Nicholas Waddell

Configuration III

Parish: St. Anthony, Milwaukee

Seminary: Saint Francis de Sales

Birthday: December 4

Intercessor: St. Nicholas, St. Andrew and St. Lawrence

Tell us your vocation story.

I grew up in a solid Catholic family where Sunday Mass was non-negotiable and the family rosary was required. I was blessed to attend Catholic schools most of my life where I grew to love the Truth of the Catholic faith. It was in high school that the false gods of our culture began to distract me. “Lord, Lord” was on my lips, but in my heart I did not know Him. It was at the University of Mary that I forged authentic friendships that pushed me to grow in my Faith. It was there I began to see the power of a community aware of its final end: Christ. While studying abroad in Rome I first began to discern a call to the Priesthood. I responded in fear and repressed the thought, relegating it to a mere shadow of overly pious thought. Once I left Rome, the thought passed and I finished my degree. While working in New York as a missionary, the desire for Priesthood slowly emerged. It was then that I was given the grace to respond in freedom and to follow Christ.

What is the greatest challenge facing a man considering the seminary?

The greatest challenge facing men considering the seminary is the soft totalitarianism present in our culture. In the book “The Power of Silence”, Cardinal Sarah speaks of the “dictatorship of noise” which conspires to silence, the silence which is necessary for men to hear the call of Christ to “Come, Follow Me”.

What is your favorite Psalm verse and why?

Psalm 2:1-2

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The Kings of the earth take their stand against the Lord and his Anointed One."

I love these verses because they speak to the ever present tendency of humanity to rebel against our Creator. Even when we scheme and plot, all is vanity in the eyes of God.

What are your favorite activities outside of the seminary?

 I love to visit used bookstore stores, drink coffee, play chess and talk with friends.

Where do you like to go pray?

I love to pray in nature while walking and in beautiful Churches.

Where do you do your best studying?

I do my best studying in a well-designed library.

Which saint should people ask to intercede for your vocation?

St. Luke, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Benedict