Here’s a great little video in which Diocese of Lansing seminarian, Randy Koenigsknecht, describes to his fellow students at Saint John Vianney College Seminary, Minnesota, how he discerned God was calling him to enter seminary during a retreat he attended in his junior year of high school.
“On this retreat, the priest was processing with monstrance and, as he processed by me, I was inspired to pray: ‘Lord where ever you call me to go, I will go’,” recalled Randy who hails from Most Holy Trinity Parish in Fowler.
“I had prayed that before many times in the past but never really meant it. This time there was meaning behind those words. I was full of conviction that I was called to go to seminary. So, I followed up with ‘Lord, if you are calling me to seminary, I will go’. After I said that prayer I was filled with lasting peace and great joy that I hadn’t had before. So, at that point, I thought: I’ve got to do this!”
Thus, Randy began to follow in the footsteps of two his older brothers, Gary and Todd, both of whom were ordained to the Holy Priesthood for the Diocese of Lansing in 2014. Randy has now been at seminary in Minnesota for two and a half years.
“I can honestly say there nowhere I would rather be,” said Randy, “and I can look back over my life I can see the Lord guiding me and the great patience he had in getting me here. All I can say is: Praise be Jesus Christ!”
Please keep Randy and all the seminarians for the Diocese of Lansing in your prayers. St. Charles Borromeo, patron of seminarians, pray for them!
• Do you also feel God is calling to the Holy Priesthood? Contact Father John Whitlock, Director of Seminarians for the Diocese of Lansing on 517-342-2507 or at jwhitlock@dioceseoflansing.org