When Nick Adam graduated from college with a degree in journalism, his ultimate dream was to become a sportscaster on ESPN. Those dreams were just a memory Friday night as Adam took his next step to becoming a Catholic priest through his ordination at Saint Patrick Church in Meridian as a transitional deacon. Upon college graduation from the University of Alabama, Adam moved to Meridian in 2008 to work at WTOK. It was while working at the television station, Adam, then 21, said he felt the call to explore the promise to become a Catholic priest. “I really got involved in my parish at St. Patrick and St. Joseph,” Adam said. “I grew up Catholic, but I didn’t really practice my faith even though it had always been part of my life. The Lord really spoke to me while in Meridian, and opened my eyes to what God was capable of doing in my life.” After nearly five years of working at the television station, Adam said he began to seriously consider a career change – even though he loved his job. There were three major groups he said influenced his decision – the people of the parish; his pastor Father Frank Cosgrove, who is now retired; and John Johnson, his boss at WTOK. “The people of the parish were such wonderful examples of what a Christian life looks like. I had never really seen great examples like that,” Adam said. “Father Cosgrove showed me priests are happy and what kind of good they can do, and John Johnson, even though he was not Catholic, was a sounding board. We had conversations about morality and living a good Christian life, that was a huge thing for me. “This all goes back to Meridian being the special place God put me, to form me into the person he wanted me to be.”
Congratulations and welcome! Ad multos annos!
And today we celebrate...