Above, from left: Andrew Degele, Thomas Baus, Christopher Estrada and Jorge Sotelo.
The Diocese of Raleigh is celebrating that four new seminarians have answered the call to begin priestly formation. The new seminarians are Thomas Baus (St. Michael the Archangel, Cary), Jorge Sotelo (St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Raeford), Christopher Estrada (Holy Redeemer by the Sea, Kitty Hawk) and Andrew Degele (Holy Infant, Durham).
Thomas, Jorge and Christopher will begin their formation at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, entering the Priestly Discernment Program at Franciscan prior to transferring to St. Joseph Seminary College in Louisiana, which will happen after two years of studies. Andrew will start at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Florida, dedicating his first year to the Propaedeutic Stage of Formation, focusing on human and spiritual growth.
As we celebrate the blessings of receiving these young men into formation we also pray that more young men in our diocese will take steps to discern if God is calling them,” said Father Michael Schuetz, director of the Vocations Office. “Each of us needs to open our hearts to see how God is inviting us to love and serve him.”
Alongside welcoming these seminarians, the Vocations Office hosted two major summer events: a Priesthood Pilgrimage and Quo Vadis Retreat. The pilgrimage, held in June, brought young men 18 and older to visit significant parishes and sites tied to North Carolina’s Catholic heritage, including Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Newton Grove, and Old Saint Paul Church in New Bern.
Meet the new seminarians
- Thomas Baus (PDF)
- Jorge Sotelo (PDF)
- Christopher Estrada (PDF)
- Andrew Degele (PDF)
Learn more about all our seminarians, including who influenced and inspired them, their favorite saints and scripture passages and advice to any young man who thinks he may have a calling to the priesthood.