{"id":2530,"date":"2008-07-04T14:37:00","date_gmt":"2008-07-04T14:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2008\/07\/what-if-god-is-calling-me-to-be-a-priest.html"},"modified":"2008-07-04T14:37:00","modified_gmt":"2008-07-04T14:37:00","slug":"what-if-god-is-calling-me-to-be-a-priest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2008\/07\/what-if-god-is-calling-me-to-be-a-priest.html","title":{"rendered":"“What if God is calling me to be a priest?”"},"content":{"rendered":"

You can never know where vocations will come from, or how they’ll grow, as this story<\/a> from a paper in Phoenix reminds us: <\/p>\n

<\/a> Matt Lowry was starting out as an electrical engineer at Motorola and being nurtured for management. And he was actively dating. But the sparks that were flying were neither electrical nor romantic. Lowry was feeling the attraction to the Catholic priesthood. <\/p>\n

When he opted for seminary, it meant cutting off a relationship with a woman. \u201cI counted once \u2014 I had five relationships that lasted for six months or more and I was approaching marriage a couple times, and so I was seriously considering that,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was only those times of deep discernment with a woman that really helped me discern that I realized I wasn\u2019t to give myself away yet because I wasn\u2019t sure who ‘myself\u2019 was.\u201d <\/p>\n

He chose a seminary education. Now, he is embarking on a career where marriage is out of the question. On June 7, Lowry was one of three men ordained priests by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix in rites at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor a long time, and even now, I would love to be married, but I think I love being a priest, and I think God led me this way,\u201d said Lowry, 29, whose first parish assignment is Holy Cross parish in east Mesa. The other two new priests, the Rev. Arthur Nave Jr., 27, and the Rev. Jos\u00e9 Jes\u00fas L\u00f3pez, 34, have been assigned to parishes in Avondale and Cave Creek respectively. All three started work Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Lowry was 7 when his father was transferred in 1986 to Arizona by the IRS. He grew up in St. Theresa parish in Phoenix and later graduated from Camelback High School. \u201cI was really good in math and science, and my brother went into electrical engineering, and I said, ‘Well, that sounds good to me.\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

He enrolled at Arizona State University. During college, Lowry helped the youth group at St. Theresa. Later, he took over as youth leader. That experience, including retreats, helped guide him toward ministry. Lowry went to World Youth Days in Rome (2000), Toronto (2002) and Cologne, Germany (2005), where young Catholics are challenged to recommit themselves to deeper spirituality. <\/p>\n

He regrets he cannot attend the next Youth Day July 15-20 in Sydney, Australia. \u201cI would have loved to go to Australia, just to recognize the universality of the church, that there is something bigger going on than just looking at my particular church,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were people from countries all over the world who couldn\u2019t speak the same language, but yet, we were unified in the Eucharist … It was just a great spirit of joy and peace and being one.\u201d His Youth Day trips especially \u201cgot me really excited about the Catholic Church.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his senior year of the electrical engineering program, Lowry interned at Motorola. After he earned his engineering degree in 2000, he was offered two jobs. He was put into a rotation program \u201cto grow me as a manager and to try to give me a big vision of the company,\u201d he said. \u201cI kind of joked that my ‘final placement\u2019 was outside the company,\u201d when he opted for seminary.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, I never really considered being a priest until going on a retreat after high school,\u201d he said. When a priest made the appeal, Lowry experienced a what-about-me? feeling. \u201cI thought, ‘What if God is calling me to be a priest?\u2019?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“What if?,” indeed. Check the link<\/a> for the rest. It’s a great story. <\/p>\n

Photo: by Ralph Freso, East Valley Tribune<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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