William Vit to be ordained to priesthood

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
June 30, 2005

William Vit, Jr., will be ordained to the priesthood in a 10:30 a.m. ceremony on July 2 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

The son of Bill and Becky Vit, he is a native of Fort Dodge. A product of Catholic schools, Vit attended Holy Rosary Grade School, Sacred Heart Junior High and St. Edmond High School, graduating in 1996.

While his first thoughts of a vocation in the priesthood came as a high school student, Vit opted to pursue business studies at the University of Northern Iowa.

As a college student, he worked at John Deere in Waterloo. It was a program designed to give students practical work experience with the hope that upon graduation, they may consider making it their career choice.

"About half-through my time at UNI, in mid-1998, I decided that priesthood was something that I really wanted to look into in a very serious way," noted Vit. "But I didn't want to just leave UNI, I wanted to finish my degree."

He did get in contact with the diocese at that time, but completed his studies at UNI, graduating with a degree in management information systems in December of 1999.

Having a taste of the business work experience, he noted, was what allowed him to determine that he wanted something more - the priesthood.

"It was after I had the work experience that I realized there was more than this cubicle, more than this office work. That was something that helped me realize the priesthood was something I would be very interested in doing," said Vit.

Once he had set his date to leave his job, he pointed out that he had the opportunity to train his own replacement.

"My favorite part of my entire time at John Deere was teaching this person how to take my job and a priest is a teacher," noted Vit, who added that it affirmed his decision to enter the seminary.

About two weeks after completing his degree at UNI, he became officially affiliated with the Diocese of Sioux City and began studies at Conception Seminary in January of 2000 for pre-theology. Although Vit had a college degree, it was in business so that meant some additional studies in philosophy before he could enter the major seminary program.

Vit recalled that back in mid-1998 when he first called the diocese, he was somewhat anxious at the thought of "signing my name on the line" and making a lifelong commitment.

"It was only later that I learned that your time in the seminary is a time of discernment. You don't commit to it at the beginning, you commit to it at the end," he said. "The seminary is a time to find moments when God affirms you in your vocation to the priesthood."

Within his first few weeks at Conception Seminary, school officials told the seminarians to look around because only 20 to 25 percent of them would become ordained.

It took about 18 months to complete the intense philosophical studies at Conception. Knowing that there was a good possibility he would be sent to the North American College in Rome for major seminary studies, Vit noted that he took part in an intense Latin studies program in the summer of 2000 followed by an intense Italian studies program in the summer of 2001.

Vit was off to Rome in the fall of 2001. He described the experience as "pretty big."

"It opened the world," he said. "When you go to Rome, you see Catholicism and the world in a way that you can't see it in Sioux City. In Sioux City, you get to know the local church very well but sometimes it is hard to understand the worldwide church."

That perspective, he added, will be an asset working in the diocese because it will better enable him to keep the people's focus on the bigger picture - the world. The location itself - steeped in rich church history - was another advantage of the location.

"Our faith that we have today has come to us after 2,000 years of tradition - it is because of martyrs, it is because of popes, it's because of theologians and other people. When you see these places where the martyrs were killed and see the catacombs where they were buried, you understand the faith more by seeing these sacred places," said Vit. "There are buildings in Rome today that existed when St. Peter was in Rome 2,000 years ago."

His experiences in Rome have allowed him to love and appreciate the church even more.

Along with his past work experience and the setting in Rome, other factors played a part in his vocation. He credited his family, his Catholic school education and the example of other priests. Vit's siblings include Sarah, 30; Dallas, 23 and Julie, 21.

"My parents have grown along with me," he said. "The whole family has grown in their faith because of this. It's nothing I've done, it's been the work of God."

The entire Fort Dodge community has grown as well, added Vit, who stressed the impact that one seminarian can have on the faith life of others. Even second-grade students at St. Edmond's have given the seminarian prayerful support and letters of encouragement. He, in turn, has sent them letters and has visited the classroom every fall.

It was his "love of God's people" and his desire to serve both God and his people that provided the ultimate attraction to the priesthood.

Ordained to the transitional diaconate on Oct. 7 of 2004, he pointed out that this servant ministry has enabled him to gain some practical work experience.

He was assigned to serve as a deacon for a Navy base in Italy, helping to teach RCIA and performing other tasks and at the North American College, he was able to proclaim the Gospel and deliver the homilies on a regular basis.

"Also, when it is your day, you are in charge of the waiters at lunch and in charge of offering the prayer of the day before the meal," said Vit, who explained that the college carried the leadership-building skills to other areas outside the Eucharistic liturgy.

Vit acquired other pastoral experience working for two summers in 2003 and 2004 at Sacred Heart Church in Spencer. He took Communion to the homebound, visited the nursing homes and hospitals and helped with liturgies among other non-sacramental tasks.

Following his ordination to the priesthood, he will work in the diocese for the summer before heading back to Rome for a final year of studies. Next year he will receive an official assignment in the diocese.

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