Meet our Priests
Monsignor Michael Clay
PastorMonsignor Clay was born in Philadelphia PA, the first child of George and Mary Ann Clay. After several moves in connection with his father’s naval duties, his family finally settled in New Bern, NC where he attended elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. He earned the Bachelor of Music Education, the Master of Liturgical Music, the Master of Divinity, and the Doctor of Ministry in liturgical studies degrees from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He prepared for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome and at Theological College in Washington. He was ordained on November 15, 1980 by Bishop Joseph Gossman.
Within the Diocese of Raleigh, he has served as vice-rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral and pastor of St. Peter Church in Greenville, St. Thomas More Church in Chapel Hill, and St. Ann Church in Clayton. At the diocesan level, he has served as vocation director, director of the permanent diaconate, director of liturgy, and legislative lobbyist at the NC General Assembly.
He is returning to the diocese after completing an eight-year appointment by the Bishop of Raleigh from The Catholic University of America where he has served as associate professor, department chair of Pastoral Studies, and associate dean for graduate ministerial studies.
At the university, he has taught a course on baptismal priesthood at the undergraduate level, courses in pastoral theology, homiletics, and ritual praxis at the graduate seminarian level, and multicultural ministry at the doctoral level.
Email: michael.clay@stfrancisraleigh.org
Call: 919-847-8205 ext 224
Father Alex González
Parochial VicarFather John-Alexander Gonzalez (Fr. Alex) was born in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, into a family of two boys (Gustavo Adolfo, his younger brother) from Amparo Cruz and Adelmo González.
He attended Gimnasio del Pacífico High School and studied philosophy at San Pedro Apóstol Seminary and Santo Tomás University, both in Cali. Previous to entering the seminary, Fr. Alex completed some studies in broadcasting at La Escuela de Locución Autónoma del Valle.
He came to the United States for the first time in the summer of 1992 to study English as a Second Language (ESL) and theology at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach Florida as a seminarian for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL. After two years of discernment, he decided to return to Colombia where he taught in a Franciscan school and a public school for six years.
As discernment continued, he returned to the US in 1998, joining the Diocese of Raleigh as a seminarian. After completing 18 months of pastoral formation at St. Paul’s Church in New Bern, he completed his theological studies at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago, graduating with a master of divinity degree. He was ordained a priest on June 1, 2002 at St. Andrew’s Church in Apex, NC.
After ordination, he served for a summer at St. Mark’s in Wilmington and returned to Mundelein Seminary for an additional semester of studies towards a licentiate in theology. In December 2002, he was appointed parochial vicar at St. Thomas More in Chapel Hill. In June 2005, he became chaplain and campus minister at NCSU and its football team with some additional service as sacramental minister at Sacred Heart Cathedral and assistant vocations director.
In June 2011, he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph in Burgaw and Transfiguration in Wallace and in June 2014 became pastor of St. Mary Church in Goldsboro. Most recently, he has served parishes in Raeford and Pinehurst.
Email: alex.gonzalez@stfrancisraleigh.org
Call: 919-847-8205 ext 222
Father Jim Sabak, O.F.M.
In ResidenceFather Jim Sabak serves as the Director of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Raleigh. Fr. Jim acts as a resource for priests and parishes for guiding liturgical celebrations. He explains that while every parish is unique and has its own, “identity, charism and flavor,” there are standards and commonalities that should be maintained to ensure that our liturgies represent the best of ourselves and the best praise we can give to God.
Fr. Jim is an ordained Franciscan of Holy Name Province (O.F.M.). He has taught at The Catholic University of America, Franciscan School of Theology, and Providence College. Fr. Jim is the chair of the American Franciscan Liturgical Commission and serves as the convener of the Problems in the Early History of Liturgy Seminar for the North American Academy of Liturgy. Fr. Jim also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy.
Email: Jim.Sabak@stfrancisraleigh.org
Call: 984-900-3406
Daily Reflections