Will Schmid

Seminary: Pontifical College Josephinum 

 Birthday: April 19, 1982 

 Home Parish: St. Theresa  

 Favorite Saint: Michael, Maria Faustina, Philomena 

 Hobbies: Basketball, Guitar

 Favorite Food: Sushi

 Enjoy most about being a seminarian: The opportunity to dig deep into the intellectual life of the Catholic faith. 

Vocation Story

The first 17 years of my life I was an active member of the Lutheran church.  But even though I was an active member, I never really accepted it as my own faith.  On the external level I was committed to Christ, but internally I had a lot of questions and doubt.  During my junior year of high school, a good friend of mine was killed in a drunk driving accident, which drastically changed my life.  I began to take my questions and doubts seriously.  I knew God was calling me into a deeper relationship with Him but I didn’t know exactly what He wanted me to do.  I began seeking answers and looking for signs.  Shortly after my decision to open my eyes and look for God in my life, a friend of mine invited me to Sunday Mass and Lifeteen (a particular Catholic youth group).  To make a long story short, I never left.  I found a group of kids my own age that were on fire for the Lord and simply wanted to give themselves over to Him.  At first, I didn’t agree with everything that was taught, mostly because I didn’t understand all of the reasoning behind it.  But as I grew in my faith and my love for the Lord, I began to see how much the Catholic Church made sense.  I was seeking for answers and the Lord gave me those answers in and through His Church.  Eventually, after an intense 4-day retreat, I felt the Lord inviting me to be a full and active member of His Church, and I responded with great joy. 

Several years later, I came to another turning point in my life.  I loved the Church very much and only wanted to work for Her.  Several job opportunities came my way, but for some reason deep within my very being, I couldn’t say yes to any of them.  I felt that the Lord was calling me to something bigger.  I couldn’t put my finger on it until one evening during exposition of the Blessed Sacrament the Lord revealed it to me.  I recognized it as my very first calling to the vocation of the priesthood.  I had heard about this moment from many priests and seminarians, but I had never experienced it myself until this night.  I remember walking away that night thinking to myself, “This is it. This is the Lord calling me to the Priesthood. How am I going to respond to this?”  A part of me was afraid to say yes, but for the most part, I was terrified to say no.  How could I call myself a good and faithful Catholic, if I were to simply ignore what I knew to be God’s calling.  Deep inside I knew what I had to do, and I did it.  Shortly after, I made the call to the Vocation Director (Fr. Kline).  It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life.  My hands were shaking as I held the phone.  Thankfully he wasn’t in his office at the time so I was able to leave a message.  Within a couple of days Fr. Don had called me back and we had scheduled an appointment to meet and begin the official discernment process.  After several months of meeting, he eventually gave me the application and the rest is history.  I’ve been in the seminary for three years now and I love it.  It has been a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to the next three years.  It hasn’t been easy.  It’s still a great challenge.  I have to continually renew my faith everyday.  I also have to continually listen to God’s voice so that I can continue on the path of holiness.  But even though it has been challenging, it has been worth it.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a seminarian and for the calling God has given me.  My only hope is that the Lord continues to shower his graces upon me so that I can be a holy priest.  If you feel like you might have a vocation to the priesthood, don’t ignore it.  Give it a shot.  I promise you, it’s worth it.  There is nothing in this world worth more than the eternal glory Christ wants to give to you.  For us to receive this wonderful heavenly treasure, all we have to do is say yes.