Vocation Story

From Disinterest to Diaconate: A Vocation Story

REV. MR. BEN PRIBBENOW '23, DIOCESE OF GREEN BAY

For most of my life, I had no interest in becoming a priest. If you are looking for a story of a seminarian who spent his childhood "playing Mass," you can look elsewhere. I preferred to spend my time jumping my bike off ramps, building forts in the woods by my house, and playing sports.

Despite my taste for extreme sports, as a child I looked like someone who might one day become a priest. My family and I were Sunday Mass goers, and I went to the parochial school. Beyond just attending Mass, I sang in the youth choir that my Dad co-led. Throughout middle and high school, I served as an altar server and read at Mass. There were a few nudges toward the priesthood by parishioners, but I was not convinced.

Things began to get interesting when I left home and went to the University of Wisconsin - Madison for college. I was inspired by the role faith played in my siblings' lives when they attended the same university. As a result, I got involved at St. Paul University Catholic Center as soon as I arrived in Madison. Quickly, I made Catholic friends, joined a bible study, started praying, and started attending daily Mass.

My desire for holiness did not transfer to a desire for the priesthood. I was more attracted to married life, a life for which I had many witnesses. I was also afraid of what life might look like as a priest. I was afraid that I would be lonely or that people would not like me. It did not seem like the life for me.

Then, in a non-descript retreat center in south central Wisconsin, everything changed. Following the retreat director's meditation on "Vocation," I wrote in my journal, "Just finished [the vocation] meditation … I think I'm being called to priesthood." I experienced God's peace and love in a way that I never had before. Just like that, I went from being totally opposed to becoming a priest, to desiring the priesthood. While I tried to forget about this experience upon returning to campus, the Lord was persistent.

Our chaplain helped me recognize my freedom before God. God was not going to force me into the seminary. He also made me realize that I could find joy and fulfillment in life as a priest. This gave me further peace which persisted throughout the remainder of that year in college. By the end of that year, I knew that I needed to go to the seminary, to at least give this vocation a chance.

As the years have continued, my desire to become a priest has only grown. Seven years after my experience on retreat, I am a Deacon of the Church destined for the priesthood. So, a lot has changed from my days as a child. Amidst the change, God's love has remained a steady constant. To him be glory and praise for ever and ever, amen. n

During his childhood, Rev. Mr. Ben Pribbenow ’23 (Green Bay) had greater interest in extreme sports than the priesthood.