I was raised in the Catholic faith, baptized as an infant at two months old, and later received my first communion in elementary school and confirmation in high school. My faith life at the time primarily centered around these sacraments and the religious education classes I attended to prepare for them. For me, faith meant attending CCD for an hour on Sundays, followed by Mass—that was the extent of my spiritual involvement. Because of this, the idea of priesthood or seminary never crossed my mind.
However, when I started college, my perspective on faith began to shift. I attended Seton Hall University, a Catholic diocesan institution. While I would like to say I chose Seton Hall because of its Catholic identity, the truth is, I didn’t. My focus was on studying secondary education and mathematics, and the school had a strong program in those fields, so I decided to enroll. But during my time there, my faith truly came alive. I made a conscious effort to attend Mass every Sunday, got involved in Bible studies and men’s groups, and experienced transformative moments through retreats and conferences. It was in these moments that I encountered the Lord fully, especially in the Eucharist. These retreats became the foundation of my faith journey, inspiring me to cultivate a daily prayer life.
In my senior year, I accepted an opportunity to serve with Saint Paul’s Outreach (SPO), a college campus ministry that focuses on building missional communities and forming lifelong disciples. SPO had a profound impact on me during college, and I felt called to help others experience the same transformation. At this point, the priesthood was still not on my radar, but that soon changed as I embarked on my first year of mission with SPO.
During my first few months of mission work at Washington State University (WSU), I felt the Lord calling me to something greater—the priesthood. A few months into my mission, I attended a dedication Mass for our newly renovated chapel at WSU. During the Mass, a thought came to mind—almost as if the Lord was prompting me to consider the priesthood. I was startled by this idea, knowing it wasn’t my own. However, I agreed to explore it, convinced that through discernment, I would realize it wasn’t for me and could move on. That assumption quickly proved wrong.
As I continued praying and researching seminary life and the priesthood, my perspective shifted. The idea began to take root within me, growing into a genuine desire. Eventually, I reached a point where I knew I could no longer discern this path on my own—I had to reach out to my vocation director. I hesitated, knowing that taking this step would make the possibility of priesthood real, no longer just an internal reflection.
On Holy Thursday, while meditating on Jesus’ commandment to love one another as He has loved us, I asked Him, “How can I love like You?” Almost immediately, I sensed the Lord’s response: “Be a priest.” That moment of clarity led me to contact my vocations director and continue my discernment journey.
Throughout the process, one of the greatest supports was the High Calling Program. It provided me with structured guidance for discernment, deepened my understanding of the faith through its classes, and offered intentional time each week to reflect on my vocation. It created space for the Lord to speak more fully into my life. Without the program, I wouldn’t feel as confident in saying yes to the call He is placing on my heart. Now, I am officially accepted as a seminarian, ready to embrace this journey. The Lord calls everyone to radically say yes to him throughout our lives. When called, we must be willing to respond.