Seminarian Benjamin Afelskie

diocesan seminarian

Most of my childhood was spent in Barry's Bay Ontario before my family relocated to the family farm in Deacon. Coming from a large family, myself being one of nine children, has had a great impact on me. After graduating from high school, I went to Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College for one year of studies and formation in the liberal arts. Although my calling to the priesthood has been with me since my youth, during high school and my formative year at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom I began to more seriously consider this path that I believed God was and is calling me to.

Vocation story

The third eldest of nine children, I grew up with a real appreciation of an upbringing in a Catholic family. In a world marred by the attacks on family and marriage, it was pivotal that I was raised in a family where my parents were sacramentally married and practicing Catholics. Indeed, to them I owe a great debt. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, it is the parents who are to be the first teachers of the children (1653). This was the case for me; and my experience of the domestic church, though imperfect, provided me with a sure grounding to follow the path I believe God placed on my heart before I was born.

My elementary school education was completed at St. John Bosco Catholic School in Barry’s Bay, where I grew up. During this time of childhood, I developed a particular appreciation for St. John Bosco who so gently taught that love triumphs over violence. Like many young boys, I began serving after having received my First Confession and First Holy Communion. Being an altar server allowed me a particularly close look at one aspect of a priest's life and allowed me to consider the indispensable role of the priest. My home parish of St. Hedwig’s provided me with pertinent examples of a thriving Catholic community, in which the Church was not dying, but crying due to many babies. Seeing a church both grow and remain faithful over generations cemented me more deeply in my conviction that what society is lacking today is Jesus Christ, not another strange philosophy or false idol.

Over my high school years, I developed a deeper devotion to the sacraments as I began to take my participation in the mass more seriously. I was no longer an observer, but a participant, even if not always altar serving. With the gentle nudging of the parish priests of St. Hedwig’s, the persistent knocking of the Holy Spirit upon the door of my soul became more obvious.

Perceiving this call, I began a casual inquiry into the life and ministry of the diocesan priest, guided by both priests of this diocese, various religious priests, and Oblates of Mary Immaculate who serve as my parish priests. With resources such as the Bible and Catechism in a Year by Fr. Mike Schmitz, I developed a deeper sense of the teachings of the Church. These teachings not only stood up to reason, but pointed to a deeper and eternal reality that exists all around me.

Having completed high school, I began to wonder what I should do the following year. With the advice of others, I decided to attend Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry’s Bay. There I began to attend daily mass, receive spiritual direction, live in fraternity with other practising Catholic men, and deepen my understanding of Christianity in history, literature, Latin, philosophy, and more. This year of formation was invaluable to me, and left me contemplating returning to complete my philosophy degree at the College. However, God had other plans, and it became apparent to me that I would not be peaceful with my future unless I began to actively pursue a priestly calling. After a year of further discernment and formation, I reached out to my vocation director, Fr. Mitch Beachey, and began moving forward in my application. With His Excellency Bishop Michael Brehl accepting me as a seminarian for the Pembroke Diocese, I felt a deep peace that I had placed myself in the hands of my heavenly Father and Our Lady, and that both would protect me as my pilgrimage continued.