Current seminarian profiles are posted on our Vocations Director's website at:
 

www.dolpriest.ca/seminarians

Seminarians for the Diocese of London study at St. Peter's Seminary in London, Ontario. Below is some brief information about our seminarians, in their own words. 

Matthew Sawyer
Tony Joseph (T.J.) Vandermeer
 

Matthew Sawyer
Matthew Sawyer
Perth Huron Crossroads CAtholic Family of Parishes
Pastoral Year

Growing up in a devout Catholic family, the faith was shared with me at an early age. During elementary school, I quickly became known as the “priest” due to my love for religion class and how often I answered faith questions from my teacher and the visiting parish priest questions correctly. I had even celebrated “Mass” at home for my family as a young boy!  The call to actively discern the priesthood, however, was always supressed since I quickly grew tired of the jokes my peers were making, and the fact that I thought I was being called to married life. About two weeks before my High School graduation, I heard God loud and clear, and this time, couldn’t ignore him. After a fifth high school year to attain the necessary university level courses, I attended a “Come and See” discernment weekend at St. Peter’s Seminary and knew that this was the place I needed to be. I entered first year philosophy in the fall of 2011. After two years of attending St. Peter’s, I left after our 2013 final exams due to academic struggles and decided to leave formation, so I could figure out if the priesthood was really where God was calling me.

Although I wasn’t sure of where God was taking me at the time, I continued to pray and to participate in parish life through altar serving. My parents and parish priest encouraged me to at least finish my undergraduate degree, as I had already dedicated a lot of time and money into it. So, I decided to continue studying as a part-time student as well as taking some years off to work. It was during this time away from the seminary that I felt God calling me back. After a lot of self reflection, I came to realize that I wasn’t ready in 2011 to enter formation, but now I felt ready. After introducing myself to the vocation director, Fr. Patrick Beneteau, and I joined the discernment group in London. Through these monthly gatherings and individual meetings with the vocation director, I prepared myself to return in the fall of 2018.

I would like to extend my encouragement to those seeking their vocation in life. Make sure to consistently meet with a parish priest or spiritual director, who can accompany you through this confusing time. Also, when things get tough, cling to prayer and ask God for strength moving forward and persevere! Sometimes your path ahead, isn’t always the most direct.

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Tony Joseph (T.J.) Vandermeer 
Holy Trinity Parish, Woodstock 
Pastoral Year

When I was eight years old I had my First Communion. After the mass the priest at my parish, Fr Andrew Kowalczyk passed the microphone around and asked all of us kids what we wanted to be when we grow up. I said that I wanted to be a priest, so I guess I felt the call from God when I was fairly young. That call faded and appeared many times throughout my life growing up. When I was seventeen, I went to a Come and See weekend at St. Peter’s Seminary. When I was there I felt that this may be something God is calling me to, but I heard God say to me that it is not yet time. I felt really at peace with that, and I know that God had my best interests in mind. So I found a job in construction that I really liked, and I worked there for almost two years. Then I started making plans to continue in that field. Those were my plans though not God’s plans.

When I was eighteen, so about a year and a half from the first Come and See weekend. Fr. Patrick Beneteau came to a youth event at my home parish, there he did a short talk, and Holy Hour. It was at this Holy Hour that I really heard God’s voice. He was telling me that I should really start thinking about the priesthood again. I had not given it a fair chance in a while. So off I went to the next Come and See weekend at St. Peter’s Seminary. It was there that I heard God’s voice again, telling me I should apply to go to the seminary this fall. I immediately started listing off excuses, but God told me just to trust him. That is what I did. I applied and did my best, to get in. Then I left the rest up to Him.

So now I am here, at St. Peter’s Seminary. I am still discerning my vocation, however, I am trusting in God like he asked me to. I know that with prayer and discernment God will show me my vocation, I just need to be patient. Right now all I have to do is be the best version of myself. The rest will come with time.