o be respectful, and humble. He ose to his older ho helped care for and now supports g with his mother. al in supporting pati concludes. I eople of God who for us, he said. pray for more iesthood and ples ach Samples says tion that he had ultimately led . The Lord was atholic priest- Week 2014 that is, he said. I ion at the altar hursday night. ht that I had it bout to graduate een accepted to EIU, had been e Office of Admis- lease, and was in erful relationship. adoration, I had a uneasiness, fear I really didnt r, he said. Over hs, he sought iests, broke up and spoke with nds about his er the next few d graduate school seminarian. on of David and les. He has one erts, one brother- ts, and one surviv- Lois DiMarzio. his family were r Lady of Lourdes Lori Samples was a long-time elementary school teacher. In 2019 the family trans- ferred its membership to Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Church in Mt. Zion. Samples graduated from Mt. Zion High School and earned both his bachelors degree in history and then a masters degree in college student affairs from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. While he was in graduate school at EIU, he worked in the Office for Admissions where he worked as a recruiter for the university and managed the campus tour guide program. Being involved in his faith was nothing new to Samples, who served Mass as a youngster and was a PSR teacher while in high school. The entire time I lived in Charleston I was very active at the Newman Catholic Center and participated in parish life at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, he said. I wanted to grow in my relationship with Christ. The Newman Center allowed a space for that to happen. Right away, I got involved in small group Bible studies, mission trips, discernment groups, the Knights of Columbus, lead- ership, theology classes, and quite a bit more. It was these opportunities for faith development, as well as the presence of our chap- lain, Father John Titus, that really led me to dive deeper into what it was that the Lord was calling me to. As he approaches his ordination, Samples feels ready. At this point, I have been discerning priest- hood in one way, shape, or form, and at various levels of seriousness since fourth grade, he said. While in a sense, no one can ever be completely ready to lay on the floor of the Cathedral, the Lord continues to affirm that he is calling me to be his priest. There is a certain level of assurance and confidence that comes with that af- irmation, while still knowing that I am ultimately unworthy to enter into this sacrament. So, I approach ordination with full knowledge that I am still very much in need of formation, have much more to learn, and that I am a sinner in need of mercy, forgiveness, patience, and love, he said. At the same time, I approach ordination with faith in the Lord's call, confi- dence in the formation that I have received, joy in the reality of the sacrament, profound love for Christ and for his people, and a readiness to serve.
Samples says he first and fore- most, gives thanks to Jesus Christ for calling him to serve him and to be his priest in service to his Catholic Church and his people. He is grateful for his family and friends for love, prayers, and support; to Bishop Thomas John Paprocki for having confidence in him; for the mentorship of Father Brian Alford and other priests; and in a spe- cial way, he is grateful to my late mother for inspiring me in the faith and for loving and supporting me every step of the way.
13 Catholic Times April 4, 2021 DIOCESAN LIFE
e ordained to transitional diaconate
Father McGivney Catholic School is seeking candidates for the following positions for the 2021-2022 school year:
Faculty and StaffPositions
Full-time Math teacher Coaching positions We are a faith-filled high school focused on developing our students fully; mind, body and spirit. Candidates who have endorsements in multiple subject areas are preferred. Qualified candidates please send a cover letter, resume, completed application, and three letters of recommendation to Joseph Lombardi, Principal at jlombardi@ mcgivneygrins.com. Applications and more details can be found on our website https://mcgivneygrins.com/employment-opportunities/
Previous Page