Every man wants that little corner of the universe where he can just call something his. These men are in the process of saying ‘Christ is mine, and I am His.’
About Fr. Kauth
Father Matthew Kauth was born and raised in Peoria Illinois, where he attended Catholic grade school and high school. A trip to Italy changed his life forever when he witnessed an elderly woman kneeling on the rocks during outdoor Mass after their bus broke down. Her devotion destroyed his indifference to the Eucharist and the Church. He wanted to know what that woman saw in the Host and began searching. His search eventually led him to the priesthood.
Fr. Kauth completed his studies in philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia and transferred to the Diocese of Charlotte following graduation to assist in the missionary efforts faced with the burgeoning Catholic population. He completed his graduate work at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., earning his ecclesiastical degree (STB) and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. After serving six years as a parochial vicar and pastor in the Diocese of Charlotte, he continued his studies in Rome and received a license and doctorate in Moral Theology. Fr. Kauth served as the Chaplain of Charlotte Catholic High School and a professor at Belmont Abbey College before he was appointed Rector of St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016.
Fr. Kauth is the author of two books, Charity as Divine and Human Friendship: A Metaphysical and Scriptural Explanation According to the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and The Sacraments: Discovering the Treasure of Divine Life.
Hear his vocation story:
What did you make me for?
Education
B.A. Philosophy St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
S.T.B. Catholic University of American, Washington D.C
S.T.L. Moral Theology University of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, Italy
S.T.D. Moral Theology University of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, Italy
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte, NC – In Residence 2012-2016
Charlotte Catholic High School - Chaplain 2012-2016
St. Francis of Assisi, Franklin, NC – Pastor 2003-2008
St. Francis of Assisi, Franklin, NC – Administrator 2002-2003
St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, NC - Parochial Vicar 2000-2002
Fr. Matthew Buettner
Spiritual Director
It is a tremendous privilege and a grace from God that St. Joseph College Seminary exists in this day and age. We are growing, and God is continuing to make this endeavor fruitful. He's building up the most important part, which is the spiritual life, the intellectual life of this seminary…that’s happening first. He's building us up from the inside out.
About Fr. Buettner
Father Buettner was raised in a faithful Catholic family in Peoria, Illinois, where he attended Catholic elementary and high school. Growing up, his faith was important to him, but he describes his prayer life at that time as minimal and his relationship with the Lord as professional. “I’d see him on Sundays, and then forget about him the rest of the week.” After attending a high school retreat, he had his first real encounter with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and began making Holy Hours before he even knew what they were.
He chose to attend community college to be close to home, at the same deciding to begin attending daily mass, to pray the rosary every day, and attend confession more frequently. “I found a peace in Christ’s presence that I couldn’t find anywhere else. I was feeling called to the priesthood. I realized that this is what I wanted to pursue, if this is what God wants of me. So, I broke up with my girlfriend and realized that I had to become more serious about this.”
Shortly after hearing his call to the priesthood, he was invited to the Diocese of Charlotte. “It was the first time I boarded a plane, and when I arrived, I had this very distinct feeling that I was coming home. I was in Charlotte for one weekend, and during that time, I discerned two things – I was called to be a priest, and I was meant to be in the Diocese of Charlotte.”
After attending St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Fr. Buettner was ordained in 2003. Following several parish assignments across the diocese, Bishop Jugis appointed him as the full-time spiritual director for the rapidly-growing St. Joseph College Seminary in 2018. Fr. Buettner says he knew he would one day work with seminarians, because seminary is the place where he fell in love with the Lord.
On a daily basis, Fr. Buettner is the house confessor. (The seminarians attend confession at least once a week.) He also provides private spiritual direction to several of the men in the house. He is a regular speaker at the seminary’s rector’s conferences where he lectures on a variety of spiritual topics.
Fr. Buettner is the author of Understanding the Mystery of the Mass. When not teaching or advising our seminarians, you can find him playing drums or exercising.
Hear his vocation story:
Another video with Fr. Buettner:
Education
B.A. Philosophy St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MDiv Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
Spiritual Director at St Joseph College Seminary, Charlotte
Vocations Board, Diocese of Charlotte
St. Michael Catholic Church, Gastonia - Pastor
St. Dorothy Catholic Church, Lincolnton - Pastor
St. Dorothy Catholic Church, Lincolnton - Parochial Vicar
St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Charlotte - Parochial Vicar
Summer assignments included: St. Francis in Franklin, Our Lady of Lourdes in Monroe, St. Francis in Jefferson, Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte, Spanish Immersion in Puebla, Mexico
Fr. Jason Christian
Academic Dean
Life in the seminary for me was a lot of beautiful surprises. I didn’t anticipate I would have such a love for theology and philosophy. I never thought I’d meet some of the best friends of my life there.
About Fr. Christian
The priesthood was not on Jason Christian’s radar in or following high school. He worked in the technology field and considered careers in the military and medicine before following a call to the seminary. He was reticent about entering seminary but found that “God gives the grace where He gives the call.” He also believes God calls every person in a particular way. “One of the things that I had to learn is that God knows better…not only about everything else in the world but also about everything that concerns me. St. Augustine said, ‘God is more intimate to me than I am to myself.’ God knows far better than I do what he made me for, and in what way I will be fulfilled.”
While in seminary, Fr. Christian was pleasantly surprised by his newfound love of philosophy and theology. But, he says the best thing about seminary was reaching its goal and conclusion –ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Charlotte in 2013 exceeded all of his expectations. Following his ordination, Fr. Christian served as parochial vicar of St. Michael Church in Gastonia and St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte. Currently, he is the pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon.
Father Christian serves as the Academic Dean for St. Joseph College Seminary. He believes formation should be personal, challenging, and sanctifying. “Part of loving God is growing in intimate knowledge of Him. That’s part of how we fulfill that great commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.”
Fr. Christian believes the seminary’s affiliation with Belmont Abbey College provides an ideal context in which a holistic formation can unfold. “The Benedictines have been a conserver of the human arts, the liberal arts, and transmitted much of Western civilization. What a great place in which to pursue that kind of human formation.”
Hear his vocation story:
Forming good and holy priests:
Education
B.A. Philosophy Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio
S.T.B. Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome
S.T.L. Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, The Angelicum, Rome
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St. John the Baptist, Tryon - Pastor
St. Michael Church, Gastonia - Parochial Vicar
St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte - Parochial Vicar
Fr. John Putnam
Formation Faculty
My experience with St. Joseph College Seminary thus far is that it is a joyful place to be. They are men that love the Lord, that strive each day to be holy, who are really overjoyed that they have the opportunity to serve the Lord in this way and be open to God’s call in their lives. That’s tremendously encouraging for someone like me who has been a priest for 26 years.
About Fr. Putnam
Growing up in Newton, North Carolina, John Putnam was raised Southern Baptist but began visiting other churches with friends in his teenage years. He was intrigued by the media coverage in 1978 when Pope Paul VI died, followed by the election of John Paul I who died 30 days later, and the ultimate election of now St. John Paul II. He wrote a letter to a local priest, who invited him to visit. They chatted, and the priest invited John to Mass. “The first time I attended Mass, it was all very new to me. But everything inside of me said, ‘this is where you’re supposed to be.’” He was 14 years old at the time. He converted at 16, which was difficult because many family members had misconceptions about Catholicism.
As a pre-med major, Fr. Putnam received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lenoir-Rhyne College before entering the seminary. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and a master’s degree in divinity from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Charlotte in 1992. He continued his education at The Catholic University of America where he earned a licentiate in Canon Law in 1997. Seeing firsthand his passion for the priesthood, his family was very supportive of his decision to attend seminary and happily attended his ordination and first Mass.
In retrospect, Fr. Putnam feels college seminary would have been a wonderful experience. “Some of the men that I studied with in theology had gone to college seminary, and from my standpoint, they seemed much more prepared for theological studies. So, I am very excited for the young men that we have studying at St. Joseph, because obviously they are going to have a wonderful foundation to begin their theological studies.”
They are also going to have the support of their fellow seminarians here in the diocese. “When I was in seminary, there was no one in my class from the Diocese of Charlotte, so I didn’t have seminary classmates that were local, and that was hard. With these men, they are studying together, living together, learning to be patient with one another and deal with the everyday struggles of life. Once they are priests, God willing, they’ll also have these men that they can call and say, ‘I need some help,’ or ‘I need to run this by you,’ and also guys who are not afraid to call you out and say, ‘you need to rethink that.’”
Fr. Putnam has been a Catholic priest for more than 25 years. He is currently the pastor of St. Mark in Huntersville. In addition to his pastoral duties, Father Putnam serves on the Presbyteral Council, the College of Consultors, and the Diocese Vocations Board.
Hear his vocation story:
Forming good and holy priests:
Education
B.S. Biology (Magna Cum Laude) Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, North Carolina
MDiv St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland
S.T.B. St. Mary’s Seminary, University of Baltimore, Maryland
J.C.L. (Licentiate in Canon Law) Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St Mark, Huntersville – Pastor, 2014-Present
Sacred Heart, Salisbury - 2000-2014
Holy Infant, Reidsville - Administrator 1997-2000
Holy Family, Clemmons - Parochial Vicar 1992-1995
Tribunal Judge, Diocese of Charlotte - 1997-2003
Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Charlotte - 2003-Present
Presbyteral Council, Diocese of Charlotte
College of Consultors, Diocese of Charlotte
Interim Vocations Director, Diocese of Charlotte
Eucharistic Congress Steering Committee, Diocese of Charlotte
Fr. John Putnam
Formation Faculty
Every Catholic has the gift of courage within himself. It’s one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us in Baptism and strengthened within us at our Confirmation. It’s very important that we go out and show the world that the Catholic faith can be lived with courage and at the same time brings us joy.
About Fr. Reid
Born in Martinsville, Indiana, Timothy Reid was raised Methodist but converted to Catholicism during his senior year of college. He graduated with a B.S. in Marketing, started working at a large marketing firm, and looked forward to a life that included marriage and a family. However, he soon felt called by God to pursue the priesthood, and he entered seminary at Theological College at The Catholic University of America, where he earned a Master’s degree in Philosophy. After four years of formation, Fr. Reid left the seminary to further discern his vocation. He accepted a job with the Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he worked for five years before returning to seminary at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY. There, Fr. Reid earned an M.A. in Theology and a Master of Divinity. He was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Charlotte in 2004.
Father Reid is part of the Formation Faculty at St. Joseph College Seminary and a regular presenter at the seminary’s Rector’s Conferences. He believes the seminary’s first goal is to form the men in virtue. “We want them to be first and foremost men who have developed the habitus – the habit of virtue. Most especially faith, hope, and charity.”
He says they also make it a point to teach the men how to rely on God. “No matter what skills and talents you have as a priest, none of us is the package deal. There is no priest who does everything perfectly. We must learn how to be proficient enough at the things given to us, and trust in God for the things that we’re not so good at.”
Fr. Reid is currently pastor of St. Ann in Charlotte and is the spiritual director of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Discalced Secular Carmelite Group in Charlotte. He enjoys cooking, traveling, and running.
The seminarians at St. Joseph have been taught to have hope for the future of the Church, of the local Diocese of Charlotte. These are great young men who have grown up in a very confused world, but nonetheless have found the light of Christ in their life and through all the noise of this modern world have found the whisper of the Lord's voice with their vocations.
About Fr. Barone
Born and raised in Asheville, N.C., Fr. Barone was ordained in 2012 and felt the “nudge,” to the priesthood while in college at UNC. He feels fortunate that he was able to discern a vocation despite the many distractions of a traditional campus. “What I really appreciate about St. Joseph College Seminary is that it gives young men in late high school or college a place to listen to what our Lord is saying to them. I didn't have Quo Vadis Days or St. Joseph College Seminary, so I consider myself lucky that I was able to survive the temptations and pitfalls of college and still discern my vocation.
He credits a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux for guiding him to the Diocese of Charlotte. After ordination he served at several parishes in the diocese. He also introduced and organized Quo Vadis Days for vocation discernment and Veterum Sapientia, a week-long Latin immersion experience for priests, seminarians, and religious.
As the vocations promoter for St. Joseph College Seminary, Fr. Barone believes having a college seminary in the diocese draws the faithful closer to the priesthood and closer to the church. “The lay faithful are able to see our seminarians in their own parishes. When seminarians are sent eight hours away, or perhaps even to Rome, it's hard to visualize them as our future priests. But having them here makes it possible for them to assist around the diocese in their capacity as seminarians, which is very, very important.”
Fr. Barone has served as a House Father since the seminary’s inception in 2016. “Living with eight college seminarians is a lot of fun – there’s never a dull moment! They’re fantastic young men, and every single one of them is a great pleasure to live with. However, I also appreciate the grand silence we have every night, as they are still college age men, and I enjoy my sleep.”
When not serving as Promoter of Vocations for the diocese or chaplain of Charlotte Catholic High School, you can find Fr. Barone playing ice hockey and speaking Latin…not necessarily at the same time.
Hear his vocation story:
On Quo Vadis Days
Education
B.A. Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
B.A. Sacred Theology, Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland
M.A. Philosophy, Mount St. Mary’s University Emmitsburg, Maryland
MDiv, Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte, NC – Chaplain 2017 to Present
Diocese of Charlotte - Promotor of Vocations 2015 to Present
Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte, NC – Assistant Chaplain 2015-2017
Cathedral of St. Patrick, Charlotte NC - Parochial Vicar 2015-2016
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Greensboro, NC - Parochial Vicar 2014-2015
If we were to stop and think about what the priesthood is in our lives, I think we would find we don’t have much without the priesthood. Beginning with our own sacramental life and baptism, which opens heaven to us, which gives us the theological virtues, the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We wouldn’t have true marriages, which give us the whole nucleus of the family. So no baptism, no marriages, no Eucharist. We wouldn’t have our daily bread, and we know that’s what sustains us. Our whole life includes the priesthood – that’s the way our lord chose to extend his presence into this world.
About Sister Mary Raphael
Sr. Mary Raphael first heard the call to religious life at age 12. “I heard God say, although I thought it was my guardian angel, ‘You will be Christ’s bride,’ and that is what instigated the search for knowing what is His will for my life.
Sr. Mary Raphael began her religious life as a Poor Clare nun. An illness caused her to leave the order, and she began working in the Chancery as the secretary to the bishop in the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama. That experience provided her with a rare and comprehensive glimpse into the joys and suffering of the priesthood.
“When I saw the priesthood up close for the first time, I saw the beauty of the priesthood. I saw men who loved their vocation, who would just glow with love for the souls they were serving. I saw a bishop working with dedication. I also saw some of the wounds. Every problem that came to bishop’s desk came to my desk first. So my eyes were opened, and I thought these men need prayers. They need prayers and sacrifices to sustain what they’ve been given to be for the Church, and they need reparation for the sins that have been made in the priesthood. Because right around this time is when all the scandals were breaking out, a time of great brokenness.”
Sr. Mary Raphael began to contemplate how she could best serve the priests who serve the faithful. She felt called to found her own order of nuns with this charism. With the support of Bishop Jugis, Sr. Mary Raphael wrote her own rule, and in 2015 the Daughters of the Virgin Mother order was founded. Sister Mary Raphael of the Divine Physician, her chosen name with her order, often alludes to Christ’s ability to heal all wounds in the Church.
Sister currently serves as the House Administrator for St. Joseph College Seminary. This includes spiritual work through prayer and sacrifice and active work through cooking, cleaning, secretarial work, and chapel maintenance. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, she was raised in Grapevine, Texas. She enjoys playing the harp and violin and writing.
About the Daughters of the Virgin Mother:
Another video featuring Sister:
Thomas F. Savoy
Magister Capellae
Music may be the Liturgy’s handmaid but that in no way renders it superfluous. As dance transforms motion, music transforms speech. No more significant is this than in the Liturgy, where its chants fuse sacred Scripture and melody into one. Thus the priest and his ministers sing the Mass itself, the Liturgy of the heavenly Jerusalem, giving it a deepened beauty and solemnity. Integrating music into the formation of a seminarian is thereby essential. The rector here has given these men and their future parishes a great gift by providing them not only with the knowledge and mechanics of singing but its history and divine purpose in our worship.
About Tom Savoy
Thomas F. Savoy is the magister capellae (master of the chapel) for St. Joseph College Seminary where he instructs seminarians in music history, theory and practice of Gregorian chant, polyphony, and sacred music.
An accomplished organist, composer, and conductor, Mr. Savoy has a 40-year career in church music which began in the Diocese of Albany. A native of Upstate New York, he moved to Charlotte in 2012 with his wife, Deborah. Currently, he is the Director of Sacred Music and Liturgical Events at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, founder/artistic director of the Carolina Catholic Chorale, and President of Savoy Music House. An award-winning composer of many published sacred works of music and co-author of several original musicals, he was also the Director of Music for the historic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, New York, past director of the RPI Chorale and the Fort Orange Singers of Albany, and a member of the music faculty at Schenectady County Community College.
Mr. Savoy is an award-winning composer of several published sacred works, and he has conducted concerts in England, Wales, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the United States. Of course, our favorite work by Tom Savoy is Salve Pater, the fight song for St. Joseph College Seminary, which Savoy personally wrote for the men.
Savoy recently recorded an album of Latin chants and motets with the St. Joseph College Seminarians. “I am so excited to share the lovely performances of this beautiful music with you! Keep us and this project in your prayers.”
Fr. Patrick Winslow
Formation Faculty
It’s exciting for the people to see vocations spring up in their midst. These are young men they have seen on the altar for years…growing in their midst. It speaks to the vitality of the faith in our parishes. These seeds of vocations don’t grow out of nowhere. They are fertilized and supported by the faith contained in these parishes.
About Fr. Winslow
Father Winslow grew up in what he describes as a “nominally” Catholic household. In high school, his family attended Sunday Mass and religious education classes, but the Faith wasn’t part of their “daily reality.” As a freshman in college, he considered himself Catholic, but stopped attending Mass on Sundays and began thinking that the morals and doctrines of the Catholic Church were antiquated. During his second year in college, an encounter with Our Lady of Fatima led him back to the Church and caused him to re-think the contrast between modern teaching and the traditions of the Church. The more he learned about the Catholic faith, the more he realized he was discovering the truth. By the time he finished his undergrad in Chemistry, he was attending daily Mass and realized he wanted to learn more. He enrolled in a doctoral chemistry program at Georgia Tech, but left to attend the seminary.
In 1999, Fr. Winslow earned his STB in Theology from Catholic University of America and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany, New York, where he served in parishes and as a prison chaplain.
He incardinated into the Diocese of Charlotte in 2002 and has served at many parishes throughout the diocese. He went on to earn a JCL in Canon Law at Catholic University of America in 2012 and has served on the diocesan marriage tribunal as the Promoter of Justice, Defender of the Bond, and Judge for marriage cases. Father Winslow is a member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors, two groups of priests who serve as advisors to the bishop.
Fr. Winslow joined the formation faculty of St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016. He believes forming our future priests in the diocese is critical to their long-term success. “I started seminary in pre-Theology in Washington, D.C. I was being formed by men that I would never see again. I haven’t seen them since. But these men at St. Joseph are being formed by our own priests here in the diocese. When they go off to major seminary, they will return and serve with the priests that were on their formation faculty in college seminary. As formators, we’re forming our future brothers. These bonds are substantial. They carry into the future and often help us carry one another as we proceed with our work.” In 2019, Fr. Winslow was appointed Vicar General for the Diocese of Charlotte.
Hear his vocation story:
Answering the call in a fear-based culture:
Education
S.T.B. Theological College at The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
J.C.L. (License Canon Law) The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
B.S. Chemistry, State University of New York at Cortland
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte, NC - Pastor 2012-2019
St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC - Parochial Vicar 2007-2012
St. Frances of Rome Mission, Sparta, NC
St. Francis of Assisi, Jefferson, NC
St. Vincent de Paul, Charlotte, NC - Parochial Vicar 2002
Every man wants that little corner of the universe where he can just call something his. These men are in the process of saying ‘Christ is mine, and I am His.’
About Fr. Kauth
Father Matthew Kauth was born and raised in Peoria Illinois, where he attended Catholic grade school and high school. A trip to Italy changed his life forever when he witnessed an elderly woman kneeling on the rocks during outdoor Mass after their bus broke down. Her devotion destroyed his indifference to the Eucharist and the Church. He wanted to know what that woman saw in the Host and began searching. His search eventually led him to the priesthood.
Fr. Kauth completed his studies in philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia and transferred to the Diocese of Charlotte following graduation to assist in the missionary efforts faced with the burgeoning Catholic population. He completed his graduate work at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., earning his ecclesiastical degree (STB) and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. After serving six years as a parochial vicar and pastor in the Diocese of Charlotte, he continued his studies in Rome and received a license and doctorate in Moral Theology. Fr. Kauth served as the Chaplain of Charlotte Catholic High School and a professor at Belmont Abbey College before he was appointed Rector of St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016.
Fr. Kauth is the author of two books, Charity as Divine and Human Friendship: A Metaphysical and Scriptural Explanation According to the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and The Sacraments: Discovering the Treasure of Divine Life.
Hear his vocation story:
What did you make me for?
Education
B.A. Philosophy St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
S.T.B. Catholic University of American, Washington D.C
S.T.L. Moral Theology University of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, Italy
S.T.D. Moral Theology University of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, Italy
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte, NC – In Residence 2012-2016
Charlotte Catholic High School - Chaplain 2012-2016
St. Francis of Assisi, Franklin, NC – Pastor 2003-2008
St. Francis of Assisi, Franklin, NC – Administrator 2002-2003
St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, NC - Parochial Vicar 2000-2002
Fr. Matthew Buettner
Spiritual Director
It is a tremendous privilege and a grace from God that St. Joseph College Seminary exists in this day and age. We are growing, and God is continuing to make this endeavor fruitful. He's building up the most important part, which is the spiritual life, the intellectual life of this seminary…that’s happening first. He's building us up from the inside out.
About Fr. Buettner
Father Buettner was raised in a faithful Catholic family in Peoria, Illinois, where he attended Catholic elementary and high school. Growing up, his faith was important to him, but he describes his prayer life at that time as minimal and his relationship with the Lord as professional. “I’d see him on Sundays, and then forget about him the rest of the week.” After attending a high school retreat, he had his first real encounter with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and began making Holy Hours before he even knew what they were.
He chose to attend community college to be close to home, at the same deciding to begin attending daily mass, to pray the rosary every day, and attend confession more frequently. “I found a peace in Christ’s presence that I couldn’t find anywhere else. I was feeling called to the priesthood. I realized that this is what I wanted to pursue, if this is what God wants of me. So, I broke up with my girlfriend and realized that I had to become more serious about this.”
Shortly after hearing his call to the priesthood, he was invited to the Diocese of Charlotte. “It was the first time I boarded a plane, and when I arrived, I had this very distinct feeling that I was coming home. I was in Charlotte for one weekend, and during that time, I discerned two things – I was called to be a priest, and I was meant to be in the Diocese of Charlotte.”
After attending St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Fr. Buettner was ordained in 2003. Following several parish assignments across the diocese, Bishop Jugis appointed him as the full-time spiritual director for the rapidly-growing St. Joseph College Seminary in 2018. Fr. Buettner says he knew he would one day work with seminarians, because seminary is the place where he fell in love with the Lord.
On a daily basis, Fr. Buettner is the house confessor. (The seminarians attend confession at least once a week.) He also provides private spiritual direction to several of the men in the house. He is a regular speaker at the seminary’s rector’s conferences where he lectures on a variety of spiritual topics.
Fr. Buettner is the author of Understanding the Mystery of the Mass. When not teaching or advising our seminarians, you can find him playing drums or exercising.
Hear his vocation story:
Another video with Fr. Buettner:
Education
B.A. Philosophy St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MDiv Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
Spiritual Director at St Joseph College Seminary, Charlotte
Vocations Board, Diocese of Charlotte
St. Michael Catholic Church, Gastonia - Pastor
St. Dorothy Catholic Church, Lincolnton - Pastor
St. Dorothy Catholic Church, Lincolnton - Parochial Vicar
St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Charlotte - Parochial Vicar
Summer assignments included: St. Francis in Franklin, Our Lady of Lourdes in Monroe, St. Francis in Jefferson, Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte, Spanish Immersion in Puebla, Mexico
Fr. Jason Christian
Academic Dean
Life in the seminary for me was a lot of beautiful surprises. I didn’t anticipate I would have such a love for theology and philosophy. I never thought I’d meet some of the best friends of my life there.
About Fr. Christian
The priesthood was not on Jason Christian’s radar in or following high school. He worked in the technology field and considered careers in the military and medicine before following a call to the seminary. He was reticent about entering seminary but found that “God gives the grace where He gives the call.” He also believes God calls every person in a particular way. “One of the things that I had to learn is that God knows better…not only about everything else in the world but also about everything that concerns me. St. Augustine said, ‘God is more intimate to me than I am to myself.’ God knows far better than I do what he made me for, and in what way I will be fulfilled.”
While in seminary, Fr. Christian was pleasantly surprised by his newfound love of philosophy and theology. But, he says the best thing about seminary was reaching its goal and conclusion –ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Charlotte in 2013 exceeded all of his expectations. Following his ordination, Fr. Christian served as parochial vicar of St. Michael Church in Gastonia and St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte. Currently, he is the pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon.
Father Christian serves as the Academic Dean for St. Joseph College Seminary. He believes formation should be personal, challenging, and sanctifying. “Part of loving God is growing in intimate knowledge of Him. That’s part of how we fulfill that great commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.”
Fr. Christian believes the seminary’s affiliation with Belmont Abbey College provides an ideal context in which a holistic formation can unfold. “The Benedictines have been a conserver of the human arts, the liberal arts, and transmitted much of Western civilization. What a great place in which to pursue that kind of human formation.”
Hear his vocation story:
Forming good and holy priests:
Education
B.A. Philosophy Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio
S.T.B. Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome
S.T.L. Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, The Angelicum, Rome
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St. John the Baptist, Tryon - Pastor
St. Michael Church, Gastonia - Parochial Vicar
St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte - Parochial Vicar
Fr. John Putnam
Formation Faculty
My experience with St. Joseph College Seminary thus far is that it is a joyful place to be. They are men that love the Lord, that strive each day to be holy, who are really overjoyed that they have the opportunity to serve the Lord in this way and be open to God’s call in their lives. That’s tremendously encouraging for someone like me who has been a priest for 26 years.
About Fr. Putnam
Growing up in Newton, North Carolina, John Putnam was raised Southern Baptist but began visiting other churches with friends in his teenage years. He was intrigued by the media coverage in 1978 when Pope Paul VI died, followed by the election of John Paul I who died 30 days later, and the ultimate election of now St. John Paul II. He wrote a letter to a local priest, who invited him to visit. They chatted, and the priest invited John to Mass. “The first time I attended Mass, it was all very new to me. But everything inside of me said, ‘this is where you’re supposed to be.’” He was 14 years old at the time. He converted at 16, which was difficult because many family members had misconceptions about Catholicism.
As a pre-med major, Fr. Putnam received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lenoir-Rhyne College before entering the seminary. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and a master’s degree in divinity from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Charlotte in 1992. He continued his education at The Catholic University of America where he earned a licentiate in Canon Law in 1997. Seeing firsthand his passion for the priesthood, his family was very supportive of his decision to attend seminary and happily attended his ordination and first Mass.
In retrospect, Fr. Putnam feels college seminary would have been a wonderful experience. “Some of the men that I studied with in theology had gone to college seminary, and from my standpoint, they seemed much more prepared for theological studies. So, I am very excited for the young men that we have studying at St. Joseph, because obviously they are going to have a wonderful foundation to begin their theological studies.”
They are also going to have the support of their fellow seminarians here in the diocese. “When I was in seminary, there was no one in my class from the Diocese of Charlotte, so I didn’t have seminary classmates that were local, and that was hard. With these men, they are studying together, living together, learning to be patient with one another and deal with the everyday struggles of life. Once they are priests, God willing, they’ll also have these men that they can call and say, ‘I need some help,’ or ‘I need to run this by you,’ and also guys who are not afraid to call you out and say, ‘you need to rethink that.’”
Fr. Putnam has been a Catholic priest for more than 25 years. He is currently the pastor of St. Mark in Huntersville. In addition to his pastoral duties, Father Putnam serves on the Presbyteral Council, the College of Consultors, and the Diocese Vocations Board.
Hear his vocation story:
Forming good and holy priests:
Education
B.S. Biology (Magna Cum Laude) Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, North Carolina
MDiv St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland
S.T.B. St. Mary’s Seminary, University of Baltimore, Maryland
J.C.L. (Licentiate in Canon Law) Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St Mark, Huntersville – Pastor, 2014-Present
Sacred Heart, Salisbury - 2000-2014
Holy Infant, Reidsville - Administrator 1997-2000
Holy Family, Clemmons - Parochial Vicar 1992-1995
Tribunal Judge, Diocese of Charlotte - 1997-2003
Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Charlotte - 2003-Present
Presbyteral Council, Diocese of Charlotte
College of Consultors, Diocese of Charlotte
Interim Vocations Director, Diocese of Charlotte
Eucharistic Congress Steering Committee, Diocese of Charlotte
Fr. John Putnam
Formation Faculty
Every Catholic has the gift of courage within himself. It’s one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us in Baptism and strengthened within us at our Confirmation. It’s very important that we go out and show the world that the Catholic faith can be lived with courage and at the same time brings us joy.
About Fr. Reid
Born in Martinsville, Indiana, Timothy Reid was raised Methodist but converted to Catholicism during his senior year of college. He graduated with a B.S. in Marketing, started working at a large marketing firm, and looked forward to a life that included marriage and a family. However, he soon felt called by God to pursue the priesthood, and he entered seminary at Theological College at The Catholic University of America, where he earned a Master’s degree in Philosophy. After four years of formation, Fr. Reid left the seminary to further discern his vocation. He accepted a job with the Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he worked for five years before returning to seminary at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY. There, Fr. Reid earned an M.A. in Theology and a Master of Divinity. He was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Charlotte in 2004.
Father Reid is part of the Formation Faculty at St. Joseph College Seminary and a regular presenter at the seminary’s Rector’s Conferences. He believes the seminary’s first goal is to form the men in virtue. “We want them to be first and foremost men who have developed the habitus – the habit of virtue. Most especially faith, hope, and charity.”
He says they also make it a point to teach the men how to rely on God. “No matter what skills and talents you have as a priest, none of us is the package deal. There is no priest who does everything perfectly. We must learn how to be proficient enough at the things given to us, and trust in God for the things that we’re not so good at.”
Fr. Reid is currently pastor of St. Ann in Charlotte and is the spiritual director of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Discalced Secular Carmelite Group in Charlotte. He enjoys cooking, traveling, and running.
The seminarians at St. Joseph have been taught to have hope for the future of the Church, of the local Diocese of Charlotte. These are great young men who have grown up in a very confused world, but nonetheless have found the light of Christ in their life and through all the noise of this modern world have found the whisper of the Lord's voice with their vocations.
About Fr. Barone
Born and raised in Asheville, N.C., Fr. Barone was ordained in 2012 and felt the “nudge,” to the priesthood while in college at UNC. He feels fortunate that he was able to discern a vocation despite the many distractions of a traditional campus. “What I really appreciate about St. Joseph College Seminary is that it gives young men in late high school or college a place to listen to what our Lord is saying to them. I didn't have Quo Vadis Days or St. Joseph College Seminary, so I consider myself lucky that I was able to survive the temptations and pitfalls of college and still discern my vocation.
He credits a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux for guiding him to the Diocese of Charlotte. After ordination he served at several parishes in the diocese. He also introduced and organized Quo Vadis Days for vocation discernment and Veterum Sapientia, a week-long Latin immersion experience for priests, seminarians, and religious.
As the vocations promoter for St. Joseph College Seminary, Fr. Barone believes having a college seminary in the diocese draws the faithful closer to the priesthood and closer to the church. “The lay faithful are able to see our seminarians in their own parishes. When seminarians are sent eight hours away, or perhaps even to Rome, it's hard to visualize them as our future priests. But having them here makes it possible for them to assist around the diocese in their capacity as seminarians, which is very, very important.”
Fr. Barone has served as a House Father since the seminary’s inception in 2016. “Living with eight college seminarians is a lot of fun – there’s never a dull moment! They’re fantastic young men, and every single one of them is a great pleasure to live with. However, I also appreciate the grand silence we have every night, as they are still college age men, and I enjoy my sleep.”
When not serving as Promoter of Vocations for the diocese or chaplain of Charlotte Catholic High School, you can find Fr. Barone playing ice hockey and speaking Latin…not necessarily at the same time.
Hear his vocation story:
On Quo Vadis Days
Education
B.A. Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
B.A. Sacred Theology, Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland
M.A. Philosophy, Mount St. Mary’s University Emmitsburg, Maryland
MDiv, Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte, NC – Chaplain 2017 to Present
Diocese of Charlotte - Promotor of Vocations 2015 to Present
Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte, NC – Assistant Chaplain 2015-2017
Cathedral of St. Patrick, Charlotte NC - Parochial Vicar 2015-2016
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Greensboro, NC - Parochial Vicar 2014-2015
If we were to stop and think about what the priesthood is in our lives, I think we would find we don’t have much without the priesthood. Beginning with our own sacramental life and baptism, which opens heaven to us, which gives us the theological virtues, the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We wouldn’t have true marriages, which give us the whole nucleus of the family. So no baptism, no marriages, no Eucharist. We wouldn’t have our daily bread, and we know that’s what sustains us. Our whole life includes the priesthood – that’s the way our lord chose to extend his presence into this world.
About Sister Mary Raphael
Sr. Mary Raphael first heard the call to religious life at age 12. “I heard God say, although I thought it was my guardian angel, ‘You will be Christ’s bride,’ and that is what instigated the search for knowing what is His will for my life.
Sr. Mary Raphael began her religious life as a Poor Clare nun. An illness caused her to leave the order, and she began working in the Chancery as the secretary to the bishop in the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama. That experience provided her with a rare and comprehensive glimpse into the joys and suffering of the priesthood.
“When I saw the priesthood up close for the first time, I saw the beauty of the priesthood. I saw men who loved their vocation, who would just glow with love for the souls they were serving. I saw a bishop working with dedication. I also saw some of the wounds. Every problem that came to bishop’s desk came to my desk first. So my eyes were opened, and I thought these men need prayers. They need prayers and sacrifices to sustain what they’ve been given to be for the Church, and they need reparation for the sins that have been made in the priesthood. Because right around this time is when all the scandals were breaking out, a time of great brokenness.”
Sr. Mary Raphael began to contemplate how she could best serve the priests who serve the faithful. She felt called to found her own order of nuns with this charism. With the support of Bishop Jugis, Sr. Mary Raphael wrote her own rule, and in 2015 the Daughters of the Virgin Mother order was founded. Sister Mary Raphael of the Divine Physician, her chosen name with her order, often alludes to Christ’s ability to heal all wounds in the Church.
Sister currently serves as the House Administrator for St. Joseph College Seminary. This includes spiritual work through prayer and sacrifice and active work through cooking, cleaning, secretarial work, and chapel maintenance. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, she was raised in Grapevine, Texas. She enjoys playing the harp and violin and writing.
About the Daughters of the Virgin Mother:
Another video featuring Sister:
Thomas F. Savoy
Magister Capellae
Music may be the Liturgy’s handmaid but that in no way renders it superfluous. As dance transforms motion, music transforms speech. No more significant is this than in the Liturgy, where its chants fuse sacred Scripture and melody into one. Thus the priest and his ministers sing the Mass itself, the Liturgy of the heavenly Jerusalem, giving it a deepened beauty and solemnity. Integrating music into the formation of a seminarian is thereby essential. The rector here has given these men and their future parishes a great gift by providing them not only with the knowledge and mechanics of singing but its history and divine purpose in our worship.
About Tom Savoy
Thomas F. Savoy is the magister capellae (master of the chapel) for St. Joseph College Seminary where he instructs seminarians in music history, theory and practice of Gregorian chant, polyphony, and sacred music.
An accomplished organist, composer, and conductor, Mr. Savoy has a 40-year career in church music which began in the Diocese of Albany. A native of Upstate New York, he moved to Charlotte in 2012 with his wife, Deborah. Currently, he is the Director of Sacred Music and Liturgical Events at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, founder/artistic director of the Carolina Catholic Chorale, and President of Savoy Music House. An award-winning composer of many published sacred works of music and co-author of several original musicals, he was also the Director of Music for the historic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, New York, past director of the RPI Chorale and the Fort Orange Singers of Albany, and a member of the music faculty at Schenectady County Community College.
Mr. Savoy is an award-winning composer of several published sacred works, and he has conducted concerts in England, Wales, Germany, Austria, Italy, and the United States. Of course, our favorite work by Tom Savoy is Salve Pater, the fight song for St. Joseph College Seminary, which Savoy personally wrote for the men.
Savoy recently recorded an album of Latin chants and motets with the St. Joseph College Seminarians. “I am so excited to share the lovely performances of this beautiful music with you! Keep us and this project in your prayers.”
Fr. Patrick Winslow
Formation Faculty
It’s exciting for the people to see vocations spring up in their midst. These are young men they have seen on the altar for years…growing in their midst. It speaks to the vitality of the faith in our parishes. These seeds of vocations don’t grow out of nowhere. They are fertilized and supported by the faith contained in these parishes.
About Fr. Winslow
Father Winslow grew up in what he describes as a “nominally” Catholic household. In high school, his family attended Sunday Mass and religious education classes, but the Faith wasn’t part of their “daily reality.” As a freshman in college, he considered himself Catholic, but stopped attending Mass on Sundays and began thinking that the morals and doctrines of the Catholic Church were antiquated. During his second year in college, an encounter with Our Lady of Fatima led him back to the Church and caused him to re-think the contrast between modern teaching and the traditions of the Church. The more he learned about the Catholic faith, the more he realized he was discovering the truth. By the time he finished his undergrad in Chemistry, he was attending daily Mass and realized he wanted to learn more. He enrolled in a doctoral chemistry program at Georgia Tech, but left to attend the seminary.
In 1999, Fr. Winslow earned his STB in Theology from Catholic University of America and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany, New York, where he served in parishes and as a prison chaplain.
He incardinated into the Diocese of Charlotte in 2002 and has served at many parishes throughout the diocese. He went on to earn a JCL in Canon Law at Catholic University of America in 2012 and has served on the diocesan marriage tribunal as the Promoter of Justice, Defender of the Bond, and Judge for marriage cases. Father Winslow is a member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors, two groups of priests who serve as advisors to the bishop.
Fr. Winslow joined the formation faculty of St. Joseph College Seminary in 2016. He believes forming our future priests in the diocese is critical to their long-term success. “I started seminary in pre-Theology in Washington, D.C. I was being formed by men that I would never see again. I haven’t seen them since. But these men at St. Joseph are being formed by our own priests here in the diocese. When they go off to major seminary, they will return and serve with the priests that were on their formation faculty in college seminary. As formators, we’re forming our future brothers. These bonds are substantial. They carry into the future and often help us carry one another as we proceed with our work.” In 2019, Fr. Winslow was appointed Vicar General for the Diocese of Charlotte.
Hear his vocation story:
Answering the call in a fear-based culture:
Education
S.T.B. Theological College at The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
J.C.L. (License Canon Law) The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
B.S. Chemistry, State University of New York at Cortland
Previous Parishes/ Assignments
St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte, NC - Pastor 2012-2019
St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC - Parochial Vicar 2007-2012
St. Frances of Rome Mission, Sparta, NC
St. Francis of Assisi, Jefferson, NC
St. Vincent de Paul, Charlotte, NC - Parochial Vicar 2002
