Photo by Julianna Leopold

ROSWELL—Four seminarians were ordained to the transitional diaconate on May 31 at St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., joined by auxiliary bishops Bernard E. Shlesinger III, Joel M. Konzen, SM, and John N. Tran, celebrated the Mass.

“From this day forward, you are servants of the mystery of Christ,” said Archbishop Hartmayer in his homily. “Be men of prayer, be men of the Word, be men of charity.”

The church overflowed with joy as friends, family and clergy witnessed the sacred moment when the men, Sean Lee, Juno Lee, Eric Baylot and Jacob Butz, were officially ordained as deacons.

Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., embraces Deacon Sean Lee during the kiss of peace at the Mass for the transitional diaconate ordination at St. Peter Chanel Church on May 31. Photo by Julianna Leopold

As the newly ordained stood before the altar, clergy processed forward to greet them with hugs, handshakes and supportive words. The moment symbolized brotherhood and unity.

Though the deacons represent diverse paths and backgrounds, they share the commitment to serve the church.

A nudge to the priesthood

Born and raised in Lilburn, Sean Lee, 26, attended St. John Neumann Church growing up. Though he sat in the pew every Sunday with his family, Lee never considered priesthood until he attended Steubenville Youth Conference as a freshman in high school.

“I felt a little nudge on my heart asking me to think about becoming a priest,” he shared. “That nudge never went away. My senior year in high school, I went through the application process for seminary, and I was accepted shortly after my graduation.”

Throughout his years at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Florida, Lee served many different types of ministries with parishioners of all ages and cultures. His diverse experiences have had great influence upon him during his studies.

“In each assignment, through every community and alongside each priest I’ve worked with, the Lord has been at work teaching me, guiding me and revealing more of his love and his plan for my life,” Lee said.

Sean Lee draws spiritual strength from St. John Paul II, his patron saint, who has continued to be an intercessor in his vocational journey, and whose “writings continue to edify and encourage me,” he said.

Sean Lee will serve at St. Peter Chanel Church over the summer.

To seminarians just beginning their journey, his advice is simple: “Pray! Invite the Lord into every part of your formation. Let him be present in every paper you write, every assignment you complete and every moment of growth.”

Yugyung Hwang, Deacon Juno Lee’s mother, bows before the altar next to her son at St. Peter Chanel Church for the transitional diaconate ordination on May 31. She traveled from South Korea to attend. Photo by Julianna Leopold

From South Korea to Atlanta

Juno Lee, 33, was born in Baltimore and raised in South Korea, where he discovered strength and discipline as a Ssireum wrestler and deepened his spirituality through daily visits to the Eucharist.

Juno Lee always sensed a quiet but persistent call to the priesthood throughout his life. Through high school in Saipan and eventually military service, Juno Lee found that every experience in his life was handed to him by God.

“Through every step, I have come to see that this vocation was not something I invented, but something I received—a gift from God, calling me to follow with trust and courage,” he said.

Juno Lee is bilingual in Korean and English and will serve St. Andrew Kim Korean Church in Duluth this summer. At the ordination Mass, friends from the church and Korean community packed the pews to show their support. Dozens of parishioners congratulated the newly ordained, who are one step closer to the priesthood.

Sister Andrea Tucker of the Kkottongnae Sisters of Jesus from Korea said she was emotionally overwhelmed by the representation of Korean culture.

“It’s a blessing for the Korean community, and we’re so honored,” she said. “We all wanted to come today to support Juno, and we’ll continue to pray for him and love him.”

Juno Lee’s spirituality is rooted in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd, sharing that he hopes to “grow in my identity as a servant of the church by becoming more like Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve.”

“Ministry, I have come to see, is not what we do for others,” Juno Lee said. “It is what Christ does through us when we choose to walk with him.”

Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., lays hands and prays the prayer of ordination as Deacon Eric Baylot kneels before him. Baylot is a seminarian at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Answering the call

Baylot, 29, grew up in Norcross, where he attended Mary Our Queen Church. His journey to the priesthood has been a long process, one he admitted avoiding for a long time.

“When I finally listened to the call, I knew I had a lot of work to do,” he shared. “It has not always been easy, but it has always been fruitful and life-giving. It has always brought peace.”

The most meaningful lesson throughout Baylot’s formation has been learning to serve people not on his own terms, but on theirs. Ministry, he shared, is about meeting the needs of God’s people.

“I hope to continue to grow in my ability and desire to go where the Lord sends me rather than where I wish to go, and to serve his people in the way he calls me to rather than the way I wish to serve them,” he said.

As a deacon, he is most looking forward to assisting couples in marriage preparation and journeying with them from the beginning of their engagement to their wedding and beyond.

This summer, Baylot is serving at All Saints Church in Dunwoody. To those just starting seminary, his encouragement is, “be open to formation. Obedience is hard, but without it we are doomed to fail as servants of the church.”

‘Don’t be afraid’

Butz, 30, grew up in Woodstock and attended St. Michael the Archangel Church. He traces his entry to the vocation back to his sophomore year at Kennesaw State University when a summer mission at Life Teen camp stirred something deeper.

Deacon Jacob Butz folds his hands in prayer as he looks to the altar during the Mass for the transitional diaconate ordination at St. Peter Chanel on May 31. Photo by Julianna Leopold

As an ordained deacon, he now has a “greater understanding of how to best love the people of God in times of joy and in times of sorrow,” he shared.

Spiritually, Butz is drawn to Philippians 3:7–11.

“It played a huge impact in my time in seminary,” he said. “My six years in seminary have prepared me very well to be a servant of the church.”

Butz will spend his summer serving at Christ the Redeemer Church in Dawsonville, where he looks forward to celebrating sacraments with parishioners and guiding them through the ups and downs of life.

For seminarians beginning their formation, his advice is “don’t be afraid, because the Lord is gentle and compassionate.”

As transitional deacons, the four men will now proclaim the Gospel, preach homilies, baptize children, witness marriages and serve in charitable ministries across the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The ordination Mass emphasized diversity and hope for the church. As the clergy embraced the newly ordained and the four men knelt before God, their family and friends saw the church alive in vocations and service.