THE STORY OF A VOCATION TO DEDICATED CHURCH
SERVICE
Father Thomas Francis Cacciola, C.F.R.
Adapted from an article in The Catholic New
Yorker, May, 2002, with the permission of Father Thomas
Francis Cacciola, C.F.R.
In Ohio, he found a road that led to New York‹ and the vocation he
sought
Father Thomas Francis Cacciola, C.F.R., was a 23-year-old lay
volunteer at a parish in Boston when a nun who taught in the parish
school told him, "You would make a good Franciscan."
"It was not something I'd thought of," Father Thomas
Francis recalled. But he had been thinking about priesthood for a long
time, so he decided to consider a vocation in religious life. Later he
found the congregation that was a perfect fit.
Father Thomas Francis, 37, is the son of Madeleine and Frank Cacciola
of Lancaster, Calif., where he was born and grew up. When he was a
junior in public high school, he "began to have a greater
relationship with the Lord," he said. By senior year he was
thinking about priesthood. A priest who belonged to a religious order
and directed a local youth movement helped by talking with him and
answering his questions.
After graduating from high school, however, he put the idea on hold.
He graduated from Antelope Valley Community College, earned a degree in
psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and worked as a
counselor at a psychiatric hospital for children and teens. During the
years Father Thomas Francis studied at Cal State and worked as a
counselor, he was a member of Our Lady of Refuge parish. He tells
us that he grew much in his faith and vocation while part of our parish
community.
The thought of a vocation persisted, so he decided to serve as a lay
missionary. Assigned to St. Kevin's parish in the Dorchester section of
Boston, he taught music in the parish school, was a substitute teacher
and helped with maintenance. When the sister told him he had the makings
of a good Franciscan, he found a Franciscan soup kitchen and started
working there, too.
After finishing his volunteer service, he moved to Steubenville,
Ohio, drawn by the strong Catholic environment at Franciscan University
of Steubenville. While taking courses in theology and philosophy, he met
members of the Franciscans of the Renewal, the Bronx-based congregation
whose work is evangelization and service to the poor.
"I discovered that this was the order I wanted to join," he
said. He remarked that he had been seeking "to live a life of
greater poverty," and he said, "I have a great love for doing
work with the poor." He entered in 1993 in the Bronx.
Looking back, he remarked that all along he felt drawn to give his
life completely to God. The reason became clear: he felt a strong call
"to be the instrument for God to bring the Body and Blood of Jesus
to his people." He added that in the seminary he developed "a
greater love and understanding" of the sacrament of penance and of
"being able to bring people back into relationship with God,"
so that they can return to the Eucharist.
He studied for a year at St. John Neumann Seminary Residence before
entering St. Joseph's Seminary, and served with the friars at Padre Pio
Shelter in the Bronx and in parish missions, days of recollection and
youth programs.
As a priest he is eager to satisfy the spiritual hunger he finds in
today's society by preaching the Gospel and bringing people to the
sacraments of penance and the Eucharist.
"As society becomes more and more secular, the need for God in
people's lives is greater now than ever," he said.
He is convinced that the number of priests and religious is going to
increase, and he said that the friars see true faith and commitment
among young people in the Youth 2000 retreats which they present.
"We find many young people, both boys and girls, who are now
considering giving their life to God as a priest or religious," he
said. "We see a great hope for the Church with these young
people."
Father Thomas Francis was ordained to the priesthood in May of
2002.
THE STORY OF OUR
PARISH
