3 minute read
A Winding Road to Seminary: Meet Our Seminarian, Larry Denis
For some people, it’s a sudden aha moment. For others, it’s a calling — one that might at first be met with some resistance and reluctance. And still, in some cases, it’s a slow and gradual work of discovering oneself and the plans God has in store. This is “vocation.” In each of our lives, God calls and invites us to grow closer to Him on our journey towards heaven. For some, this vocation takes the form of serving God and the Church as a seminarian, and Lord-willing, someday, a priest.
“I heard the calling to the priesthood shortly after high school,” says Larry Denis, a seminarian for the diocese who served at St. Michael the Archangel this summer. “But I never answered the calling, and it was never nurtured. I think that if someone had told me, ‘You should consider the priesthood, and here’s how to discern,’ I probably would have entered seminary a long time ago. But there are no regrets. The calling is like a boomerang — it will keep coming back.”
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So, after spending 15 years as a teacher in a career he loved, Larry finally began discerning a vocation to the priesthood in 2017 and started his studies in 2018. Now, after spending two years studying Philosophy, Larry will begin his first year of Theology. When all is said and done, he will have spent seven years in formation — six of them studying Philosophy and Theology, and a pastoral year gaining experience in a parish. He enjoys the sense of camaraderie found among the seminarians at St. Patrick’s Seminary, in Menlo Park, Calif., where he will resume his studies this fall.
“We go through a lot while at the seminary, and having the support of each other is a key part of what gets us through,” Larry says. “We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together — go out for ice cream or a coffee occasionally, and try to do fun things when we have a long weekend.
“The hardest part of being at the seminary is being away from the people of God,” he adds.
Although the decision to enter seminary meant a dramatic change from Larry’s previous lifestyle — leaving his condo in Waikoloa and his freedom to travel the world — he has not regretted the decision.
“I have been blessed beyond measure once I said ‘yes’ to God’s calling,” Larry says. “I worked hard to get where I was in my career, and the money was good — to turn all of that away was a very difficult decision, but I trusted in the Lord and followed Him, and He has been by my side every step of the way.
“I am learning to live a simple life,” he adds. “God provides for my necessities and I am blessed by the love and support of people I know.”
Larry encourages others to be open to hearing God’s calling for their lives, and to spend time praying and discerning where He might be asking them to serve.
“Pray, pray, pray,” Larry says. “Listen to the Holy Spirit. Spend time with Him in adoration. Spending quiet time, away from distractions, is when we can hear His voice. He will talk to you and guide you."
Although brief, Larry enjoyed the time he spent at St. Michael’s. He hopes that our parishioners will continue to pray for him and ask for the protection and intercession of our patron on his behalf.
“I chose St. Michael as my patron saint when I got confirmed, so I love being at this parish,” Larry says. “The evil one does not want holy seminarians because, Godwilling, they will become holy priests one day. But with the help of St. Michael, and everyone’s prayers, I am doing everything I can to keep him away.”
