Philip Johnson

1st Pre-Theology

Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook

Ordination Date: 2015

Birth Date: July 24

Home Parish: Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Dunn, NC)

High School: Westchester Academy (High Point, NC)

College: United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD)

Hobbies: Gregorian chant, anything from France, piano, mandolin, Celtic music, traveling, foreign languages, writing.

Who Influenced/Inspired you to Priesthood: Father Thomas Frederick Price was the first native-born North Carolinian to be ordained a Catholic priest.  He traveled throughout the state in the late 19th Century in order to spread the Catholic Faith to the Protestant population.  Father Price ministered to many of my ancestors throughout his travels in North Carolina, so I have a special devotion to "The Tar Heel Apostle."

What would you say to a young man who thinks he may have a vocation: Give the priesthood the first chance.  We have a vocation shortage right now, but it is not because God has stopped calling young men to share in His priesthood - it is because many young men do not respond to this beautiful call from God.  Too many Catholic men consider the priesthood to be a "backup plan" if they can not find a suitable wife or career.  It is every man's responsibility to properly discern the priesthood before committing himself to marriage.

Favorite Scripture Passage: "[Jesus] said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net" (Luke 5:4-5). Our Lord often asks us to do things with which we are uncomfortable, and pursuing a vocation to the priesthood is no different. This passage is especially touching because it confirms that God is in control of everything and will not let us down as long as we remain faithful and trust in Him. The Lord often asks us to "launch out into the deep" when we don't know what the future holds, but we know that He will remain always with us.

Favorite Saint:: Saint Bernadette gave us an excellent example of perseverance in the face of sickness and suffering.  The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette eighteen times in 1858, but Bernadette's thirteen years of patient prayer and suffering in the convent is what led to her canonization.  Through young Bernadette, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave us a message that we must never forget: "Penance, Penance, Penance!  Do penance for sinners!"  Saint Bernadette lived out this message and kept her focus on attaining eternal life in heaven, which is our true goal during this short earthly life.

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