Benjamin Pohl

College III
St. John Vianney College Seminary
Home Parish: St. Mary, Westphalia

Interests: sports, outdoors, reading, writing

I grew up in St. Mary Parish in Westphalia, a small, German town with a history written by Catholicism. My family and members of the parish always encouraged religious vocations, but it was not until I began to see people who were living their faith with great joy that I began to consider the priesthood.

I was deeply affected during junior high by the local group founded by Craig Pohl (now a seminarian) and Fr. Bill Ashbaugh (former pastor of my parish). My older brother and sister began attending and I saw the transformation that was occurring in their lives, the purpose that they lived with and the joy that they had and I desired the same thing. Conversion does not happen overnight and so it took me a few years to begin regularly attending the youth group and to begin to follow Christ.

Over the course of my high school years the question began to arise; "What does God want me to be?" I greatly desired to be a father and a husband and so I began to date a beautiful Catholic girl from the youth group. But even as we dated, the question kept coming up. I desired to do God's will and to serve him in the best way that I could. I took the matter to prayer and I began to see more clearly the call to the priesthood, its spiritual fatherhood and life in Christ and decided to join the seminary.

As I look back on the way God slowly called me, I cannot help but praise him for all his gifts. I pray that I am able to persevere through all obstacles and one day become what God wants me to be.