Welcome to our Seminarian page. We are so proud of these young men who are responding generously and courageously to God’s call. We have doubled our numbers since last year. On this page you can read their vocation story and be inspired by their journey and hopefully you also can respond generously to God’s call. If you would like to make contact with any of our seminarians, please use the contact page and we will submit that information to them.

Choose a Seminarian . . . Mark Glover Jonathan Reardon Sean O'Mannion Tomasz Gorny Piotr Pawlus Matthew Alcombright Matthew Guidi Paul Menchaca Michael Wood Salvatore Circosta yerick Robert Miskell David Aufiero Ryan Rooney Raymond Cordani David Bearse Peter Spellman Janusz Chichon Michael Pierz Kevin Vermette

 

Mark Glover
Home Parish: St. Marys, Hampden, MA
Seminary: Pontifical North American College, Rome (4th year theology)
My story: I am sure that everyone can identify with the experience of having an appointed bedtime as a youngster. I am also confident that most people can even remember the normal objections that every child offers: “Mom, its too early! I won’t be able to sleep!” I think, though, that there are only a few who can vividly remember those things that would occupy their imagination as they would daydream while waiting for..more
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Jonathan Reardon
Home Parish: St. Francis of Assisi, North Adams
Seminary: Pontifical North American College, Rome (4th year theology)
My story: If you were to ask me today, “Jon, have you always wanted to be a priest?” I would answer, “Not always.” When I was a teenager a priest friend of mine asked me if I had ever thought about it. Well, sure, I had thought about it but not seriously. At that time, I was not so concerned about what the future, more precisely, what God had in store for me. I was more concerned with making friends, fitting in with the more
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Sean O'Mannion
Home Parish: St. Mary's Northampton
Seminary: Blessed John XXIII Seminary, Weston, MA (4th year theology)
My story: "It was not you who chose Me; it was I who chose you..." (John 15:16). The seeds of my vocation were sown when I was a little kid attending Baptist church. Jesus was the center of my life. My boyhood dream was to grow up to be a preacher. Well, that didn't last. Like Jonah, I fled this indwelling and doggedly pursued my own agenda over the years. To make a (very) long story short, after receiving an A.A. degree from more
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Tomasz Gorny
Home Parish: Descent of the Holy Spirit, Kozy Poland
Seminary: SS Cyril & Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, MI. (2nd year theology)
My story: I was born into a Catholic family and grew up in the faith. My family is deeply religious. My uncle was a priest and he was very influential in my life. I was an altar server in my youth and as a child I often talked about becoming a priest. As I grew older I started attending many religious activities such as retreats, pilgrimages, etc. My high school years brought new thoughts and one was of getting married and more
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Piotr Pawlus
Home Parish: St. Martin, Radziechowy, Poland
Seminary: SS Cyril & Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake Mi(2nd year Pre-theology)
My story: God has always played a very important role in my life. My parents and grandparents taught me how to pray when I was a young child. After I made my First Communion, I became an altar server and and in later years also served as a Lector in my home parish. until I went to the seminary in Krakow, Poland. After studying at the seminary in Poland, I was accepted as a seminary at SS Cyril & Methoiodus Seminary in more
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Matthew Alcombright
Home Parish: St. Anthony of Padua, North Adams
Seminary: St. John's Seminary, Brighton (2nd year Pre- theology)
My story: My name is Matt Alcombright. I was born and raised in North Adams, MA. From the time of my youth the church had always been a very present entity in my life. When I was little my sister and I would go with my mother to our parish rectory when she would help with the bulletins. There we would viist with our pastor and one of the nuns who lived there as well. As I grew older I started taking piano lessons, which quickl led more
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Matthew Guidi
Home Parish: St. Cecilia, Wilbraham
Seminary: St. John's Brighton, (2nd year Pre-theology)
My story: I I was born and raised into a wonderful Catholic family. When I was young boy I always had a very deep love for God. I can remember praying to God every evening before going to sleep. I can also remember going as a family to Sunday Mass together. I also have attended Catholic school my whole life. This was the beginning of my journey of faith. I did not formally consider a vocation to the ministerialy priesthood. more
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Paul Menchaca
Home Parish: Our Lady of Czestochowa, Turners Falls
Seminary: St. John's Brighton (2nd year Pre- theology)
My story: Before entering St. John's Seminary the idea of the priesthood was an idea that I thought about on and off for severa years. I attended Ave Maria University for four years and received my bachelor's degree in political science. While at Ave Maria I had the opportunity to meet so many Catholics my own age who were excited about the faith. It was a great experience which led me to a greater appreciation for the faith of more
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Michael Wood, Jr.
Home Parish: St. Mark, Pittsfield
Seminary: St. John's Brighton (1st year Theology)
My story: My name is Michael Wood. I am an only child of lifelong Catholics, and my parish is St. Mark in Pittsfield, MA. I am in my fourth year of college as well as my fourth year as a seminarian studying for the diocese at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Providence, RI. When I was two, I remember going to my cousin's confirmation. As the procession of students and priests made their way to the front of the more
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Salvatore Circosta
Home Parish: Holy Name, Springfield
Seminary: Our Lady of Providence (4th year college seminary)
My story: I am a 21 year old college seminarian from Spfld, MA. Being brought up in an Italian-American home has had its many benefits and some disadvantages. My home consists of my father, mother, grandmother and three sisters. I am, as you can see the only boy. This was great when I was younger and spoiled, but the grace hit a wall when I had a message for my parents: I feel called to the priesthood.more
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Yerick Mendez
Home Parish: St. Mary's, Westfield
Seminary: Our Lady of Providence, Providence, RI (4th year college seminary)
My story: My name is Yerick Mendez, a college seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield. I was born in Hartford, CT. and raised in Westfield MA from the age of three. I'm 24 years old and I am currently enrolled in my second year of formation at Our Lady of Providence College Seminary in Providence, RI. In my parents I had a great example of what it meant to be a faithful Catholic Christian. Seeing my mother and father.. more
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Joshua Velez
Home Parish: Our Lady of the Lake, Southwick, MA
Seminary: Our Lady of Providence, Providence, RI (3rd year college seminary)
My story: My story is not that different from those who have gone before me. I first felt my call when I was very young, and in elementary school. I would go home after church, and run up to my bedroom, I would set my room up like a little church. I would then take my fathers white bath robe and one of the colored towels (depending on the season) and would then process into my room and do a full Mass. As years went on. more
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Robert Miskell
Home Parish: Newman Catholic Center, Amherst, MA
Seminary: St. John's Seminary, Brighton, MA (1st year Pre-Theology)
My story: My road has been a little different from that of most Catholic seminarians. I am a convert, having been brought up in a UCC congregation, although two of my grandparents were Catholic. Admittedly a bookworm from the beginning, I was always hungry for knowledge and read encyclopedias and the Bible for fun. Becoming rather conservative and developing a passion for history, I joined the two together in my studies. more
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David Aufiero
Home Parish: St. Anthony of Padua, Revere, MA
Seminary: St. John's Seminary, Brighton, MA (1st year Pre-Theology)
My story: I never thought about being a priest until the time I received confirmation, as a junior in High School. I met Fr. Mike Guarino, the Pastor of my parish, St. Anthony’s of Padua in Revere, which is in the Archdiocese of Boston. He asked me; “have you ever thought about becoming a priest.” I was a little surprised and flattered by the question, but said no. I figured if he asked me he would ask anybody. I got accepted to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst the following year, and the question “have you ever thought about becoming a priest” didn’t leave. more
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Ryan Rooney
Home Parish: St. Patrick, Northfield, MA
Seminary: St. John's Seminary, Brighton, MA (1st year Pre-Theology)
My story: It’s awesome the moment when someone realizes that they are part of their very own story that God wrote before they were in their mother’s womb. It’s those little things that add up over time that make one realize “this is what I’m meant to be.” I grew up wanting to be many things, for the Father had blessed me with many creative gifts. I loved to sing, to play the trumpet, to act, to write, to cook, and to study. more
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Raymond Tucker Cordani
Home Parish: Sts. Peter and Paul, Winter Park, Fla.
Seminary: Blessed John XXIII National Seminary, Weston, Mass (1st year Theology)
My story:In his book Praying the Psalms, Trappist monk Thomas Merton writes about building trust in God by meditating on the Psalter, in order to "obtain the peace that comes from submission to God’s will and perfect confidence in him." By praying the Liturgy of the Hours, studying Scripture, and receiving the Eucharist, I have developed a closer, more trusting relationship with the Lord and rediscovered my vocation. more
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David Bearse
Home Parish: Most Blessed Sacrament, Wakefield, MA
Seminary: St. John's Seminary, Brighton, MA (1st year Pre-Theology)
My story: My journey down the road of becoming a seminarian begins with my long held attachment to the Holy Mass. I can fondly remember Christmas Masses of long ago, although they might not have been my highest priority in days when I would ponder just exactly how many presents I would find under the tree that morning, it was nonetheless a very important part of that major holiday.more
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Peter Spellman
Home Parish: Our Lady of Czestochowa, Turners Falls, MA
My story: I felt called to the priesthood in my junior year of high school. I was praying in a chapel and I asked God what He wanted from me in this life. He quickly responded that He wanted me to be a priest. At that I felt a weight thrown right on my heart. It was an experience of joy (and sadness) that I had never felt before. It wasn't easy for me to respond to the call knowing how much I would have to give up. The only way I can do it is that I put all of my trust in God knowing He will provide what I need. top

Janusz Chichon
Home Parish: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Dabrowka, Wislocka, Poland
Seminary: SS Cyril & Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, MI (2nd year Pre-Theology)
My Story: After I had finished high school, I went to the Seminary in Tarnow,in the southern part of Poland. I had never thought about it before. Despite never thinking about the Priesthood, it came to me suddenly, like a thunder from heaven in April 2002. There was a certain period of preparing for that. Namely, I started to read many theological books. The desire for such knowledge absorbed me.more
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