The Diocese of Columbus is gearing up for another large class of seminarians for the 2024-25 academic year.
This year, the diocese welcomed 10 men to begin formation for the priesthood. They are Chatham Anderson, Michael Born, Kevin Fult, Jonathon Gardner, Collin Gosche, Sam Mahle, Jacob Pagulayan, Alex Price, Hagan Stovall and Hans Zehnder.
The newest class of seminarians began the propaedeutic, or preparatory, stage of seminary this month.
The propaedeutic stage, which can last approximately one to three years, is a time of discernment, as men transition from the outside world into seminary. The time of preparation is focused on human and spiritual formation as opposed to heavy academics.
The number of seminarians in the new class is a promising sign. It is another strong number for the diocese after 16 men who entered seminary last year, one of the largest classes in recent diocesan history. Of those in the propaedeutic stage last year, 14 are continuing formation.
As a first last year, several seminarians in the propaedeutic stage studied at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology in Cincinnati. The Diocese of Columbus will continue to send men in the propaedeutic stage this year to the Cincinnati-based seminary in addition to several men from last year who will continue studying there.
In this year’s propaedeutic stage, Anderson, Gosche and Stovall will study at Mount St. Mary’s, and the remainder of the 10 new men will study at the Pontifical College Josephinum.
The new class represents a variety of parishes in the diocese. Within the metro area of the city, Gosche and Zehnder belong to Columbus St. Patrick Church, and Fult is a member of Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral. Anderson is from Columbus St. Christopher Church.
Outside of the city, Pagulayan belongs to Powell St. Joan of Arc Church and Stovall is from Gahanna St. Matthew Church. Mahle is a member of Sunbury St. John Neumann Church, Gardner is from Granville St. Edward the Confessor Church and Born is a parishioner at Newark St. Francis de Sales Church.
From the northeast side of the diocese, in Tuscarawas County, Price belongs to Dennison Immaculate Conception Church.
Members of the new class offered various reasons for entering seminary and to begin priestly formation. Each had a personal call.
Similarly, however, many attested to the call being nothing new. It had been on their mind or heart for a while.
Zehnder, who is originally from California, recalled being drawn to the priesthood at a young age.
“When I was probably about 6 or 7, we got a priest at our parish; the priest was very joyful, a very holy man,” he said. “He kind of drew me to the priesthood.”
Zehnder’s family relocated to Ohio in 2017.
In high school, he attended Quo Vadis at the Josephinum. The retreat gives high school students a chance to explore a vocation to the priesthood. Participants experience the seminary, learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, attend Mass and Adoration and hear talks on vocations, and also engage in physical activities.
“Since then, I’ve been more seriously discerning,” Zehnder said.
Price will begin seminary after recently graduating from Youngstown State University. He said he thought about the priesthood “on and off” since junior high school.
“I felt that call more strongly within the last year, more heavily,” he said. “I thought about it, prayed about it, discerned it and then graduated.”
Price’s cousin, Nick Love, is also a seminarian for the Diocese of Columbus. Love will begin the second stage of seminary formation, known as discipleship, studying pre-theology at the Josephinum this year.
With no priests in their family, Price and Love are the first to take steps toward a vocation to the priesthood.
“My grandparents were elated, to say the least,” Price said.
He named several priests who were role models for him in the discernment process.
“We’ve had a lot of good priests at our parish, so it’s been a blessing,” he said. “They all bring different things to the table. I’ve got to see that over the years and take something, a little bit from each of them.”
Stovall, who graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas earlier this year, had also been considering seminary for a while.
He first applied and was accepted after high school. He said he decided to attend college at Benedictine, where he studied philosophy and theology.
“I thought, well, maybe mission work or teaching, like, a lot of good Catholic things, but I kind of had this sense that there was a little bit more that the Lord wanted,” he said. “I prayed about it a little bit more. I got back in contact with Father (William) Hahn and decided to come to seminary.”
Father Hahn, vicar general for the diocese, serves as the director of priestly life and vocations.
Stovall attended several faith formation events this past year that helped in his discernment. He participated in the Empower young adult conference at Damascus Catholic Mission Campus in Knox County and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students’ annual SEEK conference.
For the SEEK conference, Stovall traveled with diocesan seminarians. The experience was helpful in his discernment.
“Especially when I was with the seminarians, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is totally the next step.’ There was that sense of home feeling and peace, like, that’s where I am supposed to be,” he said.
Gardner is entering seminary after graduating from Granville High School. He credited altar serving as a reason for a possible vocation to the priesthood.
Now, he will begin formation to serve at the altar as a priest.
“I’ve always loved altar serving, and I wanted to continue that,” he said.
Gardner said he has always wanted to serve in the military, too. In addition to being a diocesan priest, he hopes to serve as a U.S. Air Force chaplain one day.
“My love for serving, like, bringing that to other people, was the main reason why I entered seminary,” he said.