David Gryniewicz

Theology III
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Home Parish: Christ the King, Ann Arbor

I began thinking about priesthood in early high school. At first the thought of priesthood scared me, and I didn't take it very seriously. However, the thought of priesthood stayed with me throughout high school and by the time I entered college as a pre-med student, it was becoming more insistent

I really wanted to do God's will and to live for him and his Church, but Priesthood was still pretty scary to me. I had always wanted to get married and it was hard to imagine myself being celibate. Despite this continuing fear and resistance, however, the sense of calling continued to increase. When I thought about the plans I had for my life--getting married and becoming a doctor--I felt a deep unrest and had a strong sense that God might be calling me to something else. The thought of priesthood was always there, especially when I prayed. I continued to prepare for medical school but I was increasingly convinced that I couldn't just ignore this sense of calling and go on pursuing what I thought I wanted in life without finding out if God was really inviting me to be a priest.

After graduation, instead of applying to medical school, I spent two years working with a Christian youth group in the Ann Arbor area and more formally discerning my sense of calling to priesthood. During this time I was blessed to be able to live with the Servants of the Word, a community of consecrated lay men, who helped dispell some of my fears by demonstrating how fruitful and joyful celibate life can be. I talked regularly about my discernment with one of the brothers I lived with and began attending the Chi Rho Fellowship at St. Thomas the Apostle church in Ann Arbor, where I found support from other men discerning priesthood. In the end, I realized that the sense of calling had stayed with me for years, despite my attempts to avoid and resist it, and might really be from God. If it was, I knew I wanted to follow it and become a priest. The only way to find out was to act on it by entering seminary and pursuing priesthood.

As I continue down this path in seminary, I have encountered God in new ways and found both an increased desire to dedicate my life to God and his service and an increased appreciation for and understanding of the priesthood. At the same time, though, I have also seen how far I am from the mature, generous love and commitment necessary for priesthood. I trust and pray, however, that if God has chosen me for this service, he will give me the grace and love to embrace it and be a good and holy priest.