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Year for Priests: Reflecting on vocation, ministry

Name: Father Matt Hewitt

Birthdate including year: April 1, 1972

Hometown: Sioux City

Education: Sacred Heart School; Bishop Heelan (’90); Creighton University ’94 – BSBA in Accounting and Finance; St. Meinrad School of Theology ’97-’99 – MA in Christian Thought; Gregorian University, Rome ’99-’02 – Theology; Angelicum University, Rome ’03-’04 – Spirituality.

Ordination date: Ordained a priest at the Cathedral on June 26, 2004.

Current assignment: Administrator of St. James Parish, Le Mars

Hobbies/interests: My hobbies and interests are being outdoors, fishing, and hunting – deer, turkey, and pheasant.

Describe your call to priesthood. Two years after college graduation while working in Portland, OR at a CPA firm, I felt called to be a priest. I was involved in the parish where I lived and was active as a 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus. I thought that being a priest at that point in my life was a silly notion because it was too late in my life to be switching course. After wrestling with this notion for a year and after I spoke with several priests, I was encouraged to formally discern the calling to be a priest by entering the seminary.

Did anyone or anything provide you with inspiration to follow the call to the priesthood? I was inspired to be a priest first and foremost by my parent’s example of committed love to one another. I was also inspired by Pope John Paul’s example of courage and compassion in a world of hostility and disillusionment. I met several priests along the journey, too many to name, that have inspired me to be the best priest that I can be.

Was it a difficult decision to make? It was a difficult decision for me to make. I had dreams and goals in life that I felt that I was leaving behind. It was difficult to turn my life over to God’s care and allow Him to direct me. (That is still hard.) Letting God be in sole charge of my happiness was/is challenging. But by doing so, I have come to realize that I am freed up to truly enjoy God’s journey for me. He does not disappoint.

What do you enjoy most about being a priest? What I most enjoy about being a priest is being able to preach God’s goodness and mercy, to inspire and encourage others to follow Christ, and to offer hope in times of despair and loneliness. I enjoy the diversity of how I am able to share in the mission of making Christ present in the world, especially through the sacraments. I enjoy witnessing how Christ meets us where we are at in life without condemning but inviting us to follow.

Are there any particular devotions or prayers that are dear to your heart? I was raised to cherish the daily Mass and to devoutly pray the rosary. I have also benefitted greatly by the frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Why do you find priesthood to be a worthy vocation? While there are moments that I wonder, ‘why and the heck am I doing this?’, I wholeheartedly find much meaning and fulfillment as a priest. The goodness and generosity of the faithful in this Diocese are amazing. Their faith and devotion to Christ and His Church strengthen my vocation and inspire me to be the best priest I can be.

What would you say to a young man considering a vocation to priesthood? To a young man considering a vocation to the priesthood (and by young I mean up to 40), I encourage him not to take lightly even subtle promptings by God to be a priest. If you are to be a priest, you will know by taking it seriously and giving God sometime to work in your heart. Even if he leaves the seminary, he will be a better man by knowing more about himself and more about God. I would strongly encourage him to attend daily Mass and to regularly pray these words “Lord, how I may serve You that will give You glory and honor, and give me true peace and joy that only comes from You?”