Seminarian Profile: Peter Waldorf

Do your family and friends think it is a good idea that you're becoming a priest?
Yes. Some are a little wary because they might not understand what a priest is and does or because they have heard negative information or stereotypes about priests and the Church. Nevertheless, they support me and support my vocation, and I am grateful to God for their love of me and for His love of me through them.

Do you ever have any fun? What do you do in your free time?
Of course I have fun! I like the outdoors, so I am drawn to canoeing, running, fishing, biking, and just about any sport or activity that involves people or nature. In addition, I greatly enjoy reading about God, history, the Church, the Saints, and about the world. I desire to know all about God's Creation—about science, His gift of knowledge to humanity, about philosophy, about cultures and languages, which speak of the uniqueness of groups and of individual people yet still accentuate the unity of the whole human race. Overall, I take pleasure in doing anything that glorifies God either directly or via His created works!

If you were not a priest, what do you think you would be?
Well, that's a hard question to answer because if God calls me to be a priest, I don't think I could be anything else because my greatest desire is to follow God. But since I guess I can't say with 100% surety that I'll someday be a priest, I would probably be, if not a priest, a teacher of some sort—likely of high school or college Theology— with a wife and a really big family!

How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have one brother, Joe, and one sister, Elizabeth.

What is your favorite TV program?
I don't watch enough TV to have a favorite program!

Who is your favorite singer or music group?
My favorite singer is my dad, and I don't know many names in music so I'd have to say my favorite musical group is the Peoria Cathedral Choir and accompaniment!  I am a huge fan of the pipe organ even though I can't even play the piano.

Do you ever get bored while studying to be a priest?
Actually, no, I really don't ever get bored...but I do get distracted because I'm still working on being organized!

How is a seminary different than a regular school?
Thankfully, a seminary is different from a regular school in that we who live here pray together all the time, make God the center of our lives, have spiritual directors to whom we can talk about problems we've been having and who will help us to see God in those problems and involve God in their solutions, and highly emphasize living in community with our brother seminarians that really do become brothers to us—who care about each other, who correct each other so everyone grows up and closer to God, who truly want the best for each other all for the sake of God's glory.

How often do you see your family?
I see my family almost every break and during the summer. This year we had five breaks: Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Winter, and Spring. Then our summer starts in the middle of May and goes to late August. So I really do get to see my family pretty often, even though, I being a freshman just having come from seeing my parents all the time, they don't agree!

Can you really be happy as a priest since priests don't make much money?
I don't think anyone really needs a lot of money to be happy. I think people need God to be happy. So I have no doubt that I can be very happy as a priest as long as I keep praying and don't give up on God, who will provide all I need!

How often do you pray?
Well, I say the Divine Office, although I haven't perfected the discipline for doing it yet, and we have Mass everyday, and I try to say the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Rosary, too. And aside from that, we try to do meditation and personal prayer. So once I improve my organization, I will be praying probably every hour or few hours!  It will be a wonderful way to keep my focus on the Lord.

Who helped you decide to become a priest?
Many people helped me to decide to enter the seminary, including my family—especially my Uncle Luke, Fr. Luke, who is a Chicago Archdiocesan priest—and my friends, particularly in the TEC community in Bloomington, my hometown, as well as the religious education director at my parish, who got me involved in the youth group, and my previous pastor, who really showed me the glory of the Holy Mass that is the center of a priest's life when he organized and supported a high school boys' altar serving program that emphasized reverence and love for the Sacred Liturgy.

When did you decide to study to be a priest? How did you know God was calling you to be a priest?
I decided to study to be a priest last year when I entered the seminarian program officially last July. I have had many experiences with many people that ultimately helped me to find myself called to the priesthood. For example, I know many people in Bloomington who are very involved with their faith, and when I was with them they would encourage my vocation. However, in the end, I think that the calling just came to me over time as I grew in my own faith, learning to love God and other people and desiring to give myself totally to serving God and them in the Church.

What do you think the best thing will be about being a priest?
Overall, I don't think anything could be better than standing as a priest in the place of our Lord and offering to others the Sacraments of the Church, the power of God given in the world, for His glory and our sake since He loves us so much. I am greatly humbled by the thought of performing the Sacraments, but I know God will help me to pass these His great gifts to others if, God willing, I am one day ordained.