‘I want to live a life full of the love’

The first time Jonah Beckham thought about the priesthood, he was in the perpetual adoration chapel at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond. He was 13.

“It was just kind of a thought that came to me like ‘What about the priesthood?’ And it took me five seconds to say, ‘I’m not doing that!’” Beckham said with a chuckle.

Twelve years later and after a more mature discernment, Beckham will be ordained to the transitional diaconate June 1 at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City.

The transitional diaconate is the final step before being ordained a priest, which, God willing, will be in the summer of 2025.

“Monty and I are so proud of Jonah and the man he has become. The time has gone by so fast,” said his mom, Maggie Beckham. “Jonah’s journey has enriched and strengthened my faith and brought his dad into the Church in 2019. I passionately believe when God calls the son to the priesthood, he calls the parents as well.”

It was Beckham’s mission trip in high school with Catholic Heart Workcamp that he and his mom said made the calling to the priesthood hard to ignore.

“In a conversation with him during the trip, he shared how much he was enjoying his time serving and didn’t want to leave. He said, ‘My assignment is cleaning, painting and gardening at a rehabilitation house. I’m showing them Christ through my work and that’s so cool!’

‘This was the beginning of his faith journey discerning the priesthood; a true servant’s heart who has always belonged to God.”

Beckham said the trip was his first experience serving the poor.

“I was hearing all of these stories from people and there was this desire that I want to do more.”

In the next two years, he got more involved at Saint John’s and spent time talking about the priesthood with Father Ray Ackerman, pastor of Saint John’s at the time. It was during his time as an altar server for Father Ray that his calling grew stronger.

“While he was consecrating the host, staring at it, the expression on his face, I could see how in love he was with the Eucharist. It drew me. I wanted to be close to the eucharist; I wanted to live a life like that. I thought ‘I want to live a life full of the love Father Ray has for the Eucharist.’”

His call to the priesthood was relentless, yet Beckham wasn’t sure of his vocation until the end of high school.

“It was a back and forth – I have this desire, I want to be a priest, but I’m not sure what that’s going to look like. I was still in high school, I had girlfriends. Is this really something I could do? Is God really calling me to do this?”

Father Ray encouraged him to stay close to the Eucharist and to turn it over to God. His calling became clear, so upon his graduation from high school, Beckham contacted the vocations office and applied to the seminary.

For other young men considering their vocation and a possible vocation to the priesthood, Beckham urged them to let go and let God lead them, no matter their vocation.

“Don’t be afraid of the crosses in your life, embrace them,” he said. “Life is challenging, suffering is inevitable. For the priesthood, it’s not a glamorous life, but it’s a life filled with amazing joys and amazing blessings.”

“Our Lord calls every single person to a vocation. Allow God to be in the midst of those and we can form ourselves to the cross. Where am I called? What am I supposed to do? Embrace those and give those over to Christ and allow him to take care of you.”

After earning a degree at Conception Seminary College, Beckham and Seminarian John Grim, who also will be ordained a transitional deacon on June 1, attended Kenrick-Glennon Theological Seminary and Mount Saint Mary's Seminary – the same seminary where Blessed Stanley Rother graduated.

Beckham and Grim are praying a novena together to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to prepare for their ordination. Beckham asked for prayers as his ordination approaches. His mom, dad, brother Noah and other family and friends will be in attendance.

“Jonah recently shared with us he can’t wait to serve the parish community he is assigned to for the summer as a newly ordained deacon,” Maggie Beckham said. “His dad and I are confident his magnetic personality will radiate the image of Christ to all he encounters, now and as a priest.”

Diane Clay is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.


Photos provided.