Dear Friends,
When people ask me where my Vocation story begins, I tell them it started with my family, at home, and in the pews of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Severna Park. I was born in Germany while my dad was working abroad, but I’ve always called Maryland home. I’m the fourth of seven children, and I consider growing up in a faithful Catholic family one of the greatest blessings of my life.Some of my earliest memories include going to Mass with my family, singing in the children’s choir, and serving at the altar beginning in the fourth grade. I also loved helping out at the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society with my siblings and friends. These small acts of service planted a seed in me—a desire to give of myself to the Church and to grow closer to Christ.
I was homeschooled through eighth grade, then attended Mount St. Joseph High School, where I was deeply formed by its faculty, campus ministry, and extracurricular life. Through choir, band, theater, and service opportunities, I met classmates from all walks of life. Many of them were facing real struggles, and I began to realize how much people long for meaning, hope, and peace. I wanted to share the joy and love I had received, something only Christ can give in its fullness.
That desire led me to begin discerning the priesthood more intentionally. Through retreats like Quo Vadis, Mount 2000, the Steubenville Conference, and Camp Covecrest, I encountered the Lord in powerful ways. But it was the quiet, consistent faithfulness of my parish priests, teachers, and family that truly moved my heart toward the seminary. I felt the Lord inviting me to be a vessel of His mercy, to bring the sacraments, the Word of God, and His hope to a world in need.
In 2017, I entered St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C. I loved praying the Liturgy of the Hours in community and studying philosophy at Catholic University. I also sang in the seminary schola and participated in campus holy hours with praise and worship music, all of which helped strengthen both my intellect and my interior life.
After graduating from St. John Paul II Seminary in 2021, I continued my formation at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg. My pastoral year at the Pastorate of St. John and St. Joseph in Frederick was one of the most transformative years of my life. It gave me a glimpse of parish life and the sacred privilege of walking with the faithful in both joyful and difficult moments.
This past May, I was ordained a transitional deacon. So far, I’ve had the joy of baptizing a child, preaching the Gospel, and assisting at Mass in a new and deeper way. With every step along the way, my love for the priesthood has grown. I am still learning and still progressing, but I feel an increasing confidence that this is where God is calling me, and I’m eager to continue the journey toward ordination to the priesthood next year.
All of this has been made possible because of God’s grace and because of the generosity of people like you. Every class I’ve taken, every retreat I’ve attended, every moment of spiritual direction and pastoral ministry has been supported by the Vocations Appeal. Your prayers and financial support are not just helping seminarians like me; they are helping form future priests for our parishes, our schools, and our communities.
If you’ve given to the Vocations Appeal in the past, thank you. You’ve played a crucial role in my discernment journey. And if you haven’t yet made a gift this year, I invite you to prayerfully consider doing so by one of the options offered. Your support makes a difference, it truly does.
Please know of my prayers for you and your loved ones, and thank you for the many ways you continue to support Vocations in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
In Christ,
Stephen Kirby
Transitional Deacon
St. Bartholomew Parish
