Blog

Posts and updates from faculty, staff and students.

saint paul seminary seminarian father zachary ochsenbauer

At age 6, Fr. Zachary Ochsenbauer lost his mother. But he met Christ.

Fr. Zachary Ochsenbauer, a newly ordained priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, speaks of his mother’s death not as a void, but as a place where Jesus made Himself known.

saint paul seminary rector fr joseph taphorn

From the rector: Gratitude and hope hallmarks of new era in Catholic Church

As we stand at the threshold of a new era in the life of the Church, I write to you with a heart full of gratitude and hope. These are dynamic and demanding times for the Catholic Church, and yet they are also rich with grace and possibility.

seminarian explains his eucharistic chalice

Watch: New Minnesota priests share stories behind their chalices, what they symbolize

Every Catholic priest has a chalice. And every chalice has a story. Newly ordained priests Fr. Nathaniel Daubner (Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota), Fr. Timothy Welch (Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota), Fr. Randall Skeate (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis) and Fr. Benjamin Peters (Diocese of Winona-Rochester) share theirs.

Set apart for the sacred: Saint Paul Seminary Class of 2025 celebrates priestly ordination

This spring and summer, 12 men formed at The Saint Paul Seminary will be ordained to the priesthood in five dioceses across the Upper Midwest and East Coast. These ordinations mark the culmination of years of formation and the beginning of a lifelong mission: to serve Christ and His Church through the sacraments, preaching, and pastoral care. As public signs of hope and renewal, these sacred moments celebrate the transformative call to act in the person of Christ.

saint paul seminary lay student graduates 2025

28 Saint Paul Seminary lay, religious students receive Master’s degrees or certificates

The Saint Paul Seminary is celebrating the 28 lay and religious students who have received or will receive their Master’s degrees or graduate certificates in the 2024-25 academic year.

Right worship: Understanding Catholic liturgy and the call for ‘full participation’

Catholic worship is about more than rituals — it’s the faithful offering themselves fully to God through reverent and active participation in the liturgy.

Deacon Mitchell Kendrioski shares his vocation story

‘God changed my heart’: The vocation story of Fr. Mitchell Kendrioski

Fr. Mitch Kendrioski shares his remarkable journey of faith, from a career in engineering to answering the call to the priesthood.

priest smiling

From the rector: Future priests must understand how to celebrate the Mass with the heart of Christ the High Priest

At The Saint Paul Seminary, we take seriously the Church’s mandate to ensure that future priests and deacons are formed to lead the people of God in worship that is beautiful, true and transformative.

ashes for ash wednesday at the beginning of lent

Lent isn’t just about fasting: The call to increased prayer, penance and almsgiving

Lent is a time of penance and preparation for Easter, calling Catholics to embrace prayer, fasting and almsgiving as the pillars of spiritual renewal. While fasting often receives primary emphasis, the Church invites us to a holistic approach that integrates all three practices, deepening our spiritual lives and fostering a closer relationship with God.

brother warnez to join Saint Paul Seminary faculty

Br. Matthew Warnez, B.H., joins The Saint Paul Seminary faculty

Br. Matthew Warnez, a member of the Brotherhood of Hope, will join The Saint Paul Seminary as an instructor of moral theology.