Steered by God and ordered by the military
Father BalkeyCHARLOTTE — Father Darren Balkey, parochial vicar at St. Matthew Parish, soon will add a camouflage Navy uniform with a cross insignia pinned to the collar to his collection of vestments.
He will gain an additional title, too: Lieutenant Balkey, Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy. Instead of his parishioners calling him Father Balkey, his unit will refer to him as Chaplain Balkey.
St. Matthew parishioners will honor him at a farewell reception on Sunday, June 1, after he presides over his final children’s Mass, marking the end of his three-year assignment with the Diocese of Charlotte. His parish family, who appreciate his dedication, will miss him greatly.
Diane Kiradjieff, director of religious education, says, “We are all sad he is leaving, but look what he is going to do. You can’t be bitter about that. He is serving his country, he is still serving us, and he is serving God.”
On June 8, Father Balkey will join the ranks of only 50 active-duty Catholic U.S. Navy chaplains nationwide. Ordained in June 2022, Father Balkey “wet his feet” just enough to embark on his first assignment. Three years as a priest is the minimum required by Military Services Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio to receive official orders.
Father Balkey will be traveling light, considering he has no idea where his assignment will take him.
“I could go to the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Marines – wherever there’s a ship,” he says. “I can be going to anything that floats and any base inside or outside the United States.”
His first destination will be the Naval Chaplaincy School in Rhode Island for two months of training. Upon completion, he will serve the military for a minimum of five years.
Father Balkey isn’t nervous about his new mission. Being a priest helped him realize he is not steering the ship – God is. “It’s something I don’t stress about, because what am
I going to do?” he muses. “It’s like I am laying on that floor again (at ordination) saying, ‘Here I am, send me’.”
Even though chaplains are non-combative, he is geared up with his weapon of choice: prayer.
Father Balkey has had a busy three years assigned to St. Matthew in Charlotte, one of the largest parishes in the country, where he joyfully embraced every aspect of the priesthood, such as baptisms. (Photo provided by Phillip Budidharma)“I offered two Masses for my first commanding officer and three Masses for my first command,” he says. “I want to be able to look them in the eye and say, ‘Sir or Ma’am, I’ve been praying for you. Here is the day I did that, and I am a Catholic priest. I am going to serve on your team. Let me know where I can do the most good.’”
He explains, “I am sending missiles over the horizon, already shooting spiritual ammunition in the right direction for the people that I work for and the people that I work to serve. I don’t know who my commander will be. God knows, and that’s awesome, but all I can do is be obedient.”
At the age of 33, Father Balkey foresees being the old guy on the ship.
“The majority of our military are people that are from 18 to 25 years old. They are away from home for the very first time. They’re in a high-stress environment. They’re starting to ask the big questions,” he says. “At that moment, people can have a very profound encounter with God.
“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, you’re such a young priest,’ but I’m pretty old for a sailor,” he says.
This doesn’t bother him. One of the main reasons he became a priest after graduating from Belmont Abbey College with a degree in criminal justice was to be a father figure to the community.
“I was looking for something with further reach. You can’t arrest your way out of a problem. You can’t fix a broken home with a search warrant. I thought the thing that was missing here was a true father,” Father Balkey says. “I began to have a spiritual desire to father these people spiritually, to be there for people, like a shepherd.”
Father Darren Balkey blesses Ensign Veronica Hine on Aug. 15, 2022, at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. Hine, a Catholic and 2021 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, was serving aboard Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore, a seagoing buoy tender homeported at Naval Station Newport. While Father Balkey was preparing for seminary, “Anchors Aweigh,” the song he played during high school football games, became a continuous soundtrack in his head. He took that as a sign the Navy was also calling, and he answered. (Photo provided by Erin Donlon)That mentality was felt at St. Matthew Parish.
“He very much is a shepherd for all of the staff as well as the faithful,” Kiradjieff says.
Father Balkey hopes to shepherd his new flock in the military, which he felt called to even as he was preparing for seminary.
“I felt called to give my life for the sake of the Church, and the natural corollary to that was serving my country as well,” he says.
Balkey has had a busy three years, being assigned to one of the largest parishes in the country. With approximately 11,000 parish families, nine Sunday Masses, nine nearby hospitals, 700 St. Matthew School students, thousands of faith formation students, a lot of marriages and funerals, Father Balkey’s “training wheels” fell off a while ago.
“He is always available and truly wants to know you,” Kiradjieff says. “He challenges us all to grow in our roles. He was able to touch on each ministry and get to know as many parishioners as possible.”
“We are going to miss him tremendously. He has been a bright presence here, and he very much cares about making sure he left this place better than when he arrived,” she says.
— Lisa M. Geraci
Want to say Farewell?
A Farewell Mass and reception will be held on Sunday, June 1 at 10:45 a.m. at St. Matthew Church, located at 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway in Charlotte.
From: Huntersville, N.C.
Age: 23
Home parish: St. Mark, Huntersville
Status: Started Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, August 2022
Favorite verse or teaching: The explanation of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, as affirmed by Pope Pius IX in his 1854 encyclical “Ineffabilis Deus” (“Ineffable God”)
Favorite saints: St. Joseph and St. Thomas Aquinas
CHARLOTTE — Instead of throwing Hail Marys on the football field, seminarian Bradley Loftin opted for another path in life – offering prayers instead of passes – when he entered St. Joseph College Seminary in 2018.
Loftin, 23, attended St. Mark School and Christ the King High School in Huntersville, where he enjoyed playing both basketball and football.
“I really wanted to go play college football, but instead of pursuing that, I decided to pursue the priesthood,” Loftin says. He credits his high school chaplain at the time, Father Paul McNulty, and his pastor, Father John Putnam, for fostering his vocation.
“Without speaking to Father Putnam about my vocation, I can say I wouldn’t have pursued it,” Loftin says. “He told me that I would have many difficulties and that I would never make the right choice without prayer. I signed up for a weekly Holy Hour. I asked three of my friends to join me. Now, four years later, three of us four are in seminary.”
Loftin and eight of his brother seminarians graduated from St. Joseph College Seminary in August and now attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati – among 49 men currently in some stage of formation to serve as priests in the Diocese of Charlotte.
He reflects on his journey in a conversation with the Catholic News Herald:
CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?
Loftin: I first heard the call when I was a junior at Christ the King High School. I realized that the life I was living wouldn’t fulfill me. I wanted to sacrifice my life for something noble, and I knew I wasn’t living a life that would make me happy. When I saw the priests around me, I saw men who gave their lives to save souls. I knew I had to make a change. While I was afraid of making it public, I knew I had to pursue what God wanted from me in discerning a call to the priesthood.
CNH: What have you been doing to help deepen your discernment during your time in seminary?
Loftin: Since entering the seminary I’ve really enjoyed teaching and giving instruction about the faith. When St. Joseph College Seminary was still near St. Ann School, I would go there in my free time. During breaks now, I enjoy going to St. Mark School and teaching about the faith there and at home-school groups. There is no greater sight than to witness someone learning about God and then beginning to grow deeper in their love for Him.
Charlotte seminarians Christian Goduti, Matthew Harrison II and Bradley Loftin are shown at a Christ the King High School football game in Huntersville in 2018. Loftin credits their friendship for helping him discern his vocation. All three men are now studying at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Burger)CNH: Can you share an example of how your interactions with students are making an impact?
Loftin: One of my favorite moments was when I visited St. Mark School and was able to answer the questions of the students. One student asked me what my favorite part of seminary was. When I replied that I loved the connection of prayer and fraternity at the seminary, the young man’s face lit up with excitement. I think back to this interaction as a motivation to keep spreading the joy that comes with the life that God provides for seminarians and priests.
CNH: Have you acquired some new skills since you entered seminary?
Loftin: Something I have learned is maintenance work. In my summers, I work at St. Mark as part of the maintenance staff. This has required me to learn new skills, from plumbing and electrical to maintaining landscaping. I think these skills will be a great help to me in the priesthood, as maintaining the church and grounds is a critical part of parish life. The skills I’ve learned will be able to assist me in that.
CNH: What advice do you have for a young man discerning a call to the priesthood?
Loftin: My advice is to listen to the angel in the first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel: “Do not be afraid.” While you may have fears about discerning the priesthood, realize that God will give you the grace to be His priest. God will strengthen you to follow Him, and He will lead you. Trust in the Lord so that you may discern.
— SueAnn Howell
Your DSA contributions at work
Seminarian education is funded in part by the annual Diocesan Support Appeal. Learn more about the DSA and how to donate online at www.charlottediocese.org/dsa.