2023-24 Seminarian List

Deacon Jesus Martinez

  • Parish: St. Augustine
  • High School: St. Mary’s Catholic High School
  • Grade School: Silvestre S. Herrera
  • Favorite Saint(s): St. Padre Pio, St. Giuseppe Moscati, St. John Vianney, St. John Paul II and St. Jose Sanchez del Rio

I was born in Cd. Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. I am the oldest of four children. My family and I migrated to the United States around 2003. We have resided in Phoenix, Arizona since then.

I graduated from Arizona State University on May of 2015. My desire to enter seminary began a few months after graduating. At that time, I was asking the Lord if it was okay to apply to law school. I decided to take a year off from my studies to remain in prayer and figure out if that was what God was calling me to do with my life. During that period of time I attended different retreats. I also started to attend daily mass. I feel like the Lord answer my question on December of 2015. During mass, at the moment of consecration, I felt a desire in my heart for the priesthood, which was something I had never thought of before. A few months later I met with Fr. Paul, our vocations director, and the Lord has led the way since then. I currently attend St. John Vianney Theological Seminary continuing to discern my vocation to holiness and priesthood.

Joseph Nguyen

  • Parish: Holy Spirit
  • High School: Phan Boi Chau, Vietnam
  • Grade School: Ham Kiem, Vietnam
  • Favorite Saint(s):  Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. John Paul II

I am Huy (Joseph) Nguyen, born and raised in Vietnam. I came to the United States in 2014 with my whole family. My vocation journey is a circular journey in which God is patiently directing me to the vocation that He sees is best for me. My desire to be a priest started at a very early age. However, when I grew older, I got distracted and liked to do something else, for I thought I would never be worthy for priesthood, which is such a high calling beyond my reach. Yet, I was quite active at my home parish in Vietnam: being a youth leader and catechist and volunteering for other activities at the parish. I experienced a strong call to a life of service, feeling energetic and enthusiastic to pour myself out for any service at my parish. 

Toward the end of my high school, one day I came to my friend’s house with other guys. Then her father told me, “The pastor had just announced the entry test to the diocese’s seminary. I think you can be a good priest. Why don’t you join the seminary?” After hearing it, my heart was burning and moving, though it was not the first time I heard this recommendation. Yet, I believe that God has His time, and thus that moment was the right time for me to courageously make the move. After praying about it, I decided to take the test. By the grace of God, I passed the test with the highest score, which qualified me to enter the seminary. I was at the seminary for two years and eight months in a parish, which was a remarkable and memorable time filled with joy, peace, and graces. My vocation to the priesthood and my desire to serve only grew stronger after those years. 

In 2014, I came to Washington State with my family. Since I was so happy with my vocation as a diocesan seminarian of my home diocese in Vietnam, I experienced that God still wanted me to continue with the diocese. After a few months of arrival, my diocese received a scholarship from Divine Word College Seminary in Iowa for me to study Philosophy. After three and half years there, I experienced God’s call to stay in the U.S rather than going back to Vietnam to serve my diocese in the future, especially through the advice of my bishop who thought that my going back to Vietnam may not be a good fit because I had done most of my education and formation in the U.S. After a lot of prayer and discernment, I felt that God called me to try religious life at the moment. So, I joined the Divine Word Missionaries, at whose school I had been doing my study and formation. 

After discerning with them for four years, God helped me to realize some challenges that a missionary vocation demands, especially being far away from home. By God’s providence, my family moved to Phoenix and I came home for vacation last summer. The moment that I put my feet on this land, I inexplicably fell in love with it. I experienced a very strong call to commit my life to serving this diocese. After a lot of prayer and careful discernment, I eventually decided to switch to the Diocese of Phoenix. I have felt very much at peace and God continues to affirm my vocation through many signs. Now I am happy to be back to my initial calling, diocesan vocation, and I am convinced that God is accompanying and directing me on this circular journey. Even though I have been moving around, I treasure all I have learned along the way with the conviction that God has used those changes to prepare me for my future. 

Jacob Chavez

  • Parish: St. Mary Magdalene
  • High School: Campo Verde High School
  • Grade School: Settlers Point Elementary School
  • Favorite Saint(s): St. Peter, St. Mary, St. Joseph, St. JPII, St. Therese of Lisieux

I was born into a Catholic family with devout parents who took me and my siblings to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. My father taught me the Catechism himself. When my father went to adoration he would invite me to join him, and often I would. Seeing my father attend adoration in front of the blessed Sacrament was inspiring and paramount to my understanding of the importance of prayer. I did not search deep into my faith until my Junior year of high school where I went to the youth group for the very first time. I went on a retreat and it was in Adoration that I heard God call me to the priesthood. In fear, I said no. I eventually became a youth group core team member for junior high students and it was there that the calling became more persistent. I started going to Adoration more often as well as asking for Mary’s intercession through the Rosary. I talked to joyful priests about the calling and they helped tremendously in guiding me to God. I went to a come-and-see weekend at a seminary, and it was a confirmation that this was to be the next chapter in my life. After much prayer, thought, peace, and conversations with many family and friends, I sent in an application and was accepted. I have been in seminary for three years, and I am now in my theological studies in seminary.

Connor Companik

  • Parish: St. Benedict
  • High School: Seton Catholic Preparatory High School
  • Grade School: St. John Bosco
  • Favorite Saint(s):  St. Martha, St. Michael, St. Benedict, St. John Vianney

The story of my call to the priesthood is fairly straightforward. Some people have stories like that of St. Paul, marked by dramatic encounters with God and singular moments that changed their lives from that point forward. My story is more like those of the many disciples we see in the background of the Gospels: those who gradually came to know Jesus through his teachings and signs, and ultimately followed him without any fanfare.

A saint I have grown to love since entering seminary, Thérèse of the Child Jesus, says that “God would not inspire a wish which could not be realized.” This describes well my experience discerning God’s plan for my life. Deep within me, though I wasn’t always aware of it, I’ve always had some desire to be a priest. From a young age I’ve always appreciated the Church’s cycle of liturgical seasons without much effort or thought. Lent for me was always a time for sacrifice and deeper prayer. Christmas and Easter were both actually much longer seasons than the rest of the world acknowledged. It was important to me to celebrate each Sunday by going to Mass (whether I wanted to or not). These weren’t things I absorbed from those around me—many of whom did not think this way—I credit this entirely to God’s work within me.

I went to Catholic school at St. John Bosco from Kindergarten through 8th grade, and Seton Catholic for high school. While I learned a lot while I was there, and developed a habit of prayer and Sunday Mass, I had a superficial relationship with God and with my Catholic faith until my junior year in high school. During a retreat that year, not only did I encounter God in a new and personal way, but I also saw one of the alumnus leaders, a friend of mine from when we went to school together, announce that he would be joining the seminary the following year. Looking back, this moment was really important for me because it was the first time that one of my peers had shared anything about feeling called to the priesthood. It made the seminary a real possibility for me too, and stirred up that desire I had deep within.

I spent the next years secretly wanting to be a priest, waiting to hear a call to the seminary, but not seeing any of the kind of signs I had been expecting. Going back to that quote by St. Thérèse, I see now that the very desire for priesthood was already a sign of a possible vocation! After high school I went to Arizona State, and there my vocation continued to develop slowly. I joined a men’s bible study that was invaluable to my formation as a young Catholic, and it was in this group that I learned it takes initiative to discern a vocation; it’s not something you just wait around to receive. During my sophomore year I began praying for my vocation, serving at Mass, going out on dates, and staying involved in the Catholic community at ASU. One of the men in my bible study told me that the best way to find your vocation is to strive to be the best Catholic you can in whatever circumstances you find yourself. Since entering seminary, I’ve grown to appreciate this truth all the more.

That same year I also visited a seminary (the one in which I’m currently studying!) for an entire week. I got to experience the daily life there: holy hour, Liturgy of the Hours, Mass, classes, meals, community life—nearly everything. It was a great experience, but not at all what I expected, and I actually left with a feeling that maybe I wasn’t called to the priesthood after all.

During the summer that followed I went to an ordination Mass for the first time. And it was then that I finally heard what I had been longing for. In that moment God responded to the deep desires of my heart in such a profound, yet very simple way. The Responsorial Psalm was: “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.” It was the first time I had ever heard chant at Mass, and one of the great features of chant is that it has a way of sticking in your memory. I found those words on loop in my head for an entire week, but didn’t think much of it.

The following Sunday I ran into an old high school friend, the same one who had announced on that retreat that he was going to seminary. I had hardly seen him since then. As we were catching up, he mentioned that he had heard about my visit to the seminary, and asked if I was considering it. In that very moment I was almost forced to acknowledge everything that had been going on within me for the past week, and I found myself answering, “Yes,” before I even realized what I was saying.

I think most of us underestimate the power of simple question. Whether it’s inviting someone back to Mass, talking about your faith in public, just reaching out to someone, or what I experienced in this moment, God loves to work great things in seemingly small ways. That question was all I needed to hear to begin the process of applying to the seminary.

I entered seminary right after graduating college. And since being in seminary, I’ve not only gained a greater clarity in my call to the priesthood, but I’ve also discerned smaller calls, “vocations within one’s vocation,” as it’s sometimes called. My liturgical affinity from childhood and my experience with sacred music at that ordination Mass were the beginnings of a call to be a priest particularly devoted to celebrating the liturgy and helping others appreciate the great treasure of prayers, rites, and music that the Church has handed down to us.

Thank you to the countless people who have supported me in my journey through seminary so far: my parents and siblings, priests who have been role models to me, the Serra Clubs of Phoenix, the vocations committee at St. Mary, the Knights of Columbus, students at both St. Mary-Basha and St. John Bosco, various other seminarian support groups, and anyone else I’ve had the pleasure of meeting over the past five years. It has been incredibly difficult at times, and I need all the prayers I can get if I hope to be a holy priest someday.

Nathan Blanchard

  • Parish: San Francisco de Asis
  • High School: Home-schooled
  • Grade School: Home-schooled

Among the more distinct memories of my childhood is that of playing ‘mass.’  My grandma had sewn dress-up vestments for me, and when I turned five my parents made me a clay paten and chalice to play with.  Although I really had no idea what the Mass even was at the time, it was this early pastime and encouragement which planted the seed of discernment.  If you had asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have responded by saying either an astronaut, or a priest.

I grew up in a loud family of eight, and all six of us kids were homeschooled from preschool through high school.  The year I turned seven we moved from our home in Gilbert, Arizona, where we were members of St. Anne’s parish, up to the northern reaches of the diocese, settling in Flagstaff, AZ, and the parish of San Francisco de Asis.  It was there that I did the majority of my growing up among the predominately protestant homeschoolers in the area.  Because of our Catholic Faith, my family and I stuck out.  There was no room for me to be lukewarm and so I did my best, with the help of my steadfast parents and older siblings, to grow deeper in my relationship with Christ.

When I was going into seventh grade, my older sister joined the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist, and I suddenly became aware that the idea of a vocation was one I had to give some serious thought to.  Through God’s providence, I had the opportunity that same year to go on a week-long retreat, during which I felt God asking me to consider the priesthood.  Recalling my early memories, this idea came again to the forefront of my mind until I finally realized that the priesthood really was the vocation I wanted to pursue.

Dominic Bui

  • Parish: St. Daniel the Prophet
  • High School: Notre Dame Preparatory High School
  • Grade School: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Glendale
  • Favorite Saints: St. Dominic, St. Irenaeus, St. John Paul II

My name is Dominic Bui and I was born on November 3rd, 1995. My parents raised me and my two younger siblings in the Catholic faith. I first heard God call me to discern the priesthood while I was in my 3rd year of high school. After much prayer, I was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Phoenix back in 2014. I went to the Pontifical College Josephinum for 4 years and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Humanities in 2018. Afterwards, I went to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary for my Spirituality Year and Theology 1. In 2020, I took a step back from seminary and started to work in the field of education. I worked in the Special Needs department at an elementary school in Queen Creek in their Self-Containment class. After a year and a half there, I worked in the ESS department at Chandler Preparatory Academy and then took up the Math Interventionist position for the 2022-2023 school year. Throughout my years of working, God kept the call in my heart. I was then accepted again as a seminarian for Phoenix in 2023. My time in seminary and my time away from seminary has been nothing but God’s plan. I look forward to resuming studies and seeing how God is calling me to grow.

Jeff Pooley

  • Parish: Sacred Heart (Prescott), Corpus Christi
  • High School: Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Riverside, CA)
  • Grade School: Martin Luther King High School (Riverside, CA)
  • Favorite Saint(s): JPII, Fulton Sheen, Mother Teresa

Growing up, my faith was very much “cultural.” I knew we were Catholic and that it was important, but I couldn’t tell you why. It was there, it was real, but it had no depth. Freshman year of college, while off by myself for the first time, things began to change. This is the time in many peoples’ lives when they reject the faith in some way and become rebellious. I wasn’t much different. I started skipping Mass, for no reason other than laziness, yet I still called myself a nice Catholic guy. I would defend the Church Monday through Saturday and then reject her on Sunday. I then looked at myself and saw the hypocrite that I was. How could I tell anyone else that the Church was right about anything if I wasn’t living it out in my own life? I started studying the faith and attending Mass in order to see what we really believed. 

I started delving into as many Catholic things as I could because I had developed a great desire to grow in the faith. I looked for places to interact with other Catholics my age, but unfortunately there was nothing within 100 miles except youth ministry. I remember saying to God in frustration, “No! I don’t want to serve. I want to be served!” I was shaken by my own words. I realized that God was leading me where I had not wanted to go, but where He wanted me to go. I started serving in youth ministry, which I did for the next three years. God used this time to bestow so many graces on me. Through priests and the sacraments, God opened for me a deeper world in the life of the Church.

I’ve always been amazed by the extravagant and ‘big’ vocation stories of others, because my story sounds nothing like that. Mine is the story of a patient God who nudges a stubborn mule along. The first nudge came at a young age. I remember being drawn to the Eucharist. I was excited for my first communion and I remember thinking that I wanted to receive the Eucharist always. As an altar server, I can remember being in awe of the priest and of what he was doing. Then little league and relationships came into the picture and the story might have seemed to end there, but God is faithful. I was weeks from graduating high school when the religious order who had run our parish since I was in the second grade prepared to go back to Spain. One of the older Spanish priests was retiring, but what they had not told us was that he actually had cancer and was going home to die near his family. I couldn’t even recall a single word he had ever said, yet I sat in a pew and cried for this man. His witness of going to a foreign land to lay down his life for his people had impacted my life. I remember just hearing God whisper to my heart “I could be calling you to lay down your life the same way.” I was in shock. I had a plan for my life. I was going off to school. I was going to make money and have a family. 

Four years later I was living with my friend who was discerning a religious vocation. Everyone kept saying we both should become priests. He was already saying yes and I was saying no. I told myself that I was too deep into my career. I felt that there was no turning back. While pursuing multiple new career paths, God continued to be faithful. He put many holy people, especially priests, in my life. I continued to grow in the faith again and ended up back in my home town where a group of Dominican friars served. I started meeting with a priest who truly loves like Jesus and I became attracted to the priesthood yet again. Unfortunately, I felt that no one would consider me because of my debt. So I pushed forward in my career trying to ignore the call, but it was all I could think about. One day I decided I had to reach out to the vocation director of Phoenix. I knew in the blink of an eye that I couldn’t hide this desire anymore. God had been lovingly calling me for so long. I felt God was calling me by name for Himself and for His Church. How could I resist a second longer!

Simon Ortiz

  • Parish: St. Maria Goretti
  • High School: Saguaro High School
  • Grade School: Pueblo Elementary, Mohave Middle School
  • Favorite Saint(s):  Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Peter, St. John, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Maria Goretti, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Jesus

  • Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Peter, St. John, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Maria Goretti, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Jesus

 

 

 

The Lord first put the desire for the Priesthood on my heart when I was a Sophomore in High School at a retreat in Williams, Arizona. When I was discerning where I would go to college after High School, my mother reminded me of this desire for the Priesthood, and she encouraged me to ask Our Lady to help me know what the Lord was calling me to. I found myself going to daily adoration and having a desire to know Christ and his church in a more intimate way through His Blessed Mother. It was during those Holy Hours that the Holy Spirit opened my heart and invited me to follow God’s call to the Seminary. I attended College Seminary in Columbus, OH and the desire for the priesthood grew even stronger as I continued to strive for union with God. I grew in my knowledge about Christ, His Church, and philosophy. As I grew in knowledge the Lord continued to draw me to Himself. It may not always be easy when we follow God’s call, but if God is my Father who desires my happiness, how could I not follow the plan He is calling me to? My time in College Seminary taught me even more that at the root of all vocation is self-giving love. Gaudium et Spes states, “Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” This self-giving love flows from the ultimate gift of self, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of all of creation. Like Christ the Bridegroom, I desire to give of myself to the Church through undying love and service as a priest.

Andrew Geerling

  • Parish: St. Elizabeth Seton
  • High School: Seton Home Study
  • Grade School: Seton Home Study
  • Favorite Saint(s): St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Theresa of Calcutta, and St. Louis

Hi, my name is Andy Geerling. I grew up in an active Catholic family in the northwest valley, near Sun City and Peoria. I was homeschooled from kindergarten all the way through high school. I loved helping out at the parish but had never thought about the priesthood until my junior year of high school, when my pastor invited me to make time for a holy hour every week to pray about what to do with my life. As I prayed in these hours before Our Lord, the idea of a priestly vocation kept coming back. Eventually, I asked my pastor to tell me about what a day as a priest looks like and he did better than tell me, he showed me. His day was packed with serving the community and teaching people about God’s grace working in their lives. This example of a servant’s heart left a profound impact on me. I wanted to imitate that life of joyful service and I decided to apply for the Diocese of Phoenix. I was accepted into seminary right after finishing high school in 2016 and in the following years the Lord has continued to call me and prepare me for ministry. I am studying at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, Colorado.

Miguel Soto

  • Parish: Blessed Sacrament, Tolleson
  • Grade School: Sonoran Sky
  • High School: University High School (Tolleson)
  • Favorite Saints: St. Michael the Archangel, The Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, Jeremiah, Isaiah, St. John Capistrano, St. John of the Cross, St. John Vianney, St. Moses the Black, Bl. Miguel Pro, Ven. Fulton Sheen. Ven. Vincent Capodanno

I was born September 12, 1997 and I have a complex family background that would require me to draw a board to explain it. In simpler terms, I have 9 siblings and there are 7 of us living and 2 that had died at a young age. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona for all my life. I began to discern the calling to the Priesthood at a young age. I forced my mother to enter the church because I was so curious to see what was inside and my mother, to keep me from annoying her constantly, took me inside. After seeing the priest celebrate the Mass, I told my mother after Mass, “Mom, when I grow up, I want to wear that man’s dress.” I now know and understand that those are vestments with certain names and purposes.

I continued to form a love for the Lord through the example set by my mother, and my two priests: Fr. John Lankeit and Fr. Pedro Velez. My mother always taught me about the Lord and how to follow Christ’s example and through Fr. Lankeit I learned the Love and reverence of God and through Fr. Pedro I learned the humility one should have in God’s service and the great love one should have for God’s people. It was through these three people that my desire to wear the vestments transformed into me having the desire to be the servant of God and his people. I entered seminary with the Diocese of Phoenix straight out of high school and attended the Pontifical College Josephinum for 2 years. After my second year I discerned out to work on myself and grow in all areas of formation since I entered seminary at the age of 17.

While in the outside world I worked in the public-school system as an instructional assistant and through that work I had witnessed the thirst that young people and children had for the Lord. I had work for 2 ½ years as an instructional assistant and I met so many people and spoke to them about God and what he had done in my life and my whole story. The Lord has taken me out to see the thirst that these children have for God and now I have discerned and heard his call once more.

Dt 6:4 Shema Israel, Adonai Eloheinu Adonai ehad: Listen O Israel, The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.

Max Rich

  • Parish: All Saints Newman Center, ASU/Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Tempe
  • High School: Tempe Preparatory Academy
  • Grade School: Home-schooled
  • Favorite Saints: St. Augustine, St. Faustina

My discernment of the priesthood began around my freshman or sophomore year of high school. The first thought that I gave to a possible religious vocation was when I visited my brother who was discerning monastic life at a Benedictine Monastery. The simple and humble lives of the monks helped me to see the beauty of abandoning the world in order to give oneself entirely to God. Over the course of the next few years, I experienced multiple encounters with Jesus in prayer that made me become more certain of a calling to the priesthood. While I loved the idea of discerning monastic life, I realized that the diocesan priesthood was much more suited for who I am and who God has called me to be.

After attending Tempe Prep high school, I decided to study at Benedictine College in Kansas. During this time, I continued to pray and discern God’s vocation. While I always thought that I would one day be a priest, I thought that it would be better to finish college first. However, during the spring of my sophomore year of college, I was encouraged by my father and a close friend to visit with Father Paul Sullivan. During the visit Father Paul helped me discern whether to apply to seminary by asking me what gave me the most peace. The answer was easy, as I had been confident and at rest whenever the thought of the priesthood came to mind. Through God’s goodness I was accepted into the seminary and was also able to take a few classes over the summer in order to attend St. John Vianney Seminary. When I look back over my discernment thus far, I constantly think of Father Paul’s encouragement to follow the peace and look for what things provide you with deeper fulfillment rather than short term gratification.

Michael Salemi

  • Parish: Christ the King
  • Grade School: Christ the King Catholic School
  • High School: James Madison Preparatory School
  • Favorite Saints: St. Charles Borromeo, St. John Paul II, Fulton Sheen

I guess my story really begins when I was a little kid. I was drawn to love altar serving and would constantly try to serve every Sunday at my parish. There was a feeling of fulfillment that I couldn’t get anywhere else. As I got older, my goal was always to eventually go to seminary and become a priest. However, my prayer life never really reflected the devotion that was needed. I did not pray or go to confession much when I went through junior high and high school. I took my “faith” for granted during high school and believed myself to be a good Catholic. That all changed when I went to college.

I decided to go to Benedictine College in Atchison, KS and get a degree in Chemical Engineering. It was there that my eyes were opened to what a true life of devotion looked like, and I slowly started to change my lifestyle. I went to confession more often and began to pray more frequently. I graduated in 2018 with my degree and 6 months later started my career as a process engineer. While work was good, it was not fulfilling. I talked to my spiritual director, and he got me started with the Ignatian discernment process for determining if I was called to the priesthood. After a few months, I contacted Fr. Paul to begin the application process. My discernment was solidified by completing the application and by visiting the seminarians at St. John Vianney Seminary. After receiving my acceptance from the diocese and the seminary, I was able to quit my job with full peace of mind. I have started down this path and have not looked back.

Ryan Wiensch

  • Parish: St. Thomas the Apostle
  • Grade School: Desert Cove Elementary School
  • High School: Shadow Mountain High School
  • Favorite Saints: Alphonsus Liguori, Josemaria Escriva, Maximilian Kolbe

I was born and raised in Phoenix and grew up attending St. Thomas Aquinas in Litchfield Park. I attended public schools growing up and graduated from Shadow Mountain high School in 2002 and then attended Arizona State University. I graduated from ASU with a degree in history and political science. For the last twelve years, I have been in the professional world working in sales, consulting, and lastly in management for a printing business in Phoenix.

I first felt called to the priesthood while on my Confirmation retreat when I was 16. When I went to college, my Mass attendance became less frequent and was not as strong in my faith as I should have been. After college, I felt something lacking in my life and found that my relationship with God was what was missing. I became a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle and have been growing in faith every day since. In 2018, I participated in the Tepeyac Leadership Program and again found myself being called to the priesthood. I visited St. John Vianney Seminary in November of 2019 with Fr. Paul Sullivan. After my visit, it was clear that there was a deeper calling for my life.

Daniel Carlisi

  • Parish: Sacred Heart, Prescott
  • Grade School: Home Schooled
  • High School: Home Schooled
  • Favorite Saints: St. Padre Pio and Our Lady of Guadalupe

Growing up, I never had a strong desire for the priesthood. I always kept it open as a possibility, but priesthood always seemed too distant, or “holy” for me. Thanks to a few good priests I met and talked to in high school and college (ASU), I noticed my childhood paradigm of priests was changing for the better! But I still did not find the priestly vocation, at least for myself, very appealing. But on 4th of July weekend in 2018, something sparked within me while I was visiting my family in Prescott. I was having a conversation with a family member and I remember saying something about the priesthood in passing. But just that simple conversation got me thinking and praying about seriously considering how God wanted me to spend my time on earth. After more prayer, some good conversations, and the help of a good book, I applied to the Diocese of Phoenix in the spring of 2019. I am currently living in the Nazareth House in Phoenix and God willing, shall go to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in the Fall Semester of 2021.

Ryan Everson

  • Parish: St Bernadette/ ASU All Saints Catholic Newman Center
  • High School:  Coronado High School (Henderson, NV)
  • Grade School: Twitchell Elementary School (Henderson, NV)
  • Favorite Saints:  St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Henry Newman, St. Francis de Sales, St. Benedict, St. Teresa of Calcutta

Steven Gutierrez

  • Parish: St. Augustine
  • High School: Copper Canyon High School
  • Grade School: West Wind Elementary
  • Favorite Saints: Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Joseph, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, St. John Paul ll, St. Pio of Pietrelchina, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Augustine and St. Monica, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Philip Neri, St. Martin de Porres.

My name is Steven Gutierrez and I am 23 years old. I have lived in Phoenix, AZ ever since I was born and my parents were raised in Sonora, Mexico. I am the middle child of my Father who had my older brother Javier and my older sister Alejandra before me; and on my Mother’s side I am the oldest of four which includes my sister Teresa, my little brother Isaac, and one miscarriage.

A little on my vocation story and my call to the priesthood. Around the age of 10 or 11 when I was attending a special Mass with my mother, the priest at my home parish was going to give a blessing to all pregnant women and to their children. Before the blessing, I went ahead to kneel at the front of the altar where all the other children were, and I observed the hands of the priest extended out to give his blessing. I felt super lost and confused as to what in the world he was doing, and I asked myself; What am I doing here? What’s a blessing? Why does he have to extend his hands? Can I do it too? I believe that was when I felt the Lord calling me to know Him deeper than I already did. This was a moment that I never forgot but was too quick to ignore. I always said I was Catholic, but I was not living like a real Catholic. Once I turned 22, that was when I had a real conversion to the Church and I fell in love with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I’m excited to be in the seminary now, and I’m thankful for all the faithful who pray for vocations and seminarians.

We are all called to be great saints. Even the person who is reading this, has a vocation to live a holy/holier life. If while reading this you then asked yourself, “what does it take to become a saint?” I’ll give a simple answer borrowed from St. Thomas Aquinas. Which is, “Will It!” From the depths of your heart, say to Jesus “I want to align my will to the Heavenly Fathers’.” And from there trust in the Holy Spirit to do its sanctifying work.

Mason Thorman

  • Parish: All Saints Parish, Mesa
  • Grade School: Red Mountain Ranch Elementary
  • High School: Red Mountain High School
  • Favorite Saints: Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Joseph, St Maximillian Kolbe, St. Thérèse, St. Augustine, Pope St. Pius X, Blessed Stanley Rother, St. John Vianney

My story is of two parents that reverted to their Catholic faith, had two sons fall away, and through their faithful prayers the Lord and Our Lady brought their sons back. After my brother and I received our sacraments as children, my family never really practiced our faith. However, in 2007 my father was rocked by the Holy Spirit and led us back to the Church; right around that time is when my desire for priesthood began. Unfortunately, a few years later, I took a detour and began heading down a road full of poor choices. These choices remained a theme in my life more or less until 2017. Unable to remember the last time I had prayed my rosary I took out my beads and Our Lady swept me off my feet. I fell in love with Our Lady in a way that I never had before, and she has been with me every step of the way on my journey back home. Since my reversion I doubted that seminary would ever become a reality or that priesthood was a possibility, but the Lord is rich in mercy. I was fortunate to spend this past year at the Nazareth House where I completed basic studies while seeking to establish a deeper rooted identity in Christ. Greatly aided by Fr. Sullivan, formation, spiritual direction, and counseling I feel well prepared as I enter spirituality year at St. John Vianney in Colorado.

With great love for our Lord Jesus Christ I pray “that you may be blameless and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world.” May God bless you and Mary keep you. Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever.

David Vallier

  • Parish: St. Henry
  • High School: Youngker High School
  • Grade School: Inca Elementary School
  • Favorite Saints:
  • Mama Mary, St. Joseph, St. Faustina, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Philip Neri, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II 

Jesus + Mary + Joseph 

I was born in Dixon, Illinois and am the middle of 3 brothers. My family moved to Arizona in 2008. Both of my parents are elementary school teachers. 

I received the first inklings of the call when I was in high school and altar serving. When I was finally paying attention to mass, one of the petitions was for vocations to the priesthood, and in that moment, I heard God the Father ask me, “David, would you be willing to be a priest?” To which I replied, “Sure.” Later on, by accident, I had my first encounter with Adoration which spiritually swept me off my feet, although I had no idea what it was. Afterwards I was drawn to prayer (a 10min walk from my high school to the church) and regular confession. 

I met with Fr. Paul who advised me to go to Estrella Mountain Community College and get an Associate’s. After doing that I was thinking about joining the army. Fr Paul asked me this question, however: “Which war is more important? That of fighting for a country, or fighting for souls?” I asked Jesus what he wanted me to do; thus, I joined seminary. I also think Mama Mary helped me, because it was only a few months after I had made my consecration to her that I joined –she works very fast, watch out! 

I moved into the Nazareth House and was introduced to formation, spiritual direction, and counseling; daily mass, holy hours, and life with other seminarians was a big change –but very much a grace. It was an environment where I could grow not only as a man, but as a man of God. I got to meet many new people from the diocese including several groups of religious sisters. In all, what marked my time at the Nazareth House was a sense of belonging, joy, and healing. 

The plan was to start at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, however, I was not accepted for lack of room. With my waiting year I went to Honduras on mission for 7 ½ months. I had a profound encounter with the poor and their great love and hospitality. It stretched me to my limits, let me see my weaknesses, and was full of adventure as we would go to the mountain villages to minister to people. At the end of my time in Honduras, the Lord told me that it was never about me, but about serving and loving the people of God –which gave me a whole new perspective to pray about! 

Thanks be to God I was accepted this time around for seminary. I am starting my Spirituality Year as a year to be more intentional about making room in my heart and my life for the Lord. I am excited to see what the Lord will teach me this year. 

Thank you for all of your love and prayers! 

Dominic Counihan

● Parish: Holy Trinity Catholic Newman Center, Flagstaff
● High School: Tehachapi High School
● Grade School: Homeschooled
● Favorite Saint(s): St. JPII, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Padre Pio, St. Faustina, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Augustine

I am Dominic Counihan, the fifth of eleven children. I have eight brothers and two sisters. I am currently a commissioned officer in the United States Army branched Chaplain Candidate prolonging my active duty obligation as a co-sponsored seminarian with the Archdiocese of
Military Service and the Diocese of Phoenix.

I am originally from the Diocese of Fresno in California, but my discernment truly began during my attendance at NAU, where I obtained a BS in Comparative Cultural Studies. After my freshman year at NAU, I was sent to conduct military training in the fields of Fort Knox, KY.

It was there that I was first denied the chance to attend Holy Mass and the reception of the Blessed Eucharist. There simply was not a Catholic priest in the field. There was a retired priest in the garrison that celebrated Mass every Wednesday and Sunday, but that was not the case for those of us in the field. The only substitute I had for Mass was praying a daily rosary. The more I prayed and contemplated on Our Blessed Lord through the intercession of Mary, I found extreme peace in the spiritual solitude I experienced from the lack of receiving the Eucharist. This peace was seen by my peers and by the grace of God they brought their curiosity to me. They asked questions and expressed their frustrations with faith and religion, always seeking my opinion and even asking me to help them pray/teach them the rosary. I noticed in that moment that we are all made for relationship and that, in the words of St. Augustine, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in the Lord.”

Coming back to NAU and continuing my education, I could not help but notice how all those around me felt the need for a relationship with God but so often hid from that call in fear or drowned out His voice in the vices of the world. As I grew in faith, the Lord placed in my heart the desire to pray for men to answer His call of priests and service members, especially for an increase of Catholic priests in the military. As I prayed in the adoration chapel of the Holy Trinity Newman Center one fall afternoon, I realized that Our Lord was softly calling me to answer both those calls- truly a vocation within a vocation. That’s what has led me here today.

Please pray for me as I continue this journey of discerning God’s will.  I in return will gladly pray for you and your own prosperity in accordance with God’s will.

Nathan Miller

● Parish: All Saints Catholic Newman Center, ASU
● High School: Brophy College Preparatory
● Grade School: Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral School
● Favorite Saint(s): St. Bruno, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

My name is Nathan Miller, I’m 24 years old and have one younger brother named Joel, who is 22. I was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona, and my home parish growing up was St. James the Greater by Union Hills and the 101, run by the Apostles of Jesus. As mentioned above, I went to Catholic grade and high school, and I started altar serving at the Cathedral and my home parish when I was about 9. There were a few moments I can still remember where God gave me the grace to see and grasp the weight of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Holy Eucharist, moments of very atypical prayer while serving the altar! And so I enjoyed altar serving, and still do. If (when) as a high school senior I was asked what I wanted to do after, my most convincing answer was “maybe be a priest”, but basically I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.

I then attended Arizona State University for 4 years and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, which is a pre-med, MCAT-preparation degree. The summer before moving to Tempe for my freshman year, the Missionaries of Charity approached my friend and me at a Catholic Youth Congreso downtown, and they asked us to volunteer for their summer camp. The camp was 2 weeks long, and it started tomorrow, the Sisters said! So, naturally we said yes, and I was blown away by the true joy and fire with which the Sisters loved the children, how happy they were, and how close to our Lord they were too. They radiated Christ in a way I had never experienced before. The summer camp was a blast! They invited us to continue coming to the parish (Our Lady of Fatima) and helping out with the youth group, and I agreed because I wanted to spend more time with the Sisters, who introduced me to the daily Holy Hour and the Liturgy of the Hours. I spent my weekends at their convent staying at their shelter and getting to know the people there. This was how my interior life was born, and how I first chose to live my faith.

Eventually I started dating a girl from UMary I had gotten to know through their exchange program with ASU. We started dating, and by the time I graduated, we had been dating long enough for me to move up to her home state of Minnesota after finishing my degree. I rented a house in her city with 2 other Catholic men, and I worked for USPS as a mail carrier. The job’s hours were taxing on my social life and prayer life, and one day I managed to squeeze in a few minutes of adoration at my parish’s chapel. Genuinely grateful yet fatigued from my job, and therefore (I think) truly detached for a moment, I prayed: Lord, this is the best I’ve ever had, but if you want me to continue, you’ve got to give me some more grace here. But what would You have me do? And He simply answered: Be My priest. An extraordinary instant of peace came over me, and I knew in my head that God was asking me to apply to seminary. Immediately this peace was swept away by anxiety and fear of breaking up with my girlfriend and leaving behind everything in this path I’d been walking for almost two years. Eventually, after lots of distressed prayer and truly providential counsel from priests I met, I told my girlfriend that I could not propose because I believed God was asking me to apply to seminary. So, in November of 2021 I moved back to Phoenix, submitted my application the following January, and now by God’s grace I am at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver!

Luke Power

  • Parish: St. Maria Goretti
  • High School: Veritas Preparatory Academy
  • Grade School: Kiva Elementary, Veritas Prep
  • Favorite Saints: St. John Bosco, St. Maria Goretti, St. Augustine, St. John Paul II, St. Padre Pio, St. Jean Vianney, Blessed Stanley Rother, and Our Lady of Guadalupe

I grew up in a good, Catholic family with my twin, older brother, and two
sisters. We practiced our faith well: we always went to Sunday Mass and we
said grace before meals. In 4th grade, I started altar serving after I received my
Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Confirmation at my home parish, Saint
Maria Goretti in Scottsdale. I loved altar serving. My brothers and I would talk
to the pastor, Father Doug Lorig, before Mass and it was such a blessing: he
treated us with love and respect and talked to us not because he had to, but
because he cared about what we had to say. Altar serving also taught me that in
the Mass, something really special happens and it is deserving of our attention
and respect. While I wasn’t able to put a finger on it at the time, it all served as
good soil for the moment I fell in love with Jesus in a Steubenville Conference
in 10th grade, where I encountered the Lord in Adoration in a very personal and
profound way.

Around the same time in high school, I had a love of learning and reading (still
do!) and the books I read in high school were very intellectually engaging and
made me take living the good and virtuous life seriously. In light of this, I
reexamined my faith’s teachings and started taking them seriously. I put
together my encounter with Jesus and this new look on life and fell in love with
the Catholic Faith. I then began praying the rosary daily and it would give me
such peace walking around the neighborhood praying it. After a Vocations talk
given by Father Kurt Perera at my youth group in November, the more I prayed
the rosary, and the more I would think about the priesthood, the more I would
feel an indescribable peace from thoughts of the priesthood. In pursuing this
peace about the priesthood through an increased life of prayer and the
Sacraments, I eventually contacted Father Paul Sullivan, who encouraged me
to keep following the peace that I received from prayer. He told me that if I kept
feeling peace from thinking about the priesthood, I should take steps in that
direction by applying to the seminary. I took his advice and soon applied to the
seminary. Throughout the application process, I continued to feel at peace and
my desire for the priesthood continued to grow. I was accepted into the
seminary in June of 2020. My first year in seminary was filled with joy and love.
Seminary has given me the great gifts of daily Adoration and Mass and the
rhythm of prayer through the Liturgy of the Hours. I am so grateful and
blessed to have these gifts!

I want to serve Jesus Christ in His Church wherever He wants me. Right now, I
am joyful to be able to discern in seminary if that place is in His Holy
Priesthood.

Jared Cutshaw

  • Parish: Immaculate Conception, Cottonwood
  • Grade School: Cottonwood Elementary
  • High School: Mingus Union
  • Favorite Saints: St. Philip Neri, St. Marianne Cope, Ven. Vincent Capodanno, Ven. Emil Kapaun, Ven. Augustine Tolton

I discovered my faith rather later in life. I was in high school when I became Catholic and during these few years of being involved in my faith, I had thought about the priesthood to a certain degree but never enough to pursue it. I spent 5 years in the Army out of high school and it was about halfway through my enlistment that I knew this wasn’t where I was supposed to be. So, I did some soul searching and asked a lot of questions to myself and to God about where I was supposed to be and where he says I should be. The last 2 and half years in the Army were spent asking these questions as well as growing in confidence that God loves me and knows what’s best for me. So, after my contract was up, I came back to Arizona, called the vocations office, applied, and was accepted as a seminarian.

Anthony Scroggins

  • Parish: St. Anne
  • High School:  Home Schooled/Kolbe Online Academy
  • Grade School: Home Schooled
  • Favorite Saints: St. Anthony of Padua, St. Josemaria Escriva,  St. Therese the Little Flower, Our Lady, St. Maximillian Kolbe, Bl. Carlo Acutis, and St. Faustina

Ever since I was six years old, I had a great desire to become a priest. I saw my pastor up in the sanctuary and felt a pull to be up there with the Lord. I cannot place a specific reason my little six-year-old self felt that pull to the priesthood; it was simply an innermost desire interred within me, which I can only assume was by the Lord. Aspiring to the priesthood so immensely, I would play Mass with my family multiple times a week. With mini vessels and a chasuble, I would recite as much of the Mass as I could remember with all my sisters.

Throughout my entire childhood up to college, I fervently discerned whether I was called to priesthood or marriage, which was the majority of my prayer. I invested myself in Church activities like camps, youth group, VBS, and Altar Serving. After intense discernment, when it was finally time for me to choose college or seminary, I felt God changed my mind to college. With the stress of college, I fell into desolation in the spring semester. I begged the Lord to bring me out of it but with no intention to work for it.

In April, I was helping at the high school youth group, discussing the faith with a junior girl in high school and answering some questions. Casually, she simply asked me, “Have you ever thought about becoming a priest?” I had gotten that question before and would give the same response of “yes, but I have discerned away”. However, I felt a physical halt on my words to which I then responded, “Yes, but I should bring it back up again.” On my drive home, I meditated with the Lord on priesthood and marriage. For the first time in 7 months, I felt a consolation from the Lord, and it was towards priesthood! This was a call to action! But, for three days, I stayed stagnant until Wednesday morning. I knelt down for a short prayer and said, “Jesus, I trust in you.” Clearly and bluntly, He responded, “Well, I’m trying to trust in you.” It was now or never. I brought up these movements to Zach Zazick, who said I should meet with Fr. Paul as soon as possible. So, that Friday I did just that. He directed me to speak with loved ones and pray a novena to the Holy Spirit. Through that discussion and prayer, God’s will only became clearer. It was time to fill out the application. By God’s abundant grace, I finished the application and was accepted. I now am at the Nazareth House continuing to deepen my relationship with the Lord in the journey of formation.

Alex Vinciguerra

  • Parish: St Thomas Aquinas
  • High School: Millennium High School
  • Grade School: Litchfield Elementary School
  • Favorite Saint(s): St. Michael the Archangel, St. Joan of Arc, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

I was raised nominally Catholic with almost no knowledge of the faith and only occasional Easter and Christmas Mass attendance. Through conversation with a truth-seeking friend in the summer after my high school graduation I discovered the incredible intellectual depth and consistency of the Church. From that time and moving into college I frequently researched Catholic history, tradition, doctrine, and whatever else I could think of. Due to my newfound belief I also began the necessary practices of the faith and started attending Mass every Sunday. A short while later I began to think during Mass that priesthood was something I should pursue, but I dismissed these thoughts as either random workings of my brain or manifestations of my own pride. This notion of moving towards the priesthood regularly appeared in my head and came up in daily Masses and Adoration as I began attending those as well, but I continued to dismiss it for the next few years. Though I did pray for guidance in the matter I was determined not to really consider it unless a dramatic sign appeared, which I neither expected nor received.

After graduating from college I worked a couple of jobs for a year, but felt significantly that my life was not headed in the right direction. I quit the second job and began to attempt a serious evaluation of what my goals were and what God’s goals for me might be. In the fall of 2021 I began volunteering with my brother in multiple ministries at the local parish. A couple months later I finally gave in to the thoughts that I had been having since first attending weekly Masses and I asked the parish priests how I might begin the process of applying for seminary. Throughout the application process, although not without some anxieties here and there, I have experienced a reassuring peace with where my life has been pointing. It seems to me that this is the closest I have yet come to aligning my will with the Lord’s. I trust Him to ensure this new time in my life only serves to conform me even more.

Julian Mena

  • Parish: St Thomas Aquinas
  • High School: Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep High School
  • Grade School: Kolbe Academy
  • Favorite Saint(s):St. Padre Pio, St. Martin de Porres, St. Paul the Apostle

I am a cradle Catholic, born into an active-duty military family. My dad was an officer in the Air Force, and due to the nature of his job, my family moved every two years up until I turned 15 years old. All that moving meant I was exposed to many different cultures and people. While everything about my life changed, the two things that remained consistent were my school, since my mom homeschooled me and my younger brother, and my Faith. While each military parish looked and operated differently, the Mass remained the same, which was of comfort to me and my family. We always took our Faith seriously, yet for many years we remained uneducated on various topics relevant to being a faithful member of the Church. Although I believed in and loved God and His Church, in many ways I kept the Faith because “mom and dad said I need to”. It wasn’t until my family moved to Arizona in 2015 that I became part of a strong, permanent Catholic community at St. Thomas Aquinas, and my faith began to truly blossom.

My whole life I’ve felt a draw towards the priesthood, and seminary remained a burning question in my mind even while I was dating in high school. It wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I began to seriously discern if seminary and priesthood were possibilities that could lie in my future. I broke up with the girl I had been dating for almost three years at that point and began regularly meeting with Fr. Fernando Camou and Fr. Paul Sullivan to discuss a plan to enter seminary. I tried applying to Nazareth House back in 2018, but divine providence deemed that I needed to wait until I finished my degree. Two years later when the pandemic started, I faced many emotional challenges and almost gave up on my pursuit of a college degree and seminary. However, by the grace of God, while I wasn’t perfect and stumbled many times, I prevailed. I applied to seminary and graduated with a degree in Astrophysics from ASU in May of 2022.

Since graduation, I have been accepted to Nazareth House. I do not know for sure where this road will lead. However, I look forward to how God and the seminary life will form me into the man I am meant to become.

Miguel Camacho Calderon

  • Parish: Augustine
  • High School: Bioscience
  • Grade School: Imagine Desert West
  • Favorite Saint(s): St. Helena, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, Blessed Miguel Pro, St. John Vianney, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Peter, The Blessed Virgin Mary

Hello! My name is Miguel, and I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. My parents and I moved to the United States in 2003 and have lived in Phoenix since then. I am the oldest of five children!

I grew up in a Catholic family, but we did not attend mass regularly. One day when we returned to mass, I felt the desire to become an altar server. After becoming one, I began to develop a deeper love for Jesus and his church. I would attend weekly mass and opportunities to discern my vocation. I remember at a memorial service when Bishop Olmsted gave a speech, and it caught my attention. I felt the desire to serve God as a priest and help people become closer to God. Time passed by, and I avoided the thoughts of priesthood. College time came, and I was not sure about the priesthood or attending Seminary.

I decided to attend Grand Canyon University and discern my vocation more. I joined the Youth Group at St. Augustine called “Generacion Lux Dei”. With the guidance of my parents and spiritual family I became more rooted in prayer. My relationship with the Lord became so beautiful. I began to ask him what my calling was in life! Through prayer he revealed to me that my calling was the priesthood and to not be afraid. The desire became stronger as I became closer to God. I spoke with Father Paul, and the Lord led me to apply. I currently attend Nazareth House Seminary in Phoenix.  I am open to God’s will and where he desires me to serve him.

Justin Sand

  • Parish: St. Bernadette/ St. Joan of Arc
  • High School: Horizon High School
  • Grade School: Copper Canyon Elementary School
  • Favorite Saint(s): Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Peter, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Jude, St. Maximilian Kolbe

My Heavenly Father blessed me with a beautiful, close-knit family: a loving mom and dad and two younger brothers that I also considered to be my best friends growing up. We were raised in the faith, and I knew from a young age that God was an important part of my life. Soon, it became evident to me that He wanted to be more than that.

During my first two years of high school, I endured a life-threatening health scare in which my surgeon told me I was a case unlike any he had seen in the more than 40 years he had spent in his practice. I remember lying in the hospital bed following my (successful, thanks be to God!) surgery, looking up at Heaven and wondering why God had chosen to keep me on this planet, knowing that He, as Jeremiah 29:11 says, had to have a purpose for my life.

Soon I became more involved with my high school youth group at St. Patrick, even sharing my testimony during my senior year. The faith community with which I connected that year prompted me to get involved with the Newman Center the first day I arrived at Arizona State University, and it would be during Lent one year at ASU where, in silence before the Blessed Sacrament, I first felt a prompting on my heart to seriously consider the priesthood.

While at ASU, I began to study the faith more in detail through some classes offered by the University of Mary. In addition, I stayed involved with the youth groups at St. Patrick. I found joy in being a leader in my faith, whether that was giving talks, planning retreats, or facilitating small groups and Bible studies. The Lord also placed on my heart growing devotions to prayer, especially the rosary and chaplet of divine mercy, the Blessed Mother, spiritual reading, and most of all, daily Mass, which I began attending as often as possible.

Come senior year, I started to move away from priestly discernment and applied to be a college campus missionary. Then, during adoration on Holy Thursday, I felt the Lord gently invite me to continue on my current path and begin work as an educator, where my degree was. I went on to spend four years as a middle school teacher in the same school district my brothers and I had attended while also coaching middle school and high school basketball for three years each.

Now, my fourth year of teaching had involved a school change in which I believed that I had found the subject that was the best fit for me. On top of that, I had moved coaching positions to be the boys junior varsity basketball coach at Horizon, my alma mater, something of a dream position. Not to be outdone by my two new jobs, I had also bought my first house, and scored two of my best friends as roommates! Needless to say, it seemed on the surface that I had almost everything I wanted.

And yet, as I continued to attend daily Mass and developed a deeper love for the sacrament of confession, sacred Scripture, and the litany of humility, it became increasingly clear that some of my desires were not what they had seemed. It all culminated over winter break in December of 2021 where the priesthood appeared on my heart again, seemingly out of nowhere. That, and the simple question: “are you satisfied?”

Almost immediately, I reconnected with Fr. Paul and soon found myself beginning the application process, knowing that if I did not do so, I might always wonder. The spring saw many of my priorities change as I became less connected to the sports world and more involved in the pro-life movement. As my passion to defend the unborn grew, it was decided that I would be spending a year at the Nazareth House, and I became excited about this new step on my journey.

As I begin this next step, I humbly ask your prayers to, as St. John the Baptist says, remember that “He must increase; I must decrease.” Know that I am praying for you as well. Let each of us heed our Lord’s words to the apostles following His Resurrection: “peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21).

Ben Sanford

  • Parish: St. Francis of Xavier
  • High School: St. Mary’s Catholic High School
  • Grade School: St. Francis Xavier
  • Favorite Saint(s): The Blessed Mother, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Francis Xavier Seelos, St. Augustine, St. Paul.

I was born in Phoenix Arizona in September of 2002. I have lived in Phoenix most of my life except for six years when my family and I moved to Houston Texas. Upon returning to Phoenix I attended grade school at St. Francis of Xavier, before moving on to St. Mary’s High School where my faith truly took shape in my life.

During my time at St. Francis, I learned to altar serve which, upon looking back on the subtle hints of my vocation, was a beautiful experience that laid a seed in my heart that I wouldn’t realize until years later. I loved altar serving but I didn’t yet have an understanding of what it meant to serve or to whom my service was for. This lack of understanding of God and the importance of faith and virtue led to an attitude of negligence in the necessity of such things. Moving through middle school and into high school I began to fall away from the virtue of my childhood. Upon entering high school I stopped altar serving and began going against what I knew to be morally just.

I went through most of high school with the philosophy that I would become a holy man when I was older. I believed that I could put off my faith until it was convenient for me to be a man of virtue. I didn’t realize that virtue required some sort of sacrifice, that I would actually have to put in some kind of effort in order to acquire virtue.

In the summer going into my senior year I had my conversion. I knew that I could wait no longer and that the Lord wanted me to be His right then and there. In the following six months I began to realize the beauty in the universal call to holiness. I began tearing away the things withholding me from the Lord. Only after completely reordering my life to the Lord is when I heard the call to priesthood. I am currently in my first year at the Nazareth House and hope that the Lord will continue to guide me in formation for all my years in seminary. Thank you and God bless.

Bobby Balser

  • Parish: Our Lady of Joy
  • High School: Notre Dame Preparatory High School
  • Grade School: Saint John XXIII Catholic School
  • Favorite Saint(s): St. Peter the Apostle, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. John Paul II, St. Joseph, and St. Michael the Archangel

I was three years old when one day I told my mom I was going to be a priest. To this day I remember going to atrium in preschool at my home parish and always being drawn to two stations, the one that taught about priestly vestments, and the one that taught the liturgy of the eucharist. Throughout grade school I was adamant that this was the vocation I was going to pursue and received a lot of attention that I did not necessarily enjoy. It was difficult messing up and being reminded that my mistakes were not very “priestly”, and my zeal began to fade.

When I arrived in high school, I abandoned my vocation and decided on my own to follow a different path. Junior year came around and after three years of a life without a relationship with God, I suddenly felt a desire to attend one of the many Kairos retreats my school put on every year. During the retreat we had the opportunity to be prayed over. I took the opportunity and after repressing the notion of feeling called to be a priest for three years, the priest praying over me suddenly asked “were you religious when you were younger?”. I replied “Yes, I used to want to be a priest”, and at that moment I felt a feeling that I still do not know how to describe, but I still was not ready to accept it so I decided maybe it could be a back up plan. After leading two Kairos retreats as a senior, I decided that if I were to call myself Catholic, I should at least attend mass every Sunday as was recommended for Kairos leaders.

After I graduated high school and started at Scottsdale Community College (Go Chokes!), I began attending the 4 pm mass at my parish weekly. One day, after mass, the priest who celebrated that mass, a priest named Father Kurt Perrera (who was in residency at my parish at the time), asked me to wait and meet someone. It was the youth minister, Katherine Lahera, who needed a male volunteer for an upcoming Life Teen retreat. I agreed and after finding an immense amount of joy and peace after helping out as much as I could with my parish’s youth group, I became a core team member. That summer, almost a year later, the group went to a Steubenville San Diego conference. During adoration, I saw an image of myself when I was younger flash through my mind followed by the voice from Kairos “were you religious when you were younger?”. After putting up a bit of a fight and different reasons why I should not and trying to deny what was happening, I finally gave in and accepted that the Lord wanted me to pursue this path. I spoke to Fr. Kurt that night and that began my path to applying to the seminary. I cannot express how happy I am that I finally woke up, and returned to my original path I had in mind when I was just three years old. Childlike wonder really is amazing.

Jacob Barnett

  • Parish: St. Helen
  • High School: Homeschool
  • Grade School: Homeschool
  • Favorite Saint(s): Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, St. Therese of the Child Jesus, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Joan of Arc, St. Peter Claver, Ven. Fulton Sheen

“I want to be a priest” the 5-year-old me stated, “So you want to be a police officer” Mrs. Western replied. This is how the conversation went when asked what I wanted to be back in kindergarten. The desire to be a priest has accompanied me throughout my life.

I was raised in a devout Catholic household alongside my older brother and younger sister. The Faith has always been so interesting to me, and the more I learn the more in love with it I become. Sharing the Catholic religion has been a source of joy for me since childhood. In the second grade I was asked to bring in my favorite book to share with the class, I brought in the bible, and explained the Crucifixion in brutal detail. My readiness to talk about the spiritual has been the cause of beautiful conversations as well as heated arguments. I found a place to direct my passion when I started volunteering as a catechist my senior year of high-school. Over the years I have served as a catechist for children, as a core-member in youth ministry, as a full-time youth minister and most recently as Coordinator of Faith Formation at my home parish of St. Helen.

Underpinning my discernment story and my entire life is devotion to our Eucharistic Lord. We are blessed at St. Helen to have a perpetual adoration chapel and I am particularly blessed to be the grandson of the woman who coordinates perpetual adoration. I am where I am because of the real Presence. Most people do not hear God’s voices booming out of Heaven. Most people do not have neon signs telling them which direction to go in life. My story is not about these things, but about a steady pull and an inaudible whisper in my heart. I have said yes to God in little ways (because that is all that I am capable of) and the Good Lord has brought me to an amazing point in my life.

I beseech thee, who shall raise up Jacob, for he is a little one?   Amos 7:5

 

Jose Muñoz

  • Parish: Catherine of Siena
  • High School: Bioscience High School
  • Grade School: G. Barr Elementary School
  • Favorite Saint(s): Our Lady of Guadalupe – Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Benedict, St. Padre Pio, St. Josemaria Escriva, St. John Berchmans, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Joseph, St. Catherine of Siena, Saints Jacinta, and Francisco Marto.

Since my childhood years, the most Blessed Virgin Mary has been a bridge that has led me to our Lord Jesus Christ. As a loving mother and dispenser of endless blessings, the Virgin Mary has interceded for me before Her loving son.

The call to discern my vocation to the priesthood began through the sacrament of reconciliation. One day I felt a need to go to confession. As I conversed with the priest, Fr. Alonso Saenz, I received an invitation to serve at the altar of St. Catherine of Siena.

As I served every Sunday, my yearning to be before God strengthened. With time, prayer, and reflection, I felt a great love burning from within my heart and expanding to my whole being, leaving peace and joy for the thought of God calling me to be a Priest. I began to talk to my Pastor about my thoughts and how I felt God calling me. He led me to the path of a diligent discernment of opening myself to the voice of God, which eventually landed me in the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Phoenix. With the help of Fr. Sullivan and Fr. Camou, my discernment became more rooted in listening to the voice of God. As I matured in my vocational discernment, I decided to apply to Seminary to discern God’s call for my life.

As I waited to hear back from the Vocations Office during a Sunday Mass, I prayed to God to show me a sign of whether I was following his will. When Mass was over, a parishioner approached me and asked: “Are you a Priest?” Confused, I responded: “no”, and with a smile, the parishioner looked at me and said, “I see through your eyes the heart of a Priest; I’ll keep you in my prayers.” I was speechless.

The next day I received a call from Fr. Sullivan and Fr. Camou – I learned that I had become a Seminarian of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. I was humbled and grateful; there were no fitting words to express what I was feeling.

Fr. Sullivan stated: “Now you know where the Lord has you.” At that moment, I was confident that God had called me to Seminary to discern the vocation to the Holy Priesthood. Now I find myself at Nazareth House Seminary. Each day is full of joy; it is an adventure of living the Catholic faith alongside my brother seminarians. Only God knows if I will be a light in the darkness, a bearer of the cross, a shepherd that guards the realms of men, as a Priest. What is certain is that God called me; he is equipping and preparing me according to his purpose for a mission known only to His divine wisdom.

May it be done unto me according to the word of God.

David Wilmowski

  • Parish:  St. Joan of Arc
  • High School:  Homeschooled (Pre-K through 6th), Vila de Marie (7th through 8th grade).
  • Grade School: St. Mary’s Catholic High School
  • Favorite Saints: Pope St. John Paul II, The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. George, St. Benedict, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine.

Vocation story:

I was born in Phoenix in 2002. I am a cradle Catholic. My parents are avid Catholics, and they raised my two younger sisters and myself deeply in the faith. Within myself however, I found it difficult to form a truly personal relationship with Jesus. Prayer did not interest me, and it took a few years before I would take the faith that my parents had given to me as my own. The process began when I was sent to a catholic private school called Ville de Marie academy. I was introduced to a man who would teach me in theology for the next two years. He and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz had a devotion to the Faith that I very quickly latched onto and attempted to mimic. Mr. Ruiz gave me not only an extensive knowledge of the faith, but he also awoke in me the desire to continue to learn and defend the faith.

Around this time, I heard the call to the priesthood. I had been altar serving at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral since 4th grade, and was still doing so during 7th grade. I was serving the 9 AM televised mass. I do not remember where I was in the sanctuary, nor do I remember at what part of the mass we were in, but I do remember that Fr. John Lankeit was celebrating mass. I remember experiencing a desire that I had never felt the likes of before nor have I felt anything like it since. I can only describe it as a kind of love for what Fr. Lankeit was doing, but it was so intense that it drove any and all desires momentarily from my mind. I remember saying to myself: “I want to do what he is doing.”

After moving to St. Mary’s Catholic high school, my interest in the priesthood was rekindled. This occurred because of the entrance (or in some cases re-entrance) of several new factors. The first factor was that I was very interested in the prospect of dating, but I did not want to date unless I was sure God was not calling me to the priesthood. The second (and new) factor was that I found out that St. Mary’s had NINE of its male alumni currently studying in the seminary. This brought the matter of my experience at Ss. Simon and Jude crashing into my waking memory. I realized that I needed to “discern” this experience much more closely.

It is important to note that I had no idea what discernment actually was at this time. My prayer life still was extremely weak, and it was not until the summer of 2019 that things started to pick up speed. I was privileged to go on a nine-day backpacking trip in the Rockies of Colorado with a summer camp called Camp Wojtyla, which is a program that brings the youth closer to God by introducing them straight into the beautiful outdoors of God’s first book: Nature. This trip taught me, more than ever, the value of silence and of having truly personal time with the Lord. After this, my vocational path resembled that of a very violent roller coaster.

Finally, Senior year came along. I was forced with having to make a decision about college. I was pretty sure that I wanted to attend seminary, but I wanted to attend a catholic college or university first. I had narrowed it down to a few, but was undecided. About a quarter of the way through senior year, our class was sent on an in-school senior retreat. I felt an urging to apply for the Nazareth house but was still unsure. I thought about it in great detail the next day, and decided to do it. I met with Father Paul and started the application. I finished the written portion by January of 2021, but I did not feel ready to move on yet. I decided that I would continue the application because I figured that it felt like the smartest option, but I did not really feel a desire to do so; looking back, it was a very passive decision.

This was around March, and I was scheduled to visit a school called Wyoming Catholic College, which had been on my radar for quite a long time. I fell in love with the college as soon as I got there, but I could not shake the feeling that the decision I would have to make between Wyoming Catholic College (WCC) and Nazareth house would now be difficult. My friends told me I could just go to seminary afterword, but this did not alleviate the feeling that made me uncomfortable whenever I thought about attending WCC. I was unable to let go of the fact that I wanted desperately to attend the school and was unwilling to consider another option. I made an error in discernment, and decided to turn in my deposit. I realized that something was wrong after this, but was unable to let go of my decision. After I graduated, I started to consider and be open to Nazareth house. I decided to pray the Surrender Novena so that I might find some peace in my life. On the Final day, I believe in the Chapel of St. Thomas the Apostle (which was close to my job at the time) I examined the two thoughts of WCC and Nazareth house side by side. I felt much more peace with Nazareth house than with WCC. I discerned for a week more to be certain, then I had a review board meeting on the 14th of June, a Monday.

I was accepted a week later on the 21st of June.

Cristopher Arteaga Osores

  • Parish:  St. Augustine
  • High School:  Alhambra High School
  • Grade School: Sevilla West
  • Favorite Saints: The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. André Bessette, and St. Francis of Assisi

Vocation story:

I was born on May 07, 2000, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. I was baptized on September 30, 2000, at the Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude. I was confirmed and received my first communion on March 31, 2018, at St. Louis the King.

I had an encounter with God in the sacrament of confession during Holy Week of 2021. Before going to that confession that changed my life, I got a glimpse of what my life would look like if I played for a professional soccer team. I saw how my dream would impact me and the people around me.

I began to consider applying to seminary my senior year in college. I heard the story of a priest who applied to seminary after graduating from college, and felt a desire in my heart for the priesthood. I made a few visits to the Nazareth House and I came to the conclusion that the only way to know if I am called to be a priest is to apply.

David Arreola

  • Parish: Most Holy Trinity
  • High School: Greenway High School
  • Grade School: Acacia Elementary (K-3rd grade) ; Most Holy Trinity School (4th-8th grade)
  • Favorite Saints: Saint Padre Pio, Saint John Paul II, Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio

Hello! My name is David Arreola, I am the second oldest of four, and I have three sisters. I was born and raised here in Phoenix, Arizona. I first felt called to the priesthood while attending Sunday Mass with my family, when I was six years old. I remember the priest raising the Holy Eucharist and I immediately felt drawn to the Holy Eucharist, along with that, I felt a sense of love, peace, comfort and joy. But as a kid, at the time, I did not know that the Lord was calling me, I just thought that I really enjoyed going to Mass. Some time went on, and I remember I was very excited to receive my
first Holy Communion. After receiving Communion, I became an altar server for about 10 years, where the Lord called me a second time. Because of the love I have for serving the Lord at His Holy Altar, it brings me joy. Many people would approach me after Mass and they would say “they liked the way I served with reverence and joy” they would then ask me if I was considering the priesthood. And it was strange, because I would always say yes, because I knew God wanted me to be a priest, but I still was not sure if I wanted to be a priest. Growing up I never knew, for sure, what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always wanted to be a firefighter or a police officer, because I knew I wanted to serve and help people. But every time someone would ask me what I wanted to be, my response was always the same “I’m not sure yet”. Pretty much throughout my lifetime, my late childhood and my early to mid teen years, the thought of becoming a priest always went in and out of my head. I still wasn’t sure if I was being called to it. I just took into consideration what I wanted to be, not what God wanted of me. It wasn’t until June 2022, where I had the privilege of going to the Ordination Mass of four, now priests, at Saint Simon and Jude Cathedral. And I felt our Lord speaking to me during the entire Ordination Mass. First when the Bishop lays his hands over the ones receiving Holy Orders, I could see myself there with them, and I felt a joy that I cannot explain. A little later in the Mass, during the time where the priests embrace the newly ordained men, I heard a voice inside me that said, “this is where you belong” and I got goosebumps and my eyes started to tear up with tears of joy. After that day, I stopped doubting my vocation, and I stopped worrying. I learned to trust in the Lord, and I’m still learning to trust our Lord everyday. Now that I accepted the vocation God is calling me
to, I started feeling more joyful and saw life from a different point of view. And for about six months I’ve served as a Eucharistic Minister, and as a Sacristan. Ever since I became a sacristan, I have never been happier. Let it all be for the Glory of God!

Iosua Toilolo

  • Parish: Our Lady of the Lake (Lake Havasu)
  • High School: Lake Havasu High School
  • Grade School:Havasupai Elementary (Lake Havasu)
  • Favorite Saints: Mother Mary, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Rose of Lima, St. Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio, St. Maria Goretti, St. Peter

Growing up as a kid my family was always at church. My parents were very involved in different ministries. Every time my parents went to church, they would bring my four siblings and me, along with them. We would help with retreats, set up tables and chairs, come do holy hours, help decorate the church, go to choir practice, or wait for them while they have bible study. In the midst of all this, I have felt a tug toward priesthood ever since kindergarten. A call for priesthood persisted from elementary school all the way through high school. 

During high school, I was still very active in the church and I joined the youth ministry of my parish. God allowed me to grow deeper in my faith and gave me the desire to bring people closer to him. At the time, I placed the call for priesthood on the backburners. I always knew priesthood was a possibility for me, but I never took steps to actively discern. High school graduation sped by and I never took my vocation to prayer.

After graduating high school, I started my first year with a local ASU branch as an Elementary Education major. I chose an education major out of my desire to teach. Working with students at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School helped me to realize that the joy received from teaching Math and English pales in comparison to the joy that comes from teaching others about Jesus Christ. I enjoyed my first year in college, but I never felt fully at peace. 

One Sunday, I arrived at church and unexpectedly my dad felt sick. The paramedics came and took him to the emergency room. My dad has had previous health problems and at that moment I did not know if it was going to be the last time I saw my dad alive. A few parishioners who had already gone to mass went with my dad to the emergency room while I stayed behind with my sister since we had not yet gone to mass. During the homily, I thought of the quote, “Tomorrow is promised to no one.” While meditating on these words I felt God say, “Why aren’t you answering my call?” This was a message from God that was so clear that it couldn’t be ignored. I decided that I would answer God’s call to discern and take the first steps to apply to seminary. Ever since that moment, I have felt at peace. 

Many things have taken place for me to be where I am today. I thank God for this opportunity to discern a vocation in his priesthood and I look forward to seeing the great plans he has for us all.

¡Viva Cristo Rey!

Samuel Fowler

  • Parish: Our Lady of Mount Carmel- Tempe
  • High School: Tempe Preparatory Academy
  • Grade School:  Home school
  • Favorite Saints: Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, St. Charbel, St. Francis of Assisi, John the Apostle, Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Samuel

I was born Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in Arizona. I am the third of seven children. I was born into a strong Catholic family that look their faith seriously. I was home schooled until sixth grade, after which I attended Tempe Preparatory Academy. I remember the idea of becoming a priest popping into my head every now and then, but I always brushed it off.  After I graduated high school, I attended the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. I did not have much of a prayer life and I did not really think about God much during that time, even with being on a catholic college campus.

Then, on January 18, 2020, while still at school, I had a medical emergency. While I was at the gym, I had an aneurism rupture in my brain. By the grace of God, I made it to the hospital. They could not do the surgery in Bismarck and proceeded to fly me to Fargo, where it could be done. I am truly blessed to be alive today. Upon returning home, I received news that the aneurysm was “growing back” and there would be a need for a more risky surgery to be performed. Due to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the complexity of the surgery, the date kept getting pushed back, which turned out the be a blessing. On a normal day in the middle of May, while I was sitting in my room, the left side of my body went numb for about 5 minutes. The next day, an MRI was done and there was no aneurysm to be found. The doctor could not explain it. My family and I had been praying to Blessed Francis Xavier Cellos and St. Charbel, and I know they helped intercede for me. It was through the whole experience I realized how much I needed God and how necessary it was to put my trust in Him.

After a long recovery, I was invited by Father Charlie Goraieb to join a class for young men, Viri Virtutes. The class was focused on becoming a virtuous man. This really deepened my spiritual life, and, for the first time, I found myself authentically praying to God. One of the best things that came from the class was the small group that some of the men and I formed. Having that accountability and brotherhood is something my soul was longing for.

Then, in September of 2022, my dad invited me to do Exodus 90 with him and his men’s group. I did not want to do it at first, but God did. I remember thinking I was going to say no, but, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, I agreed to join. It was in these 90 days that I truly started to discern the priesthood. With all the distractions out of the way, I started to feel God’s calling. I started getting more curious about the Eucharist. It was after I watched a video on Formed, Presence, I fell in love with the Eucharist. When going to mass, I really started to feel His presence. I would sometimes get distracted picturing what I would look like up there and, when I alter-served, those feelings intensified. And as they intensified, the priesthood started to become more attractive to me.

I am truly grateful for how much this application process has helped me reflect on my life and learn about myself. I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life, and I know that whatever God has planned for me will shape me into the person I am called to be.