SEMINARIAN
MATTHEW MCCLAIN: Fol G
rowing up, Matthew Mclarly and went to confession Clain was blessed with and was overwhelmed with a two examples of religious life thirst for knowledge and wantin his family. His aunt, Sister ing to learn about the faith. I Barbara Austin, is a Benedicstarted watching videos from tine Sister living at St. Joseph Bishop Barron and things like Monastery in Tulsa. His uncle, that. What got me very deep Fr. Stephen Austin, is a priest into my spiritual life is when in the Diocese of Tulsa who I watched a video of Fr. Mike served as pastor of St. John Schmitz speaking on the EuBefore the Latin Gate from charist. That enkindled in me 1997 to 2004. With these role a love of the Eucharist, and I models to look up to from an started going to daily Mass. I early age, it is not surprisstarted feeling like God was ing that Matthew had always calling me to more than just thought of a possible call to coming to church.” the priesthood. And while life’s Matthew spoke with Paspath may have taken some tor Fr. John O’Neill about his twists and turns before he experience, and Fr. John put found his way to seminary, he him in touch with diocesan feels blessed by his ongoing Vocations Director, Fr. MiSeminarian Matthew McClain feels discernment to a vocation in blessed by his ongoing discernment to a chael Pratt. For about a year, the Church. Matthew immersed himself vocation in the Church. In Matthew’s first years at in parish life and served with Oklahoma State University, he joined several several ministries at St. John as he continued to groups that were designed for young men dis- discern. Once again, it was his love of the Euchacerning a call to the priesthood. By the time he rist that pointed the way. graduated college, however, he had fallen away “One of the ministries I was involved in that from the Church. For the next decade, while he helped me realize I was called to this was taking worked in IT at ConocoPhillips, Matthew only at- Communion to the homebound,” Matthew says. tended Mass sporadically. “Bringing Jesus to people every week was someAfter a while, Matthew started feeling that thing that stirred that desire in me that I wanted something was missing. to do this. So I started the application process “About four years ago or so, I was starting late last year, and then started my studies at St. to kind of sense something missing in my life Meinrad Seminary in Indiana this year.” and through reflection, I realized I was missing After adjusting to being back in the classroom God,” he says. “So I came back to Mass regu- after so many years, Matthew has happily set-
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