I’m not one to complain normally, but I just had to get this off my chest. I like seminary, and am really thankful for my vocation to be a priest, but it’s really starting to interfere with my love life.
A couple months ago I met this really cute girl at the parish I’m assigned to, and would love to start getting more serious with her. We’ve gone on a couple dates here and there, but it’s SO hard to hit it off for real when I’ve got to balance academics, daily liturgies, and various pastoral and charitable works.
She’s been very patient with it all so far, which honestly is more than I can say for most. I’ve had more than a few girlfriends or romantic interests since I started the seminary program, and they all have tired of how unavailable I was pretty quickly.
They want a Godly marriage just like I do, so it really should work out better. But I can’t blame them, since I know I’m just too busy to court like they deserve. I know God is calling me to marry, so it’s frustrating to run into so many difficulties in the Church’s seminary system!
I guess it’s not all bad; if all else fails, I can just go to Eastern Europe and find a bride there, though I’m still hoping I can find a good American woman to be my presbytera. Oh well! I guess these are just the sacrifices I signed up for in pursuing the Catholic priesthood.
Nathaniel Broz is in his second year at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
