National Vocations Awareness Week was instituted by the Catholic Church in the United States to pray for, support and promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated religious life.
This year, National Vocations Awareness Week is observed from Nov. 2 to Nov. 8.
The Diocese of Columbus is blessed this year with 43 men in various stages of formation for the priesthood. Three diocesan seminarians have briefly shared their vocations stories. Anthony Whalen and Ben Van Buren are in the configuration stage and Luke Eschmeyer is in the discipleship stage.
Luke Eschmeyer
“Be my priest.” As I was riding the bus home from school, I turned to God in prayer. “Be my priest.” That was what God said, and His answer filled my whole being with His peace.
That prayer to God originated after the two priests from Gahanna St. Matthew the Apostle Church — Father Ted Sill and Father Peter Asantebwana — visited my Confirmation class and shared their vocation stories, encouraging us to discern our own vocation. I listened to them and, four years later, I entered seminary. I’m now in my fourth year of seminary in the Discipleship Stage.
When God called me, I was excited. But soon after that initial excitement, I became apprehensive, thinking of the sacrifices. I wanted to discern seriously and correctly. Thankfully, my public middle school provided the perfect opportunity: Shadowing Day. I asked if I could see what a day in the life of a parish priest is like; Father Sill said yes. With my mom, that day began with the 6:30 a.m. Mass, followed by breakfast and anointings, and ended with lunch, a meeting, and a Holy Hour. That day helped me to discern my vocation better, and it informed Father Sill that I was starting to discern a vocation.
Throughout high school, promoted by Father Sill, I became involved with different discernment groups, such as Melchizedek Projects and Quo Vadis. Additionally, when I was an upperclassman, I had a great group of friends, some of whom are now seminarians, who taught me how to pray better. Through these groups and prayers, I decided to enter seminary for the Diocese of Columbus immediately after I graduated from high school.
Ben Van Buren
I did not grow up Catholic, but I have always gone to Catholic school for a good education. I first went to Columbus Holy Spirit and then in fifth grade I transferred to Columbus St. Catharine. At this time, I began going to youth group. I went mostly to hang out with my friends and would tune out when we started talking about faith. I decided to go to CYSC (Catholic Youth Summer Camp) that summer for the same reason. Despite always having gone to Catholic school, it was at camp that I encountered Eucharistic Adoration for the first time. I was confused and exhausted, so I decided that I would never go to camp again. I continued going to youth group and the Holy Spirit began softening my heart. I returned to CYSC after seventh grade and had a profound encounter with Christ in the Eucharist and knew that I needed to become Catholic. I went through that process in eighth grade.
I went to high school at St. Charles. In high school, I was offered to become an MC at St. Catharine. I began serving the Mass and also began serving our weekly Adoration. These two combined for God’s call to begin growing on my heart. Eventually, at a retreat, it was asked if anyone was considering the priesthood and without realizing it my hand was up and I recognized the work that the Lord had been doing on my heart. I entered seminary after high school and am now in my fifth year of eight. Following God’s call has given me great joy and peace in my heart.
Anthony Whalen
I felt called to the priesthood from a very early age while attending St. Leo’s School here in Columbus. After high school, though, I felt that God had a different plan for my life and I enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving in Okinawa, Maryland, Texas and a deployment for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Following my time in the Air Force, I graduated from mortuary college and served in funeral service in Texas before accepting a position at Arlington National Cemetery as Cemetery Representative and Operations Specialist.
In 2020, I was promoted as the Cemetery Director of the United States Naval Academy while also serving as the Director of Naval Cemeteries. It was serving at the Naval Academy that I was honored to serve as the Master of Ceremonies to the Archbishop of the Military Services, who recommended me to the Archbishop of Baltimore for seminary.
Already having a graduate degree in Theology, I studied at St. Mary’s Seminary before transferring to the Diocese of Columbus and now in my last year at the Pontifical College Josephinum. God willing, I will be ordained to the transitional diaconate on March 14, 2026 to serve the faithful of the Diocese of Columbus.
My journey has had many twists and turns over the years, but it has all been in God’s good timing and given me a wealth of experience to minister to the faithful.
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