For the past eight years, North Canton native Arthur Bodenschatz prepared for a life of service in the church. On June 6th he will be ordained as Transitional Deacon at Saint Paul Parish, his home parish. He’s a man whose journey to the altar is paved with love of community, music, and a deep devotion to the Eucharist. Our Dennis Biviano has his story.
For Seminarian Arthur Bodenschatz, walking into St. Paul Parish feels like coming home. Long before he was a Seminarian at John Carroll University then Saint Mary’s Seminary in Wickliffe, he was a student at nearby Hoover High School, playing soccer, taking part in musicals, a Broadcast Journalism program—yet always remaining dedicated to his faith.
“Being a part of the youth group was something that changed my life and really helped foster my vocation… just to have that sort of community when I was in high school was really amazing and really helped me fall in love with the Eucharist, fall in love with the mass, fall in love with church,” says Arthur Bodenschatz.
Music isn’t just a hobby for Arthur; it’s a spiritual outlet. He has written nearly 20 original songs, using the guitar to externalize his prayers.
“Having an instrument that can help me, like, externalize what I’m hearing from the inside has been really cool, taking words from my journals or words from the saints and putting them into song has been really cool,” says Bodenschatz.
That prayer life has sustained him through two years of a transformative internship at Saint Carlos Acutis Parish in Columbiana. There, under the leadership of Pastor Chad Johnson, he’s learned that the heart of a priest must be open to both the joys and realities of parish life.
“The year that we call the “Promised Land” because you finally get to step away from the books and really just be full time on stream and doing that, was just so good to get to know this parish, to get to know these people, to see Father Chad as a first-time pastor navigating those waters. They were quite choppy and at the same time, the trials we went through, the struggles we’ve had have made Father Chad and I a lot closer. It made us closer with parishioners,” say Bodenschatz.
“There is always a deepening that we are being ordained to be with and for the people. And the more that he got to be there in the midst of all of that, the more concrete and real it became. And I think that was kind of fun to watch, just how he very subtly but very gradually, but very intentionally became this person who God created him to be,” says Rev. Chad Johnson.
Arthur has one more year of Theology at Saint Mary’s Seminary. He will remain at Saint Carlo Acutis Parish for his Transitional Diaconate year, with an anticipated ordination to the priesthood in the summer of 2027.
“I’m just so excited. I mean, eight years building up to this point… I’m just very, very grateful. Very honored and just feeling the gravity of it all… wanting to really take these last couple of weeks to prepare well and just surrender to what the grace of God is doing in my life,” says Bodenschatz.
“God tells Jeremiah that I have a plan for you and not for your well-being and not for your ruin. We’ve been created just the same. And to trust that is who we are. And if you understand and lean on Christ all the time, then even if you do have a bad day, it’ll never be a bad day,” says Father Chad Johnson.
Arthur will be ordained a Transitional Deacon at Saint Paul North Canton on June 6th at 10:30 am—a date that falls on Corpus Christi weekend, a fitting tribute to his Eucharistic devotion. His advice for those following in his footsteps–take it one day at a time.
“I’ve got to be here for it. Don’t miss it. And it’s going to be true in priesthood. It’s going to be true wherever God takes me. Just be one day at a time. Be present in the moment because he’s present,” says Bodenschatz.
