Trusting God to lead you in the right direction requires great strength and even more faith and this is exactly what Seminarian Steven Roth is doing.
In January of 2008, Roth, began studying to become a priest at St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park, Maryland. However, Roth’s involvement in the church can be traced even further back to his days in grade school in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, when he helped out at his parish, thinking about one day becoming a priest. “I always felt drawn to the priesthood,” said Roth. “I thought it was a great way to help people in a variety of ways and circumstances.”
As a college professor and counselor prior to joining the seminary, Roth felt incomplete and unsatisfied. “I did not feel I was using all of my gifts in that setting,” Roth said.
After almost two and a half years in the seminary, Roth has now been assigned to work at St. Margaret’s Church until August. “I basically do everything a priest would do, with the exception of celebrating mass,” said Roth. He frequently speaks to the 800 or so children who attend St. Margaret’s School, preaches on the weekends, visits the sick, and helps out at funerals and weddings. “It is an exciting life, as every day is different,” said Roth. Although Roth has only been at St. Margaret’s for a short time, he has already grown attached to it. “It’s a great place with a lot of activities always going on,” Roth said. “People are very energized and enthusiastic to get involved.”
Roth felt similarly when he visited John Carroll for the All Saints Day Mass. After the service, Roth was given the opportunity to talk to several religion classes. “I was very impressed,” Roth said., “I thought the students were very engaged in our conversation about vocation. They asked some insightful questions, and there seemed to be a really great sense of welcome within the school.”
After his time at St. Margaret’s, Roth will return to the seminary to become a deacon by next May and a priest the following June. “At times, I would say that it is a bit overwhelming to think of the responsibilities and the roll of being a priest, but overall, especially working at St. Margaret’s, I feel more confirmed that this is the vocation God is calling me to do. God will always lead me in the right direction,” said Roth.
Nicky Hatzidimitriou can be reached for comment at [email protected].