Our Seminarians
Our Seminarians > Stephen Michael Giulietti
Stephen Michael Giulietti
Home Parish: Our Lady of the Snows, Floral Park
Pastoral Year Parish:
Seminary: Pontifical North American College, Rome
If you feel that you might have a vocation to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ; don't ignore it, or push it aside. If you give it a shot, the worst that can happen is that you discern that God wasn't calling you to the priesthood; but just look, God might be actually calling you to this great vocation, and what a vocation it is.
More and more I look forward to, God willing, being a priest in Brooklyn! There are a lot of people in Brooklyn, and they need priests. They need priests to administer the sacraments to them. Where else can you get an awesome bagel 24/7, be near the beach, be 1/2 hr from every point in the diocese (without traffic), and experience a sense of
humor that only other Brooklynites can understand? The Church in Brooklyn and Queens is the place to be. I was born in Queens, and I grew up there. I couldn't imagine being a priest anyplace else.
People at times ask: why be a priest? Two things; first, being able to serve God’s people makes me happy. Second, I've seen priests -- really great, really holy priests -- who serve the Church and are completely happy doing it. Although I could imagine myself doing something else with my life, I don't think I could be as happy as if I were to be a priest. Life is hard, whether you're inside or outside the seminary (believe me, I've seen some of it with my own eyes); but, if the Lord's calling you to something -- the priesthood or religious life, married life, single life -- then you listen to it. You won't be disappointed.
I have changed a lot since I first entered the seminary; more and more, I look forward to coming back home and being a priest - God willing - for the people in Brooklyn and Queens. Currently, I am doing my graduate level theological studies at Pontifical North American College in Rome.
I entered priestly formation on the college level in the fall of 2003 at Cathedral Seminary Residence of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston. In the fall of 2005, I was asked to go to and complete my college studied at the Theological College in Washington D.C, where I earned a Licentiate in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America.
So what is the seminary like? It's different, but it's good. You're around guys who, like you, are asking and praying about the same things that you are, namely is God calling me to be a Priest of Jesus Christ? In addition, you've got priests from all different backgrounds to talk to. It's not perfect (what is in this world), but it's a good environment to see whether or not God really is calling you to serve Him and His Church as a priest. If you really want to know what life is like as a seminarian, go check it out.
Talk to priests, and talk to seminarians. They all had to make the decision to enter the seminary, some sacrificing a lot to do so. My suggestion would be to go ahead and give it a shot. One misconception about the seminary is that you need to be 100% certain that you'll be a priest before you enter. Instead, the seminary is a place where you learn more and more what it means to be a priest.
Finally, if you feel that you might be called to be a priest, here in the Diocese of Brooklyn; then pray. It's a hard thing to think about priesthood when there are so many distractions in life. Holy hours, retreats, and days of prayer really offered me the opportunity to think seriously about the priesthood. Find time for quiet prayer. If you think you're being called to the priesthood, you need quiet time with Christ, where you can talk to Him and listen to Him.