Former St. John the Baptist pastor to provide spiritual formation for seminarians
Briefly:
- Fr. Ben Little has been appointed as a spiritual director at The Saint Paul Seminary.
- He previously served as pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School in Savage, Minnesota.
- A Companions of Christ member and podcast host, he was ordained in 2012 after studying at The Saint Paul Seminary.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has appointed Fr. Ben Little to serve as a spiritual director at The Saint Paul Seminary starting July 1.
Little, who was ordained in 2012 after receiving his Master of Divinity from The Saint Paul Seminary, has served in several leadership roles, most recently as pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School in Savage. He previously held assignments at the Church of St. Peter in Forest Lake, St. Olaf in Minneapolis, Pope St. John Paul II School in Minneapolis, and the Church of St. Michael’ in Farmington.
Little received his spiritual direction training from the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska.
“In Fr. Little, our seminarians will have a spiritual director who knows firsthand the joys and challenges of priestly life,” said seminary rector Fr. Joseph Taphorn. “His deep love for Christ, experience as a pastor, and commitment to fraternity will be a tremendous blessing to our men in formation.”
As part of his pastoral work, Little has hosted the podcast “Friends of the Bridegroom,” where he discusses spiritual formation and Christian discipleship. He is also a member of the Companions of Christ — a fraternity of diocesan priests dedicated to living in community — and an avid outdoorsman.
“Returning to The Saint Paul Seminary as a spiritual director is both a privilege and a responsibility I take to heart,” Little said. “This seminary shaped my own journey to the priesthood, and I look forward to walking alongside these men as they discern God’s call.”