Our Seminarians
Our Seminarians > Sean Matthew Suckiel
Sean Matthew Suckiel
Home Parish: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Ridgewood
Pastoral Year Parish:
Seminary: Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington
I could not think of any other place where I would want to be a priest other that the great Diocese of Brooklyn. I admire the priests that serve the Catholic Church in Brooklyn and Queens a great deal.
Ever since the second grade, I have felt that God had been calling me to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. I first felt the call to the Priesthood during Sunday Mass. As I watched the priest, I thought to myself "why not me?" Over time, I became open to the idea of Priesthood and said "yes" to God.
At that time, I had a limited knowledge of what a priest does, except that he celebrated Mass and the Sacraments. While growing up with this idea of Priesthood in the back of my mind, I learned as much as I could about the priesthood and what the priest does. I found myself saying yes the more I learned about the priesthood. Because I felt called at a young age, I decided to enter the high school seminary after elementary school, and thus began my formation for the priesthood.
I am what they call in this diocese “a lifer”; which means that I started my formation in the high school seminary, namely Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Elmhurst. I continued my formation during my college years at Cathedral Seminary Residence of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, and attended St. John's University where I majored in Philosophy and received my Bachelors degree. Currently I am doing graduate theological work at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington.
What makes the Diocese of Brooklyn so unique is that the entire world is in Brooklyn and Queens. You will find many different cultures and ethnic groups in our parishes. Most parishes have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass celebrated in more that one language. Rather than being a challenge, the priests in Brooklyn see this as an opportunity to minister to the people of God. Being a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn is certainly a challenge; for the entire world is represented in Brooklyn and Queens, and yet that is what Jesus calls us to do; “namely baptize all nations”.
One thing that helped me to discern my vocation was service. In serving others I found great joy and fulfillment; it is serving others that we come to meet Jesus Christ in a unique and different way. I would recommend discerners to get involved in the life of their parish; and to experience everything that this great diocese has to offer, because one day you might be serving this diocese as a priest of Jesus Christ.
Prayer, prayer, and more prayer; I would suggest a young man learn how to pray. Prayer must become part of your everyday life. I would also suggest getting to know a priest in your parish, who can help you with prayer and other questions you may have.
What I would say to a young man who feels called to the Priesthood is just go!!! Come to Seminary and try it. A young man will not lose anything, but will only benefit from this experience. It shows that he is open to the will of God. If after time he finds that he is not being called, then he is able to leave whenever he wishes. The best solution for a young man who feels called to the Priesthood is come to the seminary; thereby allowing God to take care of the rest.
I must say that life as a seminarian is very busy; and yet I find peace because I know that this is where the Lord wants me. A day in a life of seminarian is filled with studies, prayer, and apostolic work, with the high point of our day being the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.