Seminarian accepted - by way of Minnesota

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
Bishop John Keehner recently accepted a new seminarian - by way of Minnesota. William Kahle of Algona spent a discernment year at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary (IHM) as a seminarian for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. The Divine Mercy parishioner will begin his second year at IHM as a seminarian this fall, but as a seminarian for the Diocese of Sioux City.
 
The path to seminary
Kahle is a 2020 graduate of Pacelli Catholic High School in Austin, Minnesota. He thought about the priesthood as far back as middle school. Once he entered high school, thoughts of a priestly vocation took a back seat – even when his parish priest indicated he saw a vocation in him.
 
“He asked if I had thought about the seminary. I said, absolutely not,” the seminarian said with a laugh.
 
After high school graduation, he went straight into the workforce as a landscaper then was hired by Fareway Stores as a meat cutter. In that time, his parents Eric and Krista had relocated to Algona along with his younger sister.
 
“The thought of the faith was out the window. I was on my own and living by myself. I went to two Sunday Masses, then I stopped going altogether,” he said. “But there was a hole in my heart. What am I missing?”
 
He said he tried to fill that void in his life with working long hours, dating and “doing what I want.” Then his parents asked if he would move to Algona and rejoin the family. Despite his initial hesitation to move to Iowa, he said yes.
 
“When I got to Algona, I just started to fall in love with it,” he said, noting the small, quiet Kossuth County town gave him a chance to think about his future.
 
Still looking to fill that hole in his heart and contemplating how he would be the happiest, he reflected and determined that he was happy when attending Mass regularly.
 

William Kahle

“I decided to go to Mass one Sunday by myself. I saw the joy I’ve been missing. I was going to a couple of Sunday Masses and thought I do desire this. I went to the sacrament of confession again and received holy Communion that Saturday. It was a huge blessing. I needed to take this faith life seriously again,” Kahle explained.
 
He returned to discerning a priestly vocation, not knowing that his parents had the same thought and were praying for their son to consider the seminary. He was wrestling with the possibility but admitted he wasn’t sure what to do.
 
“My dad hit me with one of the best lines ever, ‘Son, I’ve never seen you as happy as you were than when you were discerning the priesthood.’ They saw the joy of seriously discerning … They were seeing that and encouraging it and praying for me,” the seminarian said, adding this was the turning point for him in his vocation journey.
 
Minnesota seminarian
He said he initially reached out to Father Shane Deman, who was the diocesan vocations director at the time. As he was new to Iowa, Father Deman suggested he reach out to Father Jason Kern, vocations director for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.
 
He completed his application and was accepted for study for the Minnesota diocese. Visiting the IHM seminary, Kahle said he “fell in love with the place,” and was anxious to begin studies and become part of the brotherhood of seminarians.
 
“The thought of the priesthood just hit me hard,” he said of his campus visit. “I could see how the Lord was moving my life, drawing me closer and closer to be a priest.”

At IHM Seminary

During that first year, called the propaedeutic year, Kahle said he began to discern a vocation for the Diocese of Sioux City, which was becoming home to him. He envisioned a ministry in Iowa parishes like Algona and felt the call to serve in northwest Iowa rather than southern Minnesota. Confused by the call to serve the Diocese of Sioux City, he found some clarity during Christmas break. He spent half of the time in Austin and the other half with his family in Iowa.
 
“When I was in Algona, I felt called to serve this diocese. I want to serve you all and I desire to serve the diocese in such a way like a complete self-gift. I desire to be a priest of this diocese. After that experience, it pretty much sealed it for me,” the seminarian said.
 
Following a spring break silent retreat, the seminarian said he felt the time was right to contact Father Deman, now diocesan director of seminarians and Father Travis Crotty, director of vocations.
 
“It happened that Father Shane was visiting the seminary right after the silent retreat. I was able to have a conversation with him and get everything sorted out. I was able to talk with the vocations director for Winona-Rochester. He gave me his blessing and recommendation and that was it. It was very streamlined,” Kahle explained.
 
He began to spend “diocese nights” with the four Diocese of Sioux City seminarians at IHM – Zach Steffens, Brian Schmit, Jack Jensen and Anthony Sibbel.
 

With fellow seminarian Jack Jensen of Sioux City

“The brotherhood is so important,” he stressed. “The amount of guys we have right now is such a blessing. We can have deep fraternity, get to do a lot of things together and get to know each other really well. I think seven guys at the seminary next academic year will be amazing. “ 
(Newly accepted seminarians Avery Fetrow of Storm Lake and Joe Masching of Carroll will join the other five diocesan seminarians when the academic year begins.)
 
Seminarian experiences
The spring and summer months have provided unique experiences for the seminarian including a Christ in the City poverty immersion, assisting with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Vacation Bible School and serving at Bishop Keehner’s episcopal ordination at the Cathedral of the Epiphany.
 
“That was the first Mass I served with the other seminarians of the diocese. I loved it. I’ve always been into liturgy,” he pointed out, adding that the history, rituals and symbols are fascinating to him.
 
Participating in the ordination Mass, seeing the other bishops in attendance, the priests and the reading of the papal bull by the apostolic nuncio’s representative left an impression upon the seminarian.
 Bishop Keehner and Father Jake Rosenmeyer with seven current diocesan seminarians. “It’s like the universal church coming together all here for this moment. That’s such a cool thing for me to witness, to be there and in it. It was just amazing,” Kahle said. 

Advice to discerners
As he prepares for his second year of study in Winona and first year as a diocesan seminarian, Kahle encouraged other young men to spend time growing their faith to help them in their discernment. Frequent prayer, weekend and daily Mass attendance and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation regularly will help to both foster their connection to Christ and assist in determining if a priestly vocation is God’s will.
 
“You need a close relationship with God. Really foster a prayer life. Spend time in the chapel praying, just praying … Sit there with Jesus. Let him do what he wants to do, let him stir your heart into what he desires,” the seminarian suggested.