ME E T YO UR S E MI N AR I AN S
In the Silence, Dcn.
David Pelican Could
Not Ignore Christ’s Call
Dcn. David Pelican
Archdiocese of Detroit
Theology IV
T
his past April I was ordained a deacon along
with four other men. I lay prostrate on the floor
of the seminary Chapel while the whole Church
prayed for me. I promised to live a life of celibate
chastity, to always obey my bishop, to faithfully
pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day until I die,
and to conform my way of life to the example of
Christ. The bishop then laid his hands on my head,
said the prayer of consecration over me, and I was
a deacon. That day and many days since I have
asked myself, “How did I ever get to this point?”
I grew up in a wonderful and loving Catholic family along with
my seven sisters, where my parents homeschooled all eight of us.
Though I always wished for a brother, we were certainly never
lonely growing up, and are still very close. As a kid I loved the
outdoors: camping, hiking, fishing, etc. I also enjoyed playing
sports and spent a good part of my childhood playing roller
hockey with friends in our neighbor’s basement. Throughout
high school I spent the summers working on a hay farm and in
residential construction, also raising pigs on the side.
The thought of the priesthood first entered my mind when
I was just 10 years old, and it never really left me. As I grew,
so did my understanding of what it means to be a priest and
the sacrifices involved. When I realized that priests cannot be
married or have a family, I decided that this was not for me. But
God was persistent, and that thought, “Be a priest,” remained
with me despite my best efforts to ignore it. I decided to be a
doctor and began applying to colleges my senior year.
At this time, however, I also went on a three-day silent retreat
with my dad. In the silence I could no longer ignore the thought
of the priesthood. One day as I sat before Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament, it became very clear to me that he was offering me
two options. I could get married and become a doctor; or I could
become a priest. The choice was mine and God would bless me
in whichever path I chose, but Jesus was asking me to choose the
priesthood for him. In that moment I finally accepted God’s call
to the priesthood and stopped trying to work around it. Instead
of going to college, in the fall of 2012 I entered the seminary.
Seven years later I am by God’s grace a deacon and look forward
to being ordained a priest in May 2020. Following Jesus on the
path towards the priesthood has been a challenging and rewarding
adventure in which he has brought me ever closer to himself,
especially in the Eucharist. He continues to teach me what it
means to be a Christian man and a spiritual father. I thank God
for calling me, though unworthy, to serve him as a priest.
shms.edu
13