 A Vocation Story: Reverend Nicolas Azar
Search for Happiness: from Finance to Fatherhood
Father Nicholas Azar,
Archdiocese of Atlanta, USA
Nicolas Azar stood in his Atlanta office with a resignation letter in
his hand. Was he really ready to give up his position as the Manager of Finance for SkyTeam Cargo to join the seminary? As an executive in the
world's leading air cargo alliance, Nicholas was accustomed to flying
all over the world and dealing with senior level international
executives. Could he really give it all up to serve Christ and His Church?
Father Azar placed the letter in the fax machine, and pressed send.
"After finishing university and graduate school, I was already aware of
an emptiness that I did not know how to fill. I was seeking happiness,
but didn't know it could come in the form of a priestly vocation,"
Father Azar explained recently as he waited for class to start at The
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
Things began to change in 1997, when Father Azar joined a young adult
pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Paris. "I couldn't believe that these
young people could fill an auditorium like that," Father Azar said.
"The experience ignited my interest in the Church. I became very
excited about what the Church was, as I was seeing its beauty, joy and
mystery unfolding at each moment."
Father Azar soon felt a desire to be on the front lines of ministry. He
began to volunteer with a parish youth group, in addition to his
full-time job. He began to lead Bible studies, coordinate retreats,
direct mission trips, and teach confirmation classes. After eight years
of giving his every spare moment to youth ministry, Father Azar entered
Mount Saint Mary's Seminary, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
"Going to seminary was a humbling experience in many ways," Father Azar
explained. "I had been out of school for many years, and now I was
doing a Baccalaureate degree with men much younger than I. I was far
outside of my comfort zone in the corporate world. My educational
background was in Business and Finance, so I had never done any
Philosophy. When I first started, I would read Plato over and over,
trying to figure out what it was all about."
His perseverance paid off, and at the age of forty-five, Nicholas Azar
was ordained to Holy Orders on June 27, 2009. His ordination took place
at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, the same parish in which
he received all of his sacraments, and once served as the Director of
Youth Ministry.
Today Father Azar is finishing an STL (Licentiate of Sacred Theology) in
Moral Theology at Santa Croce. He believes that his studies will help
him to be a better priest. "I always think of the words of my Bishop
(The Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory) who told us, 'the reason you study
to get that degree is so that when you return home, you will be ready to
pastor souls in a parish.' My Bishop is very fatherly, and he reminds
us that we need to be pastors to all, and open to reaching out to
everyone who walks through our doors."
When Fr. Azar looks back on the movements of Divine Providence in his
life, he is thankful to God for leading him on the path of true
happiness. "When it seems like things don't work out in life, there's
always a reason," said Fr. Azar. "It's for something better than you
could have planned yourself. The Lord always outdoes that which you
think you want."
For further information, please contact:
Michael R. Gilstrap, Executive Director
Phone: (914) 380-5088 Email: mgilstrap@UniversityHolyCross.org
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