Name: John Paul Lawhead
Hometown: Russellville, Ala.
Stage of formation: Prenovice

Scanning across a list of hometowns of Glenmary priests and brothers, one finds large cities in the northeast, small towns in the Midwest and even a couple of foreign countries. Noticeably absent are small towns in the South, the Southwest and Appalachia: areas that Glenmary has worked in for over 60 years.

That situation could change with John Paul Lawhead, 32, a prenovice who grew up in Russellville, Ala., as a member of Good Shepherd Parish, a former Glenmary mission. With Glenmary’s other prenovices, John Paul is living in the Glenmary House of Studies in Hartford, Ky., and is engaged in a year of academics and mission activity under the direction of Father Vic Subb and Brother Tom Sheehy.

John Paul is discerning whether to pursue priesthood or brotherhood.

He credits two priests in his life for his interest in a religious vocation: Glenmary Father Bob Berson, who pastored the Glenmary mission in Russellville from 1986 to 1995 and Father Thomas Woods, the current pastor in Russellville. “He is somebody I could really talk to about religious life,” John Paul says.

A graduate of both the University of Northern Alabama (bachelor’s degree in communication arts and public relations) and the University of Alabama (masters in advertising and public relations), John Paul worked for Wal-Mart for 13 years, beginning as a cashier/cart pusher and working his way into management. He also has academic experience in theatre arts, radio, television, and computer graphics.

All of these experiences have come together to give him the tools he needs for service in the missions. “The core of what I believe is in the first chapter of the Gospel of John: In beginning was the Word,” John Paul says

Glenmary’s respect for multiculturalism is important to John Paul, who has both Scotch-Irish and Cherokee heritage. He is eagerly working to learn Spanish from Fernando Salcedo-Mereno, a fellow prenovice who is from Mexico, and would like to continue study of Chinese, He notes that there are also classes in Japanese at Brescia University, where he is enrolled in New Testament and logic classes.

John Paul was first attracted to missionary service because he wanted to make the Bible accessible in other countries. “But then I began looking at places in the United States where the word of God may be heard, but not understood or explained,” he says. “I want to allow the Bible to be felt.” His knowledge of Glenmary’s work led him to contact the Glenmary vocation office and Father Steve Pawelk, who served as the assistant pastor in Russellville when John Paul was a boy.

After his first contact with the Glenmary vocation office, John Paul spent a month-long mission placement at Glenmary’s missions in Logan, Chapmanville and Man, W.Va. He also attended a retreat sponsored by the vocation office. John Paul points to these experiences, saying they have helped him continue on his journey as he discerns the possibility of ministry as a Glenmary priest or brother.

John Paul prays that in the coming years “God places me where he wants me, helping people with whatever gifts he’s given me.”

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