Rev. Mr. H. Todd Carter
St. Catherine Parish, Middletown
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, PA
I have my bachelor's degree in mathematics from The College of New Jersey, where I graduated in 2005.
I am a convert to Catholicism, having entered the Church in 2003 after a nearly year-long pursuit of truth in the middle of my college career. From that time until completing my degree, I was heavily involved in campus ministry and writing for the college newspaper. During this time, I grew deeper in prayer and felt God may be calling me. So I entered the program of priestly formation upon graduating college.
My other interests include practicing martial arts (I'm a black belt in Isshinryu karate and I started taking Akido classes in seminary), politics, science fiction and playing the euphonium.
What advice can you give to someone who is interested in discernment?
The only way for one to hear God's call is to develop one's prayer life. So, the first step would be to enter the sacramental life of the Church and pray daily. I would suggest the Rosary or a weekly holy hour, but there are a number of great devotions from the Church to choose from. Also, one should talk to priests about the call and go on as many vocation retreats as feasible, even from religious communities. If you become more attracted to the idea of being a priest through doing these things, then enter seminary to fully discern your call. Since, despite what some believe, seminary is not so much a promise as a deeper discernment. So, one should have no fear of trying.
