Meet Our Seminarians

- Patrick Germann
  
  While teaching sophomore and junior-level Patrick Germann, though a native of Ceres, grew up attending Mass with his family at Sacred Heart in Turlock, he explains that while he has been Catholic his entire life, it was only after he graduated high school that he began to think more seriously about Catholicism. "I am grateful to my parents for continuing to bring me to Mass and encouraging me to ask questions about life, the faith, and what the truth is” Patrick reflects. “They always did the best they could to provide for me and my younger sisters and were the first great witnesses to Christianity in my life”. He credits this intellectual formation as well as the discipline he learned from the family farm providing him the opportunity and experience necessary to eventually earn his bachelor's degree in history and English from CSU Stanislaus.
  While teaching sophomore and junior level at Central Valley High in his hometown of Ceres, Patrick recalls asking God specifically, “I have a career, Lord, but what is my vocation?” "It was a period in my life that Jesus spent working on my heart,” he reflects. “Jesus was showing me that as an educator I was doing a lot of good, but that he was calling me to more–not to something totally unknown, but from good to best!”
  To those discerning a vocation to the priesthood, he says, "God, who is love, who has formed you and knew you before time began has made you for something. Jesus, risen from the dead, was calling you before you even started asking. You may not always feel certain in every moment what your answer to the call is, but 'seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and everything else will be given to you as a matter of course' (Matthew 6:33)".
- Joshua Lesan
  
  Joshua Lesan says that his love for Jesus and his growing relationship with Him is what made him want to become a seminarian. "I felt the invitation to pursue priesthood in the seminary. I want to respond out of love to this generous call," says Joshua. He is a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus where he studied psychology. Joshua is now in Theology II, which is his fourth year at St. Patrick’s Seminary. He says that prioritizing his relationship with God and being open to what God wants for his life are the keys to his discernment. "Your primary call is to know, love, and serve God. He will reveal his secondary vocation to you in due time," says Lesan. "He wants you to trust Him. Give Him the opportunity and an open heart to do so.”
- Joshua Kong
  
  Joshua Kong is a native of Manteca, CA, and is a parishioner of St. Anthony’s in Manteca. Joshua is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) where he graduated with a B.S. in Business Psychology. Joshua says that he wanted to become a seminarian simply because that’s where he feels the Lord is calling him and this is how he can increase his love for the Lord. “I was deciding about what to do with my life after college, and all of sudden, there was a restlessness in my heart that I could no longer push away; the Lord was calling me,” says Kong.
  Joshua advises those considering the priesthood as their vocation to be attentive to the Lord in prayer and ask Him what He wants you to do, not what you want to do. Once you can surrender your life to Him and be at peace, that’s when you know you are headed in the right direction. Stay close to Mother Mary and pray your Rosary everyday; Our Lady will lead you down the right path. Remember, the seminary is a place to further discern your vocation; just because one goes to the seminary, does not mean one will become a priest. “Do not conform yourself to this age...that you may discern the will of God” (Romans 12:2). Thank you for your prayers and support.
- Josue Montoya
  
  My name is Josue Montoya. I grew up in Turlock, CA for the majority of my life. I attended Pitman High school and just recently graduated from CSU, Stanislaus with a degree in Exercise Science in 2021. I recently finished a frutiful 2 years of seminary, and now I am moving on to my third year. I am continuing to be excited about God's plan being revealed to me, and ask for your prayers that I give Him my full "yes".
  Q: What made you want to become a seminarian?
  As I was going through college, I had plans for my future that included starting a family and receiving a career in the field of Adapted Physical Education. As I continued this path, my heart felt a deep restlessness when I considered the vocation of marriage I was heading towards, as if there may be other plans God has for me. The thought of priesthood could not leave my mind, so I took a leap of faith and begin to discern the priesthood, and eventually moved into the house of formation. Almost immediately the Lord began to guide me with an undeniable peace toward this vocation. I wanted to become a seminarian, because the thought of becoming a priest and giving my heart to Him who loves me, in this particular way, brought my heart a sincere peace and joy.
  Q: What advice do you have to those considering the priesthood?
  My advice for anyone considering the priesthood as their vocation would be to contact their vocational director and/or talk to a well trusted faith figure in your life like your parish priests. You are not alone in this journey, so you should not keep all your thoughts bottled up inside. Talk to these wise priests and above all speak to God about what is going on in your heart. If you are truly called, the Lord will let you know your vocation with gentleness and peace over time. Also, stay close to Our Blessed Mother, and let her YES to God become yours.
  Thank you all for the support and Prayers!
- Michael Kelley
  
  Michael, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Assumption in Turlock, credits his home parish's strong community with helping him encounter our Risen Lord more deeply. "During high school, things like ARMEE and LifeTeen introduced me not only to Jesus, but also to a group of lifelong friends who shared a common goal - to live a truly Christian life."
  After graduating as the salutatorian from Central Catholic High School class of 2017, Michael completed his B.A. in Rhetoric from U.C. Berkeley. He says, "I always planned being a water rights attorney and work in the Central Valley, but all throughout college I couldn't shake this interest in the priesthood." After his undergraduate studies, Michael joined the ECHO program at Notre Dame where he completed his M.A. in Theology while living in Ireland and working for the Diocese of Meath. He says, "while I was in ECHO, I began to feel the call more strongly than ever before. I knew that this time I had to do something about it, so I decided to apply to my diocese. Since I made that decision, God has continually confirmed that this is the path He wants me to walk."
  Michael's advice to discerners is: "Follow the Holy Spirit, He will guide you. You will know it's Him by the peace He brings. But, remember that peace is not synonymous with comfort. You can have peace even in the midst of fear and uncertainty. The closer you grow to God, the better you will be able to discern that peace and, ultimately, your vocation."
- Jacob Harker
  
  Jacob Harker is a native of Modesto, California. He grew up attending St. Joseph's Catholic Church, where he received all of his sacraments. Early on in his faith journey Jacob was faced with a dilemma: he wanted to be a dad, and a soldier, and a priest. Fortunately, his little mind figured out pretty quickly that he could still have all three jobs by being a priest (spiritual father, warrior for the faith, and priest of God). Ever since this time Jacob has been seriously discerning diocesan priesthood. Jacob is currently in the Propaedeutic stage (first year) at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon.
  
  For those who are discerning, Jacob offers this practical advice: "You won't have the whole picture of your life at the beginning. I don't have the whole picture of my life either. God reveals Himself to you as you take steps, either affirming or negating your direction. If you think that you are called to priesthood, start moving in that direction. The two best ways to do this are altar serving and contact with the vocations director."
  Jacob is grateful to the Diocese of Stockton and in particular to the Bishop of Stockton for sponsoring him on his discernment journey in the seminary. He gives thanks to God for his loving family and the strong support of his community.
- Joseph Wise
  
  My name is Joseph Wise, and my story first begins with my parents, Frances and Steven Wise. They were married in 1979, and welcomed into the world my eldest sister Mary in 1982, and my eldest brother Daniel in 1984. By which time my parents decided that they were done having children. But after a 1990 pilgrimage to Medjugorje, they felt God was calling them to have more children. Heeding this call, I was born on June 25th 1992, and I would later be joined by my brothers James in 1993, and Steven in 1995.
  
  The additional fruit of Medjugorje was that my mother decided to homeschool me and my siblings. We were raised in a homeschooling-household that prayed the rosary, attended Mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation, and frequented the sacrament of confession. We lived out the liturgical calendar, made devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Novena leading into Divine Mercy Sunday. My favorite subjects in school were art, history, and theology.
  
  Within my heart-of-hearts, I had always wanted to become a priest ever since I was little. I was one of those kids who would play “dress up Mass.” We had a little prie-dieu that I would turn around and use as a pulpit while I preached to my family during a game of “play Mass.” But I knew growing into my adolescence that I wanted a lot of “real life” experience before beginning a serious discernment into the Catholic priesthood.
  
  Thus, upon graduating from high school, I studied voice acting under Crispin Freeman and Tony Oliver, and enrolled online at Southern New Hampshire University and begin my studies for a dual degree in Military History and Creative Writing with an Emphasis on Fiction. While conducting my college studies online, I was hired by Shalom World TV as a voice actor and later as a Program Coordinator. I produced and coordinated many of their TV shows and appeared as an on-camera talent to interview dignitaries or for presentations. I then worked for St. Luke Productions as a stage manager, and traveled the U.S. and Canada helping in the production of their traveling one-man-plays on the lives of Catholic saints. Along with my studies and occupations, I tried my hand at many crafts including gymnastics, martial arts, acting, and creating Bob Ross style paintings. I even was training to become a Professional Wrestler (WWE style) under the late Virgil Flynn III while working as a referee for several Pro-Wrestling promotions in Sacramento County and the East Bay.
  
  I have always been multi-passionate, and anything I put my heart, mind and soul into I could excel and thrive at. But nowhere in all these exciting activities and occupations was there ever a lasting peace or a sense that I was fulfilling the ultimate will of God in my life. The call to priesthood would become stronger-and-stronger within my heart-of-hearts with the more-and-more “real world” experience I would gain. Having accomplished everything I had ever wanted to try out in life; I felt that it was now time to surrender my entire life to Jesus Christ and begin my discernment to priesthood in earnest. Thus, after graduating from SNHU, I discerned with the Diocese of Stockton while paying off my student loans. Now having paid off my loans in full, and been accepted by both the Diocese of Stockton and St Patrick's Seminary and University, my real journey begins at last. I hope to become a priest for Christ, in honor of the Virgin Mary, by the spiritual imitation of The Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph.
- Elijah Caine
- Jeremy Yee