By: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Putting On The New Man is a series of the NDS Blog that will introduce the new faces you see in the seminary.
CUONG TRAN
My name is Cuong Tran, and I am going into T1 and studying for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. One of my favorite saints is St. Therese of Lisieux; consequently, her autobiography The Story of a Soul is one of my favorite spiritual books. 1 Cor 4:10 is one of my favorite Scripture verses, and that entire chapter sums up my desire to be a priest and a father like St. Paul. If I had to narrow it down to one definite moment, I heard God calling me to the priesthood at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Stony Point, New York. Spending a summer in Europe visiting Germany, Rome, and attending WYD in Krakow also affirmed my desire to become a priest. When I am not reading Aquinas or Ratzinger, I like to watch comedy shows, like the Simpsons or Bob’s Burger. Parasite is my favorite movie.
JOSH ZELDEN
My name is Josh Zelden, of the Baton Rouge diocese, beginning at NDS as a PT2 student. The most interesting thing that has happened to me in my life so far is that I am quitting my fairly successful practice of law of 20 years to enter into the seminary. I want to become a priest because it is time. All of my experiences, my education and my relationships, are leading to this; the good Lord is calling me. If I had to describe my vocation story in seven words or less: ensnared by the world; liberated by God. Two of my favorite saints are Saint Maximilian Kolbe and Saint Jean Vianney, because of their unwavering devotion as shepherds to their flock. A couple of my favorite movies are The Mission and Braveheart. My current favorite quote is “Live not by lies,” by the Soviet dissident, Alexander Solzhenitsyn. My hobbies are mostly reading and exercise. It is very hard to choose just a couple, but two of my more favorite spiritual books are St. Augustine’s Confessions, and G. K. Chesterton’s Everlasting Man.
DALE SULLIVAN
My name is Dale Sullivan, and I’m from the Diocese of Dallas. I am entering Notre Dame Seminary as a first year Pre-Theologian. My all-time favorite saint is Saint Thomas More. Not necessarily because of his act of martyrdom but because of his love of academia. I can relate to him because he often shirked his responsibilities to spend time with things he found more interesting. As far as I know that’s how his fidelity to the Church grew. My favorite movie would have to be Hot Fuzz. There is just something about the cinematography, clever dialogue, and story-telling that makes it a modern cinematic masterpiece for Edgar Wright. The scripture verse that first caught my attention was Romans 12:2 and has always led my formation as a human being. It reminds me to constantly take stock and to look for the areas that I need to grow in holiness simply by changing my understanding of who I am in relation to God as well as the world around me. I can’t pinpoint any single reason why I want to be a priest and maybe it is for all of the reasons anyone can name. I definitely want to instill true Hope in people and to have a more intimate involvement in the sacraments. “No Man is an Island” by Thomas Merton grabbed my attention unlike any book I had read previously, with the exception of “The Way” by Josemaria Escriva. Both books inspired me to be a more robust Catholic and to realize the extreme lifestyle we are called to in being effective evangelists and witnesses. I’m not sure I know what the most interesting thing that ever happened to me would be but I did once meet Bobcat Goldthwait in a comedy club and he let me hug him. I also have 5 extra bones in my left foot that serve no purpose other than taking up space. If I am to describe my vocation story briefly it would be, “I was reluctant but God persisted.” My hobbies vary from time to time but for the most part I enjoy movies of all kinds and video games, namely for the narrative aspect. I enjoy story-telling and narrative and how we can better understand the world through one of the oldest forms of entertainment for humans.
About the Author: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Jason is in 2nd Theology.
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