Office of Vocations

	Fr. Edward Suszynski, Jr. St. Bede the Venerable, Mentor
1) When did you first think about becoming a priest? I thought about the priesthood on and off growing-up and people at my home parish asked me to consider priesthood but I never gave it any serious thought until high school. Between my sophomore and senior years at Mentor High School, I was discerning marriage and career in music, perhaps teaching, composing, or producing. At the same, I was an active member at my home parish, St. Bede the Venerable in Mentor. It was during these years that I also experienced a "nagging" or "sense" in my heart that God was asking me to serve the Church in some way, possibly as a priest. 2) What finally helped you decide to come to the seminary? At the end of my junior year I failed to make the cut for Mentor High School’s show choir, Top 25, for the third and final time and it was then that I came to the conclusion that I could no longer brush aside the "sense" that God was calling me to serve the Church. After graduating in 1999 I entered Borromeo Seminary that fall to make sense of my thoughts regarding my vocation, my career, and the "sense" that God was calling that seemed like it was never going to go away. 3) Who are the most influential people supporting your discernment? First and foremost my family, especially my parents who have been so supportive since day one! My parish family at St. Bede, all the priests that have served at St. Bede, my friends, brother priests and seminarians, and the parishioners, staff, and priests at St. Clare, St. Malachi Parish, The Community of St. Malachi, Holy Spirit in Avon Lake, and Holy Family in Stow who have encouraged and challenged me along the way. In addition, I have been inspired by the witness of our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. 4) What is most helpful about your seminary formation? Field Education! I believe the Field Education component of seminary formation, where a seminarian spends several hours a week in a parish or other ministerial setting, has been the most helpful and formative for me. Field Education allows you to interact with people in parish, put what you learn into practice, recognize your gifts and talents more fully, recognize strengths and areas for growth, and overall it has helped affirm my vocation. 5) How did you begin exploring the possibility of entering the seminary? After realizing I could no longer ignore the sense of God’s call in my heart and after failing to make Top 25, I told my mom, "I think God wants me to be a priest," and contacted the vocation office and spoke with then vocation director, Fr. Bob Stec. After that, I made a Vocation Awareness weekend at Borromeo Seminary to explore what seminary life was like and the rest is history. 6) What honest advice would you offer a man who is thinking about the priesthood? In the words of Pope John Paul II, "DO NOT BE AFRAID TO FOLLOW CHRIST!" If you are thinking about priesthood, talk to your parish priest(s) or a priest you know, ask questions, contact Fr. Gurnick, talk to a seminarian, or visit the seminary – bottom line: DO NOT BE AFRAID to do something that will bring clarity to your thoughts about priesthood! The Church needs YOU! The worst thing you could ever do is simply to do nothing at all. 7) What do you do for fun and recreation? I enjoy singing, composing, playing piano now and then, a good cup of coffee, bowling, traveling, exercising, cooking, baking, going to plays, Broadway shows, opera, the Cleveland Orchestra, and hanging out with friends. E-mail:

Fr. Edward Suszynski, Jr.
St. Bede the Venerable, Mentor

1) When did you first think about becoming a priest?
I thought about the priesthood on and off growing-up and people at my home parish asked me to consider priesthood but I never gave it any serious thought until high school. Between my sophomore and senior years at Mentor High School, I was discerning marriage and career in music, perhaps teaching, composing, or producing. At the same, I was an active member at my home parish, St. Bede the Venerable in Mentor. It was during these years that I also experienced a "nagging" or "sense" in my heart that God was asking me to serve the Church in some way, possibly as a priest.

2) What finally helped you decide to come to the seminary?
At the end of my junior year I failed to make the cut for Mentor High School’s show choir, Top 25, for the third and final time and it was then that I came to the conclusion that I could no longer brush aside the "sense" that God was calling me to serve the Church. After graduating in 1999 I entered Borromeo Seminary that fall to make sense of my thoughts regarding my vocation, my career, and the "sense" that God was calling that seemed like it was never going to go away.

3) Who are the most influential people supporting your
discernment?
First and foremost my family, especially my parents who have been so supportive since day one! My parish family at St. Bede, all the priests that have served at St. Bede, my friends, brother priests and seminarians, and the parishioners, staff, and priests at St. Clare, St. Malachi Parish, The Community of St. Malachi, Holy Spirit in Avon Lake, and Holy Family in Stow who have encouraged and challenged me along the way. In addition, I have been inspired by the witness of our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.

4) What is most helpful about your seminary formation?
Field Education! I believe the Field Education component of seminary formation, where a seminarian spends several hours a week in a parish or other ministerial setting, has been the most helpful and formative for me. Field Education allows you to interact with people in parish, put what you learn into practice, recognize your gifts and talents more fully, recognize strengths and areas for growth, and overall it has helped affirm my vocation.

5) How did you begin exploring the possibility of entering the seminary?
After realizing I could no longer ignore the sense of God’s call in my heart and after failing to make Top 25, I told my mom, "I think God wants me to be a priest," and contacted the vocation office and spoke with then vocation director, Fr. Bob Stec. After that, I made a Vocation Awareness weekend at Borromeo Seminary to explore what seminary life was like and the rest is history.

6) What honest advice would you offer a man who is thinking about the priesthood?
In the words of Pope John Paul II, "DO NOT BE AFRAID TO FOLLOW CHRIST!" If you are thinking about priesthood, talk to your parish priest(s) or a priest you know, ask questions, contact Fr. Gurnick, talk to a seminarian, or visit the seminary – bottom line: DO NOT BE AFRAID to do something that will bring clarity to your thoughts about priesthood! The Church needs YOU! The worst thing you could ever do is simply to do nothing at all.

7) What do you do for fun and recreation?
I enjoy singing, composing, playing piano now and then, a good cup of coffee, bowling, traveling, exercising, cooking, baking, going to plays, Broadway shows, opera, the Cleveland Orchestra, and hanging out with friends.

E-mail: