Stump the Priests

Fr. Tim Ralston is Pastor of the Stella Maris Family of Parishes. Originally from Georgetown, OH, he studied Philosophy at the University of Cincinnati. He went on to seminary at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary and was ordained a priest on May 22, 2010. He served as Parochial Vicar of St. Charles Borromeo in Kettering and Holy Trinity, St. Mary, and St. Anthony in Coldwater. In 2017 he was named Pastor of St. Bernadette in Amelia, and Stella Maris in 2022.

Fr. McCarthy was ordained in 2007. He has served in four assignments, three as Pastor, before coming to Clermont County. He is the only full-time priest for the four parishes of Holy Family. Originally from Maryland, he came to Cincinnati for school, then stayed for work. Eventually, he entered the seminary for Cincinnati at age 30.

Fr. William Wagner was ordained by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin on June 2, 1973. He earned a BA from the Athenaeum of Ohio, an M. Div. from the Athenaeum, and MA in History from Xavier, and a MSW from UC. He has held numerous appointments across Cincinnati. Most recently, he was the Pastor of St. Thomas More for 21 years. He currently serves as Senior Parochial Vicar for Stella Maris.

A lifelong east-sider, Father Anthony hails from Amelia, Ohio (parishioner of St. Bernadette). He grew up in a strong Catholic family and is one of 7 children (5 girls and 2 boys). Father Anthony was homeschooled up to seventh grade, graduated from Amelia High School in 2012, and attended Franciscan University in Steubenville. During his college summers, he worked at Moonlite Gardens, where he bussed and bartended wedding receptions and small concerts. Father Anthony entered seminary after college, was ordained on May 15th, 2021, and his first assignment was as parochial vicar of the East-side region of St Mary’s Hyde Park, St. Anthony’s, and St. Cecilia’s, Cincinnati. Fr Anthony is now a student-priest in Rome working on a License/Doctorate in Liturgy and Sacraments in order to teach at Mt St Mary’s Seminary and form future priests and laity of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Rev. Eric Wood was born and raised in the small town of Versailles, Ohio in Darke County. He was the youngest of four boys and graduated from Versailles High School in 2006. After High School, he received a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Franciscan University in Steubenville and entered Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in 2010. Fr. Wood was ordained to the priesthood in 2015 by Archbishop Dennis Schnurr. He spent three years as Parochial Vicar of St. Francis de Sales parish in Lebanon, Ohio, and St. Philip parish in Morrow, Ohio. In 2018, he was sent to Rome to study moral theology at the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy, where he received a licentiate in sacred theology. Fr. Wood is currently finishing his doctoral degree from the Alphonsian Academy, with his dissertation research focused on themes of Cardinal John Henry Newman in relation to contemporary moral theology. He also lectures as an instructor of moral theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West and serves as director of the apostolic works and internship program. In addition, he helps out on the weekends in various parishes around the Archdiocese.

Father Luke Mary VanBerkum, O.P., grew up outside of Detroit, MI. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2016, he entered the Dominican novitiate at St. Gertrude Priory. He was ordained a priest in 2022 in Washington, D.C., and then spent a year finishing a licentiate in sacred theology and gaining some pastoral experience, especially with the Latino community. He is excited to be back in the Midwest and to serve as parochial vicar at St. Gertrude Church.