Joseph Upton
Home Parish: Saint Paul, Cranston
Age: 24
Seminary: Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD (‘10)
High School: Cranston High School East (‘01)
College: Providence College (‘06)
Parents: Joseph and Patricia
Hobbies: Web Design
When did you start thinking about being a priest
I first thought about priesthood when I was a very small child, perhaps first or second grade.
What were some Church activities that you participated in prior to entering the seminary?
Before entering the seminary, I was an altar server. After I was confirmed I served as both Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and as a Reader. I was also a catechist and my first paid job was as the sacristan at my home parish of Saint Paul.
What is your favorite Scripture passage?
My favorite Scripture passage is John 13:3-15, which recounts the story of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles. This is my favorite passage because Jesus gives his apostles a poignant sign of what priestly ministry is really all about: service. “As I have done for you, so you should do for others.”
Who influenced/inspired you to priesthood? Explain.
Several priests from my parish throughout my childhood had a profound influence on my discernment. I admired and respected the priests from my parish and wanted to emulate them.
Did anybody invite you to consider the priesthood?
Both my maternal and paternal grandparents were the first to notice and encourage a priestly vocation in me.
How did you come to know Jesus Christ and his call in your life?
Because I experienced a calling to priesthood from such a young age, my sense of vocation matured within the context of a growing and deepening sense of personal faith. While my experience of God was profound from an early age, I had to “grow” into the faith and make it more and more real for me as I got older.
What were the spiritual events or activities that helped you develop and shape your personal relationship with Christ and his Church?
My involvement in my parish allowed me to see the “behind-the-scenes” life of the priest, and I saw normal and happy men engaged in a ministry that seemed to bring them much fulfillment and joy. Their joy and peace with their calling was contagious.
Were there any signs that led you to believe God was calling you to be a priest?
From a very early age, I have felt a desire to serve others. I have always enjoyed being with people (of all ages) and ministering to them in all forms.
How did your family and friends react when you told them that you were entering the seminary?
While my friends did not really understand what I was experiencing as a call to priesthood, they were extremely supportive. My family, too, while initially apprehensive (especially my parents who wanted loads of grandchildren), are extremely proud of me and are supportive of my decision.
What was the transition like into seminary life? What did you imagine it to be, and in fact what was it like?
When I first entered seminary, I had decided that I was ready for ordination the next day. As an eighteen year-old right out of high school, I didn’t think the seminary could teach me anything I didn’t already know! I didn’t realize that much interior growth and maturing has to occur before the church calls a man to ordination. Now I see that I was nowhere near ready for ordination then, and while I have grown a great deal, I still have a long way to go! But the beauty of seminary is that you live with men who are experiencing the same calling as you, and are also experiencing the same challenges. To know that you are not alone in your hopes and dreams and also your struggles is very comforting. The seminary community for me became a place where strong friendships were forged and I grew closer to God through prayer and the frequent reception of the sacraments. Even men that I know who have left the seminary, realizing that their vocation was to another state of life, have been edified by their experience in seminary and never regretted it.
Why is the priesthood so important today?
The world in which we live seems to be in ever-increasing need of healing. The priest is called to be the healing presence of Christ in the world, and to remind people that we are only pilgrims here, that our true home is heaven. The chaste celibacy of the priest is a radical icon of self-giving in a world which stresses the need to take and possess.
However, while the world is and always will be, in need of healing, God is working great wonders in the Church. Increasing numbers of laity, who are serious about their faith and serious about their role in the Church, are in need of dedicated and loving servants to minister to them as they bring the Gospel into the public square.
What advice would you give to a man who is “on the fence” about entering the seminary?
As Pope John Paul was so fond of saying, “Do not be afraid!” God never calls us to do something that he won’t supply the strength for us to accomplish. And, unworthiness is a reality for all priests and seminarians: no one is truly worthy of the call to priesthood. Don’t let your own fears of inadequacy prevent you from exploring the possibility of being a priest. Find a priest to talk to and come visit the seminary! The apostles’ lives would have taken a very different course if they hadn’t accepted Jesus’ invitation to “Come and see!”
