Four seminarians were ordained to the transitional diaconate
by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington
June 13. The ordination of Jonathan R. Fioramonti, John Paul Heisler, Jonathan
Smith and Joseph Townsend was livestreamed from the cathedral.
Jonathan R. Fioramonti
Jonathan R. Fioramonti was born Dec. 20, 1991, in Fairfax to Bob
and Karen Fioramonti. One of nine children, he grew up in Manassas and attended
All Saints Catholic Church. He graduated from Seton School in Manassas in 2010.
From there, he went to Christendom College in Front Royal and graduated in
2014.
He attends Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. His
parish assignments include St. Agnes Church in Arlington (2016); St. Mary of
the Immaculate Conception in Fredericksburg (2018); and St. John the Apostle
Church in Leesburg (2020). In his free time, Fioramonti loves playing sports,
including soccer, basketball, and roller hockey, going for hikes, and spending
time with friends and family.
John Paul Heisler
John Paul Heisler was born July 1, 1995, in Baltimore to Paul and
Lisa Heisler. He and his eight siblings grew up in Front Royal and attended St.
John the Baptist Church. He was home-schooled through high school and attended
Christendom College. After his freshman year, he transferred to The Catholic
University of America while residing at St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington,
a house of priestly formation for men attending Catholic U. He graduated in
2017. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., from 2017 to
the present. His parish assignments include Church of the Nativity in Burke
(2016) and St. Timothy Church in Chantilly (2018).
He enjoys basketball and biking in his free time.
Jonathan Smith
Jonathan Smith was born Sept. 30, 1990, to Michael and Mary Smith
in Columbus, Ohio. He has two brothers and one sister. He grew up in Columbus
and graduated from Bishop Watterson High School in 2009. The same year, he
moved to Fairfax to attend George Mason University, where he graduated in 2013.
He also served as a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)
missionary.
In 2015, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood,
Pa. His parish assignments include the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria
(2016) and St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church (2018). When he has
time, he loves to cook and travel.
Joseph Townsend
Joseph Townsend was born Sept. 17, 1989, in Akron, Ohio, to
Gregory and Anita Townsend. One of nine children, he grew up in Front Royal and
was home-schooled until his high school graduation in 2007. He attended nearby
Christendom College and graduated in 2011.
From 2014 to 2016, he attended the Pontifical College Josephinum
in Columbus; since 2016, he has attended the Pontifical North American College
in Rome. His parish assignments include Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac
Falls (2015), St. Theresa Church in Ashburn (2016), Precious Blood Church in
Culpeper (2018) and St. Veronica Church in Chantilly (2019). The past year he
spent as a pastoral year at St. Ambrose Church in Annandale.
Watch the ordination
To watch the livestreamed Mass, go to
arlingtondiocese.org.
