Taylor Leffler

Hello. My name is Taylor Leffler and I'm from St. Mary's Parish in West Point, NE. I attended Guardian Angels Elementary and Central Catholic High School in West Point and graduated in 2009. I first felt a tugging on my heart to discern the priesthood during the second semester of my senior year of high school. I had my entire life planned out since sixth grade, which included a career as an airline pilot, having a beautiful wife, and several well-behaved children, and I stuck to that plan all throughout high school. I knew I wanted to attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha to study aviation long before anyone else in my class was even thinking about college.

I was always involved in my parish as a server, musician, or lector, but I never had much of a spiritual life. While I was in high school, my parish started a LifeTeen youth program. Through LifeTeen, I came to see that all we need in our lives is Jesus. I started really praying for the first time in my life, and I learned particularly that God knows the plans He has for us, and those plans are far better than any we could make for ourselves! (Jeremiah 29:11)

I met Fr. Paul Hoesing and several college seminarians in one of my religion classes during my senior year. I had never thought much about the seminary, but I was surprised to learn that seminarians are normal, approachable men. It was very interesting to ask these seminarians questions about what they study, what sports they play, what they do in their free time, and to hear their stories about how the Lord called them to discern the priesthood. After keeping in contact with Fr. Hoesing for a couple months, I visited St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul with him. It was a very inspiring experience. Nothing beats being able to see just what seminarians do all day and how they live their lives discerning God's call for them.

I ended up studying aviation at the University of Nebraska at Omaha right after high school. I flew a plane almost every week of my first semester, and although it was very exhilarating, I knew it wasn't what the Lord was calling me to do for the rest of my life. I got involved with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) and beautifully deepened my life of faith. That next September, I began my sophomore year at St. John Vianney Seminary.

The Lord has such amazing plans for all of us. Pray every day and ask Him to show you where He wants you to go. The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God will not protect you!