St. Michael is blessed with a long history of vocations to priesthood and religious life, and that history has experienced a resurgence in the past two decades. Currently four young men from our parish are discerning diocesan priesthood—three in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and one in the Diocese of Bismarck. In the latest issue of DISCIPLE, we shared their stories in their own words. Here is the first.
RYAN SUSTACEK
Theology III, Saint Paul Seminary, Saint Paul, MN Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
I had a very blessed upbringing. Growing up in a family of five, my younger sisters and I knew the love of the Lord in many ways. In our family, Mom and Dad emphasized the importance of loving others and a regular life of prayer. We were all sent to St. Michael Catholic School, where the seeds our parents planted were watered and given further nutrients. In 6th grade, I was invited to attend Extreme Faith Camp. It was there that the seed finally sprouted. Through the ups and downs of growing up, being surrounded by such a strong youth group and the influence of good fathers (priests and other holy dads) was steadying for me. In high school, when I drifted, I had a loving community to return to and be received with gentleness and joy. How grateful I am for the fertile soil and loving people that God has surrounded me with in St. Michael.
Every call is different, because every person God made is different. I never thought about being a priest as a kid, nor did I ever see myself in that vocation. However, when the prospect was placed on my heart late in high school, I remember feeling surprised—a bit like God was pocket-dialing me. I sensed He was calling, but wasn’t sure God was calling the right guy. This feeling of surprise wasn’t a scary or overwhelming thing, but an excited and hopeful feeling. As I reflect on this after the fact, it is clear that this feeling of surprise emphasizes that the call didn’t originate within me. Someone else was gently tugging at me, inviting me, smiling at me throughout the discernment towards seminary. Even with these pulls at my heart, I couldn’t see myself as a priest. The excuses I gave God were numerous: I don’t speak Latin. I am loud. I like sports. Marriage seems really wonderful. I don’t fit the mold. Take your pick!
Rather than go down my checklist of worries, God simply was persistent. I told Him in prayer that, if He wanted me to go, I would listen; He just needed to make it so clear I couldn’t doubt that it was Him. Well, God heard and answered that prayer. At the end of my senior year, I was serving a Confirmation Mass at St. Michael. At the end of a beautiful Mass, Bishop Cozzens addressed the newly confirmed: “Many of you will have the call to holy marriages and to raise families in the faith. There are some of you men out there for whom God has a special call, to follow Him as His priest. If you have that call, run towards it with joy.” Although my discernment had been a secret, Father Nathan LaLiberte leaned over to me and said bluntly: “Ryan, he is talking to you.” After this answered prayer, I knew I needed to give it a shot. It has only exceeded my expectations!
If you have thought about priesthood, know that I have never met a guy who regretted entering seminary. For those who go on to be ordained a priest, they come alive to the call and love of God. Those who enter, spend a couple years in discernment, and feel drawn out of the seminary leave as better men of prayer. They lose nothing, but gain Him. They leave in peace and joy, and they make great husbands, looking back on their time at seminary with gratitude. The reason you go to seminary is not to be a priest. You go to seminary to discern what God made you to do, and that is what will give you the greatest peace and joy in your life.