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Seminarian profile: Aaron PohlenName: Aaron Pohlen When did you start thinking about being a priest? I started thinking about the priesthood in about third-grade after Father Jim
Tiggis gave a What were some church activities that you participated in prior to entering the seminary? I started serving in third-grade at St. Anthony's parish and this helped me to grow closer to the Lord and helped me to get to know the priests that were at the parish. In high school I joined the parish choir and would sing in the choir when I was not serving mass. What is your favorite Scripture passage? My favorite scripture passage is Jeremiah 29: 11 - 14 "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for your woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot." How did you come to know Jesus? The single greatest factor in my coming to know Jesus was my parent's teaching me in my early years. They taught me and showed me, how to treat others with respect and dignity, prior to entering school. Who inspired your vocation to the priesthood? There are many people in my life that have inspired me to consider the priesthood. Each of the priests that have been at St. Anthony's parish has given much inspiration. The joy and love each of the priests have for the mass and the Eucharist has kept me going and has inspired me to be more like them. They witness has helped call me to deeper holiness. Did anyone invite you to consider a priestly vocation? After I would serve mass in grade school there would always be someone who would say, "You did a great job serving," and then, "You should consider the priesthood." In school as well, especially in high school, kids would say "Aaron are you going to be a priest?"; I took that as an invitation as well. What spiritual events or activities helped you develop a relationship with Christ and the Catholic Church? There were two large spiritual events that happened in my life, the first was the death of my younger brother Michael right after my freshman year in high school. Michael was six years old when died suddenly in a farm accident. The accident made me realize that life is so short and also gave me a sense that we need to rely more on Christ the Comforter. The second large spiritual event was my four youth retreats out to Steubenville, Ohio where God touched me in a unique way, calling me closer to the Eucharist. How did you come to realize God's call to priesthood in your life? For me there was not just one event that made me realize that I was called to become a priest, it was a series of small changes in my life, plus a lot of prayer, that led me to believe that I was called to the priesthood. I started to think about it after the homily Father Tiggis gave, but it was every person's invitation and every action I made in high school that called me to a deeper holiness I felt could only be filled in the priesthood. Why is it important for you to follow the call? I feel it is important for me to follow my call because throughout my life I have learned trust in the Lord, which has helped me realized that if God calls me to the priesthood, it is the best possible option for my salvation and my happiness. If it is good enough for God, it is good enough for me. How did your family and friends react when you told them you were entering the seminary? I was truly blessed to have family and friends who were very supportive of me. Without the support of those closest to me the decision to enter seminary would have been much more difficult to make. Why is the priesthood important? The priesthood is important because the priest brings the sacraments to the people. The priest draws us deeper into holiness and helps us to hear the voice of the Father in our lives. A priest is a spiritual Father and has many spiritual children, which he protects, provides for, and establishes, in the church and in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The priest also plants seeds in his children that will, in the future, create more fruit. What advice would you give to a "man on the fence" about priesthood? "Jump-off the fence and join the seminary." In today's world it is so hard to hear God's call with all the noise of society. The seminary is not permanent. It is a place to grow in holiness and a place to step away from the world and listen to the call of the Father. I have known many great "men on the fence" who have entered the seminary to find out that God truly was calling them to the priesthood and they have made wonderful priests. It goes just the opposite way as well with men who have entered the seminary and heard God telling them they were not called to the priesthood. These men left the seminary to become wonderful husbands and dads. What would people be surprised to know about you? I am a normal young man, who likes to go out and have a good time with friends, whether it is watching a movie, going out to eat or playing a game of football. And yes, I love the "religion thing" as people called it in high school, but that is not all that I talk about. I'm just like any other college student except for the small fact that I am trying to listen to God's voice and to grow in holiness. |
homily during vocations awareness week on how the priesthood is
important and the role of a priest in a Catholic's life. All throughout my
education the Lord did not let me forget that he was calling me. I remember many
times after I finished serving mass the parishioners would compliment me on my
serving and then they told me that I would make a great priest. Little did I
know I would be in the seminary 10 years later.