Planted, Rooted, Flourishing
Derik Peterman, 24 Archdiocese of Detroit
First-year Theology
MEET YOUR SEMINARIANS
Planted, Rooted, Flourishing
It certainly seems like it has been a long time since I first heard the call to the priesthood. In a moment of God pouring his grace upon me at age ten, I heard him say,“ Tell other people about me.” To me, it was clear that this was a call to the priesthood.
At that age, however, I did not understand what it meant to have a vocation to the priesthood. My faith was not particularly strong. I had no clue what a priest did outside of Sundays. In public school, I told my friends about this desire to be a priest, and they, too, did not understand.
Without any fertile soil to take root in, my calling withered. I set it aside and did not explore it again until high school.
In high school, I began to think more about my future. All of my classmates were preparing for college and careers, and yet this idea of the priesthood kept coming up in my mind. At times on retreat with my parish youth group, I felt the calling strongly. But I did not have the tools or courage to answer the call. So, I went along with the flow of the other kids and entered college. I went to Michigan State University, where I studied physics and competed on the track team.
The Catholic parish at MSU had an incredible priest who really helped me to grow in my vocation. Fr. Joseph Krupp started a priesthood discernment group where other men like me could talk about our journeys and learn from him. Most of the time we just listened to him tell stories about his ministry. So this is what a priest does the other days of the week!
I noticed myself falling in love with the idea of being a priest. At this time, God put an amazing young woman in my life. We dated— and again I began to run from my true vocation. But the seed God had planted in my heart had taken root and grown. I could not ignore it any longer.
Through much prayer and the guidance of a spiritual director, I came to have a greater confidence in my vocation and took the steps necessary to enter seminary. I entered Sacred Heart in the fall of 2013 after graduating from college, and I could not be happier. Sacred Heart has helped me to deepen my prayer life and grow in confidence of where God is calling me.
Life as a seminarian is busy, but God has been teaching me to be his instrument in the midst of it all. This is my greatest desire— to be an instrument of God’ s persistent love.
18 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Spring 2016