Paulist novicemaster Father John Behnke (left) preside over the ceremony where Craig Campbell, Anthony Rosado and Yao “Jimmy” Hsu made their first promises with the Paulist Fathers Aug. 1 at St. Paul’s College in Washington, D.C.

Craig Campbell

Three men are moving from the Paulist novitiate to their second major step towards the Paulist priesthood: making first promises in the Paulist community during a Mass and ceremony at St. Paul’s College Aug. 1. The men are Craig Campbell, Yao Hsu and Anthony Rosado.

“When the Sacrament of Baptism takes root, a vocation begins,” said Paulist president Father John F. Duffy during the homily.

“We are here today because three men – Craig Campbell, Yao Hsu and Anthony Rosado – have decided their vocation might be loved out in context of the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle,” Father Duffy continued. “… As your vocation unfolds, whatever direction it takes, God will always provide.”

Each new member of the Paulist community is enthusiastic about taking this next step in formation, and has a different take on what the novitiate experience was like.

Craig Campbell, a 37-year-old Pittsburgh native, feels it important to keep it all in perspective.

“We have another six years, and then even ordination isn’t the end of the journey,” he said. “This is something you build up your whole life.”

Mr. Campbell spent his Lenten pastoral assignment at Old St. Mary’s in Chicago, a time where he saw “where the rubber meets the road.”

Anthony Rosado

“I was learning to work with people and experiencing their faith,” said Mr. Campbell, who has a journalism degree from West Virginia University and worked in television news for several years. “It’s why I became a Paulist – I want to work with people.”

After first coming into contact with the Paulists at WVU, where the Paulists served as campus ministers, Mr. Campbell rediscovered the Paulists online.

For Yao “Jimmy” Hsu, the novitiate year was a chance to experience St. Paul, the legacy of faith left by Paulist founder Servant of God Father Isaac T. Hecker and being part of a community.

“[Making first promises] is the first formal step to being part of the Paulist community, but is another small step in the road ahead,” he said.

Now 20, Mr. Hsu first contemplated the priesthood as a youth group member at Sacred Heart Chinese Parish in his hometown of Plano, Tex., and was inspired by the example of the Paulists who run the University Catholic Center at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a philosophy degree.

Yao “Jimmy” Hsu

For Mr. Hsu making first promises is “a continuation of discernment that started 11 months ago at the start of the novitiate year. It gives you a sense of meaning and direction.”

Anthony Rosado hails from Queens, NY, and comes to the Paulists armed with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music composition from the Manhattan School of Music. He was pursuing a doctoral degree in sacred music at Catholic University when he could no longer postpone his priestly calling.

Mr. Rosado found the Paulists while researching the priesthood, and has participated in the music ministry at the Paulist mother church, the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan.

The novitiate year has been “very reflective and adjusting to community life,” Mr. Rosado said. “It was discernment to find out if I could see myself doing the variety of Paulist ministries happily and effectively. You want to figure out that you can do whatever assignment you are given and be at peace doing it.”