Meet our seminarians
Seminarians in the Archdiocese of Seattle have begun their journey toward the priesthood. Please pray for these men as they continue on their path of formation and discernment.
#thinkingpriesthood
There are a variety of ways to help support our seminarians! Read below to learn more about the 17 men currently in our program. We invite you to participate as you are able: Donate to the seminarian education fund, download the mailing list and send letters of encouragement, keep them in your daily prayers, join an organization that supports seminarians such as Crozier Society, Serra Club, Catholic Daughters, or Knights of Columbus, and invite other young men in your parish or family to consider a vocation to the priesthood, encouraging them to pray about it.
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Holy Disciples, Puyallup
Ayden grew up in Puyallup, WA, attending Holy Disciples parish with his parents and younger sister. After graduating from the Running Start program at Pierce College, he attended the University of Washington for four years and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. Upon graduation, he accepted a job as an equipment engineer at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Camas, WA.
During his three years in Camas, Ayden began discerning his vocation while actively involved with St. Thomas Aquinas parish and Catholic Community Services. He is excited to grow in his response to God’s call while at seminary.
His recreational interests include hiking, playing sports, listening to or playing music, and spending time with loved ones.
Propaedeutic Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Our Lady Star of the Sea, Bremerton
Check back soon!
Configuration Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
St. Michael, Olympia
Robert was born the last of eight children with his twin brother, Steven. He attended St. Michael during childhood and then Sacred Heart in Lacey for the last 10 years. Being involved in homeschool youth groups and retreats at St. Michael and altar serving at Sacred Heart since high school, Robert first started discerning a call to the priesthood when he was attending school by participating in the Quo Vadis Days retreats and talking with priests in the Olympia/Lacey area. After receiving his high school diploma, he attended Saint Martin's University and obtained a degree in Theology and Religious Studies in 2023.
Robert enjoys building things, listening to music, taking road trips around the Pacific Northwest, and spending time with family. He looks forward to being able to more closely develop a relationship with Jesus and with Mary through prayer and service to God's people.
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Sacred Heart, Enumclaw
Matthew was born and raised in Enumclaw, Washington and is one of eight kids. He was baptized as an infant at St. Aloysius in Buckley but spent most of his time attending Sacred Heart in Enumclaw. He was homeschooled from K-5th grade and attended public school from 6th-12th grade, graduating from Enumclaw High School in 2019. After high school, he joined the US Army and served for six years as a Geospatial Engineer. During his time in the Army, he lived in Kansas for three years during which he spent nine months in Germany before finishing his time in service at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. In mid-2021 while in Germany, his brigade commander inspired him to volunteer for the Military Catholic Community which eventually led to a moment of clarity where he realized God was calling him to discern the priesthood and he joined the seminary in 2025.
He enjoys playing and watching sports, reading books, trying new hobbies, and attending various social events. His brother is a priest.
Configuration Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
St. Mary, Marysville
The oldest of three, David grew up in a Catholic family. He was an altar server from 2nd grade through senior year, and then became the parish pianist. Participating in the Mass, David feels the presence of God’s love
and a true sense of joy and desire to serve others and bring people closer to Christ.
Since the pandemic began, David felt God calling him on a new path so he prayed more asking God to help him understand His will. After over a year and a half of careful discernment, David became a seminarian in 2021 and is grateful for everyone’s continued prayers as he continues in his second year of seminary.
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
St. Louise, Bellevue
Tagan was born in Redmond, Washington and grew up attending Saint Louise de Marillac in Bellevue. After graduating from the parish school, he attended O’Dea High School. He graduated with a bachelor's in finance from Auburn University, and he heard the call to priesthood towards the end of his time there.
Tagan enjoys golf, history, and getting to know new people. He is excited to continue to walk with the Lord in seminary and will try his utmost to follow where the Master leads!
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Our Lady Star of the Sea, Bremerton
Jozef was born in Waukesha, WI, where he spent the first seven years of his life before his family moved to Washington. He and his sisters spent their time playing sports, riding horses, and running wild in the woods of Belfair. Eventually, his family settled at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Bremerton, where he became an Altar Boy and joined various youth programs. He spent the rest of his teen years Altar Serving as much as possible and being involved in various youth ministries. Through the wonderful community, inspiring priestly ministry, and various youth programs he received the support and encouragement to begin discerning priesthood.
Once 18, he began to volunteer in the same programs he had participated in himself. This is where he felt a greater call to the priesthood through the joys experienced within his service. While continuing his discernment, he worked as a Nutrition Coordinator at a local retirement center before realizing he felt called to further discern priesthood in the seminary. He eventually began working at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Bremerton around April 2024, where he worked as a Youth Minister while he was applying to the seminary. There, he experienced many similar joys as he led the Confirmation Program, Youth Group, and helped out wherever he could as he worked through the application process.
He tries to spend most of his free time outside, playing sports, backpacking, hiking (especially looking for lakes to swim in and rocks to climb), and reading. He is looking forward to his time in seminary so that he can more intentionally discern God’s Will for his life.
Propaedeutic Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Vietnamese Martyrs, Tukwila
Long was born and raised in a devout Catholic family in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam. He is the third of four children; he grew up in a loving family and an active parish community, where his faith was nurtured through prayer, catechism, the Eucharistic Youth Movement, and serving at the altar. He did well in school, especially in mathematics and chemistry. In ninth grade, Long began to discern his vocation to the priesthood in Xuan Loc Diocese. He became more involved in his parish, serving as an altar server and assisting with catechism programs. Through these experiences, he gradually began to recognize God's calling. In May 2023, Long moved to the United States to continue his education and discern his vocation. At his home parish, Vietnamese Martyrs Parish in Tukwila, he participated in the liturgy as a Eucharistic Minister, choir, and assisted with the Vietnamese language program. Through these experiences, Long has come to see more clearly that he finds true joy and peace in serving others. His experiences in both Vietnam and the United States have strengthened his desire to discern the diocesan priesthood. In his free time, Long enjoys playing soccer, badminton, and piano. Long has the support of his family, friends, and parish community, enabling him to continue steadfastly on the path he has chosen in response to God's call.
Propaedeutic Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
St. Luke, Shoreline
Soon to come!
Vocational Synthesis Stage
Mundelein Seminary
Home parish:
Holy Redeemer, Vancouver
A parishioner at Holy Redeemer for 10 years, Evan is an active young adult in the parish community and loves spending time serving others.
It is with great joy that he began his formation as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Seattle in the fall of 2020 at Bishop White Seminary. He is grateful for those who have been praying for him and helped him get to where he is today. He asks for continued prayers as he begins this next phase of his discernment. Praise and glory to Christ our Savior and his Blessed Mother.
Vocational Synthesis Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Holy Spirit, Kent
The first of two children in his family, Patrick was born and raised in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya.
He was initiated into the Catholic faith at a young age and went on to lovingly serve the youth of his parish and the Pontifical Missionary Children of the Archdiocese of Nairobi as their chairperson and advocate.
In his free time, if he is not singing he is playing soccer.
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Our Lady Star of the Sea, Bremerton
Bradley was born and raised in Bremerton, Washington and is the oldest of nine children. Growing up, his family were parishioners at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Bremerton, and Bradley attended the attached elementary and middle school. He would then go on to attend an independent classical high school in the Catholic tradition. Bradley was an altar served and performed in the choir often growing up, even up to his departure to seminary.
Bradley enjoys participating in the liturgy and helping teach others to do so, as well as working with his hands. He also enjoys working on cars, relaxing and scenic drives, building and fixing things, listening to classic jazz, and golfing in his free time.
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Pope St. John XXIII, Tacoma
Paul Dung Nguyen was born and raised in a Catholic family in Nghe An province, Vietnam. The first of six children, he started participating in the Mass as an altar server when he was eleven years old and joined the Eucharistic Youth Movement in his home parish. Paul graduated from Yen Thanh III High School and went to Da Nang University of Science and Education to study psychology. His Catholic faith was formed by the example of his parents and was cultivated and consolidated by learning the Catechism and being an altar server. In Vietnam, it is common for discerners to live in the rectory to assist the priests and see what they do. While doing this, Paul was able to see and understand his discernment to the priesthood on a deeper level, eventually deciding to apply to the seminary program.
After moving to the Archdiocese of Seattle, Paul attended St. John Bosco in Lakewood, Washington, where he quickly became a part of the community, served in the liturgy, and made many friends. He became a seminarian for the archdiocese in the Spring of 2024 and attends Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon.
Propaedeutic Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Vietnamese Martyrs, Tukwila
Vincent was born and raised in Vietnam in a traditional Catholic family, attending his home parish of Vinh Hoa in the Phu Cuong diocese. His family and the Catholic Parishes have deeply shaped his faith, which he has had the chance to serve and grow in. Throughout his life, family has been an important source of love, support, and faith. As he progressed through various stages of education and eventually moved to the United States, these experiences helped Vincent develop independence, responsibility, and maturity. His vocation to the priesthood has gradually developed through prayer, parish life, and experiences of serving alongside priests. Through serving at the altar, accompanying his pastor in pastoral ministry, and visiting the sick, Vincent came to understand that priesthood is not simply a job, but a life of prayer, sacrifice, humility, and service to God’s people. These experiences have led him to become increasingly open to discerning a vocation to the diocesan priesthood. He did not see entering seminary as a claim that he was already certain of his vocation, but as a humble response to God’s invitation to discern His will more deeply. The Scripture passage that continues to guide his life is, “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). He desires to entrust his life to God’s grace and allow the Holy Spirit to guide him toward the vocation He has prepared for me.
Vocational Synthesis Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
St. Michael, Olympia
Richard was born the youngest of six children in Olympia. He attended St. Michael Parish for his entire youth and early adulthood. Much of his time there was spent as an altar server and participating in youth groups.
Homeschooled from kindergarten through middle school, Richard attended Avanti High School and took classes at South Puget Sound College through the Running Start program. After receiving his high school diploma and associate's degree, he attended St. Martin's University and obtained a bachelor's degree in social work.
Richard enjoys camping, hiking and generally being outdoors. He also spends his time reading and learning the basics of guitar and piano. He looks forward to following the gentle and persistent call of Jesus within his life.
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Our Lady Star of the Sea, Bremerton
Philip was born in Vancouver, Washington as the ninth of eleven children, with a twin sister. He grew up attending St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and later moved to Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Bremerton where he attended the parochial school and later an independent classical high school in the Catholic tradition. He has also had the great joy of working as the parish organist and of singing in multiple choirs, helping to develop a great love for the beauty of sacred music and its integral in reverent worship. He loves learning about the Church’s history, especially regarding the Liturgy. Philip also enjoys following NFL football and spending time with his nieces and nephews.
He is excited to begin giving back to his home archdiocese and learning how to better respond to the Lord’s call for a committed, sacrificial love in service of the Church.
Vocational Synthesis Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
St. Stephen the Martyr, Renton
Sylvester grew up in the South Indian city of Chennai, close to where St. Thomas the Apostle was martyred. He was deeply influenced by his family’s Catholic faith and the Salesian priests at Don Bosco School in Chennai. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering and a master’s degree in bioengineering. After graduation he worked in health care and education.
Over the years Divine Providence has been a constant part of his life and continues to shape his vocation journey. He credits adoration, the Holy Family and the loving support of his spiritual family at St. Stephen the Martyr as being crucial to his discernment. During his time at seminary, he seeks to grow in his relationship with the Holy Trinity. He feels blessed to receive God’s call and is excited to journey with God.
Discipleship Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
St. Gabriel, Port Orchard
Tyler was raised in a Protestant family, but it wasn’t until his late teenage years when he determined he needed to focus his life on Christ. Upon turning 18 he joined an ecumenical missionary organization for young people and spent the latter half of 2017 to early 2020 abroad. During his time abroad he had a conversion experience wandering into a Mass where he encountered the worship of God in a beautifully new and profound way. This started him down the path of conversion to the Catholic Faith when he came into the Church during the Easter Vigil of 2022. He spent the next two years serving in different ministries at St. Gabriel and later being employed with them while discerning if the focus Christ called him to, was a call to the Priesthood.
He enjoys reading and nature walks in his free time.
Propaedeutic Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Our Lady Star of the Sea, Bremerton
Bio Soon to come, check back!
Configuration Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Our Lady of Lourdes, Seattle
Chung was born and raised in a Catholic family in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam. The eldest of three children, he grew up in a faith-filled household where daily prayer and active parish involvement were part of family life. After graduating from Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Chung entered the Jesuit Candidates House and Novitiate Sacred Heart (Society of Jesus) in Saigon, Vietnam, where he spent seven years deepening his spiritual formation and exploring his vocation. He discerned that God was calling him to diocesan priesthood. Chung moved to the United States to continue his discernment with the Archdiocese of Seattle. He currently resides at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Seattle. At the parish, he is active in liturgical life - serving at the altar, playing the piano and organ for Masses, and assisting in training altar servers. Chung is grateful for the many people who have supported him in his journey, especially his family, priest mentors, and friends.
He continues to trust in God’s guidance in seminary formation and asks for your prayers as he follows Christ in service to His Church
Vocational Synthesis Stage
Mundelein Seminary
Home parish:
Our Lady Star of the Sea Bremerton
Fred was born the seventh of eleven children to a Protestant minister. After completing his homeschool education, Fred joined the Navy where he served as a Nuclear Machinist’s Mate for nine years. He converted to Catholicism in 2016, and served as a Sacristan, Lector, and Extraordinary Minister at St. Mary Star of the Sea in Port Townsend and later as an altar server at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Bremerton.
Fred spends his free time riding his motorcycle, hiking, and fishing. He is excited to continue discerning his vocation at seminary.
Propaedeutic Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Sacred Heart, Bellingham
Daniel is the older of two children and is originally from California. He was raised in an irreligious family. During his time at university, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and international relations, he converted to the Catholic faith. Since then, he has attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bellingham. He began discerning the priesthood in 2024, and in 2026, he was accepted as a seminarian for the archdiocese. His interests include the study of history, liturgy, and moral theology. He also enjoys classical music and films. He is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study for the priesthood and to further discern God’s will in his life.
Propaedeutic Stage
Mount Angel Seminary
Home parish:
Holy Cross, Lake Stevens
Clayton grew up in the small town of Granite Falls, Washington, and is the oldest of three. Although his family was Catholic, he grew up attending a Protestant church, where he first encountered Christ in the scriptures. After he reverted to the faith in 2020, he faithfully attended Holy Cross Lake Stevens until college, where he attended Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, in Spanaway. While he studied Mathematics and Sociology in college, he worked as a lay employee at St. Charles Borromeo in North Tacoma, where he started to discern his vocation seriously. This discernment was further fed by the joy he found in teaching Catechetics, lecturing at Mass, and volunteering with the Knights of Columbus. In his free time, he likes to read, hike, and listen to music. In addition to his studies, he is currently learning to play the organ.
Please continue to pray for all those in discernment
Congratulations to Rev. Simon Stehr, ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 2026.
Ordained: June 6, 2026 at St. James Cathedral
First Parish Placement: Parochial Vicar, Parish Family 41, St. Michael, Olympia & St. Edward, Shelton
Home parish:
St. Joseph, Chehalis
Simon was born and raised as a parishioner of St. Joseph in Chehalis. The second among five siblings, he was homeschooled before attending Centralia College as a Running Start student, where he graduated with an associate's degree in 2019. Growing up, Simon was active in his parish as an altar boy and a youth group participant. He later became the pianist/organist for both St. Mary, Centralia, and St. Joseph, Chehalis.
Some of his favorite activities include speech and debate, playing sports like soccer and frisbee, and piano. He is also passionate about the pro-life movement and was president of the Students for Life Club at Centralia College for two years. Simon began to sense a steady call to the priesthood in his early teenage years, and is grateful for the opportunity to discern God’s will in seminary.
NOTE: We do not sponsor or accept anyone from outside the Archdiocese of Seattle. Applicants for seminary will be considered after living in the area on their own for at least two years.
A vocation to married life enables us to love more deeply than we can by our own power. It transforms a contract between two people into a way of discipleship and conversion.
The USCCB tells us that Vocations must be talked about regularly if a "vocation culture" is to take root in parishes and families.
“Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
~ Matthew 28:20