Initial interest dates to grade 2

Sixth in a monthly series about the Green Bay Diocese's seminarians

Tim Letter's initial interest in priesthood started when he was in second grade. His oldest siblings were graduating from high school and looking for a direction to take in life.

Letter recalls his parents bring up priesthood, but his brothers dismissed it as "not something for me."

Letter not only remembers the incident clearly, he thought about it as he grew up. The more he thought about it, the more he thought it may be something for him to look into.

At age 16, Letter attended a Called by Name dinner with Bp. Robert Banks. Letter enjoyed the dinner, and decided to continue looking into his vocation.

He called Fr. Doug LeCaptain, diocesan director of Vocations, and expressed his interest in priesthood. He met with Fr. LeCaptain, and began the process of becoming a seminarian.

Letter says his family and parish are very supportive and proud of his decision to discern priesthood.

"I feel like God is calling, and I owe it to God and myself to try and see if there really is a call there," Letter says. "I have always felt a call, and I must at least try it."

Letter graduated from high school last spring and is a first year student at Conception Seminary college, where he is studying philosophy.

Because Letter grew up on a farm, he knew that big city life would not be his style. He toured St. John Vianney Seminary, and did not believe he would be comfortable studying there.

Fr. LeCaptain suggested that Letter explore his options and they found out about Conception Seminary in Missouri. Letter and his family visited the campus one weekend and he liked it.

"The school is small, private, quiet, just what I am used to," Letter says.

During his spare time, Letter enjoys practicing the trumpet - which he has played since the eighth grade - and the piano - which he has played for about a year.

When he has a chance, he likes to go out for steak dinner at The Gallery in Seymour."Don't be afraid to check out all your options," Letter advises young men. "If you are thinking about priesthood, you will never know if it is for you until you try it. Take a step back and look at it closely. Ask yourself 'could I see myself doing something like this?'

"It is also important to find a school that suits you. You will only excel in your studies if you are in an environment you are comfortable in," Letter says.

(Malcore works in the diocesan Vocations office.)