Mark Walter, 36
Home parish: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Carmel

Father Walter was raised in Defiance, Ohio, the son of Michael Walter and Letty DeLeon-Silva. He has one sister, Molly Walter. He attended St. Mary Grade School, Defiance Junior High and High School, and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md.

What were the highlights of your year in the diaconate?

The highlights of my diaconate year would be my ordination Mass as well as the Mass where I preached my first homily. I spent my summer as a deacon at All Saints Parish, Logansport, where I gained needed experience for my upcoming ministry in the priesthood, especially in preaching and pastoral care. My pastoral field assignment for my deacon year in the seminary, at St. John Evangelist, Frederick, Md., also was a highlight of the past year.

Has the experience affirmed your call to the priesthood?

These experiences affirmed my call to the priesthood because I realize that I enjoyed doing what a priest does in the parish setting. I also enjoyed being with the members of the parish community. So I took these positive experiences as a sign to keep going forward. 

Have any of your views on priestly life changed?

I think I have to come to a better understanding of what a priestly life entails, although I probably will not fully grasp it until I become a priest or, better yet, a pastor of a parish. Priestly life can be very rewarding. Christ has said, “The harvest is abundant,” for those who work in his field. I have finally come to accept that truth. I feel very blessed to be a laborer for Christ and his Church.

Were you surprised by anything over the past year?

I never imagined the support that I would receive from so many people in various ways. 

How will you prepare for your ordination day?

I have taken a couple of silent retreats already to prepare for my ordination day. I imagine I will go to confession before my ordination day and spend time in prayer thanking God for having the priesthood of Christ in his plan for me.   

What do you hope to offer to parishioners as a new priest?

I hope to offer them a way to grow closer to Christ and to lead them to heaven. In Ars, France, outside this village there is a statue of John Vianney talking with a child. St. John Vianney is pointing up and the little boy is pointing to his left or his right — I cannot remember the direction now. At any rate, in that moment, St. John Vianney is having trouble finding Ars, and he tells the child, “If you can show me the way to Ars, I will show you the way to heaven.” I imagine that is what I want to offer to the people, a way to heaven through Christ. 

Can you share some reflections on your journey?

The journey was difficult at times, but on the other hand I have met many faithful people who helped me along the way. I learned about our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Catholic faith, virtues, love of God, and the love and support people have for those studying to be priests. And now it is time to go to work as a priest for God’s people. 

What do you most look forward to as ordination nears?

I believe that is it exactly — I am looking forward to my ordination day, to have Bishop Higi lay his hands upon me that I may become a priest of Christ. 

What did you find most meaningful or helpful or inspirational during your last year in seminary?

It is difficult to pinpoint one moment because there were many, but it was very helpful to spend my last year at seminary with a good number of my diocesan brothers at the seminary. I am very grateful for this brotherhood. 

Is there any one thing in particular that you look most forward to once you are ordained?

I think the one thing that I anticipate doing is celebrating the Mass as well as administrating the other sacraments. The sacraments are an extension of Christ’s ministry while he was on earth. So to be able to take part in continuing Christ’s work of healing the sick, forgiving sins, feeding the hungry, giving life through baptism, being present at marriages and sending forth the Holy Spirit is something for me to look forward to in my priestly ministry. At this point, I don’t think I will have the honor to make someone a priest by the laying on of my hands, but crazier things have happened. (On second thought, probably not.)

Andrew DeKeyser, 40
Home parish: St. Lawrence, Muncie

Father DeKeyser, a native of Muncie, is the son of Raymond and Ellen DeKeyser. He has one brother and three sisters. He attended public schools in Muncie, Purdue University and the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

What were the highlights of your year in the diaconate?

I was able to baptize several new members into our Church this past year. It was a wonderful experience to share in the joy of the parents as they brought their children forward to receive God’s grace in the sacrament. Another highlight was being able to preach both at Mass and on other occasions. I was given the opportunity to preach the opening of the novena to St. Clare at the Poor Clares Monastery in Kokomo. I also preached once at SEED during Eucharistic adoration and I gave a couple of talks to various groups about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

One of the most recent highlights, though, was the opportunity to meet with the papal nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi. As a pontifical seminary, the nuncio is our chancellor. Thus, each year, the deacon class at the Josephinum travels to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with the nuncio.

Has the experience affirmed your call to the priesthood?

Definitely. The blessing of ministering in a parish this year as a deacon and especially the ability to celebrate the sacrament of baptism have only made me yearn more to become a priest and to celebrate other sacraments, especially the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

Have any of your views on priestly life changed?

I think I have developed a greater appreciation for the daily sacrifices that a priest must make in order to be able to unite himself with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. I am sure that my understanding of this will develop even more over the next few years as a new priest. I also think that the theology of the priesthood course that I took this year has shaped my understanding of the importance of celibacy for the priesthood. Celibacy is what opens the priest up to be able to love each member of the Church in the same way, just as Jesus did.  Celibacy gives the priest the freedom to more deeply enter into the love of the heart of Jesus — to love what he loves — his bride, the Church.

Were you surprised by anything over the past year?

I think I have always been amazed at the great generosity of God’s people and their extreme willingness to support me in my vocation. So many people have given of their time and talent and treasure to assist me in following the path to which God has called me. I am both humbled and honored at the same time. It would simply have been impossible for me to have made it to my ordination day without the generosity and support that I have received.  I would like to once again thank everyone who has contributed to the seminarian appeal and all those who have otherwise financially supported me, and I would especially like to thank all those who have supported me by their prayers. I have received many cards and letters full of prayerful support over my years of seminary formation, but I know that there are also many silent prayer warriors out there who have lifted me up and placed me before the throne of God each day by their prayers. Thank you so much.

How will you prepare for your ordination day?

I have been practicing to celebrate the Mass, of course, and I will also be reviewing the other rites that I will be celebrating as a priest. I will also spend time in prayer, placing myself in God’s hands. As an immediate preparation, I expect to spend some time in adoration at St. Elizabeth’s chapel in Lafayette and to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

What do you hope to offer to parishioners as a new priest?

I hope to be able to share with them my love for Jesus Christ and his Church. I believe that I have had a fairly broad range of experiences and learning in my life up to now, and I hope that this will better enable me to relate to a broad range of people. I hope that I can find a way to relate my love of Christ to each person that I meet.

What do you most look forward to as ordination nears?

I am looking forward most to celebrating Mass for the first time.  The Holy Mass is the greatest prayer that any of us can offer to God. It is the place where we can most closely unite ourselves to Christ. And now, to be able to enter into that prayer in a new way and to lead others more deeply into the mystery of Christ, that is what I most look forward to.

What did you find most meaningful or helpful or inspirational during your last year in seminary?

There was one particular priest who came to my seminary this past year, who I believe really gave us an example of what it means to be a father to a large and diverse community. ... He really cared about each of us and wanted the best for us. He wanted to make sure that we would become the best priests that we could be. I hope that I can be like him as a priest. 

I hope that I can be a true father to my parish and that I will care for each individual and for the parish as a whole. And I hope that I can help each person to grow as close to Christ as possible.

David Huemmer, 44
Home parish: St. Joan of Arc, Kokomo

Born in South Bend, Father Huemmer was raised in Mishawaka. The son of Carl and Earlene Huemmer, he is the fifth of 12 children. He attended Mishawaka High School, Greenville Technical College in Greenville, S.C., Purdue University in West Lafayette, and Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass. Before entering the seminary, he taught fifth-grade for 14 years.

What were the highlights of your year in the diaconate?

Being able to serve at my home parish was a great experience. I learned a lot from Father Ted Dudzinski, pastor of St. Patrick and St. Joan of Arc, Kokomo; Father David Hasser, Father Dan Duff and the pastoral team. I was able to teach again and taught book studies and FIRE classes.

During the past year at seminary, I thought the opportunity to preach was neat. I learned a lot about preparation, prayer and trusting in the Lord. ... Once there was an impromptu children’s liturgy and I had to preach without any preparation. My pastor leaned over and smiled, saying, “Welcome to what priesthood is all about.”

I wasn’t sure how comfortable I would be preaching, and to become comfortable was a pleasant surprise. My teaching background probably helped, but preaching to adults, about things that can help them grow, is different than preaching to children.

As a deacon, your attire is different and people’s expectations of you are different; they approach you and their expectations of what you know are higher. ...

Has the experience affirmed your call to the priesthood?

Yes, the year affirmed my call to the priesthood — from prayer and listening to my spiritual director to what I see from the people of God. They all tie together. I have listened to the Holy Spirit and I feel a sense that this is where God is calling me to be.

How will you prepare for your ordination day?

I will spend three days on retreat with the Poor Clares in Kokomo. I finished another retreat earlier in the spring, but this retreat will help to quiet myself. I will assist at Mass, and then will be on my own a lot. I will have time for prayer, reading and reflecting on the ordination rite. It will be a time to get myself mentally and spiritually prepared.

Retreats are a nice way to pull back and put yourself in the Lord’s presence. It’s a time to pray about people and the Church you will serve and place that before God. We have to quiet ourselves before God without daily events, see Lord in all situations, and have time to reflect quietly. When you let him speak to your heart, you become more aware of his presence.

What do you most look forward to as ordination nears?

I look forward to being able to give myself totally to the Lord — to serve him, his people and the Church. I also look forward to bringing sacraments to people, to draw them closer to the Lord.

The act of celebrating Mass brings you to the people. As a priest, there is not a more awesome thing you can do.

It will be so good, too, being able to anoint people on their journey home. That will be beyond words, being able to know I can help them on their journey to eternal life. That is a truly humbling thing.

What do you hope to offer to parishioners as a new priest?

Hopefully, I can bring the love of the Lord and his Church and a sense of prayer to others. That is such an important part of our lives; I hope to be an example of that. I can bring some of my experience from teaching. 

I want to let people know that we all have an eternal destination and Jesus wants us to enter into a relationship with him. The saints and the Blessed Mother are there to guide us — we are not alone on our journey. We have lots of tools and heavenly friends as we walk on our pilgrimage of faith to our eternal home.

I would like to thank so many people for their prayers, for cards and notes of encouragement, and their spiritual bouquets. I am grateful for the support and prayers — prayer makes a big difference.

Ordination day is a touchstone that I think I will keep going back to, just like a married couple goes back to their wedding day. There are things you think back on, the promises you made — these things help define our vocations. It will be good to spend time with it and pray with it. It will become richer and deeper as I get further into priesthood. I think I will go over the rite again and pick up things with different meaning. Memories of the day will be deeper, enriched after living through priesthood.

Touchstones are defining moments in our lives — (they are) things we can look back on and they strengthen us. The ordination liturgy is so beautiful and the prayers are so powerful that it will just grow richer and deeper as I reflect on it. My anniversary will be a good time to reflect back on those prayers; on the direction and nourishment they give.

Adam Mauman, 32
Home parish: St. Paul, Marion

Father Mauman grew up just outside of Marion, the son of Richard and Cynthia Mauman. He has three sisters. He attended St. Paul School, Oak Hill High School, Purdue University, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., and Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, St. Meinrad, Ind.

What were the highlights of your year in the diaconate?

My parish assignments during this past year have certainly been a highlight. My last summer assignment at St. Charles Borromeo, Peru, with Father Frank Kilcline, was especially exciting. From the amateur circus, prison ministry, and working alongside Father Kilcline as he serves as a chaplain to the state police and local service men and women, it was a good learning experience. This past year I had the privilege of serving at Precious Blood Parish in Jasper, while completing my last year of seminary formation. This was a unique opportunity as one of my friends, Father Gary Kaiser, had recently been appointed pastor. To work with him as he made the transition from associate pastor to pastor was a blessing in numerous ways.

Has the experience affirmed your call to the priesthood?

My experiences at seminary, in the parish, and in other settings have certainly affirmed me in my call. The encouragement I have received from my brother seminarians, family and countless others have only reaffirmed what I have discovered in prayer.

Have any of your views on priestly life changed?

I believe my views have become more realistic about what to expect in the future and what others expect from their priests.  I’ve come to the realization that while we (seminarians) are provided with one of the greatest educations in the faith, and access to exceptional formation programs, it is still a lifelong process. There is still a lot to learn and I hope to continue growing through ongoing spiritual direction and through serving under an experienced pastor. ...

Were you surprised by anything over the past year?

I have been surprised at how many people, people I do not even know, have been supporting me by their prayers these past few years. As we draw closer to ordination, I’ve received countless notes from individuals and their words of encouragement are especially appreciated.

How will you prepare for your ordination day?

Besides the ordinary preparations that one must make for an occasion such as this, I will be trying to enter more deeply into prayer as I prepare for priestly ordination. In particular I will be praying a novena prayer our rector gave to us as well as spending additional time before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. ...

What do you hope to offer to parishioners as a new priest?

As a new priest I would like to offer my parishioners hope, encouragement, a lending hand and, hopefully at times, dinner! While we are called to preach the cross of Christ, we are also charged with the responsibility of showing how it is through the cross that we arrive at the hope of the resurrection. As a jack of all trades I hope to find ways to get involved at the parish using the skills I have learned from my grandfathers and father (maybe a grotto or some other small project).

Can you share some reflections on your journey?

The journey to the priesthood has been a unique one, the road less traveled, and by some estimation it has been a long journey.  I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to take time off to work in construction management and in the field, utilizing the skills I learned at Purdue, and I have also been given the unique occasion of spending some time with a religious community over the years.

What do you most look forward to as ordination nears?

As I have been working on my family’s genealogy these past few years, I certainly look forward to offering the Mass for deceased members of my family. I also look forward to offering this same sacrifice for friends, benefactors and the various prayer intentions I have received during these years of formation.

What did you find most meaningful or helpful or inspirational during your last year in seminary?

I believe one of the most helpful parts of my last 1½ years at seminary was making the transition from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary to Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. The transition has prepared me well for the future when I will have to move from one parish to another and the benefit of having been a part of two excellent formation programs has also allowed me to grow as an individual.

Is there any one thing in particular that you look most forward to once you are ordained?

As I mentioned before, I look forward to offering the Mass for family and friends, but I also look forward to offering the sacrament of reconciliation as a priest. In particular I hope that through my ministry others will be able to experience the same peace I myself have discovered in this sacrament of healing.

I would again like to say thank you to everyone who has supported me, and to all those who support our diocesan seminarians. Their generosity and prayers allow us to focus on our human, spiritual, academic and pastoral formation. Thank you.