Martello: To Christ through Mary

by Macie Capote

Joseph Martello

Age: 28
Hometown: New Orleans
Parish internship: St. Francis Xavier, Metairie

By Macie Capote
Clarion Herald

Joseph Martello, a seminarian set to be ordained as a transitional deacon on Dec. 14 at St. Louis Cathedral, said his goal as a deacon is to emulate Christ, the perfect servant.

Martello is among the first group of seminarians from Notre Dame Seminary to undergo the revised formation process for transitional deacons. Previously a one-year diaconate internship, the process has been reduced to six months, allowing transitional deacons to complete their seminary studies before beginning their parish assignments.

Devout Catholic family

Growing up in Uptown New Orleans in a devout Catholic family that regularly attended Mass and studying at Holy Name of Jesus School and De La Salle High School, Martello had the sense that the Catholic faith he was raised in was true and significant from a young age.

“I was very blessed that I had both a mom and dad who were devoutly Catholic, they made sure to instruct me in the faith and in truth, and they set the framework of what it meant to follow the
Lord,” Martello said.

It wasn’t until his undergraduate tenure at Tulane University, however, that he began to dive deeper into his faith.

“I started going to daily Mass, doing the sacrament of confession weekly and a daily holy hour where I would pray the rosary,” Martello said. “From that, I started to have a deeper conversion and began to really experience Christ in a new and profound way that moved my heart.”

Invitation to priesthood

As he grew stronger in his walk with the Lord, Martello said one day during adoration he received an invitation from God.

“I felt the Lord in my heart invite me to discern priesthood,” he said. “It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t audible, but I felt it in the core of my soul that the Lord was inviting me to follow him.”

Martello was never opposed to the idea and attributes this calling to an influx of grace he has received from God.

“I was falling in love with our Lord in a deeper way, so I was open to doing whatever he’d ask of me,” he said. “That was kind of the beginning of my vocation, I wanted to be radically open to the Lord in adoration and through Our Lady’s promptings and have the courage to do what he says.”

While his seminary journey is coming to a close, Martello expressed how pivotal Notre Dame was in transforming his heart and preparing him for the priesthood.

“Besides people like Archbishop Aymond and all of the formators, along with journeying alongside other men who are likewise trying to follow the Lord with all their heart, seminary entirely transformed how I think,” he said. “I received an excellent Catholic education for priestly formation. It helped me configure my life to Christ and to imitate him, which ultimately is the goal.”

Martello said while remaining a good student was tough and accomplished only by God’s grace, he is forever grateful for the relationships he forged finishing up his master’s at the seminary.

“I am now able to call so many good priests friends, and I have been able to learn from their wisdom and spiritual insights that they learned from the Lord,” he said.

After graduating from the seminary on Dec. 12, Martello will serve full-time as a deacon at his assigned parish, St. Francis Xavier, returning only occasionally to the seminary for vocational seminars until his priestly ordination on May 31.

“It’s exciting to be the first to experience this,” Martello said. “The most appealing part is that I won’t have to balance school and ministry. I can focus all my energy on serving the people without being torn between academics and parish life.”

The role of a deacon

As a transitional deacon, Martello said he is most looking forward to fulfilling the call of a deacon.

“To be a deacon means to model Christ the servant and reflect that to the world,” Martello said. “It’s about serving people in different ways and being present in moments where they encounter Christ – whether in their joys or their sorrows – and helping guide them through those experiences.

“Especially for transitional deacons – before becoming priests, who offer sacrifices to the Lord – we must first learn to become a sacrifice ourselves,” he added. “It is essential to master the virtue of charity, to serve others selflessly and put ourselves out for them. It’s a demanding calling, challenging in some ways, but one that brings immense joy.”

Martello noted that one of his inspirations for his future ministry as a priest is to model his life after that of Jesus’ apostles.

“The apostles followed the Lord in a very similar way as priests do, and it’s very inspiring to me that they gave their whole lives to the Gospel and the zeal they had for it,” he said, noting St. Peter and St. Paul, who Martello said especially had a love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. “It’s important for everyone, but particularly for priests, to maintain a devotion to the Blessed Mother and to lead others into knowing how much she cares for them.”

Martello said that for anyone discerning priesthood and entering the seminary, asking the Blessed Mother for her aid in leading the person to Christ is key to the journey ahead.

“It’s important to stay close to Christ in prayer and adoration and pray the rosary,” he said. “Be open to what he tells you, and have the courage to do it.”

[email protected]