By Pamela Seal
Diocese of Lake Charles
LAKE CHARLES — As he draws closer to his priesthood ordination, Deacon Hunter LaRocca said that his prayer has been, “Lord, I just want to be a good priest. Please make me a good priest. This is all I want to do.”
His Excellency, Bishop Glen John Provost, will ordain Rev. Mr. Hunter Thomas LaRocca to the Sacred Order of Holy Priesthood for the Diocese of Lake Charles at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 6, 2025, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
“I never thought I was the most worthy person to undertake something as important as becoming a priest, nevertheless, I feel convicted that this is what God wants from me,” LaRocca shared. “I pray that He will give me the grace to live out this vocation with fidelity.”
A parishioner of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Lake Charles, Hunter is the 29-year-old son of Kurt and Kara Smith of Oberlin, and the late Barry LaRocca. He is also the younger brother to Ryan LaRocca.
A graduate of Lacassine High School, it was during his college years when Hunter took notice of how God was speaking to him through others.
“I first heard the call to the priesthood in my twenties, but it was as early as grade school when people were telling me that I would make a good priest,” he recalled. LaRocca admits dismissing their comments thinking the priesthood was not for him.
“I think the calling was more evidenced when I had a reversion back to the Catholic faith as a young adult. I started thinking about what God wanted me to do with my life,” said LaRocca, who was working in the banking industry at the time.
“The more often people would comment on how I would be a good priest, I would stop and think to myself, ‘Alright God, what are you trying to tell me through these people? You obviously have something to say to me,’” Deacon LaRocca noted, ready to place his life in God’s hands.
Hunter credits a year of living at the Vianney House, with Father Nathan Long as director at the time, in helping him realize he was ready to apply to Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.
“When I finally saw more specifically what a priest does day in and day out, I really felt called to this vocation,” he said. “I finally started to see more and more of myself in the role of a priest, and I felt peace in that.”
Deacon LaRocca’s advice to those discerning a vocation to the priesthood is first and foremost prayer. From his earliest memories of childhood, prayer is something that has always been a part of his life.
LaRocca also encourages young men not to be afraid of committing to a decision for fear of not knowing how things will turn out.
“Even if a man has discerned that he wants to go to seminary and then ends up leaving, he will be a better person for it in the long run,” he said. “I always felt a sense of belonging at the seminary. The community of brothers was the best part and is the thing I miss most.”
A few books that proved helpful during LaRocca’s discernment process include An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis, and To Save a Thousand Souls by Father Brett Brennan.
Diaconate Assignment
Deacon LaRocca has been serving at the Cathedral after completing his philosophy and theological studies at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans with a Master of Divinity degree in December 2024.
His diaconate assignment these past eight months has been “nothing short of eventful,” he said.
“Since I came into a parish right in the midst of the busiest time of the year, it was quite a different thing to experience compared to summer assignments. It was great to see the Cathedral in full swing, especially with extra diocesan events,” he remarked. “Having a school also provided more things to be a part of — school Masses, teaching a class, Catholic Schools Week, graduations, ceremonies, and more.”
LaRocca said that while he did gain experience through various ministries as a seminarian, taking on the role as deacon being able to celebrate the sacraments of baptism and marriage, preaching and serving as a deacon at Mass, and being able to bless objects and people, has been a “huge blessing and a joy.”
“I have been preparing for the past five to six years to serve the people of this Diocese, and now I am seeing that preparation coming to fruition,” he said. “That is one of the most beautiful things to witness, and I am blessed every day that the Lord allows me to see how He is working in the lives of His people.”
Next to the sacraments, one of LaRocca’s favorite things about being a deacon is preaching homilies.
“My first homily was very nerve wracking, however, overtime I have become much more comfortable in my own preaching style and delivery,” he commented. “One rule of thumb I stick to with preaching is ‘land the plane.’ I never try to go too long. Conciseness and brevity is the key.”
Living Out His Vocation
When asked how he can be a vessel to keep the Light of Christ shining for younger Catholics in the Diocese of Lake Charles, Deacon LaRocca has observed that younger people today are looking for others who are genuine and authentic.
“As a Church, we need to show the younger generation that there is joy in every vocation, whether it is Priesthood, Religious, Consecrated, or Married life,” noted LaRocca. “I know for me, I was always inspired by priests who lived out their vocation with an immense amount of joy who were authentic and genuine about it.”
Hunter said he is grateful for the prayers and support of his family. In addition, he has been encouraged along his journey through the support of many priests.
“One of the biggest inspirations for me has been through the example of so many of priests serving in our diocese who live out their vocation with joy and fidelity,” he shared. “I would also add that Bishop Provost has been a huge inspiration and a model to follow for how to live out a life of service to the Church.”
Deacon LaRocca is grateful for the formation he received in the seminary, acknowledging that trusting in the process was one of the hardest parts.
“Seminary formation is when the Church tries to form the man in four different ways — human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. For someone to basically change who they are as a person as a whole is not easy,” said LaRocca. “But this is because the Church deserves only the best when it comes to Her priests.”
Since being ordained a deacon earlier this year on March 29, Hunter said that he has already seen the grace of God at work in order for him to live out his vocation as a priest.
“The Lord has truly given me the graces needed to carry out my ministry,” he said. “I find it a privilege and an honor to lay down my life for Christ trusting that the Lord will allow me to be that vessel and instrument for His grace.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Before the conclusion of the Liturgy of Holy Orders, the first priestly assignment for LaRocca will be announced. The ordination will be live streamed on the Lake Charles Vocations Facebook page for those unable to attend. A reception will follow in the Ave Maria Hall. The Cathedral is located at 935 Bilbo Street.
