Newly ordained priest, Father John Stokely, 26, zeroed in on his future vocation early in life. Make that very early in life. He was 6 when he decided he wanted to be a priest, and has stuck to it ever since.
The son and only child of Patrick and Joan (Rafalowski) Stokely, he was baptized at St. Kevin Church, Springfield, but raised in St. Peter and Paul Parish, West Chester. It was while attending Sunday Mass as a little fellow that he was awestruck by the priest celebrant. With the innocence of a little child he literally thought of the priest as Jesus, which in a theological sense isn’t far from the truth. “I wanted to do the same thing,” he said.
It wasn’t a passing fancy, and the determination stayed with him all the way through St. Aloysius Academy, Bryn Mawr, and Bishop Shanahan High School, Downingtown.
Certainly there were times when he thought of other vocations, but at the core the priesthood was always there, even if he never confided this to his friends or classmates. His parents knew, and fully supported his choice. He entered St. Charles Seminary in 2005.
This past year he served as deacon at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Morrisville, under the guidance of Msgr. Joseph Prior. One St. John parishioner said that everybody really liked Deacon John’s warm personality and hoped he would be assigned here as Parochial Vicar, adding that “he also can deliver one heck of a great homily.” Father Stokely will return to St. John the Evangelist to celebrate Mass on Sunday, May 26th at 11:30 AM.
“It was a tremendous blessing because he was rector of St. Charles Seminary when I entered and now I ended with him at St. John,” he said.
Other priests who were especially helpful in his seminary journey were Father Peter DiMaria as a freshman and Father James McGuinn as a sophomore; and before his entry Bishop Michael Burbridge, who was the rector at the time.
“From the first time I visited there he encouraged me to become a priest,” he said.
As to what John believes is the most important aspect of the priesthood, he said, “it’s the ability to share the love of Jesus with others in a special way through the sacraments. I see that strongly expressed through the sacrament of the Eucharist and in the sacrament of reconciliation.”
As ordination approaches, “I have a lot of excitement,” he said. “The only anxiety I have is not knowing the future, but I have confidence in God’s will; it will be the right thing for me.”
The real challenge for all newly ordained priests is maintaining the fervor they bring to ordination. His own prayer life includes devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. John Neumann and the Blessed Virgin.
“I think as long as a priest continues to pray every day, celebrate the Eucharist and pray the Liturgy of the Hours that will help him stay on fire with love of God and love of the Church,” he said.
Much of the information in this story was obtained from reporting on phillycatholic.com. Father John’s photo courtesy of phillycatholic.com
