Vocare: Called To Greatness

It is Friday, November 8, 2024, 4:00 pm. Time to head downstairs to the front steps of St. John Paul II Seminary, my new home, and greet the high schoolers who would be joining the seminarians for the Archdiocese of Washington Quo Vadis “Come and See.” This retreat is a yearly opportunity for juniors and seniors in high school to stay at the seminary for two nights, and live the life of a seminarian. They get to pray, eat, and rest with us, participate in conferences about discernment and the priesthood, and have the opportunity to talk with priests and seminarians. And let’s not forget the massive games of soccer and ultimate frisbee! It is an action-packed weekend centered around the Lord and what He is doing in our lives. 

I was filled with excitement as I remembered my experience on this same retreat the past two years, when I was a high schooler, lugging my duffel bag and pillow up the front steps of the seminary, to discern where God might be calling me after graduation. I could remember the fear I felt pulling into the parking lot and how quickly it vanished when I met the seminarians, who were genuinely excited that I was there. I can also remember the intense joy I felt, and how that was only amplified over the weekend. Now I was on the other side, here with my brother seminarians, looking forward to giving back to the retreat that helped me hear God’s call to join seminary. 

One exciting moment from the retreat was the time spent together on Saturday night. While a few retreatants were either meeting with the Vocations Director, Fr. Mark Ivany, or spending time with Our Lord in Adoration, the rest of us were hanging out. Some were playing pool or foosball, and the rest of us were listening to some incredible live music. We had someone on the piano, someone on the guitar, one of the priests on the drums, and the rest of us singing along. It was truly a blast, and a great example of what happens in seminary formation: The Lord takes the different talents He gave each of us, and brings them together for His glory. 

But, as fun as that evening was, what stuck with me most from my first year being a seminarian on this retreat was seeing the place that these high schoolers were at in their discernment, and how I was in the same place just a year ago. I had many of the same excitements, fears, and questions they did, but what was amazing was how the Lord responded to those things over my time in formation. I knew where they were at, and I also knew that God was able to respond to those things, asking only a “Yes” from me. I can honestly say that all of my fears about seminary have been dispelled, and all of my excitement for seminary has grown to a level I could not have imagined. I come face to face with the love of Jesus every day, and His grace continues to sustain me, through both the good and bad days. Seminary is an indescribable joy, and being able to share that joy with others over the retreat weekend was something I am incredibly grateful for. If God might be calling you to the priesthood, I invite you to come to Quo Vadis! Do not be afraid. St. John Paul II said, ”The gift of a vocation to the priesthood is not something you seek for yourselves. It has nothing to do with status or privilege as the world understands these things. Your great privilege will be to lay down your lives with Christ the eternal priest if you are truly called to this vocation.”



Will Morauer is a Propaedeutic Seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington.