Our seminarians are back at school following Christmas break. Many of our men spent time in their home parishes or in other parishes throughout the diocese. One of the movements of formation is a desire to spend time in the parish and in the rectory as guys progress closer to priesthood. I hosted several of our seminarians here at the Cathedral Rectory, and I’m grateful to other brother priests who made their homes available as well.

Beyond spending time with family and in parishes, our seminarians also participate in diocesan events as they are able when they are home. The winter SEARCH retreat hosted by the Office of Youth Ministry has long been a great event where our guys can share their gifts. SEARCH has long been a keystone event for high schoolers in our youth groups and Catholic schools. It is a weekend-long retreat that has helped countless young people come closer to Christ at this key point in their lives.

I appreciate Abbey Schuhmann, our diocesan youth coordinator, for having the seminarians help plan and execute liturgies and to help accompany the teens who are on retreat. This tradition goes back at least 2012 when I was in seminary. Back then, Father Aaron Williams was a SEARCH alum who made it a priority to provide beautiful opportunities for liturgical prayer for the teens while he was a seminarian. He passed that role to Father Andrew Bowden, who passed it to Deacon Will Foggo, who is passing that role (I think!) to Joe Pearson.

I was very proud to see Deacon Will at SEARCH this year leading adoration and benediction for the teens. It was a full-circle moment for him, having been a youth group member at St. Paul Flowood and a SEARCH participant, and now leading the teens in prayer as an ordained minister. This is the sort of homegrown story that I always try to highlight. The seminarians we have are from our communities, and, when ordained, will serve our communities. So much goodness can come forth from this type of continuity, both for the people of God and for the seminarians and priests of our diocese.

I was a little embarrassed, however, during benediction. Like a proud dad, I got my phone out to take a picture of Deacon Will, and I forgot to put it on silent. So when I took the photo, there was a loud click in the midst of the beauty and silence of benediction. Whoops. Sorry, Lord.

Each January the seminarians and Bishop gather for an Epiphany Party to celebrate the birth of the Savior. This has been a fun tradition that began when I ran out of time one year to get everyone together before Christmas. It ended up working out well because Epiphany falls after all the busyness of the days leading up to Christmas and New Year’s, and the seminarians are still on break. I am grateful to my assistant in the Vocations Office, Debra Padula, who has been the ‘party planner’ in the Vocations Office for many years now. Debbie has done a great job creating fun traditions that our guys look forward to each year. She really goes for it with the Epiphany theme, helping us proclaim that Jesus is King while keeping everything to a very strict budget. The best tradition, I think, are the crowns from Burger King that she has for all the guests. The crowns are specially decorated with the diocesan seal taped to the front. It’s a fun gag and it sets a great tone for the evening.

This is one of our core events that are held each year that help to foster fraternity among our men. I’m especially happy when I see them ‘coming early and staying late’ when we have events. This means that they enjoy each others’ company and are forming bonds that will last beyond their years in seminary. In a diocese that is so spread out, it is important that we provide our seminarians with opportunities to build fraternity and actively show them how to do it. Our men do this on their own as well. Each spring a group of guys will head up to Starkville to see a Mississippi State baseball game and spend the weekend at St. Joseph Parish. They also go to concerts together in the New Orleans area while they are in school, and they are very intentional about a weekly meal together as diocesan brothers.

Each summer we hold a convocation with all of our seminarians over a few days deep in the woods at a great deer camp that is donated to us by parishioners here in the diocese. These official events only work if our men understand the importance and the urgency of building bonds of friendship and trust with one another. I’m grateful to say that ‘they get it,’ and they are very intentional about this part of the their preparation for priesthood. I know it will serve them well when they enter into ministry, and they’ll be able to lean on one another for support and encouragement when the going gets tough!

(Father Nick Adam is Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jackson. He can be contacted at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)

I began working in vocation ministry officially in August 2019, when Bishop Joseph Kopacz asked me to serve as vocation promoter for the Diocese of Jackson. It is hard to believe that was more than six years ago.

During that time, I have sat across from dozens of young men at various stages of discernment. Over the years, I have come to recognize that while every discernment journey is different, there are common pathways we must be prepared to help young men navigate. The truth is that the final “yes” to enter seminary comes only after many smaller “yeses.”

A young man may not yet be ready to apply for seminary, but for a year or two he may need tools to help him remain engaged in the discernment process, deepen his prayer life, and receive support from other men in similar circumstances.

Thankfully, over the years I have encountered many helpful resources for men in this “pre-seminary” stage of discernment. One of those resources is the High Calling Program offered by the Avila Institute. I have written about this program before. Our first discerner to use it was EJ Martin – and look at him now.

High Calling is a fully online, pre-seminary program that includes about a dozen three-week modules addressing various aspects of discernment. Its faculty includes well-known and vetted seminary professors, experts in spiritual life and discernment, and vocation directors.

This year, I was honored – and a little intimidated – to be invited to teach one of the modules. My topic was the role of friendship in the life of the priest. Over three Wednesday evenings, I guided about 60 students through “Spiritual Friendship” by St. Aelred of Rievaulx, a classic work of Catholic spirituality.

Teaching the text required me to read it closely, and it proved beneficial for me as well. St. Aelred encourages intentionality in developing deep, trustworthy friendships and sharing one’s life with the Lord beyond surface-level interests. This is a particularly practical topic for men considering the seminary. Priesthood is sometimes misunderstood as a vocation for those drawn primarily to solitude, but cultivating strong, healthy friendships is essential to maintaining our humanity as celibate priests.

While it was daunting to face 60 men eager to learn about priestly life, the experience gave me a deeper understanding of the High Calling Program. It was inspiring to witness the dedication of these men, including two from our own diocese.

I am grateful that this program is available to young men who are serious about discerning their vocation, and I hope it is helpful for readers to learn about one of the resources we are able to offer discerners because of your generous support.

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

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.)

By Father Nick Adam
We are looking forward to a unique Thanksgiving weekend at the end of November. Seminarian Will Foggo will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.

This is not the usual time for a deacon ordination. In recent years, they have typically taken place in the spring, but because of changes to the national formation plan for seminarians implemented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Will’s class is scheduled for diaconate ordination late this fall and priestly ordination in the spring. After this year, the schedule should return to its usual rhythm.
Will’s journey is unique. He will serve as a deacon for about six months before being ordained a priest on May 16, 2026.

It will be especially meaningful for me to see Will reach this milestone. He began his seminary journey around the same time I became director of seminarians. I remember in the spring of 2020 receiving a call from Father Jason Johnston, Will’s pastor while he was a student at Mississippi State University, saying he thought Will might be contacting me soon about applying for seminary. I didn’t waste any time – I called Will myself and texted him the application that same day.

I already knew Will and his family well. They are longtime parishioners at St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood, and his mother, Sheila, is a longtime teacher at St. Richard Catholic School in Jackson. Will had also attended a Come and See retreat in February 2020, so I had seen enough to know he was someone we should encourage and support.

Will entered seminary at the height of the pandemic, and I’ve been impressed by his steadiness and maturity throughout the process. He was part of the first group of seminarians who participated in our summer Spanish immersion program and has been active in diocesan youth ministry events such as SEARCH and DCYC. He has also served as master of ceremonies at Notre Dame Seminary for several years – a demanding role that requires ensuring liturgies run smoothly day after day, often with visiting clergy and dignitaries.

Please plan to come and pray for Will and thank the Lord for his vocation on Nov. 29. A reception will follow the Mass in the Cathedral Center. Will is also preparing to graduate from seminary with his master’s degree in theology. That ceremony will take place Thursday, Dec. 11, at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.

It seems like just yesterday we were giving Will a tour of Notre Dame Seminary during that Come and See weekend – but that was nearly six years ago. His story is a great reminder that building a culture of vocations takes time, but it is always worth the effort.

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

By Father Nick Adam
Father Tristan Stovall, Bishop Joseph Kopacz and I enjoyed a wonderful visit to Notre Dame Seminary in late September for the final faculty evaluation for Will Foggo. Will began his journey through seminary formation back at the very height of the pandemic in August 2020. I was blown away by his courage and perseverance to join the seminary at such a challenging time.

Now, five years later, Will is completing his classwork and, after his evaluation, is officially recommended to be admitted to the Sacrament of Holy Orders. He will be ordained a deacon on Saturday, Nov. 29, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle at 10:30 a.m., and he will be ordained a priest on Saturday, May 16, 2026 after a six-month period of work as a deacon in a parish.

There are three levels of holy orders: deacon, priest, and bishop. A man must be a deacon before he is ordained a priest, and a priest before he is ordained a bishop. As a deacon, the man is blessed with sacramental grace to act in the person of Christ the servant, while the priest is ordained to act in the person of Christ the priest. The bishop receives the fullness of holy orders and acts as the shepherd of the whole diocese. Of course, bishops and priests don’t ‘stop’ being deacons after ordination. They must lead and sanctify the people with a servant’s heart, and they will need to draw on the graces of the sacrament in order to be faithful to their duty for life.

So, it was a joyful evening at Notre Dame Seminary following Will’s evaluation. We gathered in the ‘Bib,’ short for bibliotheca (Latin for ‘library’), which is the hangout area for the seminarians ‘after hours.’ Father Tristan cooked a wonderful meal that we all enjoyed, and I love seeing our seminarians, veterans and rookies, having a great time together.

I mentioned to the rector of the seminary, Father Josh Rodrigue, who joined us for the meal, that I always dreamed that we could have a gathering like this one. I cherished my time with my own diocesan brothers in the seminary, but to see so many Jackson men together and having a great time gathered around their bishop was very moving to me.

Our discernment groups are launching once again for the fall semester, and the vocation team is inviting men to take part in a group, visit the seminary, or both. My discernment group in Jackson began the first week of October, and I’m planning on taking at least three men down to St. Joseph Abbey to visit the seminary on Columbus Day weekend. Five discernment group participants from last year ended up in the seminary this year, so this is a model of accompaniment that is repeatable and works.

We are focusing this year on encouraging visits to the seminary as they seem to have the greatest impact on the men. I always remind the guys — we do not offer these opportunities to force them to become priests, but we are giving them resources to explore the call. We see potential in them, yes, but they cannot make a free choice for the Lord if they never get to speak to anyone about what priesthood is like or what the seminary entails. Please keep these discerners in your prayers and pray that the Lord continues to bless us with more seminarians who desire, like Will, to be servant leaders in our diocese.

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

By Father Nick Adam

We’ve had a lot to celebrate in the past month. Many of our seminarians birthdays fall within the months of August and September, so it was a lot of fun on Sept. 5 to go down to South Louisiana and celebrate Grayson Foley’s birthday, while also wishing Francisco Maldonado and Kevin Lopez a belated birthday, and wishing EJ Martin and Wilson Locke a happy ‘soon-to-be birthday.’

I was down at the seminary to move Kevin in after he received his student visa just before the deadline for entry into the seminary for the semester. Kevin has been in the process of transferring from his former seminary in Morelia, Mexico and it took a while to get all the paperwork in order. We are excited to have Kevin enter the fold. He has a real history here in Mississippi as his cousins live in the Tupelo area and he and his parents have spent extended time visiting them over the past several years. Kevin has gotten to know the priests in Northeast Mississippi during this time, and he had been attending the same seminary as Father Cesar Sanchez and so he knew Father Cesar as well.

Kevin will begin his formation with us doing intensive work on English, and we threw him right into the mix on that first day he was in town! I was grateful to him for being such a good sport, and we all encouraged him that his English is quite good already! One of the questions that I ask when considering a candidate is ‘how much time have they spent in our diocese?’ We are seeking to call forth a Homegrown Harvest, and we know that men from all backgrounds are a part of the Catholic Church here in Mississippi. Kevin is an example of someone who has close ties to the state and understands what it would mean to serve here. I can relate, after all, I’m not from Mississippi either, but part of my discernment was being honest with the Lord and my formators and closely discerning where the Lord was calling me to serve as a priest. It turned out that the Lord called me to serve here, and I’m grateful that I was given the opportunity by Father Matthew way back in the day to discern that call.

I am so grateful to all the men who have responded to the Lord’s call to discernment, and I believe Kevin is a great addition to the crew. We are not looking for ‘cookie-cutter’ seminarians, but we do need every single man who studies to be a priest for our diocese to have the People of God in Jackson as their top priority. I believe these men that we have assembled all have serving the good people of our diocese in their hearts, and this is a great place from which to discern. Thank you for your continued prayers for our seminarians. I hope many of you are able to come to the Homegrown Harvest Festival on Oct. 11 at St. Francis in Madison to meet them and spend time with them!

In late summer, vocation directors from across the country gather to pray, learn and encourage one another at the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD). This annual gathering is truly a gift – it renews us spiritually, strengthens us in our work, and reminds us that we are not alone in the challenges of vocation ministry.

Much of the conference’s vitality is thanks to longtime executive director Rosemary Sullivan. With a son who is a priest and daughters who help run the event, she has poured her heart into supporting vocation directors. Her leadership and faith have made NCDVD a place where our ministry can thrive.

At the heart of the conference is prayer. Each day the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration, we pray morning and evening prayer together, and we celebrate Mass as a community. A midweek retreat morning gives us the chance to focus deeply on our relationship with the Lord. These moments keep us grounded – not just as professionals, but as disciples who depend on Christ to sustain our work.

Workshops also provide practical guidance. This year, I learned about preparing seminarians for ordination and ensuring they continue to receive strong support as new priests. Other sessions offered ideas for organizing the vocations office and finding balance in the often-busy life of a vocation director. These insights help us serve our seminarians better and encourage us to keep striving for holiness.

But the conference is not all work – it is also joyful. I am grateful for the leaders and brother priests who make it possible each year. Spending this time together was a moment of true renewal, and I returned home energized for the mission ahead.

That mission comes into special focus next month at our sixth annual Homegrown Harvest Festival on Oct. 11. This event is a joyful celebration of our seminarians – the future shepherds of our diocese. We are blessed to have 12 men currently in formation, and your prayers and support are vital as they discern God’s call. I hope to see many of you at the festival as we pray together for even more laborers to be sent into the Lord’s harvest.

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