By ROB HERBST The Catholic Week After four years in the corporate world and six years in seminary, Deacon Thomas LaPointe is ready for what he’s been called to do. The Archdiocese of Mobile will celebrate the ordination of Deacon LaPointe to the priesthood as well as the ordination of Joseph Schultz to the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. June 3 at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile. All are invited to attend and the Mass will be livestreamed at Facebook.com/mobilearchdiocese. A reception will follow at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. “This is a very exciting time. I will miss St. Meinrad (Seminary and School of Theology) and my classmates dearly, but I’m excited to return back to Alabama. I feel very confident in my formation and training and I think I’m ready to be a priest,” Deacon LaPointe said. LaPointe will be ordained to the priesthood at the age of 34. After graduating from the University of Alabama, LaPointe worked for four years in Publix’s corporate office in Florida. But the Montgomery native, who was raised in St. Peter and St. Bede the Venerable Parishes, discerned a call and entered seminary in 2017. Since entering seminary, Deacon LaPointe has also served summer assignments at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Tillman’s Corner, St. John the Evangelist Parish in Enterprise and City of St. Jude Parish in Montgomery. Deacon LaPointe is the son of Jerome and Anne LaPointe. He attended Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s St. Bede campus, then graduated from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School in 2007. He also graduated from St. Meinrad on May 13 with a Master of Divinity and a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology. Deacon LaPointe has chosen Fr. Patrick Driscoll to vest him. Fr. Driscoll is now pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Mobile, but previously served at St. Peter and Holy Spirit parishes in Montgomery. “When I first started thinking about priesthood, meeting with him helped me frame discernment in a way that I could manage,” Deacon LaPointe said. “Discerning the priesthood can be overwhelming. … I chose him because I wanted to give him that honor and his priesthood is one I want to emulate.” Deacon LaPointe has also received plenty of support from others, especially this past year. “Planning an ordination and first Mass is stressful, almost as involved as a wedding, but I’ve found tremendous support and numerous people have been generous beyond belief which has enabled me to continue focusing on my last semester at seminary,” he said. “Excitement and gratitude are the two most significant emotions I’m experiencing right now.” Schultz said he is feeling similar emotions as his ordination to the transitional diaconate nears. He will be ordained a transitional deacon at age 27. God-willing he will be ordained to the priesthood next year. “Excited, of course – this is the last big step toward the priesthood and what I’ve been orienting and preparing myself toward for five years now. So yes, it’s exciting to see all this effort come to fruition!” Schultz is the son of Matt and Michelle Schultz and he is one of six children. He grew up in St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Auburn and also graduated from Auburn University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a minor in Business. Before entering seminary, Schultz served as a FOCUS Missionary at Georgia Tech. Both Auburn and Georgia Tech had an impact on Schultz, who eventually entered seminary in 2018. “It was during my later years of college that I had begun to really surround myself with good, faithful, authentic Christian friends. Their witnesses inspired me to take my faith more seriously and to strive more honestly to listen for God’s voice and plan for my life. “It was the foundation that allowed me to accept God’s prompting for a position with FOCUS as a missionary. In turn, FOCUS’ formation and expectations gave me an avid prayer life. And as it turns out, an avid prayer life often leads to hearing God’s voice more clearly – and speak He did!” Since entering seminary, Schultz has served summer assignments at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Enterprise and St. Bede the Venerable Parish in Montgomery and will serve at St. Patrick Parish in Robertsdale before returning to St. Meinrad this fall. Schultz has asked Msgr. William Skoneki, longtime pastor of St. Michael the Archangel and now vicar general of the Archdiocese of Mobile, to vest him on June 3. “He was my pastor during my early years and an example of a strong leader for the rapidly growing, dynamic Church in Auburn,” he said. Please pray for Deacon LaPointe and Joseph Schultz and for continuing vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Official Appointments Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi appoints: