at 10 a.m. May 29 by Catholic Television Network of Youngstown (CTNY) Consult your local cable listings for ETC. Deacon Haladej, a native of Kosice, Slovakia, will be ordained at the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth in that city on June 15 by Joseph Cardinal Tomko. He will return to the Diocese of Youngstown to begin his priestly ministry. Deacon Robert Miller 44, is the son of Frances Miller and the late Robert Miller. He was born in Canton and is a member of Our Lady of Peace Parish there. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Thomas Moore College in Covington, Ky., then completed his seminary studies at St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pa., earning a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the transitional diaconate on May 19, 2001, by Bishop Tobin. He served internships at Canal Fulton SS. Philip & James Parish, Struthers St. Nicholas, and SS. Peter and Paul Parish, Beaver, Pa. During his final year in seminary, he served at Salem St. Paul Parish. Deacon Miller said that even though these are troubled times for the Catholic Church, he is excited about being ordained. “The Church has always really shone brightest whenever it was in conflict,” he said. “We always seem to come out of conflict with a much greater awareness of who we are as a people of God and where we are supposed to be going.” He added that Catholics in the diocese have been overwhelmingly supportive, not only of his imminent ordination, but also of the priesthood as a whole. “I am encouraged by that,” he said. Deacon Miller worked as a computer projects analyst for a health insurance company for about 15 years before entering the seminary. During his career, he experienced downsizing, pay cuts, and, finally, unemployment for a period of time. He said he would like to minister to those who are unemployed or underemployed, feeling great empathy for people struggling with those problems. “Being unemployed for a length of time is such a depressing situation,” he said. “You lose all motivation to continue the search for a job. You lose a lot of self worth.” Deacon Miller has one brother and two sisters. His brother is David Miller of Louisville, and his sisters are Debbie Miller of Strasburg, Ohio, and Cathie Frame of Louisville. The new Father Miller will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at 3 p.m. May 26 at Salem St. Paul Church. On June 2 at 11 a.m., he will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at his home parish, Canton Our Lady of Peace. Deacon Kevin McCaffrey 42, is the son of Maureen and Lee McCaffrey of Cuyahoga Falls (Diocese of Cleveland). He was born in Akron and is a member of St. Francis de Sales Parish there. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio. Later, he studied philosophy at Franciscan University in Steubenville completed his seminary studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the transitional diaconate on April 29, 2001, by Bishop John F. Kinney at St. Turibius Chapel at the Josephinum. He served internships at Alliance St. Joseph Parish and Massillon St. Barbara Parish. Last summer he served at Youngstown Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish. Deacon McCaffrey said his call to the priesthood came gradually over several years. He, too, worked in the business sector as a bank credit analyst. However, a trip to Jamaica sponsored by the Food for the Poor organization changed his life. During a visit to a home for lepers, he was amazed by the faith of a blind leper who read a poem about Jesus. As McCaffrey listened to the leper, he thought, “This man has no family, friends, money or job. He is completely dependent on these people for his life, but Jesus is number one in his life. I began to think, ‘Who is number one in my life?’ and the answer was ‘me.’ I knew that I had to change.” After he returned home, McCaffrey began meeting with a spiritual director. Little by little, the realization that he was being called to the priesthood became clear to him. “It was a gradual thing. A lot of people helped me,” he said. Speaking of the current crisis in the Catholic Church, Deacon McCaffrey said, “Right now we need holy priests that people can look up to. Most people love their priests and haven’t been turned off. They have shown me a lot of support.” He added that he looks forward to being able to say Mass every day after his ordination. “It’s a beautiful thing a priest can do for his people and for the world.” Deacon McCaffrey has one sister, Kathleen Marquardt of Piqua, Ohio. The new Father McCaffrey will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at noon May 26 at his home parish, Akron St. Francis de Sales. The following Wednesday, he will celebrate Mass with the children of the parish school, in thanksgiving for their prayers for his vocation during the last seven years. He will celebrate other Masses of Thanksgiving at the parishes where he has served: June 2 at Youngstown Our Lady of Mt. Carmel; June 9 at Alliance St. Joseph; June 16 at Cuyahoga Falls St. Joseph (his parents’ home parish); and June 23 at Massillon St. Barbara. Deacon Peter Haladej (pronounced “Holiday”), 26, is the son of Teresia and Paul Haladej of Slanski Nove Mesto, Slovakia. He began his seminary studies in 1994 at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Kosice, Slovakia, and served for a year in Anchorage, Alaska, as part of his training. He came to the Youngstown Diocese in 1999 and studied at St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pa., where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the transitional diaconate in Slovakia on Aug. 11, 2001, by Bishop Alojz Tkac. He served internships at Massillon St. Mary Parish and East Liverpool St. Aloysius Parish. The Exponent will highlight Deacon Haladej’s June 15 ordination in a future issue. Currently, 11 men are studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Youngstown, six at the college level and five at the seminary level. Bishop Tobin will give the new priests their first priestly assignments in the near future.   Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   Other Articles of 2002   Christmas letter from El Salvador missions thanks diocesan Catholics   Bishop shares views, discussion with Central students   ETC slates Christmas specials throughout the season   My Favorite Christmas Memories   Guidelines on religious ed homeschooling are issued   Local Catholic radio station targets Feb. 1 date   HMs end 98-years of service to Salem St. Paul Parish   Learn ‘language’ of young, youth meet speaker urges   Bishop Tobin: Meeting in D.C. on norms was ‘anxious, tense, difficult’   Priests must ask one another the tough questions, speaker says   Catholic death and funeral rites   Deacons mark 25th with Mass, dinner, memories   Diocesan Ministry Convocation Speaker: Global solidarity, not globalization, should be aim   Jusseaume inaugurated as sixth Walsh president   Diaconate marks 25th anniversary with Oct. 27 fete   New norms sent to priests, deacons on Communion under both kinds   Ashtabula parishes are ‘one Catholic community’   Jusseaume to become Walsh’s sixth president   Charismatic speaker: ‘Church being tested in faithfulness’   Lutheran/Catholic covenant event draws 140 to Walsh   Canton St. Joseph Parish observes centennial celebration   HMHP CEO Michael Rowan   Stewardship speaker: It’s about gratitude and thanking God first   Imagination is key to resolving crisis, priests told   War with Iraq? Expo readers opposed by 81-19%   Newspaper columns didn’t give complete story, official says   Diocesan Ministry Convocation set Oct. 26 at YSU’s Kilcawley   New year brings new faculty, changes at diocesan high schools   Mont St. Michel, Avignon’s papal palace are treasures   Preparing for the priesthood   Entering well-earned retirement, Sr. Marcella’s not slowing down   Warren St. Mary observes 100th year for church building   Lay Ministry Formation program attracting new audience   The cathedrals of France: Monuments of faith in stone   Executive summary of the ad hoc commission on athletics in diocesan high schools   ‘No widespread abuse’ found   Milburn leaving pro-life post to pursue grad studies   Return to France yields history, memories, surprises   Two new members appointed for Diocesan Finance Council   Former SS. C&M school razed, but memories remain   Pastor, 80, keeps busy with ‘lots of interests’   Ravenna IC boasts 5 high school valedictorians for ‘02   Humility Sister Sandy Pedone to profess perpetual vows July 21   NRLC convention filled with good news   ‘Capture the Romance’ is theme for NFP Week   Question of moral evil discussed at Walsh symposium   Notre Dame Sisters will celebrate jubilees July 14   ‘A great lady’ retires   Statement of Bishop Tobin on the meeting of the U. S. Conference   Haladej, Celuch ordained to priesthood, diaconate in Slovakia   Bishop plans implementation of norms on sexual abuse   Kevin McCaffrey, Robert Miller are newest priests   Theologian: ‘Behave toward others as though God were there’   Fr. Bonnot: Use good judgment for TV, movie viewing   MOMS: ‘A place to claim yourself’   Storm ‘changed lives forever’ for Jackson Twp. family   Bishop will ordain Miller, McCaffrey at May 25 ceremony   Update on child abuse   Vicar general addresses issue of not giving priest names to media   New Middletown St. Paul youth — called to be ‘witnesses’ for Christ   New Ursuline Sisters leadership team elected to 6-year term   Two receive first pastorates; two pastors change parishes   Abuse coverage   Walsh University dedicates new ‘David’ campus center   Sisters’ HIV/AIDS ministry critical, heartbreaking   Bishop visits St. Peter’s as rebuilding process begins   Chrism Mass theme: Priests can’t afford discouragement   Bishop’s Appeal stresses meeting needs, funding ministries   Diocese OKs closing Conneaut St. Frances Cabrini K-8; preschool stays   St. Stan’s marks 100th year   Canton St. Joseph choir enjoys ‘incredible trip’   New schools superintendent   Four journeys of faith among hundreds marked here   DPC considers direction, importance of youth ministry   Richard Jusseaume named as Walsh University’s sixth president   Pro-life dinner heralds new beginning in Stark County   Kids at church   Religious day studies resurrection amid culture of violence   Richard Jusseaume named as Walsh University’s sixth president   Keynoter: Eucharist should change us   Speaker: ‘Truth’ key concept in Gospel of John   Parishes offer Lenten missions for spiritual enrichment   Parishes offer Lenten missions, speakers series   Working in Medjugorje   TV anchorman finds faith not incompatible with journalism   Action alert on cloning set in diocese for Feb. 2-3   Austintown parishioner finds fulfillment in El Salvador   ‘Where Faith and Knowledge Meet’   Resisting TEMPTATION: It’s worth the effort, teens say   4th annual Diocesan Pro-life Mass set Jan. 26   Catholic/Lutheran dialogue, death of Walsh president top news   Diocese helping Afghanistan relief   Past Articles From 2001