Todd Koenigsknecht

College II
St. John Vianney College Seminary
Home Parish: Most Holy Trinity, Fowler

The people that had the largest impact on my discerning a call to the
priesthood were my parents and family, several different priests and the
men in the seminary.

My parents provided a very stable and happy home life and through their
marriage witnessed an example of commitment and love to each other and the
church that showed me what it meant to answer a vocation. It was my mother
who sat down with me one night and suggested to me that I consider the
priesthood. At that point, I seriously began thinking about whether or not I
was called to Holy Orders.

I have also had the examples of several priests who were and still are role
models of the priesthood for me. One in particular was Fr. Ray Rademacher,
who died of a terminal blood disease while I was in eighth grade. He
celebrated the Mass and did his other priestly duties with great joy and
love, although he was in obvious pain. The witness of this man to the
priesthood is an encouragement to me and I am grateful to have been able to
serve at his funeral mass.

The other seminarians from Lansing have also had an influence on my decision
to come to seminary. They showed me that a seminarian is a normal young
man, seeking a deeper life in Christ. While I am at St. John Vianney
discerning God's call for my life, I am encouraged to be with other men who
are also seeking God's will.