Edison M. Tayag was ordained as a Transitional Deacon in 2007. He is completing his final year of major seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and will be ordained a priest on June 28th at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

I was born in the Philippines and raised by my parents: Eduardo, a woodworker, and Ofelia, an elementary school teacher. I have two sisters and a brother.

Before becoming a seminarian for the Diocese of Rochester, I was a physical therapist for almost ten years. I worked in Manila; Okeechobee, Florida; West Haven, Connecticut and Brooklyn, Brockport and Montour Falls, N.Y.

In 2001, I took part in a diocesan retreat for young men interested in the ministerial priesthood called “Twenty-four Hours with the Lord”. At the time, I was a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul in Churchville, N.Y. I continued my discernment while a parishioner of St. Mary of the Lake in Watkins Glen. In 2002, I moved in to Becket Hall and started taking courses in philosophy and religious studies at St. John Fisher College, in preparation for seminary.

Summer pastoral assignments have brought me to a Central-American Immersion Program in El Salvador, a parish in the Philippines, and to Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Greece, N.Y.

I love to spend my days off hiking, kayaking, or taking occasional long drives along Route 17 to visit friends near NYC and NJ.

Brian Carpenter

I am currently at Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, IL. I am a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (by the way, Go Irish).

I spent a good portion of my life discerning a call to the priesthood. Unlike most people, I felt this call from an early age. However, I did not always welcome this call, and I tried to fight it on several occasions. When I was in High School and College, I wanted nothing more than for it to go away, and it presented a real struggle for me. Eventually, I learned that the only thing I could do was embrace this call, and explore if God was truly calling me to the priesthood. That was the best decision I made. I cannot quite explain it, as I am definitely making less money and living a much simpler lifestyle than I did in the past, but I am so much happier now than I was when I was working and making money. So I guess the lesson I learned is similar to the lesson that Jonah learned – when God calls you, you can either cooperate, or go kicking and screaming, but you cannot avoid God.

If I had some advice to give to a person who is trying to discern their vocation in life, I would tell them to let go of their fears. I would also tell them to take things slow, one step at a time. You will not be ordained tomorrow. Just ask God what is the next step for you. Not everyone who enters a seminary is ordained, and that does not mean that they failed. Seminary and discernments houses (like Becket Hall) exist to help people discern how God is calling them to lead their life. Nobody is going to pressure you to make a decision. They will help you to better understand what God is asking of you. God calls each one of us in a very unique and particular way. Answer the call!

Dear friend,

I invite you to consider the call to the ordained priesthood. It is an essential component of the sacramental life of Church. As the Director of Seminarians, I offer my assistance in your discernment process. I would be happy to share my enthusiasm for priestly ministry and, together, we may seek to be aware of God’s call in your life.

In Christ,
Fr. Jim Schwartz, Director of Seminarians

Prior to becoming seminarians, the men spend two years in formal discernment.
One of those years is at Becket Hall.

Matt is a native of Elmira, NY and Blessed Sacrament Parish. He is a 2004 graduate of The Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. He will begin attending St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois this Fall.

David is originally from St. Mary's Parish in Ontario, NY. He earned his undergrad in English and a MA in Philosophy from SUNY Albany. He will begin attending the Pontifical North American College in Rome this Fall.

Michael is a Livonia, NY, native and parishioner of St. Matthew Church. He is a 1996 graduate of Catholic University where he studied music. He will begin attending the American College in Louvain, Belgium this Fall.

Peter is a recent graduate of R.I.T. with a degree in Information Technology. He is a native of New Jersey. He will begin attending Theological College in Washington, D.C. this Fall.

Zach is familiar to both St. Charles and St. Lawrence parishes in Rochester. He is a philosophy major, finishing his final year of undergradute study at St. John Fisher College. He will begin attending Theological College in Washington, D.C. this Fall.

Please pray for these men who have spent this year growing in their relationship with the Church of Rochester and discerning God’s path for them.  Let us also pray that each of us will use our gifts to the fullest to build God’s Kingdom and encourage others to do the same.