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Nick Droll Ordained a Transitional Deacon

Diocese of Columbus

Nick Droll was ordained transitional deacon by The Most Reverend Frederick F. Campbell, D.D., Ph.D. Bishop of Columbus, on Saturday, May 14th at St. Joseph Cathedral, Columbus, Ohio. Deacon Droll will be serving with Fr. Ted Sill at St. Matthew parish in Gahanna this summer.

Deacon Droll is a seminarian preparing to be ordained as a diocesan priest for the Diocese of Columbus. He is currently in formation at Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland. He has one more year of formation before his priestly ordination in 2012.

Prior to major seminary, Droll attended The Oho State University, Marion, and the Pontifical College Josephinum and graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. Droll also worked in the law enforcement field at a non-profit organization which worked closely with Columbus Division of Police in several local neighborhoods.

Droll said that he experienced God’s grace and a certain calm leading up to Ordination and that it reassured him that he doing what God is asking him to do. “For a long time, I have been asking for the grace to want what God wants,” said Droll.

A few pivotal moments for Droll during his formation included receiving the Ministry of Lector during his first year of theology, also in his second year theology when he received the Ministry of Acolyte, and then last fall when he was admitted to Candidacy for Holy Orders. “Those were milestone events and really made the calling tangible for me,” said Droll.

His parents Jerry and Becky, sister Emily, and brothers Nate and Peter, have greatly supported Droll during his priestly formation. Droll’s home parish is St. Michael, Worthington. He is originally from Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Droll enjoyed all of his summer parish assignments, including: St. Peter, Chillicothe, St. Paul, Westerville, and St. Stephen the Martyr in Columbus.

He believes that his seminary formation has prepared him for his responsibilities as a deacon with both the practical and theological classes, especially homiletics. As a deacon he will baptize, preside at weddings and funerals and write and deliver homilies. “Prayer is an indispensable part of the preparation of a homily and part of what distinguishes it from other forms of public speaking,” said Droll.

On the Mount St. Mary Seminary campus, the National Shrine and Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is special to Droll who noted that the grotto was dedicated to Our Lady under this title by Bishop Watterson who served as rector of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary before serving as the second Bishop of Columbus. Droll enjoys history and added that a beautiful crucifix outside the seminary chapel was given to Bishop Watterson in 1893 by Msgr. Joseph Jessing, a priest of the Diocese of Columbus who founded the Pontifical College Josephinum. “I am fascinated with these Columbus connections to Mount St. Mary,” said Droll.

Droll also enjoys praying at the nearby Basilica and National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native born American to be canonized a Saint. In his free time, Droll enjoys reading and spending time with friends when he isn’t studying or serving while at seminary.

Droll looks forward to serving the people of the Diocese of Columbus. One of the things he loves about Columbus is access to watching a variety of sporting events, including the Columbus Crew, Cleveland Indians, the Clippers, Blue Jackets and the OSU Buckeyes.

When he was preparing for Ordination, Droll spent much time in prayer to prepare for the special day. He, like others, said that he couldn’t put into words the emotional and spiritual depths of what Ordination day means, as the Lord speaks to each person in an individual and unique way.

“I always pray to be open to God’s grace and grow more in love with the Eucharist, which is a sign of God’s great love for us,” said Droll. “I thank the people of the diocese for all of their prayers and ask them to please continue praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. I daily ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for the families of our diocese and for our perseverance in the grace God gives us and that will continue to be my prayer.”