Father Brett Brannen and seminary students.

The Knights of Columbus Seminarians’ Dinner was held on July 12 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Americus. In addition to the benefit dinner, there was also a silent auction.
Father Brett Brannen, the priest in charge of recruiting seminarians, shared the importance of training good priests. “There’s nothing more perfect than the formation of a good priest. When a priest is called to be a priest and he really engages in formation in the seminary, and he becomes that man and that priest that God wants him to be, God can use that priest to do so much good for the church.”

Seminary students need two years of philosophy studies after college, and four years of master’s level theology.

Chase Farrell, from Waynesboro Georgia, was one of the seminary students. He first heard the call to go to seminary when he was 18 years old. Farrell is now 20, and has been in seminary for six months. “It’s been fun and it’s been difficult at the same time.”

Farrell detailed the challenges. “Being away from home and being away from the lifestyle that I grew up with, and looking into the future as potentially being a priest and being celibate is a difficult hurdle to get over.”

One aspect of seminary that surprised him was the need for self-discipline. “The formation aspect is more reliant on you as an individual having accountability for yourself, rather than somebody looking over your shoulder.”

Seminary students often make their commitment year by year, with some students never becoming priests. “I feel like the call was definitely to seminary, and I still don’t have that confidence of knowing that I’m going to be a priest, but I am happy to be continuing seminary, and I’m looking forward to more clarity down the road.”

Farrell has a message for those considering the same path. “If there’s any desire there to go to seminary and to pursue the priesthood, absolutely take that and give seminary a try.”
Mathew Nyikwagh has been studying at seminary for seven years. He started seminary training in Nigeria before receiving a missionary call to the Diocese of Savannah. Nyikwagh followed the calling. “You go where Jesus is sending you.”

He described studying for seminary. “I can say is that it is the most fulfilling time of my life, studying in the seminary, to wake up every day and go to the chapel and sit there and gaze at Jesus and imagine what he wants me to be.”

Nyikwagh described seminary for those who might consider attending. “Going to the seminary is simply giving God a chance to show you where he wants you to go.” He says that it isn’t a commitment to become a priest, but that “it’s the first step to trust God to show you where you want to go.”

He did face challenges in his journey to seminary, one of which was leaving his family when he first started attending in Nigeria. “I am the first child in the family of six.” It took him four years before he decided to go.

Nyikwagh found the decision to be one that yielded peace in his walk with God. “I am learning every day to . . . become like his heart, and to love people, and to share the love that Jesus loves me with everybody.”