Greetings from Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati!
My name is West Gardner, and I’m so blessed to have St. Henry Parish as my home parish, now that I am beginning studies as a seminarian for the archdiocese. While I’m not a Mercer County native, I do consider the Land of Cross-Tipped Churches to be my home, and I cannot wait to meet more of you as I make my visits back to the parish for scheduled breaks.
Just to share with you all a bit about myself, I was born and raised in the northeast suburbs of Cincinnati, where, at the age of 18, I had a powerful conversion to Christ through His Church. Shortly after my conversion in high school, I began my studies as a finance student at Penn State (I hope that doesn’t rub any OSU fans the wrong way… don’t worry, I still have some Buckeye blood left in me).
It was during the summer of 2020 when I was first introduced to the northern part of our diocese, and I quickly fell in love with the rural settings, welcoming families, and most of all the deeply seated Catholic faith within the homes and hearts of many of those residing in the area. I remember telling myself that summer, “When I graduate college, I’m going to move up there”, and sure enough, upon graduating in 2022, I did just that.
After two years living in Minster and working in Sidney, I was welcomed into the Loreto House of Prayer in the St. Bernard’s rectory. I moved there in March of this year and quickly found solace in the prayer life and fraternal community the house offered. At that point, the priesthood had already been on my mind, but living in the Loreto House, praying the psalms with the other men there, frequenting the St. Wendelin Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, and making daily communions at our parish’s morning masses brought me to a point of trust and surrender in Our Lord’s good will for my life.
As far as my hobbies go, I enjoy outdoor recreation and over the last two summers have led several Catholic Backpacking retreats for middle schoolers and high schoolers in the archdiocese. I also find a lot of joy in making rosaries and would be happy to teach you and your families how to make them whenever I make visits back home.
Please keep me in your prayers as I embark on this journey, and know of my prayers for you as well. If there’s one thing I will have over this next year, it will be lots of time to pray! While I may not know you yet, if you have a particular intention you’d like me to pray for daily, please scan the QR code that will take you to a form where you can easily submit any prayer requests to me. You can also type in the URL (https://forms.gle/bHnGR1cRZZk5gAMz9) or email me the intention at wgardner@seminary.athenaeum.edu.
Seek Christ In Everything,
West Gardner
