Jacob Connealy

Background

About Jacob Connealy

Below is a letter I wrote to my home home parish about my discernment out of Seminary. Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners, After three years of formation for the priesthood I have discerned that God is calling me out of seminary formation. I am writing this firstly to thank you for all that you as a Parish have done for me, and secondly to let you know how I came to this decision. I want to say thank you for having given me the opportunity to discern a vocation to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Omaha. If it were not for your generosity and many others in the diocese it would not be possible for men like myself to take the time to discern the call to the priesthood. It has been a great gift and has been a time filled with growth. I am gratified by how supportive the St. Mary’s community has been both in praying for me and financially. Please know that the that the time and money is not wasted. The formation of our priests is so important and part of that is being able discern in an environment that is free of financial worry. I realize what a great gift the formation I have received is and I encourage you continue to support those men who are discerning the call. Your generosity inspires me to be generous with the gifts I have been given. As for my personal discernment it is has become clear to me that my desire for priesthood does not match my year in seminary. Only three years away from ordination have I found myself with a decreased desire for priesthood and with less clarity in the call. Upon much reflection, it seems that I have looked at the priesthood as a duty or obligation rather than a gift given by God. I realize that I am not freely choosing the priesthood. If it is Gods will for me to be a priest, I believe it is first necessary to leave so I can more freely choose it. A grace I have received is the realization that if God desires for me to be a priest, he will put that desire on my heart, I do not have to force it. Moving forward I have many desires for what the future could look like. I trust that the Lord will lead me in this next step. I have learned that the good desires in our hearts are a gift from God the Father and trusting in Him means trusting in the desires he places on our hearts. I will leave you with the hopeful words of Psalm 37 which have helped me over the past six months, “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4). In Christ, Jacob Connealy