Meet Four Seminarians Preparing to Bring Christ Near to the People of Northern Colorado
As the Annual Seminaries' Appeal begins, four men studying at Denver’s St. John Vianney Theological Seminary share the kind of priests they hope to become and how the generosity of the faithful is helping them prepare to answer God's call.
What makes a good priest? Is it his ability to preach a powerful homily? His willingness to sit with someone in their suffering? His joy in celebrating the sacraments? Or perhaps it’s simply being someone his parishioners know they can count on.
For the men discerning the priesthood at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, the answer includes all of the above.
This year, a record number of men are in discernment and formation at the Archdiocese of Denver’s two seminaries, St. John Vianney Theological Seminary and Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary. Though each has his own story, they share a desire to bring Christ’s presence to the people they hope to serve.
As the Archdiocese kicks off its Annual Seminaries’ Appeal, we asked four seminarians at St. John Vianney about the kind of priests they hope to become and why the support of the faithful matters to their formation.
Dan Igoe
Theology III
What kind of priest do you hope to become?
I hope to become the kind of priest who is conformed to Jesus’ Sacred Heart. For me, that means being a priest of prayer who loves the Father and can participate in Jesus' mission of revealing the Father to the world. The priesthood is not an abstract, otherworldly thing. It's incarnational. Because of all that, I want to be a priest for the people and with the people, living as a man beside other men and women, bringing Jesus in the Eucharist, in Confession, in Baptism, to those in need.
Why is it important for people to support the Annual Seminaries' Appeal?
Supporting the Appeal is important because of where your support goes. The money contributed to the Annual Seminaries' Appeal supports our tuition, room and board. Because of that, all of us seminarians can focus on being formed to be the priests and men God has called us to be. It also allows us to live in community with one another so that we can support one another on our road to heaven and to holiness.
Joe Tynan
Theology I
What kind of priest do you hope to become?
I want to be the type of priest who is clearly friends with Jesus Christ. I hope to be a priest who is eager and excited to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass, hear Confessions and be a good father to his parishioners. I also have a special desire to serve those close to death and administer the gift of the Anointing of the Sick, as priests have been so faithful to do with some of my family members.
Why is it important for people to support the Annual Seminaries' Appeal?
I believe it is incredibly important to support the Annual Seminaries' Appeal because helping seminarians is supporting the future of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Denver. My own grandparents and great-grandparents helped support the seminary and the Archdiocese here in Denver. I am so thankful that the priests who taught me and the churches that formed my love for Christ were supported by my family. I think many people in the Church have had parents and grandparents who supported the diocese's mission, and it is a beautiful act of piety to continue giving so that your own posterity can grow in their love of Christ through the sacraments and the teaching of the priests.
Manuel Hinojosa
Pre-Theology II
What kind of priest do you hope to become?
The kind of priest I'd like to be once I'm ordained is one who dwells with the people he has been entrusted to and one who proclaims the Gospel, which brings freedom and healing.
Why is it important for people to support the Annual Seminaries' Appeal?
The support that people give in the Appeal allows us seminarians to continue growing in the formative dimensions of becoming like Christ in his human, intellectual, pastoral and spiritual aspects.
Luke Yanoshak
Pre-Theology I
What kind of priest do you hope to become?
If Jesus is calling me to be a priest, I desire to be a priest consumed with love for the Cross. Like St. John, who remained beside the Lord on Calvary, I wish to always remain by Jesus' side as a faithful disciple who loves him and his flock. "Where I am, there shall my servant be also" (John 12:26).
Why is it important for people to support the Annual Seminaries' Appeal?
Jesus commanded us to pray earnestly for laborers to be sent into his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38). We seminarians hope to one day become the laborers that Christ calls for. By supporting the Annual Seminaries' Appeal, you make it possible for us to continue in our formation toward the priesthood.
Help Form Priests to Bring Him Near
A priest people can depend on. A spiritual father who brings Christ’s mercy to the confessional and the bedside of the dying. A man who offers hope to those who are suffering and lives among the people entrusted to his care.
That kind of priesthood doesn’t happen overnight. Formation takes years of prayer, study and discernment, and it’s supported in part by the generosity of Catholics across the Archdiocese of Denver.
During the Annual Seminaries’ Appeal, November 7-8 and 14-15, seminarians are visiting parishes to share their vocation stories and invite the faithful to take part in their formation.
Your prayers, encouragement and financial support help these men discern their calling and prepare, if they are called, to celebrate Mass, hear Confessions, anoint the sick and accompany God’s people through life’s most important moments.
Support the Annual Seminaries’ Appeal at https://archden.org/futurepriests/.
