If you asked seminarian Matthew Waldman 10 years ago if he would like to become a priest, the answer would be a resounding, ‘No.’ However, much changed in the past decade for Waldman, 31, who now nears the end of priestly formation.
The Long Island, New York, native, who is studying for the priesthood at the Pontifical College Josephinum, moved to Columbus as a child. He returned in 2015 as an adult and entered the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults that year to become Catholic.
Interest in the priesthood, though, was simply not existent.
“I decided to go into telecommunications and quickly worked my way up into leadership positions, and eventually, at one point, had about 100 people who were direct reporting to me at a call center here in Columbus,” Waldman recalled. “I decided to move on from that position and moved into banking, and then, eventually, mortgage underwriting.”
However, over time, Waldman’s journey up the corporate ladder took a sharp turn.
He got more involved at his parish, Columbus St. Cecilia Church. He was in charge of the parish’s Eucharistic ministers, served as a master of ceremonies and developed a friendship with the pastor.
He recalled receiving a “thank you” note for a gift he had given then-pastor, Father Leo Connolly.
“At the bottom he writes, ‘P.S. – Have you ever thought about being a priest?’ And in that moment, I remember sitting in my apartment, by myself, and I just instantly crumbled that piece of paper and chucked it across my apartment,” Waldman recounted, “because there was no way, at that moment, that I thought I could be a priest. It was the wildest idea, and I thought he was absolutely crazy for even thinking that I was a possible candidate for the priesthood.”
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Yet, as is commonly said, God doesn’t call the equipped. The Lord equips the called.
Try as he might, Waldman could not ignore persistent thoughts of the priesthood that seemed to linger at the back of his mind.
“I would find myself working at the computer and then also daydreaming about the priesthood,” Waldman recalled, “or I would walk into Mass and realize that I was thinking about, what if I were celebrating the Mass, or when I went into confession to confess my sins, I would think about, what would I say if I were on the other side.”
Waldman planned to become a husband and biological father, as opposed to a spiritual father. He deeply desired marriage and family life, he explained, and was confused why that was coupled with thoughts of the priesthood.
He began asking God for a sign.
“I remember praying at St. Cecilia, saying, ‘Lord, I need you to put a billboard on I-270 that says, ‘Hey, you need to go to seminary,’ or ‘Hey, you need to go get married,’ and perhaps, that did not happen,” he said with a laugh, “although I wish it would have, but it did not. And so, I continued to pray for a spouse, and that didn’t happen either.”
The sign Waldman longed for came, somewhat, in a dream. He recalled awaking abruptly one night.
“I was sitting upright in my bed, 2 o’clock in the morning, full-blown sweat,” he said, “and I’m sitting up in my bed with my hands extended in the orans position (used by a priest, such as when praying the “Our Father”) as if I were celebrating Mass, and it was in that moment that I knew I needed to do something.”
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Waldman reached out to his pastor, and eventually, connected with Father William Hahn, then-vocations director for the diocese, to explore the vocation further.
Waldman also connected with Father Seth Keller, then a newly-ordained priest whose first assignment was at St. Cecilia Church. He also got involved with a chapter of the Melchizedek Project, a group for men to gather and discern the priesthood.
He started meeting regularly with the vocations director. In the fall of 2021, Waldman began studies for the priesthood at the Josephinum.
Seminary, however, was never a wide-angle shot, but rather, a close-up view.
“I always use the analogy of looking down the football field to try to make a touchdown,” Waldman said. “You’re not really necessarily looking in the end zone; you’re looking five or 10 yards in front of you.”
His spiritual life grew leaps and bounds in the process.
“Being amongst other men who are seeking the Lord is really edifying to help deepen not only your spiritual life but really help you grow in brotherhood and service to your brothers here in the seminary,” he explained. “And one of my favorite aspects of seminary life is when you get to go out of the seminary, when you get to go into the parishes and be with the people and just get that glimpse of what parish life really looks like.”
Waldman anticipates being ordained a transitional deacon in March 2027, and a priest, God willing, in 2028.
“The journey has been long. It’s been challenging, certainly, but I can certainly tell you this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” he affirmed, “and for me to say that now is such a great feeling for me, personally, because I really was always seeking happiness earlier on in my life.
“To now be here, at a point where I can truly say this is the happiness that I’ve wanted for a long time, is really an awesome thing.”
The Diocese of Columbus celebrates Vocations Awareness Week Nov. 1-7. To learn more, visit Live the Incredible | Columbus Catholic Vocations.