Ready to Serve, Lead, Support, and Walk with You!
As the Church celebrates the ordination to the priesthood of Travis Moger this weekend at St. Joseph Church Martinsburg, we pray for him, his family, and praise God for all those discerning the priesthood and religious life.
We are blessed in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston to have such an impressive number of seminarians opening their minds and hearts to religious life. While some have just finished their first year of college, let alone seminary, Seminarian Clifton Mastran is a proud Class of 2025 graduate of the Pope St. John Paul XXIII National Seminary.
Mastran’s seminary shared a reflection he wrote about the impact of his formation and pastoral assignments. As featured in the seminary’s newsletter Sparks of Light:
It was the unplanned, unscripted moments that were impactful for me, where you are able to be an instrument of the Lord to the people of God “out in the field.” For example, saying or doing the right thing at the right time for exactly what that person or the situation called for, be it in providing spiritual counseling, prayers, a loving presence, etc., in which it is clear that what unfolded was under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is so wonderful and exciting to be allowed to participate as an agent of God’s grace! Additionally, I am so grateful for the private Adoration Chapel and the ability to do all of my Holy Hours in Adoration of the Lord! I am also grateful for the relationships with the wonderful people (faculty, staff, and seminarians) that have been a part of my time here, and I look forward to maintaining those relations down the road, even if that will mostly be done remotely!
I cannot wait to be allowed to participate as a minister of God’s grace through the Sacrament of Holy Orders as his priest within his priesthood. I look forward to bringing the Sacraments to the people in an intimate encounter with Christ and helping everyone I meet to grow closer in understanding and love for our Lord and each other, united in Christ! I will strive to be a good shepherd and one who brings the love and mercy of our Lord out to our wounded world!Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary has had taught seminarians from more than 150 dioceses and 25 religious communities. More than 750 alumni serve in dioceses and religious communities throughout the world.
New Vocation Director
Earlier this week, Bishop Mark Brennan announced the official appointment Fr. John Soplinski as Vocations Director in addition to his assignments as vice rector of St. Joseph in Wheeling and parochial vicar of St. Alphonsus Parish in Wheeling. Father was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 2024.
His homily on Nov. 3 from the Cathedral of St. Joseph is appropriate to reiterate today.
“Right now, we have 17 men in formation for the priesthood for our Diocese—a windfall, no one around can remember when it was so high. In addition, there are two who are in formation for religious orders, one who is in formation for the Fraternal Society of St. Peter, and two who are in formation for the Byzantine Catholic Church.
“And as a recent graduate of a Seminary, I can speak to the enthusiasm, the joyfulness of the young men who are studying to serve you.
“I credit those young men for helping me along my journey—even if there were times, I wanted to knock their heads together for their enthusiasms…that’s just the age gap.
“We ask you to pray for them, because there is an attrition factor, not all the young men who go to Seminary stay in Seminary. This is not a failure—you don’t really know if God is calling you until you submit to the process of formation.
“The Church cannot discern whether a man or a woman is called to religious life until they enter into formation. And it takes a number of years, 7 at a minimum, 9 at a maximum, there are no shortcuts to the priesthood.
“Bishop Mark, himself once a vocations director for 10 years in Washington D.C., often ends his vocation talks to the Serra Club or to the various retreats offered for men discerning a vocation by saying: ‘The people of God want priests, good holy, healthy, and happy priests.’
“And we need them, as a new priest I can tell you a few extra hands wouldn’t hurt a bit.
Keep praying, as one of my professors who speaks often nationally tells his audience—’the cavalry is coming’—the Holy Spirit provides for the Church—especially when you and I play our part.”Summer Assignments – Deepen Discernment for Diocesan Seminarians:
Clifton Mastran – Sts. Peter and Paul (Oak Hill, WV)
Dominic Re – St. Joseph’s (Martinsburg, WV)
Michael Aiello – St. John University Parish (Morgantown, WV)
Bryan Tedeschi – IPF Summer Program
Nathan Schmidt – Our Lady of Fatima (Huntington, WV)
Michael Tupta – Camp Carlo
Timothy Kawash – St. Vincent’s (Berkely Springs, WV)
Peter Russman – St. Joseph’s (Huntington, WV)
Reece Lopatka – Camp Carlo
David Hensler – St. James the Greater (Charles Town, WV)
Andrew Dean – St. Patrick’s (Weston, WV)
Joseph Derico – St. John’s (Wellsburg, WV)
Donvito Cortese – Guatemala Summer Program
Sebastian Lasko – St. James the Greater (Charles Town, WV)
Christopher Nelson – St. Joseph’s (Weirton, WV)
