WEB UPDATE:
The road to the priesthood in
Sleepy Eye
DEACON
ZACH PETERSON, who has been working at St. Mary’s since last June, will
complete his final year of seminary next year and take his priesthood promises
in June of 2011.
By Ben Bradbury,
Staff Writer
Sleepy Eye
Herald-Dispatch
Thu Jan 07, 2010,
11:48 AM CST
Sleepy Eye, Minn.
-
In preparation for his future
life of ministry, Peterson has spent the last seven months living in Sleepy Eye
and working at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
“I’m very much looking forward to
being done with college,” he said. “Every day is different, but I love it.”
Peterson grew up in Marshall as
the oldest of four children. He attended the local Catholic school from
kindergarten through eighth grade and later graduated from Marshall Senior High
School. It was during this time that Peterson first began feeling a call toward
the priesthood.
Though he began considering a
future in ministry, Peterson never really thought this would happen. “I was a
very shy guy, I never thought I could get in front of people and preach,”
he explained.
Thus, upon graduating high
school, Peterson attended college at Southwest Minnesota State University. Not
quite sure what he wanted do, it took Peterson 5.5 years to graduate, but he
eventually received a degree in elementary education.
Even at this point in his life,
Peterson still wondered if priesthood was in his future. However, he decided to
teach for awhile to see if it was for him. Peterson taught at Echo Charter
School for 1.5 years and during this time, even got back together with an old
girlfriend.
The relationship didn’t work out
and Peterson felt this situation helped confirm his future life as a priest.
“It was really a blessing in disguise,” he said. “I loved teaching, but I
wasn’t teaching what was most important to me.”
Now feeling the certain call to
the priesthood, Peterson began the long Catholic seminary process. He explained
that men desiring to be a priest have several options for their education.
In the case of someone like
Peterson who already had a college degree in another field, the process is a
bit different. He must first study philosophy for two years and then go on to
four years of theology.
For his training in philosophy,
Peterson attended Cardinal Muench Seminary in Fargo, N.D. “Two years of Fargo
winters – now that’s cold!” he said.
After two years in Fargo,
Peterson went down to Indiana to study theology at St. Meinrad Seminary. He has
completed three years of this training so far, and his time at St. Mary’s has
been between his third and final year of theological education.
Peterson first arrived in Sleepy
Eye last June. Because he is planning to serve as a priest with the Diocese of
New Ulm, Peterson’s year as a deacon needed to take place somewhere in this
area. “Monsignor has really taken me under his wing,” he said.
During his time at St. Mary’s,
Peterson has been busy substitute teaching and interacting with students during
lunch and free times. “It is very good for a parish to see a seminarian go
through the process of becoming a priest,” he said.
Additionally, Peterson has stayed
busy teaching public school Confirmation classes on Wednesday evenings and
redesigning the church Web site. “People have really reached out and it will be
difficult to leave the community,” he said.
Peterson will move back to
Indiana at the end of July and resume his final year of education. “It’ll be
tough to go back to the classroom after a year of ministry,” he said.
Upon completion of his training,
Peterson will take his priesthood promises before Bishop John LeVoir of the
Diocese of New Ulm. He believes the Holy Spirit will then change him and make
him a priest.
“Being a priest is not something
you do, but who you are,” he said.
Looking to the future, Peterson
explained that he is excited to impact the lives of church members. “I want to
be with people at good times and bad,” he said. “I am graced by God to enter
into lives and be welcomed in.”