Meet our seminarians

Hello, everyone! I was ordained a Deacon on June 20, 2020 and have since been serving at St. Theresa Church in Little Egg Harbor, NJ. As with many vocations, mine began within my family. I am blessed to have parents and three older siblings, all of whom are God-fearing and faithfilled, and encouraged me in my vocation. After graduating from Elementary Catholic School, I entered seminary in High School. I was a young boy back then—only eleven years old. I was helped in my decision to apply for the seminary by the good example set by the priests in my home parish and by my two brothers who were already seminarians at that time. To walk with God is to walk with his grace. With God’s grace and with the help of my classmates and mentors, I completed high school and college seminary formation. It became clearer to me that this is the path God wanted me to take. I think God wants me to serve him as a priest and to be a channel of his mercy and love to his people. I also think there is great joy in knowing that I am called by God and that God will give me the grace to be the priest that he wants me to be.

Prior to entering seminary, I studied at The Catholic University of America and got my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2016. I entered seminary right after graduation to become a priest because I believed it was where God was leading me, and at the time of
making my decision to enter I knew I was not going to be happy being an engineer for the rest of my life. I was drawn into entering seminary after having a very moving experience with the Sacrament of Penance. After not having been to Confession in a long time the Lord lead me back to Him at our freshmen retreat in my first year of college. I remember having great joy and peace after the priest pronounced the words of absolution, and from there I began thinking about how awesome it is that priests can be instruments of God’s mercy. Some people believe that you are giving up a lot to become a priest, and while this is true to an extent, there is nothing in this life that doesn’t require some kind of sacrifice. The Lord has given each of us a unique talent or ability, and God has given us these gifts to further His purposes. For example, I enjoy music very much and my musical ability improved greatly after going to seminary. When you put God ahead of everything else, you find you enjoy the gifts He has given you that much more. Being a priest to me means that I must be Christ to others, so that when people see me, they should see Christ.

After graduating from the Catholic University of America in 2016 I felt lost. I did not know what to do with my life so I went home and worked at a supermarket. While home I taught Religious Education in my home parish and talked to some of my friends from college who were in seminary already. That is where the first idea of entering seminary entered my mind. I didn’t have a profound or moving experience that gave me a final push to apply to seminary. It was a thought I had during Mass, why not become a priest? I couldn’t think of any good reason not to and priests I talked to encouraged me to apply. I did and years later I have not regretted that decision. I’ll admit I was worried if seminary would cause me to change who I am as a person but that did not happen. All of us have our own hobbies and interests that we keep from the time before becoming a seminarian. I’m still the same person who first applied in 2017, just a little older, wiser, and more knowledgable. During this time in the seminary the idea of a priest for me has also grown and developed. For me a priest educates people about the faith which he has devoted his life to and he heals the spiritual wounds of people. Hopefully, with the grace of God, I will be able to do just that and bring people into a deeper relationship with him.

My path to Seminary was something of an unconventional one: before entering at age 33, I was a Latin teacher, a chess coach, a small business owner, and a professional poker player. However, From the time I was young, my friends and family told me that I should consider being a priest, but the priesthood was the farthest thing from my mind; I played poker for a living, and then came to own and operate a small business. Two main things changed which caused me to discern the priesthood and enter Seminary. First, I started to take my Catholic faith more seriously, to receive the sacraments more often, and to more frequently speak with and listen to the Lord in prayer. Secondly, I started to work with high school and college students. In working with students, I saw clearly that God had a plan for each of their lives, that he loved them, walked with them, and was trying to show them where he wanted them to go. In being more serious about my own life of faith, I came to see that this was true for me as well. This caused me to think back to what my friends and family had always told me, to spend more time before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer.

Along the way I did struggle with fears, challenges, and uncertainties. The biggest challenge was a fear that becoming a seminarian would mean giving up the other good things in my life. I was worried about having to give up parts of who I was. When I brought those fears to a priest, he reminded me that when Jesus called Peter, he did not tell him that he had to give up being a fisherman. Instead, when Peter turned that identity over to Jesus, the Lord fulfilled it in a deeper and more powerful way than Peter could ever have imagined, and made him a fisher of men. In listening to that answer, I came to see Seminary as what it is: an invitation to turn myself over to the Lord and to allow him to bring to completion those good works he had begun in me.

I grew up in a practicing Protestant family in Dallas, Texas. My freshman year at Princeton, where I majored in Economics, a number of my friends were Catholic and were not shy about their faith. They convinced me to start examining Catholicism. After a
year of intense study and prayer, I was convinced of the truth of the Catholic Church and so was received into full communion on the feast of the Immaculate Conception my sophomore year. After two and a half years of growing spiritually through the Aquinas
Institute, I entered a small religious order in the south of France before transferring to the Diocese of Trenton. I am now in first theology at Mount Saint Mary’s.

When I was an economics major considering my life’s course, I asked myself what are life’s victory conditions in order to determine what course of action is most able to fulfill them. Given that all of the Law and the Prophets hang upon love of God and love of neighbor, those two things seem like the best answer. And the priesthood is well suited to both of these ends. A priest acting in the person of Christ offers the sacrifice of the Mass, which is the most perfect act of adoring God. Further, it is a form of life that encourages prayer. For the other primary end of life, a priest is uniquely well suited to pursue the most important part of one’s neighbor’s good, his eternal good; the sacraments are the primary channel of grace God has given.

Hello, my name is Tomas, and after graduating from Seton Hall University I entered Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg MD. God’s grace is active in all of our lives, even when we do not realize it. This lack of awareness of God’s providence is something I certainly have been guilty of, and it was a gradual recognition of God’s action in my own life which eventually led me to enter seminary. Through every struggle, challenge and difficulty in my life, it was God Who always gave me the strength I needed. It was not until I was in college, however, that I came to realize this. In the past, it had not been by my own effort that I was able to get back up when I fell, but by the grace of God. Indeed, I saw not only God’s past action, but my continual and constant reliance on Him. This experience of becoming aware of grace was itself a grace, as awareness was the first step towards appreciation, and gratitude. The grace of God is a gift more marvelous than any other, and by the time I came to this conclusion, I could not see myself doing anything else besides helping to bring this gift to others. This is why I am studying for the priesthood, to be a means of God’s grace, and thus, in my own small way, to share in the redemptive mission of our Lord.

The first “calling” I felt was when I was in the 6th or 7th grade. I remember telling my dad that every time I thought about becoming a priest “I got this weird feeling in my stomach.” He said, “maybe you have the calling.” And I didn’t think much about it after that. I went through High School and kind of had an idea as to what I’d wanted to do and I was forming my own plan, I love political philosophy and economics and wanted to be a professor and a writer. This whole time, throughout High School, I had this almost gnawing feeling in the back of my head, involuntary thoughts about becoming a priest. It wasn’t what I wanted to do, so it kind of freaked me out when I felt it. After a couple of years of this, I had gotten to a point where I couldn’t handle it anymore. I ended the relationship I was in and I took time to think about seminary more seriously, and after some time discerning, I applied! Being a Priest, to me, is about being Jesus Christ. The celebration of the sacraments is essential to the life of the world. Padre Pio once said “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass.” Being a Priest means being a spiritual father to the people of God—being Jesus himself. It is being a father to the faithful, a spouse to the Church, and a light in the darkness of the world.

“Late have I loved you, O beauty ever ancient and ever new: late have I loved you...You called, you shouted, and you shattered my deafness.” St Augustine

Ever since I was a little boy my family and I have been going to mass every Sunday. But my deeper interest in the Catholic Faith did not happen until I was a Senior in high school. During my senior year I was involved in a serious car accident that left me paralyzed from the waist down. Before the accident, I was planning on enlisting in the United States Coast Guard, but because of the severity of my injury I would never be accepted into the military. God obviously had other plans for me and started to lead me toward the vocation of the priesthood. The doctors notified my parents that I would never be able to walk again, but with God’s grace and with the abundant amount of prayers I was able to walk again. My accident made me realize what was tremendously important in the world — to give praise to our Lord and show humanity the love the Lord has for us. I think that the most important aspect of being a priest is showing everyone in the world that the Lord is alive in every aspect of our lives. Becoming a priest of Jesus Christ means that one must show how we should love God and express to their community how much our Lord loves us.

Looking back, God has been whispering into my ear since childhood, but I was deaf to Him until he took out the megaphone and I was shaken to tears. My time in the US Navy brought me close to God, to the point where I wanted to become a priest and guide souls
to Him, as I myself was guided by a Navy chaplain. And yet, the smallest sliver of doubt remained - after my time in the Navy, I managed to get a very well paying job and a regular schedule and I felt comfortable - but again, God whispered. This time, I heard His
call, and answered; the Call to Priesthood program initiated in the diocese, and I got in contact with Father Jason Parzynski - and so began my journey to seminarian life. As for the earlier whispers in my life, they were people asking me if I was a priest, or telling me I
would make a good priest, but perhaps the largest influence among them was a family friend priest, Ks. Leslaw Gwarek - may he rest in peace. Ks. Gwarek would stop by my family's home for great religious celebrations, perform blessings (in which he had me partake however was feasible), and feast with us, as well as wear an awe-inspiring attire complemented by a flat cap. That all said, these, again, were whispers that I had missed in the moment, but were there nevertheless. If you are still questioning, look back on your life - see where God might have been trying to get your attention, nudging you in His direction - and you will surely find the answer, if not mentally then in the peace of your soul.

One of the main reasons I entered seminary was for the desire to reveal God’s Divine Mercy to as many people as possible. Especially in today’s society, I believe the salvation of many souls relies on the endless mercy of God. What led me to discern the priesthood was my relationship with Mary as well as my experience recovering from a spinal cord injury in high school. When I think about the priesthood I view the priest as a bridge between heaven and humanity; one who looks at others in the same way Christ looks at him. When I first began discerning the priesthood I thought that I did not fit the mold of a priest. I thought my interests and personal traits did not match those of a priest, but through prayer I have come to the realization that God is not asking me to change who I am, but rather He is asking me to abandon myself completely to Him and to trust that He will use my uniqueness to save souls.

I graduated with a bachelors degree in Computer Science with a minor in Data Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. I enjoy a variety of activities in my free time, particularly rock climbing, golfing, or taking my golden retriever for a walk! I entered the seminary because I was inspired by the witness of the priest to the Catholic faith. Never before have I encountered a more virtuous group of men than in the priesthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I knew that, whether or not I was called to be a priest, discernment is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow in the faith. To me, being a priest means leading others towards a hidden reality – a life on high in Christ Jesus. It means offering continual sacrifices in order to dispense God’s graces among his people. Most of all, it means living in the person of Christ, who saved countless souls by His witness to His Heavenly Father. For me, I always had a desire to be a leader in those things I was passionate about, whether it was playing on my high school chess team or becoming active in the Catholic campus ministry at my university. My desire to be a leader, combined with the passion that God gave to me for His Church, naturally drew me towards the priesthood. If you feel that you have a genuine call to priestly formation, I would encourage you to apply. No matter who you are, if God has called you to the priesthood, He will give you the graces to be successful!

What drew me into discernment of the priesthood was the experience of God's love in my life. In 2015 I experienced a spiritual conversion which led me down several paths from agnosticism to Buddhism, then to Protestantism, and finally to the Catholic Church. Looking back on my journey, I realize how loving and patient God has been with me despite my slowness to recognize Him. During the time of my spiritual journey to the Church, I had a girlfriend and wanted to get married, but as I grew deeper in my faith I sensed that I needed to belong more closely to God in a bigger way. My girlfriend and I eventually came to a mutual understanding and by God's grace we had a very peaceful close to our relationship and decided to remain friends, which is when I started to discern a vocation to the priesthood. To me, being a priest means being willing to try your best to follow Christ in sacrificial love for those in the world in need of salvation. It also means helping those who do believe to grow stronger in their faith and to be witnesses for Christ. There are so many souls who do not know the love of God and the danger of not having a relationship with Him. Who will go and bring Christ to them? Without Him we can do nothing, but through His grace I know He will help me to undertake the calling.

I am a graduate from St. Paul School in Burlington, and Holy Cross Preparatory Academy in Delran, where I lettered in both baseball and soccer. I am the oldest of four children. I have felt the call to the priesthood from a very young age. Priests have always been a part of my life. In fact I have some family members who are priests. While praying in Adoration one day I prayed "What do You want me to do with my life?" In the silence of my heart I heard a voice say "Be My Priest." I was filled with instant joy and peace. That joy and peace has not left me since. Being an altar server since I received my First Holy Communion has helped me to learn what it takes to serve God and His Church. Playing sports and interacting with as many people as possible helps me to understand how to work as a team, I work hard for my goals both on the field and in life, and to better understand people. For me, being a priest means serving God and His Church, but also working to save souls. As St. John Vianney once said, "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. When you see a priest, think of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is what priesthood means to me, love and service.

I graduated from Seneca High School in Tabernacle, where I ran cross country, winter track, and spring track. I also was a member of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps for 4 years and reached the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. Growing up I had a heavy interest in a military career and planned on doing just that. But once I rediscovered my Catholic faith during my junior year I only intended to finish my sacraments and regularly attend mass. But through the grace of God, I eventually heard the call to the priesthood after vehemently practicing my faith and praying. During my senior year I committed to run division 1 cross country and track and field at Mount Saint Mary’s University but after praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament many times and asking God what choice he wanted me to make on going to Mount Saint Mary’s or entering seminary, I only heard seminary back every time. It was then I felt an enormous amount of peace and relief and knew that seminary was my future and rightful place to be to fulfill my vocation. Not to mention being an altar server had a tremendous impact on me and the true natural feeling and honor of serving in mass made the decision all the more easy. For me, the hallmarks of the Priesthood is saving souls, serving God and the Holy Catholic Church, and evangelizing. I’m very fortunate as a long distance runner and former Sea Cadet to have the principles of discipline, duty, courage, commitment, and a great work ethic instilled in me which I will certainly use as a Seminarian and beyond. I encourage everyone to listen to the will of God first of foremost, and to utterly surrender yourself to his will, even if it means sacrificing something you love for the Kingdom of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.