My name is Henry Laigaie and I am in my second year of formation at the College Seminary of the Immaculate Conception at Seton Hall University.
I am also a parishioner from Saint Andrew the Apostle Church in Gibbsboro. Before attending Saint Andrew’s, I started my religious journey at Holy Rosary Church and School in Cherry Hill. I continued my religious journey at Our Lady of Grace where I completed elementary school. I selected Paul VI High School and I greatly enjoyed my religious growth and experiences there.
I have been an altar server since the fourth grade and I can gladly say that being an altar sever and assisting the priest in the holy sacrifice of Mass enlightened me to the path of Christ and helped me look for more in my service to the Lord.
I have been truly blessed to grow up with great priests as role models in the parish and at high school. At Paul VI, Fr. Robert Hughes, the school President who also had parish duties, always had time for meaningful religious discussions.
It was Fr. Michael Romano, Chaplain at Paul VI, who provided me the opportunity to learn about and more fully investigate my thoughts of discernment. He also introduced me to other young men who were on a similar journey of discernment. He spent many hours with us in religious discussions and also provided pertinent information and down to earth answers to the many questions that surround discernment options.
After months of thought, many discernment group meetings and lots of prayers to Jesus and Mary, I made my decision to enter the seminary. I have been in the seminary for a year and a half now and I know that this was the best decision of my life.
I am also blessed to have a loving family which has supported me all the way through my discernment. We all learned a lot about ourselves and our faith during the journey.
Many people have asked me, “Why did you choose the Diocese of Camden?” The answer is because the Diocese of Camden is where I was born, nurtured, educated and raised in the Catholic faith. And what could be better than having the opportunity of giving back and paying it forward for all that the Diocese of Camden has provided me?
I can assure you that there are many young men out there who are being called to the priesthood and some are just not hearing the call, or they are hearing the call but afraid to act on it. You can answer the call by talking to a local priest or calling Fr. Romano at the Diocesan Vocations Office.
As Pope Saint John Paul II said, “Be not afraid.” There are many opportunities to help men who are thinking about entering the seminary. There are local discernment groups through which Fr. Romano provides counsel; there is also the iRace4Vocations Day which is a 5K walk and run to raise prayer pledges for an increase of prayer for vocations in the diocese and is an excellent opportunity to get involved.
We are also thankful to have Bishop Sullivan as a strong advocate of vocations; it has become his constant message to all the parishes he visits.
I ask all of you to pray daily that God will soon bless our diocese with more vocations. And please pray for me and my brother seminarians that we will always follow God’s will, wherever that may be.
Henry Laigaie
Latest posts by Henry Laigaie (see all)
- Preparing Ourselves for this Semester of Formation - October 16, 2018
- The Joy of the Gospel Doesn’t Need “Sourpusses” - March 23, 2018
- Summer Pastoral Assignment - November 28, 2017
