Our parish is blessed to have 2 members who have felt God’s special call to them. They are continuing their discernment, in a formal way, to serve the Church in Holy Orders.  Justin (“JC”) Maclay has entered the seminary, and Rudy Geisler has been accepted as an aspirant into the formation program for the Permanent Diaconate.  Here are some thoughts that they are sharing with us.
 
Hello Saint Joseph Parish!  My name is Justin “JC” Maclay. I am the newest seminarian for the Diocese of Harrisburg.  I have lived in Mechanicsburg for most of my life and have been a member of this parish for the past 38 years, where I have served in a couple ministries over that time (Altar Server / Usher).  I am a son of Sam and Diane Maclay, who are also parishioners, and have an older brother, Adam, who lives in Texas with his wife (Meghan) and their children (Patrick, Luke, Karita).  I am a graduate of Mechanicsburg Area Senior High, where I was very active in sports (football / track and field), scouting (Eagle Scout), and other extracurricular activities.  I attended Penn State University and graduated with a degree in Finance and a minor in Economics.  For the last 15 years, I worked for Foot Locker Corporate Services, in Camp Hill, doing accounting / finance work, with my most recent position being the Senior Manager of Inventory Reporting.

Over the past two and a half years, I have been discerning a call to the priesthood.  After much prayer and reflection, this past May, I felt called to take the next step, and proceeded forward with the application process.  I have been accepted into Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, having started classes in late August.  I would like to ask all of you to please keep me in your prayers, as I continue on with my discernment and I will keep all of you in my prayers as well.  I greatly appreciate all of your support and may God bless you all!

 
Greetings Saint Joseph Parish!  For those who don’t know me, my name is Rudy Geisler, and I have been the parish manager here for just over two years. I feel truly blessed to be part of an incredible staff at the parish, and am doubly blessed in that I was recently selected as an Aspirant to the Permanent Diaconate by Bishop Gainer.  Myself and 22 other Aspirants from across the Diocese recently began the 5-year program to further discern our calling to this vocation. 

A little about myself:  I am a “Cradle Catholic,” born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, the 5^th of 7 children in my family. My wife Barbara and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary last year, and we have two sons, Matthew and Joseph.  We originally moved to Mechanicsburg and became members of our parish in 2012.  I was in the U.S. Navy at the time, and thought this would be a brief 1 or 2 year stop in central PA.  Of course the Good Lord had other plans, and this now our permanent home.  My 30 years in the Navy took us all over the globe, including stops in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and even the North Pole!  Throughout our Navy career, no matter where we were stationed, the local Catholic Church and school always provided the foundation, so that we felt at home regardless of where we were geographically. 

I started feeling the call to the Permanent Diaconate many years ago, and am thrilled to formally begin my discernment.  I ask for your prayers for myself, my family and fellow Aspirants as we begin the program.  Know that you are in my prayers as well. If you would like to know more about me, just ask! I can typically be found somewhere on campus most days, or can be reached through the parish office.   

If you feel called to the Priesthood, Diaconate or the Consecrated Life, please give the Diocesan Vocation Director,
Father Jonathan Sawicki, a call at 717-657-4804 or [email protected].
 
We continue to pray for JC, Rudy and all those whom God is calling to serve in these ways in the Church.