Five men ordained to the priesthood, another large class of seminarians and ongoing evangelization efforts were among the 2024 highlights in the Diocese of Columbus.
Bishop Earl Fernandes ordained Fathers Tyler Carter, Daniel Colby, Jason Fox, Michael Haemmerle and David Johnstone to the priesthood at Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral on May 18. They made up the largest class of newly ordained seminarians for the diocese since 2018.
All are serving as parochial vicars – Father Carter at Gahanna St. Matthew Church, Father Colby at Marion St. Mary and Cardington Sacred Hearts churches, Father Fox at Sunbury St. John Neumann Church and the Johnstown Church of the Ascension, Father Haemmerle at Westerville St. Paul the Apostle Church and Father Johnstone at Worthington St. Michael Church.
Father Carter also was appointed as administrator of Columbus Holy Resurrection Melkite Catholic Church, whose pastor, Father Ignatius Harrington, retired. Father Haemmerle received an appointment as assistant diocesan vocations director and Father Johnstone is chaplain of Columbus St. Francis DeSales High School.
In addition, seminarians Sam Severance, Kevin Girardi and Joseph Rolwing were ordained by Bishop Fernandes on March 9 as transitional deacons and anticipate being ordained to the priesthood for the diocese in 2025.
The diocese welcomed another large class of seminarians this fall as 10 young men began formation for the priesthood, with 14 more entering their second year. The diocese has 40 seminarians in various stages of formation.
Because the number of diocesan seminarians has grown beyond expectations, the diocese early in the year announced an ongoing campaign with the title A Good and Growing Need to help offset the cost of seminary formation.
To assist diocesan priests in serving 82 parishes and nearly 300,000 Catholics in 23 counties, a number of international priests are now present throughout the diocese to serve vibrant and growing ethnic communities.
In addition to priests and religious, the involvement of lay missionaries and ecclesial movements in the diocese have grown steadily in the past 2½ years as part of what Bishop Fernandes has described as a culture of vocations and evangelization. The bishop told the Catholic Men’s Luncheon Club on Oct. 5 that about 180 people in the diocese are involved with these ministries.
They are on college campuses through the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) at Ohio State and Ohio Northern universities and St. Paul’s Outreach at Ohio State and in lay organizations such as the Missionary Servants of the Word; Urban Encounter; Communion and Liberation; the Columbus Catholic Charismatic Renewal; and Young Catholic Professionals.
The St. Thomas More Newman Center serving Ohio State University in Columbus welcomed 30 new Catholics who were confirmed at the Easter Vigil in March.
Evangelization efforts across the diocese were evident in June when approximately 7,000 people took part in a portion of the nationwide pilgrimage preceding the National Eucharistic Congress.
The diocese was part of the St. Elizabeth Seton Route, one of four routes that began in different parts of the nation in May and converged in Indianapolis. Pilgrims traveling the route arrived in the diocese on June 24 at Somerset St. Joseph Church, the “cradle of Ohio Catholicism,” and concluded their stay in central Ohio on June 30 at Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral.
Other stops were in Columbus, Newark, Pickerington, Westerville, and notably at the Pickaway Correctional Institution in Orient on June 28. This was the only visit to a prison on any of the four stops nationwide. About 35 incarcerated men took part in a Mass there and 25 were able to participate in a procession afterward.
More than 400 people from the diocese were among the 50,000 attending the national congress. Most of the Columbus participants attended a Mass for them celebrated by Bishop Fernandes at Holy Rosary Church in downtown Indianapolis just before the congress’ opening session.
Other significant events included:
In December, thousands of people came to Columbus St. Patrick Church to venerate a relic of St. Thomas Aquinas’ skull. The relic was touring the United States as part of the Dominican Order’s celebration of the 800th anniversary of the saint’s birth, the 750th of his death and the 700th of his canonization.
A relic consisting of bone fragment of St. Francis Xavier was presented for veneration for one day at the cathedral on Dec. 3. The event on the saint’s feast day was in conjunction with a similar veneration in India, where St. Francis was a missionary.
In November, Bishop Fernandes declared that Columbus Holy Name Church was to become the diocesan Shrine of Our Lady, Star of the New Evangelization, a site for pilgrimages and prayer. A parish with the same name was created in 2023 at the church, combining the congregations of Holy Name and the Spanish-speaking Parroquia Santa Cruz. The bishop celebrated a Mass there before an overflow congregation on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
In October, Msgr. Stephan Moloney and Julie Greer, who served as executive assistant to the last four bishops of Columbus during a 20-year career with the diocese, received the Vatican’s Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award in October for service to the Church.
In mid-October, Bishop Fernandes established an Order of Widows for the diocese. Those eligible for the order are women whose husbands have died and declare freely a proposal to remain permanently in the widowed state. The order is open only to women who live in the diocese, usually in their current home.
In September, Salesian Sister Antoinette Cedrone, FMA, was appointed as the bishop’s delegate for religious. She also assists the Office of Vicariate Support. She succeeds Father Stash Dailey as diocesan director of religious-order priests, sisters and brothers. Father Dailey is now pastor of Worthington St. Michael Church.
In August, Msgr. Craig Eilerman on Aug. 24 became the 14th priest currently living in the diocese to receive the honorary designation of monsignor, awarded by the pope. Msgr. Eilerman, a priest for 37 years, has been pastor of the Lancaster Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption since 2011.
In July, Father Michael Hartge was appointed diocesan vicar general and moderator of mission advancement while remaining as moderator of the Curia, the organization which includes all Columbus diocesan priests. Father William Hahn received an appointment as vicar general and director of priestly life and vocations.
They succeeded Msgr. Moloney as vicar general, with Msgr. Moloney remaining pastor of Columbus St. Andrew Church and being named vicar for the Northwest Columbus Vicariate. Msgr. Moloney held administrative roles in the diocese for nearly 40 years, beginning as assistant chancellor in 1985.
Deacon Stephen Pettrill became director of the diocesan Office of the Diaconate on the retirement of Deacon Frank Iannarino, who had held the position since the office was opened in 1991.
Also in July, the diocese opened a Respect Life office to strengthen its commitment to protecting and supporting life in all stages. Its director is Father Bob Penhallurick, pastor of Columbus St. Catharine of Siena Church.
In May, Jim Jackson joined the diocese on May 28 as senior director of the new diocesan Office of Advancement. Changes in the diocesan Social Concerns Office included the retirements of longtime director Mark Huddy and associate director Erin Cordle.
Clergy members who died in 2024 and had served in the diocese were Msgr. Francis J. Meagher, 89, on March 25; Father Vincent “Vinny” McKiernan, CSP, 93, on June 10; Father Stephen Fitzhenry, OP, 93, on July 5; Father Dennis D. Donovan, SDB, 70, on July 25; Father Nicholas L. Gregoris, 52, on Aug. 21; Deacon Peter C. Labita, 80, on April 12; Deacon Joseph V. Salvo, 89, on April 1; Deacon Melvin “Mickey” Hawkins, 75, on May 20; and Deacon Francis A. Paniccia, 91, on June 19.
Religious sisters who died in late 2023 and 2024 and had served in or were natives of the Diocese of Columbus, or who lived in the diocese at the time of their deaths, were: Sister Jean Anne Blust, SNDdeN, 90, Dec. 26. 2023; Sister Rose Bowen, OP, 97, Feb. 2; Sister Irene Eckerman, OP, 95, Feb. 20; Sister M. Teresa Robert Nekoranec, OCarm, 90, March 11; Sister Rosemary Wack, SNDdeN, 95, March 24; Sister Cyrilla Jackels, OSF, 100, April 5; Sister Mary Rosita Schiller, RSM, 87, April 17; Sister Teresita Weind, SNDdeN, 81, April 28; Sister Francis Clare Perry, OSF, June 11; Sister Maureen Cannon, OP, 91, June 11; Sister Maxine Shonk, OP, 80, June 13; Sister Sharon Paul, OSF, 80, June 16; Sister Karen Allen, OSF, 97, July 31; Sister Lucy Dorn, OSF, 92, Sept. 4; Sister Mary Faith Dargan, OP, 93, Sept. 26; Sister Alice Thome, OSF, 97, Sept. 29; Sister Matthias Sterner, OP, 93, Oct. 9; Sister Valerie Noone, OP, 83, Oct. 11; Sister Irene Yosick, OSF, 94, Oct. 28; and Sister Rosalie Graham, OP, 90, Nov. 22.