Editor’s Note: The Register invited the five men who were ordained transitional deacons last year to write columns for the Register, to introduce themselves to the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln.
Deacon Mitchell Schleis (pronounced “Shlice”) is from Sacred Heart Parish in Shelby. He was ordained a deacon in May 2023 and served at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ Parish in Lincoln last summer. He is now in Theology 4 at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.
Ordinations will be May 24 (new deacons) and 25 (new priests) in the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln.
By Deacon Mitchell Schleis
The first time anyone suggested that I think of the priesthood was when I was in second grade at summer CCD. A Christ the King Sister told me I should pray about whether God wanted me to be a priest. As a second-grader, though, I didn’t really understand what that meant.
Fifth grade was the first time I actually thought I might want to be a priest. My family moved from our home outside Shelby into town, next to the church. I began to serve Mass often, and I loved being up at the altar. I got to know the pastor, Father John Rooney. I admired the fact that he loved Jesus but was also easy to talk to, and did normal things like go on bike rides and work out. I also started going to a Bible study with my dad while we lived in Shelby.
A parish mission put on by a Redemptorist priest from the Bronx, N.Y., was another big help to my vocation. The first thing I liked about this priest was that he liked the Yankees, which happened to be my favorite baseball team. As an 11-year-old boy, as soon as he told me he knew Yogi Berra and that Berra was a good Catholic, I knew I liked this priest.
During the mission, I went to confession, and the priest asked me if I had ever thought of being a priest. When I told him I had, he suggested that I pray a Hail Mary every day for my vocation, a practice that I’ve continued to this day. Now, I pray the Hail Mary, asking God to sustain me in my vocation throughout my life.
After about a year and a half, my family moved to another house in Shelby. Around this time, I started to try to push away the desire to become a priest. I just couldn’t imagine not having a wife and children. I went to Shelby High School and participated in lots of sports and activities. Though I was set on avoiding ever becoming a priest, I still prayed the Hail Mary each night for my vocation.
After high school, I attended Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. I studied elementary education and ran track and cross country. I was sure I wanted to be a teacher and a coach in a small town.
During my freshman year of college, it seemed that God gave me the desire to be close to Him again, as I had been in elementary school. The priest assigned to the campus, Father Brad Pelzel, was another great spiritual father in my life. He was very patient with me and gave me good advice about how to live as a Catholic on a college campus. He was always easy to talk to about vocational discernment. He encouraged me to be open to God’s will in my life, but at the same time, he was never pushy about it. I thought off and on about a priestly vocation in college, but I tried to avoid thinking about it as much as I could.
Being a member of the track team was an incredible blessing. I had wonderful teammates and great coaches. I was on some good teams and had a good deal of success on the track. However, no goal I achieved ever seemed to quite fill me. When I was a senior, I accomplished one of the biggest goals I had on the track. It was an exhilarating and exciting day! However, when I went to bed that night at our hotel in Johnson City, Tenn., I actually had an empty feeling.
As I looked back on what a wonderful day it had been, I realized that while accomplishing that goal was such a victory in my life, the next day would be just another day. Fulfilling a goal that I had chased and thought about almost constantly for four years was wonderful, but it could not bring peace that lasted even into the next day. I thought about God, and I realized that only He could truly satisfy the longing in my heart.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed as though God could be calling me to be a priest. However, I still – for whatever reason – could not, or would not, accept this call. After college, I taught sixth grade for two years at St. Francis Catholic School in Humphrey. I was also the coach of the high school cross country team. After two years of teaching, though, I still thought often of the seminary.
Finally, in the fall of 2018, I decided to leave teaching and enter seminary. It was quite difficult to return to school and was surprising for some friends and family, but I knew that this is where God was leading me.
Little by little, throughout my time in seminary, God confirmed that He is calling me to be a priest. Although there were moments along the way that I wasn’t sure if I would make it to ordination, God, in His Providence, showed me that my deepest desire was to serve Him as a priest. Through my formators and spiritual directors, I was led to recognize signs in my life that God had been calling me to be a priest since I was very young.
I’m so thankful for the love and support I’ve received from so many good people. I’m especially grateful to my mom and dad for introducing me to Jesus, for giving me the gift of the Catholic faith, and for the love they’ve given to me. I’m also so thankful for the love and support of my brother and sister, Mason and Maryssa. Most especially though, I’m grateful to God for creating me and calling me to be His priest.
Read the other deacons' columns:
