Dear friends of St. Henry Parish,
I am a young man who has lived in the Saint Bernard’s rectory, Loreto House, for the past two years. This fall, I will be entering a Benedictine monastery, Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey, in Oklahoma. As a result of taking this next step, I wanted to share more of my story and thank everyone at the parish for their support.
I started to feel a strong tug to think about the priesthood and religious life in college at Ohio State, but I was not yet ready to enter a seminary or religious community after graduating in 2023. I knew that putting myself in an environment to foster a vocation would allow me to continue being open to this potential call to the priesthood. Around that same time, I met David Slonkosky, who was planning to start the St. Bernard’s house of discernment. This opportunity turned out to be the perfect fit for what I was seeking.
The first year in Burkettsville I worked at Crown, and then this past year I studied and taught CCD at St. Henry. All throughout my time at the Loreto House, it was the consistent schedule or “life” of prayer that allowed me to decide to pursue Benedictine life. Through this daily schedule of singing the Liturgy of Hours, adoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at St. Wendelin, going to daily Mass at the parish, and experiencing fraternal recreation and encouragement, I realized how much I longed for a simple yet rigorous life of prayer. Living this schedule, which was only possible through the accountability of the other men in the house, helped me actually “discern” what God might be asking of me. I am confident I would not be as open to this vocation if it were not for living at St. Bernard’s Loreto House. It is my hope that other men might come to the Loreto House to be open to what the Lord might be calling them to.
I sincerely thank everyone for allowing me, formerly an outsider to the community, to become immersed into your home and parish life. Whether it was serving or singing at Mass, serving at Waffle Sunday at St. Bernard, or even seeing you around town, I felt very welcomed. I especially thank Fr. Hess, Fr. Grusenmeyer, and Fr. Jacquemin for being role models to me and for their support and encouragement of the Loreto House.
Please pray for me as I enter monastic life, and know of my prayers for you. I hope we all might hear the voice of God and come to know the person of Christ more deeply as I continue seeking Him myself.
Peace in Jesus and Mary,
Nathan Soria
