Chad King

Seminary:  St. Meinrad Seminary

Birthday: October 2nd

Home Parish:  St. Thomas the Apostle

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Vocation Story

I first thought about the priesthood when I was a junior in high school.  I was blessed with a strong faith, and was very involved in the Life Teen youth group.  As I was thinking of what I wanted to do with my life at that time, I naturally thought I was supposed to be a priest since I had this faith and I loved God and wanted to be Holy.

My sister at this time was in college at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and I saw how much she loved it there and grew so much in her faith.  I went to visit there and I knew I wanted to go there too.  And I knew that if God was calling me to be a priest, being there would not hurt my vocation but only strengthen it.  When I got to Franciscan University, I entered the Pre-Theologate program and felt peaceful on the path towards priesthood.

In the summer after my junior year, I came back home to AZ and had the desire to date someone.  I did not have anyone in mind but because my mind was always on priesthood after high school I think I wanted to see what else there was.  After I graduated with a BA in Theology and Philosophy, I worked as a Youth Minister back home in AZ.  Being in the parish, I saw how God and the Church is in need of holy men to be husbands and fathers just as much as holy priests. 

I started to fall in love with the Sacrament of Marriage, so I took that as God’s will.  For the 6 years thereafter, I pursued Marriage and dated a few girls here and there but nothing serious, and was just waiting on God to reveal her to me.  In October 2004 I was at a men’s mission at my parish, and you can tell the priest that was brought in to give it is a real man of God, and man of prayer.  That stirred my heart again to be that kind of man again.  That night in the Holy Hour, God put the idea of priesthood back on my heart.  So from that point on I started discerning again.  I realized I wanted to use my faith and education and bring people closer to Him with my life, and doing that as a priest in such a dynamic way appeals to me.  I look back and I realize I was not ready before college; I had a lot of growing I needed to do.  I was assuming priesthood was God’s will more than listening to Him call me.  I needed to know what I was giving up, so that I could give my whole heart to serving Him and His people as a priest.