Jason Barone, who has been a seminarian for six years in Baltimore, Md., has come to St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon on his vacations and school breaks. Barone recently received the sacrament of holy orders as a priest from the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Charlotte.
“My experience here at St. John’s in Tryon has been so wonderfully beneficial and enjoyable. Fr. Winslow has taught me so much in the organization and running of the parish. The parishioners here have made me feel like it’s home whenever I have come here.”
Barone said he particularly enjoyed the study of Latin and the sacred liturgy of the church in his studies to be a priest. He also made a three-week trip to the Holy Land this past January.
The formation of being a seminarian has prepared him in countless ways for becoming a parish priest, Barone said.
“On a human level, the seminary prepares one to be a public person – available and approachable, like Christ,” Barone said. “Spiritually, it prepares you to become a spiritual leader, and academically it prepares one to teach the truths of the faith. Pastorally it has prepared one to apply the knowledge gained to real life situations the pastor deals with daily.”