LaPointe to be ordained transitional deacon

By ROB HERBST
The Catholic Week
MOBILE — It’s appropriate that all are invited to attend Thomas LaPointe’s ordination to the transitional diaconate next month. 
After all, he’s well aware many throughout the Archdiocese of Mobile have made this possible.
“More people than I could count have been praying for me and there’s no question in my mind that I could not be doing this without their support, “Not only has my family supported me, but the entire archdiocese has made this possible through prayers and supporting the seminarians financially. Even the students in our schools have sent us letters, cards and care packages.”
LaPointe will be ordained a transitional deacon June 4 at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Mass begins at 10 a.m. Those unable to attend can also view a livestream of the Mass at Facebook.com/mobilearchdiocese. A reception will follow at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School.
This is one of the final steps before LaPointe would become a priest, which God-willing, would come in June 2023.
Is he ready to become a transitional deacon?
“In a sense, no one is ever perfectly ready for ordained ministry and there is no perfect deacon or priest,” he said. “You could make seminary 20 years long and still not know everything or be perfectly Holy. But the five years I’ve experienced have done a lot for me. … I’m proud and very grateful to be approaching ordination.”
LaPointe will be ordained a transitional deacon at the age of 33 and entered seminary in Fall 2017 at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana. After graduating from the University of Alabama and before entering seminary, the Montgomery native worked for years in Publix’s corporate office in Lakeland, Fla.
Then LaPointe took the leap and left Publix for seminary. In fact, LaPointe worked 11 years for Publix – working there throughout high school and college.
“Leaving Publix … and my newfound independence felt like the height of rash stupidity,” LaPointe joked.
He added: “I can be a very prudent, methodical and calculated person, which is a real strength, but the way God still challenges me is by showing me that He is far beyond my own calculations. Ironically, there is still a beautiful freedom in that: I am able to in faith in the face of uncertainty, know that God’s will is beyond me and better than anything I could plan for myself.”
LaPointe has chosen Fr. Patrick Driscoll, current pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Mobile, to vest him. Previously, Fr. Driscoll served at St. Peter and Holy Spirit Parishes in Montgomery and LaPointe said Fr. Driscoll was influential on him attending seminary.
“He was one of the priests I sought out to discuss the possibility of entering seminary. He did a lot to put my mind at ease and calm some of my anxieties I had with the idea of leaving my job, entering seminary and being a priest,” LaPointe said. “I saw enough similarities between the two of us that I could look at him and say ‘If he’s happy in this life, maybe priesthood is an option for me as well.’ ”
LaPointe is the son of Jerry and Anne LaPointe of Auburn. He is also the grandson of the late Arthur Eccleston, who was a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of New York before he passed away in 2008.
He was raised in St. Peter and St. Bede the Venerable parishes in Montgomery and attended Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, graduating in 2007. LaPointe attended Auburn University at Montgomery for two years before transferring to Alabama. 
LaPointe has since received his Master of Arts degree in Catholic Philosophical Studies from St. Meinrad. While at seminary, LaPointe has served summer assignments at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Mobile and St. John the Evangelist Parish in Enterprise. He will be at City of St. Jude Parish in Montgomery. LaPointe also spent a summer in Guadalajara, Mexico in a Spanish immersion program and Chattanooga, Tenn., for clinical pastoral education.
Please pray for Thomas LaPointe and his continued vocation and discernment of the priesthood.