HOBART – In front of a church filled with family, friends, priests and fellow seminarians, Leo Marcotte declared his intention to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Rite of Admission to Candidacy Mass for the Diocese of Gary seminarian took place on June 7 at St. Bridget.
Marcotte first began to feel drawn toward the priesthood in fourth grade after becoming an altar server following his First Communion. Watching the priests serve with such joy and genuine love for both their vocation and their people made a lasting impression on him. However, he didn't seriously pursue that call until his sophomore year of high school.
“During those years, I wrestled with making the transition from simply practicing my parents' faith to truly making it my own,” he said. “Through the sacrament of reconciliation, the Lord drew me back to Himself, and from that moment the desire to explore the priesthood began to grow in my heart.”
Marcotte explained the Rite of Candidacy marks a shift in priorities and a deeper commitment to discerning God's call to Holy Orders. He said during the first four years of seminary, a man spends his time discerning, through prayer, formation, and the guidance of the Church, whether he is called to the priesthood.
“By the end of those years, he should have a much clearer sense of that call,” Marcotte said. “The Rite of Candidacy is the point at which a seminarian publicly declares his intention to continue pursuing the priesthood and enters a more intentional stage of discernment, preparing for the possibility of ordination.”
Bishop Robert J. McClory said that on that day those gathered were there to celebrate one more step on Marcotte’s path to his future vocation to the priesthood.
“This is not an ordination,” the bishop said during the homily, “but it’s always appropriate at times such as these to reflect more deeply as you prepare yourself for the priesthood.”
The bishop mentioned that in recent days he had seen the reactions of many Europeans to the United States as they came to watch soccer games during the World Cup. He referenced numerous videos which showed visitors overwhelmed by all the United States has to offer. For example, stores such as Walmart, which have a variety of items under one roof.
“We live in a really consumer culture,” he said. “We live in a culture where people fly into a store, they see a product they like, and they attempt to purchase it.”
It's very transactional, Bishop McClory acknowledged, as consumers look for the color, style, etc. they want. That consumer culture can sometimes begin to enter the Church, but the bishop explained, there are no “branch managers.”
“What we're called to do is what Jesus did,” he said. “He went out, and he preached far and wide to those who needed to hear the good news so that they could then come in.”
Bishop McClory then focused on the image of the Good Shepherd, noting it is important to minister to the abandoned and those who feel hopeless rather than look at relationships as an even exchange. He said the faithful, including priests, are called to bring Christ to others and bring them to participate in the sacraments.
“May we be able to bear the burden of others and always listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit,” Bishop McClory said.
In closing, the bishop directed attention to the 9 of 11 Diocese of Gary seminarians present in the Hobart church, and said it was an opportunity to celebrate that “the Lord is calling men to the priesthood and we are grateful you have responded.”
During the dinner that followed in the nearby school, Marcotte’s father, Dan Marcotte, said his heart was warm with joy as he witnessed the liturgy, calling it a beautiful occasion.
“He is on fire with the faith,” he said. “He has turned out to be such a great young man.”
Alluding to the transformation he’s witnessed in Leo while attending seminary, he stated that “I really think every young man should go to seminary because it’ll make them a better dad, a better friend, a better human.”
Reflecting on the bishop’s words earlier that evening about how visitors to the country are in awe of the plenty and how nice people are, he said his son is like that with the faith.
“There's so much opportunity that he wants to do to make it a healthy world,” he said. “I’m a very proud dad right now.”
His mother, Maura Marcotte, also expressed how amazingly proud she is of him, and how grateful she is for the formation he received at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. She feels there is something about the seminary that is “amazing.” Every year, she said, he comes home a more confident, well-formed, generous and thoughtful man.
“He went in there one guy and came out a completely different man… and all for the better,” she said.
Maura Marcotte admitted when Leo first shared his interest in discerning the priesthood, she had mixed emotions as she was aware of how difficult the life of a priest can be at times.
“As a mother, I don't want my son to suffer, but on the other hand, it is what gives him joy,” she said. “He is absolutely certain that this is what our Lord wants, and so, then it's what I want too.”
Seminarian Collin Van Waardenburg said it was a bit of an emotional evening. He noted his last year of college seminary was Leo’s first year. He said he tried to be a mentor figure for him as he started his formation.
“I've always kind of had that brotherly feeling towards him, and just seeing him make this really definitive step, where he's making this public commitment, is really impactful,” he said.
Van Waardenburg added that even though the Rite of Candidacy Mass itself is very small and very simple to people who don’t directly experience it, it does have deep meaning.
“It can seem kind of inconsequential, but I know at least for me, once I put on that collar, everything changed,” he said.
Van Waardenburg is excited to have Leo join him and Deacon Nicholas Emsing in Milwaukee. He is looking forward to seeing how he continues to be molded into a priest. He knows the parish he will be assisting at and the seminarians he will be with and said, “I just see nothing but bright things in his future.”
“Going to theology school is just direct preparation for priestly ministry,” Van Waardenburg said. “It is such a definitive change, but I think it's beautiful in the market in this way.”
Father Benjamin Ross, pastor of St. Bridget, who has had the privilege of hosting a number of seminarians during past summers, enjoyed seeing first-hand one of them continue to progress in their formation.
“It’s nice to see some of the fruit of hosting seminarians and promoting vocations in the parish,” he said. “It’s definitely a great thing.”
To learn more about the seminarians in the Diocese of Gary or about the priesthood, visit https://garyvocations.com/
More about Seminarian Leo Marcotte
Leo Marcotte was born in Chicago, Ill., and was raised by his Catholic parents, Daniel and Maura Marcotte. He has two sisters, and as the middle child, is about two years apart from each of them. He was homeschooled through high school and recently graduated from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in Philosophy while attending Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary.
“Without question, my parents have been my greatest supporters throughout my vocational journey,” he said. “From the very beginning, they always told me they would support whatever vocation God called me to. When I shared that I was considering the priesthood, they embraced that possibility wholeheartedly and have continued to encourage me every step of the way.
Marcotte continued, “I have also been incredibly blessed by the support of the priests of the Diocese of Gary, my seminary formators, and my fellow seminarians, all of whom have helped me grow in my relationship with Christ and in my discernment.”
