This week Fr. Dennis has asked me to reflect on my journey to the seminary and to touch on
what life at the seminary is like.
I first considered the priesthood was in sixth grade, but I quickly decided that it was not what I
wanted to do with my life. After that, the idea of the priesthood kept popping up in my mind, but
I would quickly dismiss it every time. It was not until my junior year of high school that I started
to take the idea of going to the seminary seriously. At that time, I was wondering where I would
end up going to college and what would kind of career I could pursue that would ultimately
make me happy and bring me fulfillment. As I reflected on that idea, God slowly led me back to
the idea of the priesthood. I recognized that I loved my faith and I wanted to share that love and
the hope that my faith gave me. I remembered how on a retreat I saw a look that I could only
describe as pure joy on the face of a priest during the consecration at Mass and how I wanted to
be like him and have that same joy. I also realized that I had a great love for the sacrament of
confession. I reflected on how strongly I had experienced God’s grace and mercy through the
sacrament and how I not only wanted other people to experience that mercy and grace but I also
wanted to be able show them that mercy myself. Once I recognized those callings, I decided it
was time for me to talk to Fr. John Linden, our diocese’s vocations director. He gave me a book
called To Save A Thousand Souls and had me join a diocesan-wide discernment group. Shortly
after that I decided that I would apply to the seminary and almost immediately I found great
peace and joy in that decision. I was accepted to the seminary in June of this year and I arrived at
the seminary in late August.
My time in the seminary has been brief, but it has already been truly one of the greatest
experiences of my life. My day starts at 6:30 in the morning when I pray Morning Prayer from
the Breviary and a Holy Hour together with the whole seminary. While waking up to pray a Holy
Hour at 6:30 may not seem like the most productive way to start the day, it has been a great
blessing. By starting the day like this I have been able to give my day over to God and pray
without any of the worries that accumulate throughout the day. Once holy hour is over I follow
the standard college schedule and head to classes with the rest of the students. When I am done
with classes I am free to do whatever I want until 5. During that time, there is almost a game of
cards or ultimate frisbee going on that I could join. At 5 the whole seminary prays Evening
Prayer together from the Breviary and one of the priest celebrates Mass. After Mass, there is
study hour but aside from that I am are free for the most part. However, it is not just all of the
time set aside for prayer that makes seminary a great experience there is also the aspect of
fraternity. At the seminary, I am surrounded by other men who are asking God the exact same
question I am and are there to support me as I discern Gods call. We are brothers in that we are
always there to support and affirm each other. The relationship I share with my brothers is
incredibly close because we are willing to be open with each other about what is going on in our
lives and what God is doing in us.
I have gotten to know guys from dioceses all over the country: St. Paul-Minneapolis, Anchorage,
Des Moines, and Mobile, among others. I have been able to hear their vocation stories and how
some of them wanted to be priest since they were young and how others who were in college
when they decided to enter the seminary. I am extremely grateful for the brotherhood that we all
share and the influence it has had on me. Thank you for the all support you have given me and
please continue to pray for me and all seminarians.
God Bless, Randy Koenigsknecht
what life at the seminary is like.
I first considered the priesthood was in sixth grade, but I quickly decided that it was not what I
wanted to do with my life. After that, the idea of the priesthood kept popping up in my mind, but
I would quickly dismiss it every time. It was not until my junior year of high school that I started
to take the idea of going to the seminary seriously. At that time, I was wondering where I would
end up going to college and what would kind of career I could pursue that would ultimately
make me happy and bring me fulfillment. As I reflected on that idea, God slowly led me back to
the idea of the priesthood. I recognized that I loved my faith and I wanted to share that love and
the hope that my faith gave me. I remembered how on a retreat I saw a look that I could only
describe as pure joy on the face of a priest during the consecration at Mass and how I wanted to
be like him and have that same joy. I also realized that I had a great love for the sacrament of
confession. I reflected on how strongly I had experienced God’s grace and mercy through the
sacrament and how I not only wanted other people to experience that mercy and grace but I also
wanted to be able show them that mercy myself. Once I recognized those callings, I decided it
was time for me to talk to Fr. John Linden, our diocese’s vocations director. He gave me a book
called To Save A Thousand Souls and had me join a diocesan-wide discernment group. Shortly
after that I decided that I would apply to the seminary and almost immediately I found great
peace and joy in that decision. I was accepted to the seminary in June of this year and I arrived at
the seminary in late August.
My time in the seminary has been brief, but it has already been truly one of the greatest
experiences of my life. My day starts at 6:30 in the morning when I pray Morning Prayer from
the Breviary and a Holy Hour together with the whole seminary. While waking up to pray a Holy
Hour at 6:30 may not seem like the most productive way to start the day, it has been a great
blessing. By starting the day like this I have been able to give my day over to God and pray
without any of the worries that accumulate throughout the day. Once holy hour is over I follow
the standard college schedule and head to classes with the rest of the students. When I am done
with classes I am free to do whatever I want until 5. During that time, there is almost a game of
cards or ultimate frisbee going on that I could join. At 5 the whole seminary prays Evening
Prayer together from the Breviary and one of the priest celebrates Mass. After Mass, there is
study hour but aside from that I am are free for the most part. However, it is not just all of the
time set aside for prayer that makes seminary a great experience there is also the aspect of
fraternity. At the seminary, I am surrounded by other men who are asking God the exact same
question I am and are there to support me as I discern Gods call. We are brothers in that we are
always there to support and affirm each other. The relationship I share with my brothers is
incredibly close because we are willing to be open with each other about what is going on in our
lives and what God is doing in us.
I have gotten to know guys from dioceses all over the country: St. Paul-Minneapolis, Anchorage,
Des Moines, and Mobile, among others. I have been able to hear their vocation stories and how
some of them wanted to be priest since they were young and how others who were in college
when they decided to enter the seminary. I am extremely grateful for the brotherhood that we all
share and the influence it has had on me. Thank you for the all support you have given me and
please continue to pray for me and all seminarians.
God Bless, Randy Koenigsknecht
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