Deacon Sean Mulcare was in the ninth grade when he experienced a call to the priesthood at Extreme Faith Camp, a popular Catholic youth summer camp in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. That desire waned a bit in high school but was revived later.
At the camp, “I just encountered God’s love for the first time, and it all became so real for me,” he said. “It just felt like (God said) ‘I want you to be my priest,’” Deacon Mulcare recently told the “Practicing Catholic” radio show.
Now, Deacon Mulcare, 28, is preparing for ordination May 25 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, along with 12 other men for the archdiocese.
“I am incredibly excited, humbled and grateful to God along with so many people that I will be ordained a priest this May,” Deacon Mulcare said. “Something that has felt so far away for so long has finally come, and I am filled with excitement and gratitude.”
Deacon Mulcare said he is especially looking forward to walking with people individually in the sacraments of confession and anointing of the sick.
“Being with people and being invited into their lives at times when they are suffering is such a privileged place to be, and I am so grateful to God,” he said.
Deacon Mulcare, whose hometown parish is St. Peter in Forest Lake, where he was involved with a parish youth group, said he is an only child and his parents, Tim and Cheryl, have been instrumental in his faith life and supported his decision to enter the seminary.
“Growing up, my parents were very important in helping my faith life to grow,” he said. “We went to Mass every Sunday and my parents sent me to church camps like Extreme Faith Camp. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
During high school, his desire for the priesthood waned. But after he graduated from high school he served for a year with West St. Paul-based NET Ministries, where his desire for the priesthood was reignited through ministry to young people. After he served with NET, he entered the seminary.
One model for priesthood as he grew up was then-Father Donald DeGrood, pastor of St. Peter at that time, and now Bishop DeGrood of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Deacon Mulcare said.
“He was a wonderful example of a priest who clearly loved his people very deeply and showed me that the life of a priest is not a loveless life in any way; rather, it is a life filled with love, purpose and joy in people and for God,” Deacon Mulcare said.
As he looks to ministry as a priest, Deacon Mulcare said one of the greatest missions will be helping people encounter God’s love, especially through personal prayer. He hopes to connect with parishioners through his love of being outdoors and hiking, bicycling, enjoying a bonfire and more.
“I find being outside to be a source of renewal and chance to connect with the wonder of God’s creation,” Deacon Mulcare said.
Asked about being in the largest class of priestly ordinands for the archdiocese since 2005, Deacon Mulcare said, “It’s definitely an exciting thing to be part of such a large class and it is a gift to have so many brothers with whom I am entering this life of priesthood. It’s wonderful knowing that I’m not entering this alone but will have the support of many people.”
