Former Protestant Minister Pursues Priesthood

Catholic Anchor, Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Anchorage ^ | October 17, 2008 | James DeCrane, Anchor Writer

[Titanites]

When Steve Olmstead served as a Presbyterian minister in Juneau, he would often finish his duties on Sunday, close up the church and head to Mass with his devout Catholic wife and their children.

“I had a place to worship, which a lot of pastors don’t,” Olmstead said in an interview with the Anchor. “It was nice to go to a place and worship where I wasn’t the minister.”

The Anchorage Archdiocese’s newest seminarian grew up in a Presbyterian home and always had a strong spiritual life. When Olmstead entered adulthood, he felt called to serve as a youth minister, and was later ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church.

Throughout his life, he said he had many positive contacts with people who were strong in the practice of their Catholic faith, including his wife of 22 years, Janet.

“I married the most devout and most amazing Christian I’ve ever met in my life,” Olmstead said, crediting her with his conversion to Catholicism. Before the two wed, he agreed to raise the children in the Catholic faith. Steve and Janet Olmstead were married in Juneau by then Bishop Michael Kenny.

He continued to serve in a Presbyterian church in Juneau, but over the years grew enamored with Catholicism.

“I love the devotional practices of the Catholic church, its prayers and devotions,” Olmstead said.

He says he was especially drawn to some core beliefs that are often points of contention between Protestants and Catholics; matters of faith like belief in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary.

“Ultimately those core beliefs created this tug that led me to the (Catholic) Church so that I would be more congruent with myself,” Olmstead said.

His family’s faith helped with that tug. In addition to Janet’s steady faith, the Olmsteads’ seven children, ages 2-18 years, helped play a part.

The Olmsteads have three older biological children, another three they adopted, and one foster child, which they hope to adopt soon.

“My older kids started asking me questions (like), ‘How come you believe this, but you aren’t teaching it,’” Olmstead recalled. “I had this inner conflict and I had to make that decision.”

Ultimately he did, and left his position at the local Presbyterian church in Juneau to officially enter the Catholic Church in 2006, a decision that brought Olmstead much peace.

“A huge thing for me is mystery,” he said. “I really need mystery and mystery in my faith. The Catholic Church (allows) me to have that mystery — Christ held that for me.”

Having served as full-time Protestant minister, Olmstead still felt a strong call to a minsterial or religious vocation.

Last year he participated in a 30-day Ignatian Spiritual Exercises retreat to investigate how God wanted him to serve in his new church, and he felt called to serve as a priest.

“At the end of that retreat, I realized that this is where God was calling me,” he said.

While celibacy is the rule for Latin rite Catholic priests, there are approximately 100 married former Protestant clergymen in the United States who have joined the Catholic Church and received Vatican permission to become priests.

[WVKayaker]

So why pray for each other at all, if Christ is the only intercessor. Clearly, St. Paul argued that we should all pray for each other [intercessory prayer] which does not detract from Christ as the sole mediator for man before God.

You are quite good at defending your faith. But, you do not accurately depict what I have said. I have separated nothing. I have made it clear that your version is just that, It is not the only interpretation, and yes, it IS different than the Roman usurpation... (for example, a Mary wielding the scepter signifying the royal leader. Mary was/is not a queen. She was/a vessel, and even if your apocrypha says otherwise, the same church fathers (that you like to quote) make it clear she is only a woman.

In summary, there was a well developed doctrine of Mary’s unique role in salvation history way before the New Testament Canon was settled in the 4th century Church Councils at Hippo and Carthage, 393 and 397, respectively. The second century testimony of two of the greatest orthodox Church Fathers, Justin and Irenaeus support the position that Mary was chosen by God to be the means through which the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (c.f. John 1:14).

So, where does she get a crown, and scepter? I did not deny her as the mother of Jesus. I simply hold her to human status, not divine. "She's dead, Jim..."

He is risen. Christ is no longer on the Cross.

But hey, there's not idolatry in the RC faith... /sarcasm

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

It's getting very old always seeing something about Catholics on what is supposed to be a political forum.

If you look at the top right corner of this thread it says 'Religion'. It is getting very old seeing complaints about discussing religion on what is the RELIGION FORUM.

[lonestar]

You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve tried to get out of the religious forums!

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

The problem is that the default in FR is ALL Forums, which usually means the News/activism, Chat, and Religion forums, since the others are less active. The only way to avoid this is to select one specific forum, which I guess would be News/Activism in your case.

[CTrent1564]

Ok, just what Church do you belong to? Lets see what you believe. I think after all these posts, it would be courteous for you to at least state what Protestant church you belong to. Again, the Nicene and Apostles Creeds both affirm the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, and thus a complete theology of Christ does not separate any of those.

I have never said, nor has the Catholic Church ever said, Mary is divine. She is human, and is the most beautiful example of what God’s Grace does to humanity. It restores fallen humanity back to the state before the fall in Genesis and conforms us to the Christ, ie. who had a true human nature, without sin.

Revelation 12 which sees both the people of God, the entire Church and Mary in the terms of Queenship. The idea of queenship goes back to Bathsheba, who was King David’s wife and when Solomon became King, Bathsheba became the Queen Mother and assisted her son. As Solomon is crowned, Queen Basheba enters the royal court sittign with her son and makes a request “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.’ And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you’” (1 Kgs. 2:19–20). This passage can be seen as having typological significace prefiguring Mary’s role in asking Christ to peform his first miracle at the Wedding feast at Cana (c.f. John 2: 1-12).

The Church Fathers, as I notes in my previous, post, saw in Mary as the New Eve, they also saw her as the ark of the new covenant, thus the fullfillment of the Ark of the OT (c.f. Exodus chapters 25-27), which is where God dwelt. Mary gave birth to Christ, who is God, thus Mary is seen as the ark of the new covenant, which you refer to as a vessel [which is a term that is consistent with what I wrote]. The scriptures (Lk 1:43} where Elizabeth greets Mary as the “mother of my Lord” points to Mary’s unique and singular role in salvation history, i.e. the theotokos, Mother of God or God-Bearer. The Church Fathers, starting with Alexander of Alexandria begin to more fully develop the theological implications of Mary’s role in salvation history as he refers to Christ as boring a body not in appearence, but in truth, derived from Mary the Mother of God [AD 324].

Gradually, as the Christological heresies would continue, Mary was dogmatically declared the Mother of God at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD, which was a defintion to protect fully that The person of Christ was born to Mary an this was a Divine person (i.e. God).

In closing, the Catholic Church, as our close friends the Eastern Orthodox Church, do not worship Mary, nor do we state she is divine. If you have been taught that, you were taught incorrectly. The Church honors Mary because God honored her in a singular way by allowing her to bring God into the world in the flesh.

Regards

[Petronski]

Statues are idolatry?

We must destroy the Statue of Liberty!

And the Lincoln Memorial?!? NUKE IT!

[Petronski]

He is risen. Christ is no longer on the Cross.

“We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness” (I Corinthians 1:23)

[WVKayaker]

Ok, just what Church do you belong to? Lets see what you believe. I think after all these posts, it would be courteous for you to at least state what Protestant church you belong to. Again, the Nicene and Apostles Creeds both affirm the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, and thus a complete theology of Christ does not separate any of those.

I belong to Christ's church. I also have not said half of the things that you have imputed to me. I merely have disputed your, organizations claims.

It is interesting that most of your claims come from "church fathers". You take their statements as if they were divine in nature. They are part of your organizations version and understanding. That does not make them into THE truth. I am not alone in that assumption.

I doubt you are willing to change. You are welcome to stay under the bondage your organization demands. Jesus died to set us free. He was resurrected to demonstrate His promise. He reigns with truth and justice.

As for me and my house, we will continue to serve the Lord...

He is risen...

[Titanites]

“We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness” (I Corinthians 1:23)

Some would assume that St. Paul never got the memo that He is risen.

[WVKayaker]

“We preach Christ crucified...

No debate about that. I do, too. But, I don't keep a reminder of the death. The EMPTY cross signals victory. Your crucifix shows Him in defeat! It is an idol.

Johm 4: 19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

[WVKayaker]

Some would assume that St. Paul never got the memo that He is risen.

Not in my Bible...

Romans 4: 13It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations."[c] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."[d] 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Romans 5: 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

He is risen...

[lonestar]

I've tried that and General Chat...but everything comes up. Oh well!

[Titanites]

Not in my Bible...

That's right. St. Paul knew He was risen yet preaches Christ crucified, which is what the Crucifix is all about.

[WVKayaker]

St. Paul knew He was risen yet preaches Christ crucified, which is what the Crucifix is all about.

Your crucifix depicts a dead Jesus... The empty cross signifies victory. I'm with the winner!

[Titanites]

There was no circular reason except for those who refuse to face the fact that preaching Christ crucified is scriptural.

[WVKayaker]

There was no circular reason except for those who refuse to face the fact that preaching Christ crucified is scriptural.

My reference was to your dead Jesus. I preach Christ crucified. Your organization prefers to see Him dead, though. I prefer to recognize the empty cross, and empty tomb.

He is risen. He promises life...

[Titanites]

Your organization prefers to see Him dead, though.

I don't have an organization. I have the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church established by Christ. St. Paul advocates preaching Christ crucified.

He is risen. He promises life...

As is taught by the Catholic Church.

[Titanites]

My reference was to your dead Jesus.

I don't have a "dead Jesus" and that lie is one that I hope you don't repeat.

[WVKayaker]

I don't have a "dead Jesus" and that lie is one that I hope you don't repeat.

[WVKayaker]

As is taught by the Catholic Church.

...and the Mormons, the Moonies, and the Jehovah's Witnesses! But, like them, your organization places the burden of law right back into, the mix. Jesus set us free from the law. He gave us eternal life through His death and RESURRECTION. Without the Resurrection, there is no hope. Take Jesus off the cross and raise up hope!

He is risen.