An informal, day-long discernment/information event held every spring and fall at the Catholic Student Centers of or a nearby parish to one of the major universities in the state of Iowa.

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and hosted by the Vocations Offices of the Dioceses of Dubuque, Davenport, Des Moines and Sioux City, this event brings together Fr. Jonathan Fassero, OSB with interested young men ranging from 16 to 40 years old.  Mixing equal parts wit and information, Fr. Jonathan answers questions, addresses concerns and in a comfortable manner provides a description of what to expect as far as discernment, priestly formation, seminary life and what the possibility of the priesthood would hold for you.

The event is always held on a Saturday and begins at 9:30 AM with coffee and rolls.  It ends with Mass followed by dinner (usually at a local restaurant), everything being concluded and the participants returning home by 7:00 PM.  The value of the event is not just the information provided, but also the opportunity to meet with other guys considering the possibility of a priestly vocation, seeing that they are every bit as normal as you, and that there are in fact a surprising number of guys considering the Catholic priesthood.

Comments from recent event participants include: "It was great to know that I'm not the only one in the world interested in this! I met some great guys who share many of the same values as I do." "Informative, insightful, inspirational... it really helped clarify many of the questions I had about this." "I felt comfortable. This is an 'no pressure' kind of day..." "I still don't know what God wants me to do with my life, but I do know that this sure wasn't a waste of time."

There is no charge for attending this event and transportation to and from the event will happily be provided if you are interested.  For further information contact Fr. Brad Pelzel, Vocations Director for the Diocese of Sioux City at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call him at (712) 233-7523.

If you are not a resident of the Diocese of Sioux City but are interested in attending one of the upcoming Thinking of Priesthood events, please feel free to sign up and your contact information will be forwarded to the Vocations Director of your Diocese!

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