John Norman

Theology III
North American College

John Norman was born in Schenectady, New York. From there he moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado, ending up in Papillion, Nebraska just after starting kindergarten. He is the son of Joe and Joan Norman. He has an older brother Dan and two younger sisters Chris and Kay.

John attended St. Columbkille Catholic Grade School in Papillion through eighth grade and graduated from Papillion La Vista High School in 2005. He graduated from St. John Vianney College Seminary and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota with a degree in Philosophy and Catholic Studies in 2009. He completed the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF) program in the summer of 2009. He is currently studying theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He has been an active member of St. Columbkille Parish and is an Eagle Scout.

John says, "Seminary life is a very rich experience. The Lord uses these opportunities in seminary to transform our hearts and teach us how to love. I study with men who become brothers. We are there for each other. We pray hard and play hard. The seminary life is forming me into a man in Christ, a father. He gives me both the courage and the strength to follow him."

"The first time I ever thought about becoming a priest was in first grade. The priest came to visit our classroom and taught us. He was the coolest person I knew and so I wanted to be like him. As I grew up, the thought went to the back of my mind. When I reached high school, I felt a real desire to seek God. A priest asked me if I’d ever thought about being a priest. He said I’d be good at it. After struggling with God, I realized that as a graduating senior in high school, I was the most free to choose that I would ever be. I wanted to give God and the seminary my first and freest choice."

"I think the idea of a seminary strikes fear into the hearts of most men. Good guys with generous hearts and zeal for the Lord are afraid of becoming weird. I would challenge you to come and visit a seminary. Talk to Fr. Hoesing, the Vocation Director, and meet the seminarians. You will meet real men living real lives for Christ in these seminaries, discerning the will of God. God is using these seminaries to make strong priests, strong fathers for his Church."