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Year for Priests: Reflecting on vocation, ministry

Name: Msgr. Michael D. Sernett
 
Birth date including year:  July 29, 1944
 
Hometown:  Pocahontas, Iowa
 
Education:  Grade and High School at Sacred Heart School and Pocahontas Catholic School;  B.A. in Philosophy from Loras College in Dubuque in 1966;  Theology and Major Seminary at Mt. St. Bernard's Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa 1966-69 and the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, Ohio  - 1969-70; M.S. in Guidance and Counseling from Creighton University - 1966-1970;  Doctorate (J.C.D.) in Canon Law from St. John Lateran University in Rome - 1971-1975.
 
Ordination Date:  June 13, 1970 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City by Most Rev. Joseph M. Mueller.
 
Current Assignment:  Pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Graettinger, Iowa; Presiding Judge of the Appellate Court and Defender of the Bond for the Marriage Tribunal.
 
Hobbies/Interests:  Gardening (vegetable and flowers), Fishing, Hunting, Raquetball, and Pool.
 
Describe your call to Priesthood:   I felt the call to be a priest at an early age.  I loved serving Mass and helping the Franciscan Sisters work in the Sacristy and in Church.  In the Fourth Grade, after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, our class was lined up on the sidewalk in front of school. Msgr. Henry Karhoff and Bishop Mueller came walking by and they stopped in front of me.  Msgr. Karhoff told the Bishop that I would be one of his men someday!  Bishop Mueller gave me a blessing, and put his hand on my head. That made an impression and the rest is history.  From an early age in grade school I always thought that I wanted to be a priest.
 
Did anyone or anything provide you with inspiration to follow the call to priesthood?  The faith of my parents, grandparents, several members of Sacred Heart Parish in Pocahontas, my Pastor, Msgr. Henry B. Karhoff and several of the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque who taught in our school encouraged and inspired me to follow the call to be a priest.  Their constant prayers and encouragement made it a reality.
 
Was it a difficult decision to make? The desire to be a priest was always there so it was not a difficult decision to make.  The process of eight years of formation was not always easy and the doubts of being able to measure up to the call were always present.  God's grace prevailed.
 
What do you enjoy most about being a priest?  Celebrating Mass every day is the most enjoyable part of being a priest along with celebrating the other sacraments for people, visiting the Shut-ins and offering all the strength and healing power of the sacraments to those who need it.  Bringing the People of God to a greater faith experience, a greater experience of His love, and a greater appreciation of those gifts is most fulfilling.  After forty years of priesthood, getting to know the families and seving them the best I can has been memorable and enjoyable in many ways.
 
Are there any particular devotions or prayers that are dear to your heart?   I have always had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary along with the recitation of the daily rosary.  Reading about the lives of the Saints and their journey in the faith has always been encouraging and inspriational.  Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, praying for the whole Church in the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) has been a special duty.  There is no greater privilege than celebration the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each day.
 
Why do you find the priesthood to be a worthy vocation?  The worthiness of a vocation to the priesthood lies in the fact that the call comes from Christ Himself and is nurtured by the local and diocesan Church.  No individual is worthy of the call, but being an instrument of Christ in the world today is an awesome and challenging gift.  God always supplies the grace needed to continue His work and to follow His will.
 
What would you say to a young man considering a vocation to the priesthood?  If you are considering the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood, pray each day to be open to God's grace and then use that grace to trust in his Will for you.  We are never certain of His call until the day of Ordination, even though the desire may be great.  Keep listening to the Holy Spirit in prayer, keep trusting in God's grace and then do your best.  I know that the Lord is calling young men to follow Him in the vocation to the priesthood but there are a lot of distractions today and they do not always listen.  Talk to your pastor or a priest and contact the Vocation's Director of the Diocese of Sioux City.  They will support you and help guide you along the way.  If the call is authentic, the Lord will supply the grace to be the best priest that you can be.  If you find that the call is not for you, your experience will be enriching and beneficial for whatever God is calling you to be.