Andy Mason

Formation Stage

Propaedeutic Year

Home Parish

Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Habra

Seminary

St. John's Seminary

Favorite Saint(s)

St. John the Baptist, St. Benedict, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Athanasius

Favorite Marian Apparition(s)

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Favorite Book or Movie

On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius, and The Spirit of the Liturgy by Pope Benedict XVI

Favorite Hobby

Woodcarving/burning, Drums

Background

What are some of the factors that led to your decision to enter the seminary and discern the question of a vocation to the priesthood?

A closeness to the altar in altar serving, and the grace in the ordinary sacramental life of the people in funeral ministry.

Who are some of the people who influenced your decision to enter the seminary? What is it about them that assisted you?

Fr. Will and Fr. Gaston in their pastoral zeal, and my friend Brendan in his own discernment process have been both encouraging and inspiring. He also invited me to my first altar server training. Both Fr. Reed, C.O. and Fr. Thomas, C.O. also gave excellent spiritual direction, encouragement, and pastoral examples as our university chaplains.

Describe the moment that you knew you wanted to take the next steps to become a priest?

Serious discernment for the priesthood in particular started when I began altar serving. Then two week-long retreats, one at St. Michael's Abbey and one associated with Holy Transfiguration Monastery helped clarify and support my discernment.