Deacon Joe Robinson

My seminary experience was pretty awesome,” starts Deacon Joseph Robinson, who attended Saint Mary Seminary and is awaiting ordination to begin his assignment as parochial vicar for St. Peter Parish in North Ridgeville. “Living in community and praying in community, being with everyone in classes and for meals, this was a huge blessing. My experience highlights, especially now, how important that example of community will be for my future as a parish priest.” Deacon Joe says his parish internships at St. Sebastian Parish in Akron and Ss. Robert and William Parish in Euclid made it possible to see the fulfillment of a parish community – something quite familiar because of his experience in the seminary.

Six years ago, Deacon Joe entered the Saint Mary Seminary as a Pre-Theologian after completing a Bachelors of Science degree at Cleveland State University. Seminary coursework, especially philosophy, challenged his approach to formation in general. “I found out that there were more ways of doing things than my way,” he says with a laugh.

With his days in the seminary completed and ordination pushed back to August because of the pandemic, Deacon Joe looks at this “holding pattern” as a time for God to continue forming him. “Who knows what God has in store for us?” he says. “I think God is using this time to form us more spiritually and especially in trusting Him.”

“My time at the seminary seemed to go by so fast,” says Deacon Joe. “Our formation would not be possible without the support of the faithful. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to truly and fully engage with the formation process. That would not have happened without the support of others.”