{"id":218773,"date":"2025-07-24T13:02:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T17:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setonshrine.org\/?p=218773"},"modified":"2025-07-25T13:27:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T17:27:20","slug":"mother-seton-paved-pathway-for-bishop-roy-campbells-long-journey-to-priesthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setonshrine.org\/es\/mother-seton-paved-pathway-for-bishop-roy-campbells-long-journey-to-priesthood\/","title":{"rendered":"Mother Seton Paved Pathway for Bishop Roy Campbell\u2019s Long Journey to Priesthood"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jay Sorgi<\/p>\n

(serie 50 por 50)<\/em> When Roy Campbell was 27 years old, the Washington, D.C. native flew to the Vatican City to attend the canonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.<\/p>\n

Little could he imagine that 32 years later, with Mother Seton\u2019s gentle guidance, he would enter the priesthood at the age of 59. A decade later, he would become Bishop Roy Campbell,<\/a> an auxiliary bishop in his hometown Archdiocese of Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer intercession in my life was to make me open to hearing God,\u201d Bishop Campbell said recently about his life journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cMother Seton did play an important role, and not the one that maybe I thought it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Campbell said that after visiting the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton<\/a> in Emmitsburg, Maryland, as a young adult, he found himself praying through Mother Seton for help with conflicts among family members.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom an early time of knowing about her, what I knew was that she went through a lot to embrace the Catholic faith, realizing this was the faith that was handed on by Jesus to the apostles and to all of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI prayed constantly for resolution of what was going on in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eight years after that visit to the Seton Shrine, he made it a point to travel to Vatican City to be present on September 14, 1975 for her canonization as the first native-born American saint. Now, the Shrine is preparing to celebrate the 50th<\/sup> anniversary<\/a> of that momentous day in the history of the American Church.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still remember now Pope St. Paul VI saying, \u2018Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint,\u2019\u201d he shared. \u201cI did not realize what 250,000 people in one place looked like until the time for Communion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding Christ on a Street in Baltimore<\/strong><\/p>\n

While that powerful experience and image planted powerful seeds within him, the understanding of his calling to the priesthood took a couple more decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was probably seven years old when I first thought about being a priest, but life gets in the way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes time to hear it, and I think that’s where she helped.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Campbell graduated from Howard University in Washington with a degree in zoology but soon entered the banking field. God\u2019s priestly pathway for Bishop Campbell opened in December 1996, while he was working in Baltimore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI passed by a man who was standing on the sidewalk and was asking for handouts,\u201d he said. \u201cI walked right past him and went down into the parking garage. Something said, \u2018He really needs your help. Why don’t you go see what he needs?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I think Mother Seton helped me to do is to \u2018Do whatever He tells you.\u2019 That’s what she did with her life. That’s what I remember when I think of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following her example, he offered the man a meal and some money.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was getting my wallet out and he said, \u2018You’re a Christian, aren’t you?\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat really struck me. All I could say was, \u2018Well, I try to be.\u2019 When I looked into his eyes, I saw Christ looking back at me. Shortly after, I realized that I would do that for Christ. That led me on the path.\u201d<\/p>\n

At first, Bishop Campbell believed the path led to the diaconate instead of the priesthood, so he entered that program in his late 40s.<\/p>\n

But after four years, a retreat in 2003 led him to the recognition that God\u2019s calling was even greater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave the Jesuit who was helping me in discernment all the reasons why this wasn’t something I should do. He kept debunking each reason and said, \u2018Now what are you going to do?\u2019 I said, \u2018Well, I guess I’m going to go see the vocations director,\u2019\u201d Bishop Campbell said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 2007 by Cardinal Donald Wuerl in Washington. Almost 10 years later, Cardinal Wuerl ordained him as an auxiliary bishop after his appointment by Pope Francis.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Fruits of Mother Seton\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, Bishop Campbell regularly takes groups to the Seton Shrine and shares Mother Seton\u2019s impact on his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had gone up there so many times, I could give the tour myself,\u201d he quipped. \u201cPeople can see the fruits of Mother Seton. To me, it just constantly draws me back up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rob Judge, executive director of the Seton Shrine, said Bishop Campbell\u2019s story was inspiring and shows the power of Mother Seton\u2019s continuing intercessions in the lives of the faithful.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaint Elizabeth Ann Seton\u2019s life showed how we can each find our way on the journey to sainthood,\u201d Judge said. \u201cWith her help, Bishop Campbell found his path to the priesthood, and we are grateful for his friendship, leadership and inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Campbell said that throughout his daily life, he still sees Mother Seton\u2019s presence in many ways – everything from a picture of her on a table at his rectory, to the times at the Shrine when he sees the houses where she lived and worked, and in the Basilica at the Shrine where she is entombed.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe interceded for me in my prayers to her,\u201d he said. \u201cNot in the way I expected, but she did. A lot of people go through a lot to witness their faith, and so she gives me the strength and grace to be able to see that in others as I see it in her.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe’s just there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a050 for 50 is a series of stories, quotes, clips, photos, and\/or devotional statements from ordinary people to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of Elizabeth Ann Seton as the first native-born American saint.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From Vatican witness to bishop\u2014led by Mother Seton’s grace.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":218781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4419],"class_list":["post-218773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fifty-for-fifty"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMother Seton Paved Pathway for Bishop Roy Campbell\u2019s Long Journey to Priesthood - Seton Shrine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/setonshrine.org\/es\/mother-seton-paved-pathway-for-bishop-roy-campbells-long-journey-to-priesthood\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Mother Seton Paved Pathway for Bishop Roy Campbell\u2019s Long Journey to Priesthood - 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