WASHINGTON -- A deacon who assisted the pope at Mass Thursday is following in the footsteps of his uncle, a beloved Germantown priest who was killed eight years ago.

Msgr. Tom Wells was beaten and stabbed to death in the rectory of Mother Seton Catholic Church by a homeless, intoxicated tree trimmer he had let into the rectory.

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Paul Lucas was convicted and sentenced to 42 years in prison.

"I guess it was my senior year of college when, you know, God started yelling at me," said Tom Wells' nephew, David Wells.

Now Wells is training to become a priest at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg.

"I remember being at his funeral and you know, all the people, thousands of people were there, and they all came up to our family afterward and said, 'What a great guy your uncle was,' 'He was my best friend,'" Wells said.

Wells, who earned a bachelor's degree in international business, is now two years away from ordination.

He is studying in the seminary they call "the cradle of bishops."

It was at his uncle's funeral, he said, that he first realized he might share the calling.

"It was really a powerful experience for me, and I remember thinking at that time, you know, this is something I should think about because I could see it was a lot of work and there were stresses involved in it, but the joy that I saw in it was something that attracted me," Wells said.

The pope's visit, he said, is a chance to share in a celebration of Christ and his church. It's also a tribute to the priesthood, his uncle and the lessons of love and forgiveness.

"In giving up my life for Christ, I'm really gaining my life, you know?" Wells said. "You're gaining fulfillment and happiness and joy, and bringing that joy to other people, there's really nothing greater than that."

Wells will be assigned to the Washington diocese after he finishes seminary. He said the thing he is looking forward to most about being a priest is celebrating Mass.