Class: Second Pre-Theology
School: Kennrick Glennon Seminary, St. Louis
Home Parish: Saint Thomas More University Parish, Norman
What is your home parish?
My home parish is St. Thomas More in Norman where I attended while at the University of Oklahoma. I am originally from Houston and was a parishioner of St. Ignatius Loyola in Spring, Texas.


What seminary do you attend?
I am in the Pre-Theology program at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Saint Louis, Mo.


If it is God’s will, what year will you be ordained a priest?
If it is God’s will, I will be ordained in 2026.


What advice would you give to someone discerning a call to the priesthood?
Don't focus on what God has planned for your entire life. Trust God and let him lead you step by step. Listen to what he puts on your heart and rest in his consolation. In prayer, simply try to develop a deep love for God, the revelation of your vocation will come as your heart begins to conform to that of Christ's.


What do you look forward to most about becoming a priest?
Being able to help is one of the most joyful and life-giving things one can do. As a layman, I am able to physically help people and spiritually offer prayer and petition for them, but as a priest, many other pathways of service open up. I have been given so much by God and have seen him work in incredible ways in my life. I want others to share in that same life of Christ. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. To be able to offer the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ our Lord as the communion of the Body of Christ and for the sanctification of his people would allow me to serve God and my fellow man in the most efficacious of ways.


Name one thing that every Catholic needs to know.
God loves each of us without condition. Throughout history he has been calling his people and he reaches out to you. Jesus established his church through the apostles, which still lives on today. We are broken people and we do not perfect ourselves to enter heaven, but rather we act in humility and conform ourselves to Christ that he might enter our lives to strengthen us and reconcile us to the path that has been established for us.


Why choose a life of sacrificial love?
Sacrificial love is a part of the Christian life. We are called to love God and neighbor. Thus, we pick up our cross and follow him. The priesthood may have aspects of sacrificial love that are more prominent, but all roles for the Christian faithful must revolve around sacrificial love. For in Christ, we find sacrificial love and through Christ we learn to love our neighbors in this manner.

Xander Schmidt
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
5200 Glennon Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63119
 
To learn more about seminary, contact Rev. Brian Buettner at [email protected] or (405) 721-9351. okcvocations.com.