By Father Nick Adam
I’m still reflecting with joy on the ordination of Deacon Will Foggo, and I await with great hope his priestly ordination on May 16. This ordination was especially meaningful to me as vocation director because Will is the first seminarian I’ve had the privilege to see all the way through. Reaching this moment with him has prompted me to consider what has changed – and what has remained steady – since he began seminary in August 2020 and I began my role the month before.

One major difference, of course, is that we are no longer in the midst of a global pandemic. I called Will and Grayson Foley the “Bubble Boys” because they arrived at St. Joseph Seminary College at the height of COVID, when campus was closed to all nonessential personnel. The seminary was able to operate fairly normally, and infections stayed low, but the isolation and uncertainty of that “bubble” created real challenges. I remain proud of how they both handled those early years with faith and resilience.
Beyond that, the biggest shift in our vocation program has been the intentional expansion of ways we accompany young men discerning God’s call. We’ve strengthened our diocesan discernment groups, increased the number of seminary visits we offer each year, and become more present in schools and parishes. The addition of Father Tristan Stovall as assistant vocation director has been a tremendous blessing, and Bishop Kopacz’s steady support has helped build a culture where vocations are encouraged and nurtured throughout the diocese.
When men have a place to talk openly about their experiences of God’s call, they are far more likely to reach the point of “taking the leap” and applying to seminary. Will experienced that kind of accompaniment through Father Jason Johnston, who served as his chaplain at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison and later as his campus minister at Mississippi State. That steady, personal support helped him discern with confidence. Over the past six years, more of our priests have embraced that same approach – walking with young men in their parishes, campuses and schools so they can explore God’s call in a healthy way.
I’m excited to have Will serving in Starkville as a deacon. He relates naturally to young people, and I know he will accompany anyone who approaches him with interest in the priesthood. I’m grateful for all those who walked with him to bring him to this moment, and I look forward with hope to the day he is ordained a priest for our diocese.

(For more information on vocations, visit jacksonvocations.com or contact Father Nick at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)