Meet New Seminarian Patrick Welsh

Parishioner of Our Lady of Sorrows, Portsmouth

Entered Seminary out of High School

Patrick Welsh is a Portsmouth Our Lady of Sorrows parishioner, altar server, and a graduate of Portsmouth Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School. He began his first-year at the Pontifical College Josephinum in August, 2009.
Patrick is grateful to his family who gave him “a good home base” to hear and respond to God’s call. They have always attended Mass regularly and lived the precepts of the Church.

The Impact of Catholic Camp

Patrick’s discernment began at Catholic Youth Summer Camp (CYSC). He was not sure what to expect when he signed up before his eighth grade year, but what he found was a group of “authentic people who were so alive. I was struck by their joy in their faith,” said Patrick. “It was the first time I had heard praise and worship music. It was a little awkward at first, but then I had a powerful experience of prayer through the music. I had never felt such a strong connection to God.”

Pope John Paul II’s motto: Totus Tuus

The theme for camp that year was Totus Tuus (Pope John Paul II’s motto:  totally yours). Patrick began to ask how he could give himself totally to God. “I wanted to give my life to God because I felt His love more than I ever had before. I realized that God had given himself totally to me on the cross. Faced with that, my only possible response was to give my life totally to him.”
A seminarian, Fr. David Schalk, visited camp that year and spoke about his discernment and how God called to him to be a priest during Eucharistic Adoration. He explained that he was giving his life totally to God by discerning the priesthood. “His talk struck me somehow. I couldn’t keep it off my mind.”

Eucharistic Adoration

Later that week at CYSC, on July 21st, 2004, Patrick also felt the pull to the priesthood during Eucharistic Adoration. “I was terrified and joyful at the same time. I was euphoric because I knew what God wanted me to do, but completely aghast as all my plans would have to change. As I knelt before the Lord, I wondered if I should follow or not. I really wanted to ignore it and go on with my life, but I realized that I would always be haunted by it. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life asking, ‘what if?’”

Signs of a Call to the Priesthood

Then Patrick began looking for signs in his life, and almost immediately, he realized there had been signs in place for a long time.
“When I was younger than five, I remember accidentally creating a finger painting of a cross with a ring of fire.”
At my First Communion, my family made the bread, so there was no cross on it. I remember wishing there was a cross on the homemade host like the store-bought host. Incredibly, when the priest elevated the Eucharist during mass, it had a cross on it.”
When he was in 4th or 5th grade, Patrick and Dad made a trip to Columbus. They happened to drive by the Pontifical College Josephinum. “My dad asked me if I wanted to be a priest. While I told him no, I wanted to say yes. I didn’t know why; I thought that I wanted a 'real’ job.”

Priest or Engineer?

Patrick had plans to go to college and become an engineer, “be incredibly successful and make lots of money. I was good at math, science and computers and I figured that would be pretty easy.” But the call to the priesthood remained strong in Patrick’s life.
He told his parents about it after he came back from camp that year, and they were very supportive; he didn’t tell anyone else. “I was living a double-life.”
Then the following year at CYSC, before his freshman year, he told everyone at camp and they were incredibly supportive. However, telling friends at school was a little harder. “The comments from school friends were mostly positive, but there was some teasing.”

Family Supports Discernment

Patrick’s family grew in faith at the same time. They became more active in their home parish. In addition, they began attending the Jesus Jam program in Columbus. The Jesus Jam is Mass, prayer, praise and worship music, skits, and speakers to help high school families nurture their love for their Catholic faith and the Church. “My family’s faith exploded. Faith was no longer something extra; it was the center of our lives.”
His freshman and sophomore years were spiritually difficult. “I was really having trouble discerning God’s will. The Jesus Jams gave me the strength to keep going. Finally, in my junior year, I went from darkness to dawn with a stronger and deeper faith.” Patrick joined the Diocesan Youth Council his junior year, which helped him grow in his faith.

College or Seminary?

During his senior year in high school, Patrick was faced with the decision of whether to look at colleges or to enroll in seminary. “My dad supported my entering seminary to discern so that is what I did.”
Patrick’s parents and three sibling are very supportive as well as his extended family of over 50 cousins. He remains very close to his family. “I have really grown in my relationship with my Mom and Dad, as well as with my brothers and sister.”

Seminary is Amazing

When asked how he likes seminary after a couple months, his response is simple. “To be here is amazing. The prayers, the community, the work are all stimulating and I love it.”