The decision to become a priest is a difficult one that should not be taken lightly. In order to give you a general understanding of what the priesthood entails, we have provided you with three brief stories from area priests, Fr. Henry Huber, Fr. Dennis Miller, and Fr. Michael Podhajsky. Maybe their experiences will appeal to you or help you decide if this is the right lifestyle for you.

Fr. Henry Huber

My name is Father Henry Huber and I was ordained a priest on June 22nd, 2002.

I was raised on a farm outside of Delhi, Iowa. I think the first hints of my vocation came about through my experience at St. Joseph's Catholic school in Earlville. Through exposure to the long line of good priests at St. Joseph's parish, I came to see that the priesthood was a happy and desirable life.

After leaving home, I attended college at the University of Northern Iowa. Through college I was involved in the Catholic Student Center but was mostly focused on where I wanted to end up in life. Whatever God's plans might have been, my plans were different for the moment.

So, why did I finally decide to enter the seminary? I had a general feeling of discontent with life; things were great, but I simply wasn't satisfied. I knew there was something more that I was called to be and to do.

This feeling came to a head at the funeral of Father John Hargrafen. Throughout his funeral, I reflected on the brotherhood and the importance of the priesthood. I realized that Father Hargrafen had made a difference around the world through his work as a military chaplain. I realized that I could do the same as a priest.

Seminary was a long and challenging six years. I learned a lot about myself and more about God. I also met the best friends I would ever have in my life. There were times of great difficulty and challenge when I thought of quitting, but I was always sustained by the scripture passage of John 6:68: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life..." I knew that God had set me on a chosen path, and it was my duty to follow.

Since ordination I have been assigned as the associate pastor at Holy Ghost parish in Dubuque and as sacramental priest as St. Francis parish, Balltown and SS. Peter and Paul in Sherrill. Life has never been better or more fulfilling. If I had it to do over again, I would certainly follow this same path.

Fr. Dennis Miller

I was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, the youngest child in a family of five. I attended St. Mary and St. Henry Catholic Schools in Marshalltown through fifth grade. In sixth grade, I went from the safety of Catholic schools to the larger, louder environment of public schools at Miller Middle School and Marshalltown High School, graduating in the spring of 1993.

In my sophomore year in high school, my home parish, St. Mary, implemented a special project in an effort to draw forth vocations to priesthood and religious life. The people in the parish submitted names of people they thought would make good priests, deacons, brothers, and sisters. My pastor, Father Ralph Simington, then called and asked the person if they were interested. My name was given by several people in this endeavor, mostly by my family and friends. When Father Ralph called me, however, I was surprised to receive his call. He asked if I was interested in being a priest and I told him that I had thought about it. He told me he was praying for me and that, if I still felt this way when I was a senior, we would talk about my attending Loras College in Dubuque.

Three years later, I packed my clothes to go to Loras. While at Loras, I studied Philosophy and continued the path toward priesthood. I learned what it means to ponder the larger questions of God, existence, and happiness as well as the more meat and potatoes things like what it means to pray and how to live celibacy. I was challenged to begin thinking critically about life and my relationship to God and all of God’s creatures. It took me an extra semester, but in the fall of 1997, I graduated with a major in Philosophy and a minor in German.

In the fall of 1998 I entered the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota. At the seminary, I learned about God and God's relationship with me. The St. Paul Seminary's great strength was its sacramental classes. I learned about Baptism, Eucharist and all the sacraments. I spent a great deal of time learning about the Bible and about its role in the Church, its history, and how to preach.

The most difficult decision I faced in seminary was the decision to become a deacon. I knew that it would mean committing to a life of celibacy. I prayed about it and often turned to Scripture. The passage which would bring me a great deal of consolation was the call of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-10). Even Jeremiah had doubts and tried to come up with excuses not to do the will of the Lord. But, in the end, he had no fear because God was with him. May God continue to raise up good and holy priests who have no fear because God is with them.

Fr. Michael Podhajsky

My name is Fr. Michael Podhajsky. I was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque on May 31, 2003.

I grew up in a wonderful family in a very faith-filled home. We frequently invited priests as dinner guests at our home, so I grew up relating well to priests. We also prayed a lot as a family which instilled in me, from an early age, a good relationship with God and an active prayer life.

My vocation story begins in the third grade when I started serving mass for my home parish of St. Paul in Traer, IA. Like most third graders, I liked serving mass because it gave me something to do rather than being so bored at church. I was blessed to have a wonderful pastor, Fr. John Peters, at my parish. He loved the liturgy and loved having children around. I remember well serving mass one weekend a couple of years later when a visiting priest, after meeting my family, commented that it would be wonderful to have one or even two of my brothers become priests. How prophetic!

I served mass for parish funerals as much as I could. I really liked getting out of school for an hour or so and earning a few dollars here and there. But I also gradually fell in love with the masses themselves and realized how much I liked being there to help other people at the important times in their lives.

When I started high school, I began to worry about my future. We were pressured to decide what career we would choose so that we could take the right classes in high school to help us get into the right college. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I began to pray every night that God would show me the path He wanted me to take in my life. In my junior year of high school, my prayer was answered.

My older brother, Chris, and I went on a pilgrimage to Betania, Venezuela, an apparition site of our Blessed Mother. We had a powerful journey into the wilderness of this third-world country. The image that is forever burned into my mind is that of the priest accompanying our group standing in the courtyard of this little clearing in the forest surrounded by people begging for his blessing. I was awestruck by these poor people begging a “wealthy American”, not for money but only for a blessing. It was then I realized where true riches lie. I knew in my heart that God was calling me to be a generous distributor of His manifold grace to His people who are so hungry for Him. Apparently so did my brother who was ordained two years before me.

I spent four wonderful years at Loras College in the seminary program earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, learning about the faith, and continuing to discern my calling to the priesthood. After graduation it was on to The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC for another four years of study, prayer and growth in preparation for Ordination which took place, by the grace of God, in May of 2003.

People have asked me, “If you had it to do over again would you still be a priest?” Without hesitation I answer them with a resounding yes! The priesthood is one of the most wonderful gifts I could ever have been given. The opportunity every day to celebrate the Mass, to hear Confessions, to Baptize a child, to be with a family in the midst of profound joy or heart-wrenching sorrow is an experience beyond my wildest dreams. To have others see the special presence of God in you and to be with them as they grow in His never-ending grace and love is the greatest life I could ever imagine. I pray God that He will allow me this privilege for many years to come.