Pay attention to possible vocations, Kenrick-Glennon seminarian says

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John Stearns, a theology student at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury from the Colorado Springs Diocese, has encouraged men who have thoughts about a vocation to follow through.

National Vocation Awareness Week, observed this year Jan. 9-14, is the annual celebration in the United States to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew prayers and support for those who are considering vocations.

When John Stearns talks about vocations he makes sure to remind people to ask others -- even single professional men who may seem settled in their career -- if they would consider a vocation.

No one had brought the topic up to Stearns, a seminarian at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury, but the thought of the priesthood kept returning to him before he finally acted on it.

As an altar boy, the idea of being a priest came to him and then went away. "It would come and go at points of my life when there was a major decision -- when I entered the military and when I left the military. It always went away until the last time. It kept bugging me a good two or three months until I went and chatted with my pastor," Stearns said.

Born in Arizona, Stearns was always a good student and attended a community college before moving to Los Angeles and attending the University of California with a double major in international relations and international law. He worked for an ambulance company while in school.

The son of an Air Force major killed in Vietnam, Stearns entered the Air Force in 1990 just before Desert Storm. He served in Desert Storm and in positions with NATO and the United Nations. He was selected as a member of the space shuttle rescue and recovery team.

His military service strengthened his faith, he said.

After his military service, he worked for a mortgage company and then as a loan officer for a bank. He continued volunteering as a firefighter. Later, he was asked to manage a bank branch in Colorado which grew in assets from $50,000 to $12 million in four years, then became a regional manager and then vice president.

But the call to the priesthood grew stronger and stronger until he acted on it at age 38. "Once again I have placed my entire life in God's hands," he wrote. "As I reflect back upon my life, I realize that God has always guided my path in life whether I realized it or not; whether I wanted Him to or not. I realize that He has always placed good people in my life to help me and support me. He provided a solid foundation with my mother and grandparents to form my faith in a strong and resilient way."

He noted that in his careers and jobs he always had a desire to help others.

Stearns, 44 and in the ordination class of 2014 for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, said about 10 percent of the seminarians at Kenrick-Glennon are over the age of 40. He expected the seminary to be more regimented, similar to the military style, but found that the men, especially those who are older when they come to the seminary, can take charge of their own development and formation with the proper guidance.

He urges any man considering a vocation to take the first step by contacting their priest or a vocations director. "One younger seminarian put it well when he said, 'They don't lock the door behind you.' There's a misperception that you have to know you will be a priest before you enter. But that's not the case. Some will leave, and it's wonderful that they gave it a chance. I would encourage anybody to give it a shot. It's a wonderful education and formation."