Says newest seminarian:
‘The
only thing that can make a man into a good priest is a deep love for God’
Editor’s note: Andrew Soukup, the newest seminarian from the Diocese of
Andrew Soukup: Jan. 28, 1986 in
SKR: Where did you grow up?
AS: We moved to Lakin
when I was about five and I went all through school there.
SKR: How many brothers and
sisters do you have?
AS: I am the youngest in my family; I
have two brothers, Matthew and Danny, and a sister, Laura.
SKR: What do your parents do
for a living?
AS: My dad, Frank, is the city manager
in Kingman and my mom, Jeanette, works in the county treasurer’s office there.
SKR: Can you tell me a bit of
what it was like for you growing up?
AS: I grew up in a good and stable
family. I was very active all throughout
school, playing football and participating in concert band, scholar’s bowl,
STUCO and NHS.
SKR: When did you first hear
the call to become a priest?
AS: As long as I can remember, I’ve
always thought about being a priest. I
didn’t always want to be a priest, but I’ve always thought about it. In fact, my first memories of Holy Mass are
of getting in trouble for mimicking the priest.
SKR: Can you tell me a little
about what the discernment process was like for you?
AS: My discernment really began while
I was studying at KU. During my two
years there, I became more and more involved in the St. Lawrence Campus
Center. The priests and staff there made
a big impression on my life. During my
second year there, I made the acquaintance of the monks at Saint Benedict’s
Abbey in Atchinson.
After a period of discernment, I applied to join their community. I spent about nine months in the monastery,
four in the postulancy and five in the
novitiate. Eventually, I decided to
leave the abbey and apply to study for the diocese.
SKR:
How does seminary
differ, and how is it similar, to what you thought it would be?
AS: Seminary hasn’t held too many
surprises for me. But, I am very
impressed with the men here who are studying for the priesthood. It bodes very well for the future of the
Church in
SKR: What is it about your personality
– about who you are – that will make you a good priest?
AS: The only thing that can make a man
into a good priest is a deep love for God.
That’s something that I’ll always be working toward.
SKR: What do you look forward
to in your life as a priest? Is there a particular ministry that you’re
attracted to?
AS: I find the most attractive part of
priestly life to be the personal holiness that is demanded of the priest.
SKR: What are your hobbies?
AS: I like to go hunting and
fishing. I also really enjoy reading,
especially books on religion and linguistics.
SKR: What would you say to
anyone who is considering the priesthood?
AS: Go for
it. Discernment will only go so far
outside of the seminary and you probably will never be 100 percent
certain. You really can’t make a mistake
by going to seminary. Even if you are
never ordained, you’ll be a better man for it.