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Deacon Johnson traces calling back to priest's homily |
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By Maria Wiering
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Thursday, 21 May 2009 |
“It was Feb. 18, 2002. . . .”
That’s how Deacon — soon to be Father — Michael Johnson starts his vocation story.
That’s right: He knows the date he first heard his vocation calling.
Deacon Michael Johnson
At
the time, Deacon Johnson, now 26, was a freshman at the University of
Minnesota studying geophysics. He planned to go into oil exploration
and was looking forward to the adventure and money his career could
bring. However, on that Sunday in February, his vision of his future
radically changed.
He was attending Mass at St. Paul parish in Ham Lake with his sister
Lisa, and it happened to be the 35th priesthood jubilee of St. Paul’s
pastor, Father Tim Nolan.
In his homily, Father Nolan spoke about the joys of his priesthood, and
he invited the men listening to consider the priesthood. He asked those
who felt something within them stir not to ignore the Holy Spirit. If
his homily gave anyone sweaty hands, he said, they might be called to
the priesthood.
Deacon Johnson’s palms were wet.
After Mass in the car, his sister put the keys in the ignition to start
the engine, but she stopped. “I have to say something,” she told him.
“The only person I could think about during the homily was you.”
Seven months later, Deacon Johnson was in St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas.
After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in 2005 with a
bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies, he moved across campus to the
St. Paul Seminary, where he studied for four more years.
He will be ordained a priest May 30 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.
Deacon Michael Johnson
Age: 26
Hometown: Lino Lakes
Home parish: St. Joseph, Lino Lakes
Parents: Donald and Kathy Johnson
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies from the University of St. Thomas, minor in philosophy
Teaching parish: St. Rose of Lima, Roseville
Pastoral internship experiences: Clinical pastoral
experience at Unity and Mercy hospitals, Coon Rapids and Fridley;
Spanish-language ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Paul; diaconate
placement at Divine Mercy in Faribault
Hobbies: Biking, gardening, cooking, photography, and playing piano and marimba
Favorite seminary class: “The Catholic Vision” taught by John Boyle, taken while an undergraduate at St. John Vianney College Seminary
Favorite book: “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien
Favorite music: Classical
Favorite restaurant: Davanni’s Pizza
Favorite movie: “The Untouchables”
Person he most admires: St. Maximilian Kolbe (Deacon Johnson was born on his feast day, Aug. 14.)
Thanksgiving Masses:
• Sunday, May 31, 10 a.m., St. Joseph in Lino Lakes
• Saturday, June 6, 4 p.m., Divine Mercy in Faribault
• Sunday, June 7, 10 a.m., St. Rose of Lima
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Anticipating joys
Deacon Johnson had not given serious thought to the priesthood before
Father Nolan’s homily, he said, but he has not had many doubts since.
Both college and major seminary provided strong models of priesthood
for him, including that of Father Donald DeGrood, who was a model of
holiness, Deacon Johnson said. “He’s incredibly authentic, a model of
charity, a man for others.”
Initially, the greatest struggle in his discernment was knowing he
wouldn’t be able to get married and be a father, Deacon Johnson said.
“There’s a sacrifice to that,” he added, a sacrifice he especially felt
after his niece was born.
However, his sister and her husband, Andy, now have two children, and
Deacon Johnson has found his role as uncle. As a deacon, he was also
able to witness the marriage of his younger brother, Peter, and his
wife, Katie, last summer.
Deacon Johnson expects the real challenge of priesthood to come when
his natural abilities are stretched to their limits. “There’s no way a
priest can prepare for some circumstances,” he said, like addressing
tragedies. However, he’s a good listener, he said.
At the same time, he’s most looking forward to ministering in
hospitals, he said. His clinical pastoral experience at Unity and Mercy
hospitals in Coon Rapids and Fridley revealed that beauty and openness
can accompany an otherwise uncertain, sad or trying time.
“I saw some of the most beautiful things during my CPE,” he said,
recalling the time he was present at a man’s death, prayed the prayers
of the church and was present to his wife.
“[People] are already very vulnerable in a hospital, but they open
themselves up in a way that’s very beautiful,” he said. “They can draw
very close to God.”
Deacon Johnson knows he and his classmates are treading into some
unknown waters as the archdiocese begins its parish and school planning
process, but he thinks it’s a good thing, especially if it helps the
archdiocese better use its resources.
However, Deacon Johnson thinks the need for a plan would be less
pressing if the archdiocese had more priests. He wishes more priests
would speak about the joy their vocation brings, like Father Nolan did.
“I think it behooves priests to be like Father Nolan,” Deacon Johnson
said, “because there are a lot of priests who have such joy and a love
for the priesthood.
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