JUNE 2008

Priesthood on Tap
We caught up with three Chaldean seminary
students at a May Bible & Brew
and took the opportunity to ask a few
questions.
When did you know that the priesthood
was the vocation for you?
That’s a hard question to answer fully
in a forum like this. I applied to the
graduate school (which we call
“Major Seminary”) this year and this
is what I wrote on an essay they
required, “Why I want to be a priest”:
I believe that as I discern a vocation,
I would do better to not spend
day and night constantly wondering,
“Am I called to be a priest?” Rather,
I find that the Lord confirms my vocation
when I more perfectly commit
myself to what I sincerely believe
God might be calling me to.
Analogously, an unmarried
man in a serious relationship
with a woman should commit
himself to her as though he
were married to her (as
much as he can while still
unmarried), and in time, by
grace, he is confirmed in
prayer, through communication
with her, and in the
growing intensity of love
between them that a life-long
commitment is a real possibility
desired by both. So too
with the priesthood — as I
have first been moved (and
continue to be moved) by a
love and desire for the life of
priesthood, and in conversation
with my own future
bride, the Church, and in my attempt
to fully commit myself to her as a
priest would (as much as possible as
a layman) — the love for this way of
life increases in me, which I perceive
as God’s way of confirming this
vocation for me. I know that there are
many rough patches along the way,
sacrifices and hardships that I have
to endure, but I am not discouraged
by them; rather, my desire for the
priesthood is what encourages and
strengthens me though them.
– Paul Karmo
The idea of me having a vocation to
the priesthood was always in my
mind and heart, but I finally decided
to give it a shot when I was 20. After
being in the seminary for two and a
half years, I can comfortably say that
I am called to be a priest of Jesus
Christ. I just recently finished my
third year at the seminary.
– Matthew Zetouna
I discerned a lot in my first year in
college and I joined the seminary the
following year. It is also important to
note that discernment continues
through seminary.
– Pierre Konja
What do you hope to accomplish as
a priest?
I hope to be an instrument that
reawakens the Gospel for the
Chaldean people (which actually is
the job of all baptized people, not just
priests). Our people are culturally
religious, which is good, but we can
grow numb to the things we do and
those things lose their original meaning
to us (masses, prayers, etc...).
In a society which feeds all our senses,
we focus little attention on our spirits.
We see the life of the spirit as unimportant
because it possesses no immediate
threat to our physical well-being,
which is all we focus on. I hear that only
10 percent of Chaldeans in Metro
Detroit attend church on Sunday.
Shame on us! Our fathers could have
converted to Islam and solved all their
problems, but it was so important to
them that they would be willing to suffer
and die to hand down the faith to their
children, and here we are tossing our
family’s precious heirlooms in the trash.
We don’t realize the treasure we’ve
been given. I forget it sometimes.
Many people’s souls have been
sleeping for a long time. We have to
wake them up! “Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken
the dawn! I will praise you, O Lord,
among the nations; I will sing of you
among the peoples.” (Psalm 57: 8f)
– Paul Karmo
The most important thing I hope
to accomplish as a priest is to be a
holy person. If I keep consistent with
my prayers and listen to the Lord in
my heart, then He will accomplish
things through me.
– Matthew Zetouna
I hope to accomplish the will of
God in my life as a priest and to
serve God and His people to the
best of my ability. I think that is going
to mean different things at different
times in my life.
– Pierre Konja
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JUNE 2008 CHALDEAN NEWS 35