Three Men to be Ordained Priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saturday, June 27, 2020

Bishop David A. Zubik, Diocese of Pittsburgh, will ordain three men to the priesthood during a Mass of Ordination on Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 10 a.m. at Saint Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood (Fifth Avenue at N. Craig Street, Pittsburgh 15213).  Because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and safe distancing requirements, admission to the ordination is limited to invited, ticketed guests only. The ordination will be live-streamed at http://christianassociatestv.org .

The future priests are: C. Matthew Hawkins, Pittsburgh, Saint Paul Cathedral Parish; Jeffrey M. Craig, Wexford, Saint Alphonsus Parish; and Michael J. Faix, White Oak, Mary, Mother of God Parish in McKeesport.

C. Matthew Hawkins
Matthew (Matt) Hawkins was born on January 14, 1957. He is the son of Mabel and Alexander Hawkins, Sr.  Matt has one older brother, Alexander, Jr.

Saint Paul Cathedral in Oakland is Matt’s home parish.  He attended Lemington Grade School and Saint Paul Cathedral Grade School, both in Pittsburgh before graduating from Churchill Area High School, Pittsburgh, in 1975.  Matt graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986 and received a Master’s degree in Applied History from Carnegie Mellon in 1994.

Matt’s most recent employment was Director of the Literacy Center and teacher at Imani Christian Academy, Pittsburgh.

In the fall of 2014, Matt was accepted into the priestly formation program to begin pre-theology studies at Saint Paul Seminary and Duquesne University.  He was then assigned to Saint Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, where he has completed four years of theological studies, taking time out for summer assignments.

In the summer of 2016, Matt participated in the seminarian program of the Institute for Priestly Formation at the University of Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska. In June 2017, Matt began his pastoral year assignment at the Lawrence County parishes of Saint Joseph the Worker; Mary, Mother of Hope; Saint Vincent de Paul; and Saint Vitus in New Castle. 

Matt was ordained to the diaconate on June 8, 2019 and assigned to Holy Spirit Parish in New Castle for his diaconate assignment. 

Father Matthew Hawkins will celebrate his first Mass on Sunday, June 28 at 4 p.m. at Saint Paul Cathedral.

In speaking of his call to the priesthood, Matt says, “I grew up in an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) household and entered full communion with the Catholic Church in 1978. Through this experience, I hope to bring others into closer communion with the Catholic Church.

“Mine was a late vocation. I had been working in the field of community economic development and teaching history classes in higher education for more than 20 years before entering the seminary to discern my calling to the priesthood. I spent seven years in Eucharistic adoration and this, along with encouragement from parishioners, played a large role in my discernment process. I was also inspired by the often-overlooked ministry and example of Albino Luciani (Pope John Paul I). His infectious smile, his love of literature and his compassion for the poor have always exemplified, to my mind, what a pastoral ministry should be.”

Addressing the unusual aspects of this year’s ordination, Matt noted that, “The pandemic, of course, has caught us all by surprise and many people have expressed their concerns about how it will affect my ordination but I cannot help but think about those who have lost their lives or lost loved ones, or have lost their jobs in the aftermath of the first wave of this crisis. The pandemic, the economic crisis, and the subsequent social unrest indicate to me that the very nature of the priesthood is to enter into solidarity with those who suffer, and that is really all of us, and to minister to humanity during unpredictable times. All times are unpredictable.”

Jeffrey M. Craig
Jeffrey M. (Jeff) Craig was born on August 27, 1992. He is the son of Laurie and Glenn Craig. Jeff has two older brothers, Chris and Kevin, and one older sister, Marcie.

Saint Alphonsus Parish in Wexford is Jeff’s home parish.  He attended Saint Alphonsus Grade School in Wexford before graduating from Quigley Catholic High School, Baden, in 2011.  Jeff studied psychology during the Fall 2011 semester at Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida. Jeff’s most recent employment was as a receptionist doing general office work at the Francis J. Craig Insurance Agency.

In the fall of 2012, Jeff was accepted into the priestly formation program to begin studies at Saint Paul Seminary and Duquesne University.  In May 2015, Jeff finished his senior year at Duquesne University and his third year of formation at Saint Paul Seminary.
Jeff was accepted at the Pontifical North American College, Rome, in August 2015 and completed his theological studies there in 2019, with summer assignments back in the U.S.

The first was at Saint Frances Cabrini Parish, Center Township, for a summer pastoral experience.  He returned there for the summer of 2017, during which time he participated in the Latino Enculturation Program sponsored by the Department for Pre-Ordination Formation of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.   

In 2018, Jeff’s pastoral formation year assignment was at the parishes of Saint Frances Cabrini, Center Township; Saint John the Baptist, Monaca; Our Lady of Fatima, Hopewell; and Saint Titus, Aliquippa.

Jeff participated in the seminarian program of the Institute for Priestly Formation at the University of Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska in the summer of 2019, returning to Pontifical North American College in the fall.

 After his ordination on Saturday, Father Jeffrey Craig will celebrate his first Mass Sunday, June 28 at 2 p, m., Saint Alphonsus, Wexford. It will be livestreamed, as attendance is limited due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Pope John Paul II were individuals that I was so impressed by from a young age. I saw both of them, in varying ways, as humble servants who had a peace about them that was truly unworldly. Since the time of my childhood and into my teenage years both of these leaders impacted my life and what I wanted from life. They opened my eyes to the connection between the Catholic Faith and my identity as a child of God who is meant to serve in peace and in humility. In this realization, I found that to be authentic to myself and to God, I had to discern the priesthood and be a servant of Jesus. I have never looked back since,” Jeff says of his call to be a priest.

“The pandemic, in a very unique yet real way, has confirmed the reality that I am not in control of yesterday, today, or tomorrow and that to be a child of God and therefore dependent on our Loving Father is to put everything in God's hands and to trust that He is the source of all hope, peace, and security. To let go of my will and to be open to God's is true freedom,” Jeff added.

Michael J. Faix
Michael J. (Mike) Faix is the son of JoAnn and Jeffrey Faix.  He has one older brother, Matthew, who is married.

Mary, Mother of God Parish in McKeesport is Mike’s home parish. He attended White Oak Elementary School and Francis McClure Middle School, both in White Oak, Pennsylvania, and attended McKeesport Area High School.  Mike then attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in May of 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics with a Minor in Music Performance. Mike’s most recent employment was as a Team Supervisor for NET (National Evangelization Teams) Ministries, Inc., in West Saint Paul, Minnesota.

In the fall of 2013, Mike was accepted into the priestly formation program and completed two years pre-theology studies at Saint Paul Seminary and Duquesne University.  Mike was assigned to begin theological studies at Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, in August 2015 and finished his second year in May 2017.

In the summer of 2016, Mike participated in the seminarian program of the Institute for Priestly Formation at the University of Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska.

In June 2017, Mike began his pastoral year assignment at Saint Margaret Mary Parish, Moon Township.  In the fall of 2018, Mike returned to Saint Vincent Seminary to begin his third year of theological studies.

Mike was ordained to the diaconate on June 8, 2019 and assigned to the parishes of Saint Joseph, Coraopolis; Saint Margaret Mary, Moon Township; and Saint Catherine of Siena, Crescent, for his diaconate assignment, returning to St. Vincent Seminary in the fall to complete his final year there.

“I never thought about the priesthood while growing up,” Mike says, “even though I had a very blessed Catholic upbringing. It never crossed my mind until I was in my early 20s. During my time at college is when I really started following Jesus. As I surrendered to him more and more, I found myself praying deeply, diving into Scripture, leading Bible studies and fellowship groups, and most important, growing in faith and trust.

“At the end of my senior year of college, I prayerfully discerned that God was calling me to serve with NET Ministries, which was certainly a shift in life direction. It was then that I really started to reconsider 'bigger picture' life questions regarding vocation. I served with NET for three years, and in the course of this time I grew in prayer and in my relationship with Christ, lived among some of the best community I've ever known, and was fully immersed in the mission of evangelization.

“It started to become more and more clear to me that the Holy Spirit was prompting me to pray more deeply about a priestly calling. As it started to become even more evident, I began taking steps in this direction (talking to priests about it, voicing it aloud to friends and family, and eventually applying to and entering the seminary). With every step I took I was filled with peace and joy, even amidst challenges. Throughout my 7 years of seminary, the call continued to take root and deepen. For me, this vocation has largely been confirmed through prayer.”

ADVISORY TO NEWS AND ASSIGNMENT EDITORS
Bishop Zubik and the new priests will be available for photos, video and interviews on the cathedral’s main steps facing Fifth Avenue following the ordination Mass at approximately 12:00 pm on Saturday.

Because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and safe distancing requirements, admission to the ordination is limited to invited, ticketed guests only. The ordination will be live-streamed at http://christianassociatestv.org.
 
Note to local editors:
The hometowns and parishes of the three men to be ordained to the priesthood are:  C. Matthew Hawkins, Pittsburgh, Saint Paul Cathedral Parish; Jeffrey M. Craig, Wexford, Saint Alphonsus Parish; and Michael J. Faix, White Oak, Mary, Mother of God Parish in McKeesport.

Download photos of the men to be ordained:
C. Matthew Hawkins
Jeffrey Craig
Michael Faix