Florida Catholic | New Transitional Deacon Is ordained

Man takes step toward priesthood

Deacon Brian Campbell moves another step closer to his goal of the priesthood.

PAT LANGFORD | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 06.06.08

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito clasps the hands seminarian Brian Campbell during the ordination liturgy for the diocese’s newest transitional deacon.
JASON COLLINS | FC

NORTH PALM BEACH | The priesthood was something that Brian Campbell thought about at the age of 7, but his mother had the feeling that her son would be a priest when he was even younger.

“Since he was an infant, he would be content in the church,” said Virginia McCamish. “I think it was when he was about 8 months old. I said (to myself), ‘He is going to be a priest. I just have that feeling.’”

Deacon Campbell, 27, appeared very content in church during ceremonies at St. Paul of the Cross Parish June 1 as he took the next step along his journey to the priesthood. With Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito presiding, the seminarian was ordained a transitional deacon.

Family, friends, parishioners and seminarians from around the diocese were present to show support for the diocese’s newest deacon.

Deacon Campbell’s ordination came more than 20 years after he moved with his family to Florida and settled in Naples, where they were members of St. Anne Parish there. The first call to the priesthood happened when he was a second-grader.

“I remember being deeply moved by the example of a young priest who made the Mass and the Catholic faith really come alive for me,” Deacon Campbell said about the parish priest who greatly influenced him. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Someday I’d like to be like him.’”

“Father Bob Tabbert at St. Anne’s – Brian just absolutely loved him,” McCamish said. “He’s a very good priest and I remember my son looking up at me and saying, ‘I want to be a priest, mommy.’ And I said, ‘OK.’”

The call to the priesthood continued to grow louder and after gradating from high school in 1998, Deacon Campbell enrolled in Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, a school with a Catholic curriculum that integrates faith with studies.

“I was praying about God’s role in my life and what part of that was about priestly vocations,” he said.

He was motivated again by then-Bishop Sean O’Malley, who is now a cardinal, when he served as bishop of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass. After serving Fall River for 10 years, Bishop O’Malley was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach in 2002, where he served for nine months before his appointment as archbishop of Boston in July 2003.

Deacon Campbell decided to e-mail the leader of the Diocese of Palm Beach about his thoughts of the priesthood, not expecting the immediate reply he received.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t think he’d ever contact me or anything because bishops are very busy people,” Deacon Campbell said. “He responded immediately, called my house up, met with me the next day. He was very responsive, incredibly responsive.”

Bishop O’Malley invited the young man to “come be a seminarian in 2003 for the Diocese of Palm Beach.”

“The personal touch – he was very instrumental in my vocation,” Deacon Campbell said. “I remember one of the comments he made to me was that sometimes the Lord sends crosses our way to help us become better people. The meeting with him really moved me and I felt the spirit moving.”

Deacon Campbell entered St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary for his first year of studies. He entered St. John Vianney in Miami for a year and then enrolled at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where he is completing studies at this point. He hopes to be ordained to the priesthood in about a year.

“It’s been a great experience,” Deacon Campbell said about his time as a seminarian.

“Brian is very good guy – very intellectually oriented,” said Father Yves François, vocations director of the Diocese of Palm Beach. “The whole church will benefit a lot from his energy, his love for God, his love for the church and his love to serve.”

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Man takes step toward priesthood

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