June Ordination Services Set for Stephen Pontzer at Cathedral

Bishop J. Kevin Boland will ordain—Deacons John Johnson, Aaron Killips, David Koetter and Stephen Pontzer– to the priesthood on Saturday, June 23, 2007.

Priests

Fuks is from a small village in Poland. He completed one year of philosophy in the Archdiocese of Kracow. He arrived in the United States in the fall of 2002; he spent one year learning English at the Savannah College of Art and Design while living at St. James Church in Savannah. He pursued his theological studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Johnny Johnson, whose home parish is St. Joseph’s in Augusta, grew up in the Alleluia Community where he graduated from high school. He studied at Franciscan University where he graduated in 2002 earning a BA in Humanities and Catholic Culture and minors in Philosophy and Spanish. While at Franciscan, he served as President of the Dawson Society and also began Pre-Med studies. During the 2002-3 academic year he worked as the Vocation Office assistant and performed some other pastoral duties at St. Peter Claver and St. Joseph parishes in Macon. He pursued his final year of theological studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. Mr. Johnson was ordained a transitional deacon at St. Joseph’s Church in Augusta in the summer of 2006.

Mr. Killips, whose home parish is Holy Trinity in Augusta, was raised in the Alleluia Community. He was very involved in athletics growing up and he was active in Alleluia Youth Ministry. He graduated from Augusta State University with a degree in biology. After graduation he spent two years working in the Diocese of Savannah Vocation Office in Macon while living in St. Joseph’s Parish rectory in order to discern whether he had a vocation to the priesthood. He has worked with the Missionaries of Charity in the Bronx, New York and in Charlotte, North Carolina during his summers. He also served as youth director at St. Peter Claver Church in Macon for two years. Killips completed his pre-theology at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and is completing his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He was ordained a transitional deacon at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy on October 5, 2006.

Mr. Koetter, whose home parish is St. Joseph’s in Macon, was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and grew up in Macon, Georgia. He graduated from Mount de Sales Academy in 1996. He attended Valdosta State University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. He worked for about a year as a Budget Analyst for the Air Force Base in Warner Robins. He entered the seminary in January of 2002 and finished up his Pre-theology at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary. He is in his final year of Theology at the same seminary. Koetter was ordained a transitional deacon at St. Joseph’s Church in Augusta in the summer of 2006.

Mr. Pontzer, whose home parish is St. Joseph’s in Athens, Georgia, was born in Ohio and grew up in Athens. Before joining the Diocese of Savannah, he worked as a forester for International Paper Company in Baxley. Growing up he was very active in 4-H Club, and he is an avid hunter and fisherman. He is a cancer survivor from 1992, overcoming cancer of the larynx and vocal cords. He has an uncle who is a priest at the Benedictine monastery in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He is in his final year of Theology at St. Vincent Seminary, which is run by the monastery where his uncle resides. Pontzer was ordained a transitional deacon at St. Vincent Basilica in Latrobe in the spring of 2006.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend both the diaconal and priesthood ordinations.

Article from The Catholic Diocese of Savannah

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