On May 25, starting at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, 13 transitional deacons will be ordained to the priesthood. Two of these men, Deacons Brent Bowman and Sean Mulcare, shared their journeys to the presbyterate this week on the “Practicing Catholic” radio show with producer Kayla Mayer.
Deacon Bowman said his journey to the priesthood began when he was confirmed in eighth grade.
“I had a profound encounter with the Holy Spirit for the first time and I didn’t understand what that was. But I think looking back I can say, I think the seed of my vocation was planted due to the power of that sacrament,” Deacon Bowman said.
Deacon Bowman pursued a corporate career in marketing and business development for 15 years — until 2015 when he visited Medjugorje, an unapproved Marian apparition site in Bosnia-Herzegovina that welcomes millions of pilgrims a year.
The experience at Medjugorje “hearkened back to the desire of my heart many years ago toward the priesthood and really clarified for me, I think, both to call and the desire to become a priest,” he said.
Deacon Mulcare also experienced the call to the priesthood over the span of many years. He first felt called to the priesthood when he attended Extreme Faith camp in middle school.
At the camp, “I just encountered God’s love for the first time, and it all became so real for me,” he said. “It just felt like (God said) ‘I want you to be my priest.’”
During high school, his desire for the priesthood waned. But after he graduated from high school he served for a year with St. Paul-based NET Ministries, where his desire for the priesthood was reignited through ministry to young people. After he served with NET, he entered the seminary.
Both deacons expressed excitement for their upcoming ordination.
Deacon Bowman said he is excited to share “God’s particular love for each of us.”
“In response to having experienced God’s love for me in such a particular way, I’m just so convicted that so few people know how much they’re loved by God. I think that’s a huge need for the Church,” said Bowman.
To hear more about Deacons Bowman and Mulcare’s journeys to the priesthood and the role models who helped them along the way, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. April 19 and repeats at 1 p.m. April 20 and 2 p.m. April 21 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the program also includes Father Skluzacek talking about his years at the seminary and in the priesthood, and Father Brian Gross reflecting upon his years of ministry in northwestern North Dakota.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
