The word “seminary” scares the average teenage boy. However, taking out an application to the seminary does not mean you will 100% be a priest. The seminary is a place to discern the will of God surrounded by brothers living for the Lord.

Seminaries are not only for priestly formation; it is a place where young men make long-lasting relationships with their peers and learn how to be better Catholics. The seminary may seem very intimidating, but there is nothing to fear because Joshua 1:9 reads, “I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go.” Young men often fear entering the seminary will cause them to lose friends, but that is not the case.

“At the end of my senior year of high school, my biggest fear was probably that I would lose all of my friends if I went forward with this and entered seminary. Within the first year, I found out that wasn’t the case and that I was actually extremely happy,” said Father Zac Povis.

Joining the seminary is a recipe for many life-long friendships and creates a bonding brotherhood.

“I have a lot of fun spending time with all the other guys. It’s important to know that we are normal guys and do things away from the seminary like going to Cardinal games, the movies, iceskating, paint balling, disc golf and the list goes on,” said St. Dominic alum and current seminarian Michael Laugeman.

The seminary is not a boring place, but a place where young men with the same goals can work together to grow as friends and imitators of Christ. Some seminarians even decide the priesthood is not right for them. For example, Mr. Nathan Doerr and Mr. Christopher Fechtel have been in and out of the seminary without actually becoming priests, but their experiences provided them with incredible insight.

“I really learned a lot. I grew in knowledge of myself. I grew in knowledge of God. I don’t regret going at all and I don’t regret leaving. I feel called to be where I am,” said Mr. Doerr.

The seminary helps men become wonderful priests, but it also helps them find their true callings.

“The seminary made me aware of how big the world can seem, yet it is amazing how much bigger Christ and his works in this giant world are,” said Mr. Fechtel.

Even though both Mr. Fechtel and Mr. Doerr both left the seminary, the knowledge and understanding of the faith helps them understand God’s plan and role in the world.

Young men often have a hard time deciphering God’s call for them. Many expect to hear a big booming voice from heaven saying “be my priest,” but this is not the case.

“Don’t wait around for some big sign from God to try the seminary out. It rarely happens that way. I tell guys all the time, if you’re feeling a desire on your heart to look into this, that’s the call itself – God rarely gives us anything bigger or flashier than that,” said Father Povis.

It is important to talk to people who have been through the process. Go on retreats to the seminary—see what life is like for the seminarians on a daily basis. Most importantly, pray.

“It took a lot of prayer, especially before the blessed sacrament to understand that God was calling me to the seminary to further discern a vocation to the diocesan priesthood,” said Laugeman.

Prayer is the most effective way to help find God’s call for you. The discernment process is not something that happens all at once.

“God leads us step by step. So no one who enters knows for sure if they are called to be a priest,” said Mr. Doerr.

The process can be intimidating, but if you give everything to God, he will lead you to where you need to be.