Nicholas George

College II
St. John Vianney Seminary
Home Parish: St. Andrew, Saline

Interests: reading, track, cross country, ice cream

Once upon a time, I was an average high school guy with maybe one difference; as a sophomore at Saline High School, God called me back to Him and renewed my Catholic faith. For a while that year I even thought about being a priest. I met with my pastor a few times a month and talked to him about a possible vocation and other spiritual matters. It didn't take too long
for me to figure out that it wasn't for me. I wanted a family. I had
always wanted a family.

Years passed and I continued to be open to the Lord working in my life
(knowing all along that, of course, I was going to have a family). Things
in life got along as they would for a normal high school kid. I passed my
classes. I ran with my cross country team after school. I found a nice
girl from down the street. After some deliberation and prayer, I decided to
ask this girl out. By some unknown grace of God, this All-American beauty
consented to a date with me, and three months later, we were still happily
together.

Going into my Senior Spring Retreat through my youth group, I had no idea
what the Lord had in store. Quietly, subtly, the Lord whispered into my
ear, "If I'm calling you to be a priest, there's nothing else that will ever
make you happy." "What?" said I. I hadn't even been considering this for
who knows how long and now it comes up again?

By the grace of God, I was able to visit Saint John Vianney Seminary within
a month of that retreat. I knew after three days there that it was where I
wanted to be, and, more importantly, where God wanted me to be. I saw the
brotherhood and the love that flowed out of this place and had never felt
more at peace. I returned home convinced that the Lord wanted me at Saint
John Vianney, and here I am today. I have received tremendous support from
my loved ones, friends and church (even my All-American beauty
girlfriend-at-the-time). Though it wasn't always easy every step of the
way, the Lord granted huge graces for me to move myself closer to this
seminary and closer to Him. I love my life as a seminarian and have found a
greater joy here than I could have ever asked for. Whether I end up as
father of a family or a Father of a parish, I know that the Lord is using
this time in my life to shape me into the man that I want to be and more
than that, the man He wants me to be.