RALEIGH – Nicolas Rapkoch was ordained to the priesthood June 3 at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. His parents, Steve and Joan, brother Connor, friends and other family members joined Father Nicolas in celebrating the special Mass. Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama presided.
The Rite of Ordination included traditions such as promises of the elect, anointing of hands and fraternal sign of the peace.
The rite also included investiture, during which time Father Nicolas switched his stole from the way a deacon wears it (across the body) to the way a priest wears it (hanging down on both sides). He also put on a robe, or chasuble, over the plain white alb he wore at the beginning of Mass.
Father Jaime Robledo, P.S.S., a member of the faculty at Theological College in Washington, D.C., assisted with investiture.
Readings were shared by seminarians of the Diocese of Raleigh.
“It’s really important for the people to see those who are discerning … that they have a love for this. And, at the same time, for my brother seminarians … that they have the opportunity to do that which they love,” Father Nicolas said.
Raised in Tacoma, Washington and graduated from Eckerd College in Florida, he first came to North Carolina as part of his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, which included a duty station at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville. He moved to Raleigh in 2014 to work in business.
He was drawn to the priesthood in a way that happened gradually. Looking to renew his faith, he said he was gradually asking “Where is there more God? And how can I get drawn deeper into this mystery of this relationship that I am discovering?”
He noticed while attending Mass that he was drawn to the actions of the priest and wanted to know it more. Some people he knew were encouraging him to think about a possible vocation.
“Eventually I couldn’t deny it to myself anymore,” he said.
Not wanting to look at his life through a “what if” lens, he said he became a seminarian to discern further.
Now that he’s ordained, Father Nicolas said he’s most looking forward to celebrating the sacraments with the faithful. He will begin serving August 1 as parochial vicar at St. Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill.
“The Lord promises that ‘by pathways unknown I will lead my people. I will turn the darkness to light before them,’” Father Nicolas said. “We don’t necessarily know what tomorrow is going to bring, but … we can be together, and God will see us through. He’s going to stay with us. We just need to stay in that relationship with him.”
Read more about the life and discernment of Father Nicolas in the upcoming issue of NC Catholics magazine, which will be online and in homes later this month.
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Watch and listen as Father Nicolas talks about his journey. And stay tuned till the end for well wishes to him from the faithful!
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