Juan Manuel Camacho - Community of Saint Paul, Racine
Class of 2013
I first met the Community of Saint Paul in 2001 when a friend talked to me about it. In November 2001, I met Fr. Pere Cané who talked about his work as a missionary and all the things that the missionaries do in poor countries in order to preach the Good News and give hope to all those in need.  The next five months I kept in touch with Fr. Cané and in April 2002, I made my decision to join the Community of Saint Paul Apostle.

It was during my first years with the CSP that I began to feel the call to the priesthood and reflect seriously about it.  This process of discernment happened with the help of Fr. Cané and other priests from the Community that were living with me at that time (all of them priests from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee). They have all played an important role in my process of discernment to the priesthood and it was through them that I found the call from God to be a priest.

I think the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has a lot to offer for my priestly life. We find here an exciting mixture of peoples, and I think that since Spanish is my first language I can help by working with the Hispanic community. I also believe that I have something to offer to the Seminary as well, thanks to all the experiences that I have had living in other countries.

Jonathan DeVries: St. John the Evangelist, Kohler - Class of 2012
I was 17 when my parents first brought up the idea of priesthood to me. They mentioned that they thought that was the direction God was calling me. At the time, being in high school and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, I blew them off. I told my parents that I would think about it but did not give the idea much consideration over the next few years.

It would not be until after my studies at university were complete and I was working in the human resources field that I would hear the call that my parents had seen years before.  During my time working in corporate world I came realized that I loved helping people, that I loved being of service to people but that I did not care much for the aspects of corporate world such as money, titles, or positions. I cared more about helping people than titles, or income or positions. It was at this time in my life that I started to ask myself some very serious questions about what I wanted to do with my life.

Over the next few months I stared to actively think about priesthood and the started to consider deeply the idea of entering the seminary. I meet with the priest in my parish and started asking questions. Eventually I came to a point where I thought that entering the Seminary and discerning my call to the priesthood was the direction God was calling me.

The decision has been on of the best decisions I have made in my life. Every day I am grateful for the opportunities and challenges God has given me during my time in the Seminary.

Friar Hans Flondor - Order of Frairs Minor Conventual
Class of 2013
Hello, I am Hans Flondor a Conventual Franciscan friar. The Conventual Franciscans are one of the three major branches of the Franciscan order. We take our origin directly from Saint Francis of Assisi. I am now residing at St. Francis de Sales Seminary and in my first years of Theological studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners. I was born in Chicago and raised in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village.

I attended Queen of the Rosary Catholic grade school and Elk Grove High School. I attended various colleges and universities and finalized my studies at Loyola University with a degree in Philosophy.

Growing up I dreamed of being a carpenter, but during high school I found that was not my true calling.  After four years of various jobs,  I joined the Conventual Franciscans.  I am fortunate to have the support of my family as I continue along the path to the priesthood.

Deacon Javier Guativa:
Community of Saint Paul, Racine - Class of 2011
I was born and raised in Colombia, where, at age 16, I met two priests of the Community of St. Paul who impressed me with their dedication to serve those most in need. I stayed in contact with them for the next two years, and then I decided to join them. Before beginning my priestly formation at St. Francis de Sales Seminary, I worked in the Dominican Republic and Kenya. I found those experiences fulfilling and humbling. I truly believe that helping people in those remote areas strengthened my vocation to be a priest.

I came to Saint Francis de Sales to follow in the footsteps of members of my community who had preceded me, especially Fr. Pere Cané and Fr. Martí Colom, the Milwaukee Archdiocesan priests I have known since my teen years. I think the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is an exciting place to be and help build the Church; it has a lot to offer, with a wide range of ministries and great mixture of people. I would like to serve in inner city parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and hope some day to return to mission countries. No matter where I end up, though, I believe my studies at Saint Francis will help me become a good priest.

Enrique Hernandez: St. Peter & Paul, Milwaukee - Class of 2012
It seems like a long time since I accepted an invitation to leave my home in Columbia and study English as a second language here in Milwaukee.  The goal was to do much more than learn English.  I was also testing my dream to be a priest in a foreign land.  I am enjoying the support I receive from all my brother seminarians.  Before I know it, it may be time for ordination.

Stephen Juma - Mary Queen of Heaven, West Allis - College Program
Being born in Kenya and raised Catholic became paramount when I was faced with the question of what does God want me to do. During this period of soul searching and discerning, the Christian tenets summed up in the Creed and sealed in the baptism convinced me to do an 8 day silent retreat. It was in that retreat that I felt a deeper calling to renew my relationship with Christ and a clear call to the priesthood.

Through prayer, discernment, and the people that God put in my path, I felt God was leading me to Wisconsin. I saw an amazing video of a priest named Fatherr Solanus Casey and his story impacted my life in ways that words cannot do justice to. I began to deeply seek the Lord’s will and what he wanted me to do. I learned that Fr. Solonus Casey was from Wisconsin and that God was calling me here for a reason that I don’t fully know. As you realize, God calls people differently. What we ought to do is cultivate a listening heart, a desire to do his will, and the grace to respond to what he calls us to.

Deacon Christopher Klusman:
St. Matthias, Milwaukee - Class of 2011
The first people that I told about my call to the priesthood were my parents.  I can't think of how many sleepless nights I've endured, as I tried to come up with words that could break the news with great ease.  It was as if I was trying to think of a perfect proposal for the woman of my dreams.  I swear I came up with over 100 ways.  When I broke it to my parents, ironically, it wasn't what I planned.  It came straight from the heart, since I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me.  My parents cried, but they were tears of joy.  Later, when more people found out, they were like, "I'm not surprised.  It is a great fit." I didn't expect that they felt that way.  If I only knew, I wouldn't have put myself through such agony!

Meeting a seminarian at a sign-language workshop was one of the things that prompted me to contact the vocations director for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. I have been deaf since birth. The deaf community needs priests, and I hope that I will be able to serve in this way. When I first told friends that I was seriously thinking about priesthood, some of them came up with ideas for a "priest super hero" costume. My hobbies are painting, sculpting, sometimes sketching, and weaving. Although I am deaf, I lipread and can "hear" some sound with a hearing aid. I talk verbally with people who can hear, but I'm also fluent in sign language.

Brad Krawczyk:
St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr, Milwaukee - Class of 2012
I found being in the “Seminary Without Walls” program a great way to keep the possibility of priesthood before me.  Now that I am studying here with other men pursuing the same dream I am thankful for all that Saint Francis Seminary is offering me. I especially enjoy being the sacristan for many Eucharistic celebrations.

Play my video to hear how my parish played a part in my considering the priesthood.

Arulananthan Ponnaiyan

Greetings, I am Arulananthan Ponnaiyan and I come from the archdiocese of Pondicherry in India. I always experienced great feelings of joy in attending Eucharistic celebrations that was the starting point of  my vocation to priesthood. And It was during my higher secondary school days that I came to sense my deep desire for priesthood  and I joined the Society of African Missions to pursue my studies to realize this desire to come true. I got graduated in philosophy and went to Egypt for regency and  worked with the sisters of Mother Theresa in caring for the old and homeless people. Then after a year of theological studies I had to leave the seminary and decided to do law to pursue my career as a lawyer. I was in to my third year as an advocate and felt that God was calling me for something else, he wants me to do what I like the most and in what I believe. To address these feelings  and to discern my vocation I went back to Kenya and lived in the mission stations of the diocese of Lodwar in Kenya under the guidance of Bishop Patrick Harington who helped me in my discernment and recommended me to the diocese of Milwaukee. I started my correspondence with Fr. Jim in 2007 and made it to the formation in 2010. My experience of God in my long journey of vocation is that he is “ God of surprises”.  My answer to God is “Yet, O Lord, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand”. I am in first year theology and enjoying my formation here.     

Ryan Pruess: St. Peter, Slinger - Class of 2012
After graduating from Slinger High School in 2001 I earned a degree in Criminal Justice as well as completed the police recruit academy at Waukesha County Technical College .  Although I liked the program and the career path I was on, something kept tugging me back to the Catholic Church.  After careful consideration, prayer, and talking over my concerns with the vocations director, I decided to enter the college seminary program and put my future in law enforcement on hold until I was sure that God was not calling me to the priesthood.  Well, two years later I am filled with anticipation and joy as I begin my first year theology at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary! I completed my undergraduate studies at Cardinal Stritch University and graduated with a degree in Religious Studies in December 2007.  I am very excited to continue my academic formation this spring with the other seminarians.  I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in the college seminary program.  It really gave me the time I needed to discern my call to the priesthood and to grow spiritually.  Thanks to the college seminary program, I am more prepared than ever both mentally and spiritually for the challenges and exciting opportunities that are ahead  I am thankful that I took the time to discern my path in life and truly feel like I belong here, in Milwaukee, serving God's people and Church as a Catholic priest.

Friar Paul Schneider - Order of Frairs Minor Conventual
My name is Paul Schneider and I am a Conventual Franciscan friar from the Saint Bonaventure Province in Chicago.  My vocation story actually started over 30 years ago.  During my senior year in high school I started to seriously think about becoming a priest.  It wasn’t until my freshman year in college that I finally made the decision to enter the seminary.  I spent 2 ½ years at St. Thomas Seminary as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Denver.  About mid-way through my senior year I decided to take some time off to discern whether I was being called to be a diocesan priest or a religious order priest.  To make a long story short, I went to visit a friend in El Paso, TX for a short vacation and ended up staying 27 years!  In El Paso I owned my own business for about 15 years and when I sold it, I worked in the public school system with special needs children.  At the same time I was a member of a group called the Apostolate of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  We led pilgrimages, gave talks, edited a quarterly magazine, and led numerous activities to promote devotion to Our Lady.  The idea of becoming a religious was always in the back of my mind.  About four years ago I was reading a book about St. Maximillian Kolbe.  The way St. Maximillian lived his life, was exactly how I had always dreamed of living my own life.  Realizing that he was a Conventual Franciscan, I contacted the friars and started the discernment process.  I was accepted into their postulancy and novitiate program.  On July 19, 2008 I professed my vows of obedience, not owning anything of my own, and chastity.  It was the most grace filled and happiest day of my life.

God’s time is not our time.  He calls us to experience many different things in order to be ready to hear His calling.  This year I am in pre-theology and am completing my degree at Cardinal Stritch University.  I feel that God is calling me to be a Franciscan priest.  I cannot imagine anything greater than being able offer the Holy Eucharist each day and to help others come to know and love Jesus, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

David Schroeder: St. Catherine, Ripon - College Program Senior
Hi!  My name is David Schroeder.  I am from the northwest corner of the Archdiocese at St. Catherine of Siena parish in Ripon.  From my youth I dreamed of being a priest and a professional football player like Reggie White.  In middle school I started going on retreats with the Legionaries of Christ, because I liked the sports and competitions, but it was the spiritual talks that returned my childhood desire to become a priest.  I entered the diocesan seminary in La Crosse for my first year of high school and then joined the Legionary’s novitiate, but religious life was not my vocation.  After two years at Ave Maria University in Florida I became a seminarian for Milwaukee.  I am currently in my junior year at St. Joseph Seminary in Chicago, and I hope with the help of your prayers to be ordained in Milwaukee in 2014.

Jacob Strand: St. Bruno, Dousman - Class of 2012
To be honest, my first thoughts of priesthood were filled with fear.   I think that’s pretty typical because the revelation of God’s loving plan frightens us when we realize it differs from the one we had personally conceived.  But at the same time, underneath the fright, I saw the priesthood as a challenging invitation to actively respond to God’s will with an entire life commitment.  Through prayer and introspection I have now realized that it was God’s grace working deep within my soul that sparked this overwhelming desire to respond to this invitation.  Although there are many ways to give our lives to God, He continued to reveal that only through the priesthood would I be able to become the person He created me to be.  Now as I strive to renew this commitment daily, I consistently find that the hesitancy, doubt, and questioning fade and that the great mission of humbly following in the steps of the priesthood of Jesus consumes me.  Thanks be to God!

I first felt the call to the priesthood when I was about 11 years old, but I am not entirely certain. I do know that I have had the thought in the back of my mind for a long time. As a Diocesan priest I look forward most to doing God's work among His people. The parish is where the people of the Church are found, and so this is where I feel called to serve.

Carlos Zapata: St. Aloysius, Milwaukee ~ Class of 2012
My name is Carlos Alberto Zapata Muñoz. I was born in Medellin, Colombia in 1972.  My parents and teachers provided excellent formation in human, moral and Christian values. I was an altar boy for many years in my parish, Our Lady of the Rosary and believe it is where I developed my love for the Eucharist and for the priesthood.

After high school, I entered to the Recoleto Augustian Orden where I studied philosophy, novitiate, and theology. During this process, I was installed as lector and acolyte and I also renewed my simple vows.

I achieved a bachelor degree in “Philosophy and religious sciences” and worked for nine years as a high school teacher, teaching classes in philosophy, religion and ethics. I give thanks to God for being allowed to grow along side the high school youth. I had open the possibility of returning to the seminary, to come back to my “first Love” which  was already in my mind and heart. I never abandoned my love to my vocation and the presence of Christ whom I visited frequently in the silence of the tabernacle during my years of work. I always sought work in Catholic high schools because I knew that there would be a chapel inside the school.

Now, by the will of God, I am a fortunate to be a seminarian in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. I studied ESL program in Sacred Heart School of Theology and UWM (University of Wisconsin Milwaukee).  At present, I am studying some classes of theological complementation in Sacred Heart School of Theology. God willing, I will be ordained as deacon in 2011 and as priest in 2012. I feel very happy and grateful with God for his love and his misericord with me. "The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad!" (Psalm 126,3).

father John Burns:
Lumen Christi Parish, Mequon - Ordained July 17, 2010
I’m Father John Burns and I’m from Lumen Christ Parish.  Just a bit about myself: I haven’t always wanted to be a priest.  In college, I studied Business Marketing.  When I graduated, I discovered that the job offers in business all lost their luster when it came to decision time.  Gradually, I realized that God was asking me to consider priesthood, and that I had been fighting against this for a very long time… I had been trying too hard to control my future.  I studied at the North American Pontifical College in Rome and seminary was incredible.  It’s the place to step outside all of the distractions and ask the question with an open heart – “Am I called to be a priest?”  It’s the place where we are transformed into the men He calls us to be.  I never could have anticipated the peace and happiness that come with discerning the will of God – it is the greatest adventure.  As Jesus said, “Cast out into the deep!”

father Antony Primal Thomas:
Community of Saint Paul, Racine ~ Ordained May 15, 2010
My name is Antony Primal Thomas, a member of the Community of Saint Paul. I was born in Kerala, India. I left home in 2001 and went to Kenya in Africa. I worked in the missions there almost seven years. I arrived here in Milwaukee on June 2008. My community has been present here since 1992 and several of our members have been ordained for this Archdiocese. I am very happy to follow in their steps as a priest for Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Father Matt Widder:
Blessed Trinity, Sheboygan Falls - Ordained May 15, 2010
I grew up on a dairy farm in Sheboygan Falls, and Blessed Trinity is my home parish. Prior to entering the seminary I obtained a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. When I made the decision to major in Exercise Science priesthood obviously was not front and center on my vocational radar screen. However, through a couple unexpected twists and turns the prospect of priesthood gradually moved front and center in my life. Ultimately the call got to the point where if I wouldn’t have pursued it I would have always looked back and wondered if I had ran from my true vocation in life. My advice to anyone discerning his vocation would be to always be open to God's will in your life. If you only follow your own will outside of God's, you'll never find true happiness.

I probably had an inclination toward the priesthood when I was in grade school at St. Patrick’s in Ripon.  Going to Mass everyday was fun for me and I remember wanting to be a priest at that time in my life.  That idea didn’t really go away until I was in college and I thought I would get married and have children.  This was strengthened when my sister was born (I was 16) and I was able to care for her when my mom was away.

I eventually settled down in Sheboygan, WI and became active in several activities that rekindled something that made me feel inside that there was something I was supposed to do within the Church.  At this time I had begun doing a variety of mission trips to several countries including Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Honduras as well as mission trip here in the U. S. with teens from the Sheboygan Area and a contemporary Christian Music Ministry.  In my local community, I became active as a cantor, choir member, RCIA catechist and helping with the Life Teen program at another parish (St. Dominic’s in Sheboygan). 

When I became convicted that there was something that I was supposed to be doing, I went to my priest and asked him about the diaconate.  He asked me if I had thought about the priesthood and I explained to him that I had…when I was a child.  He gave me the numbers at the seminary for the vocation’s office where I spoke to someone about both vocations – deaconate and priest.  It was suggested that I work with a spiritual director, who (along with much prayer and personal discernment) helped me to choose the path of the priesthood.

It has not been an easy road, but I have always been able to step back and say that this is where I am supposed to be, this is where God wants me at this time.  I enjoy talking about my journey.  I loved my life as a physical therapist and the ministry that I had there, but I believe that I can take that experience and so much more to the people I will walk with later as a priest.  I want to show them a God that walks with them in all aspects of their life.

Father Angel Anaya Estrada:
St. Katharine Drexel, Beaver Dam - Class of 2009
My name is Angel Anaya. I was born and raised in Colombia. Though the idea of being a priest came to my mind when I was a kid, later on during my teen years I changed my mind and decided that I would like to study medicine. After high school I worked with Franciscans as a volunteer in projects of social justice helping the poor. That was the first strong religious experience with God face to face through the face of the poor.
Later on, I decided to study medicine in the Escuela Nacional de Medicina Homepatica and worked as a doctor for almost 5 years. That was a wonderful experience healing the physical body of the people but something deep inside kept telling me that was not enough.
To answer the deep questions in life, I decided to go back to school and studied philosophy. But philosophy was not the answer either. After much struggle finding a spiritual path, and thanks to the Verbum Dei Missionary Community I came back to the Catholic Church with more passion than ever. With the Verbum Dei Community I was involved with spiritual retreats for young people helping them to have a deep experience of Christ.  From this time on, I came to realize that God was calling me to the priesthood to dedicate my entire life to spread the Good News of Jesus helping others to find meaning in their lives.
After a year of discernment and supported by the counsel and prayer of many priests, the Poor Claire Nuns of my home town, I went to Seminary where during two years I completed the philosophical cycle and came to Milwaukee in 2004 to study theology. I was ordained a priest on May 23, 2009 and look forward to serving the Catholic Community of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. My current assignment is associate pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lake Geneva, and collaborating with St. Andrew Parish, Delavan, and St. Catherine Parish, Sharon..

Father Aaron Esch
St. Patrick, Elkhorn - Class of 2009
My name is Aaron Esch.  I am from St. Patrick Parish in Elkhorn and am now in my fourth year of theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. On October 9th, 2008, I was ordained a transitional deacon at the Papal Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican City State and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral on May 23, 2009

After high school I entered the archdiocese’s college seminary program while studying history and philosophy.  The time in college seminary gave me the opportunity to explore and become more certain of my vocation to diocesan priesthood.  These years in seminary have been most blessed.  I have met many wonderful friends and grown in ways I never could have imagined.  The preparation for priesthood is a long and often difficult process, but I thank God constantly for having called me to serve Him in this way.  Finding God’s will for my life has been a great joy for me. 

I think there were two ways I heard God’s call to priesthood: (1) through liturgical and private prayer and (2) through involvement in a faith-filled Catholic community.  As a college student I got involved in all kinds of Catholic activities such as Bible studies, service projects, apologetics groups, and retreats.  Through these activities I met an amazing group of friends who challenged me to grow in my faith and who supported me in pursuing God’s call, whatever that may be.  I also got to know a number of priests who deeply inspired me.  They showed me the beauty and adventure of “casting out to the deep”.  These past four years of seminary have been the happiest years of my life and once again proves to me that God can never be outdone in generosity.

I am truly enjoyingworking with the Catholic Community in my current assignment as associate pastor of St. Francis Borgia Parish, Cedarburg.

Father Sean O’Connell: St. Dominic, Brookfield - Class of 2009
I can still remember being a freshman at Marquette University when I first heard God calling me to be one of his priests.  I was totally shocked!  All my life, I thought about getting married and starting a family, now God was presenting another path for me to consider.  My response, I tried to hide from God’s calling, believing that he must have made a mistake.  I thought to myself, I’m not holy enough to be a priest, I not very good at praying, what is God’s problem?  However, the call became stronger and I realized that I needed to start praying over this strange desire that kept creeping into my thoughts. 
Luckily, I had some wonderful support during this time.  One day I told my roommate about what I was feeling.  He replied: “I thought you might want to be a priest.”  I could not believe what he said.  I had never before spoken to him about the priesthood, but somehow he knew what was on my mind.  My life in the seminary has been fantastic.  It has been a pleasure living, studying, and praying with the greatest guys in the world.  My advice to anyone thinking about the priesthood: take a chance, consider the reality that God is calling you to become a person set apart from the crowd, take comfort in the words of Jesus and “follow me.” My current assignment isassociate pastor of St. Dominic Parish, Brookfield..

I first felt that God might be calling me to priesthood toward the end of my sophomore year of college.  It was something that I never would have expected or anticipated.  For months I tried to avoid the deep-down feeling in my heart.  It wasn’t until I began praying about priesthood and sharing my desires with friends whom I had made through Newman Center Campus Ministry, Catholic Youth Expeditions, and Fr. Carr’s Place 2B, that my vocation was able to come to fruition.   I suppose that this is what has been the greatest gift of seminary life as well, namely, prayer and community.  It is precisely through these gifts that Jesus calls us into a deeper relationship with Him through the Church.  It isn’t easy.  It requires sacrifice and self-gift. And yet, in the midst of it all, I’ve never been happier and have never felt more fully alive in Christ.  Thanks be to God!

My current assignment is serving as a member of the in solidum team serving Holy Family Parish, Fond du Lac.