Meet the three men preparing to receive the sacrament of holy orders, conforming their lives to Christ the High Priest.
‘All In’
Deacon Joseph Glatczak is ready to lay down his life for the Church
The Catholic Faith was the center of family life for Deacon Joseph Glatczak growing up in Mosinee. Even when the family was away from St. Paul Catholic Church on vacation, his parents found a parish where the family could celebrate Mass.
“The Faith was always very present,” says Deacon Joseph.
Growing in Faith
While attending the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Deacon Joseph became involved in the Newman Parish. Summer work immersed him in the Faith in a way he had never experienced before.
“I was working out in North Dakota for two different summers. The program was called Young Disciples and was run by the Diocese of Fargo,” he says. “I remember showing up and being handed a giant binder of information about the Faith that I had to learn. Beyond the teachings of the Catholic Faith, I learned how to pray in a deeper way than before.”
During his second year with Young Disciples there was more focus on prayer as Deacon Joseph traveled with his team to a different cities to provide catechesis. A sense of God calling him to the priesthood began to grow during this time.
After much prayer, Deacon Joseph decided not to enter seminary during college. He entered the work force just as the 2008 recession hit.
Transition to the Seminary
After working for a few years, Deacon Joseph realized that God’s call was still present in his life. This time, he responded by entering seminary.
“Being out of academics for a number of years and going back in was difficult,” he says. “The propaedeutic year was helpful for getting back into the mindset.”
Just as important as academics was the formation of the whole person—human, spiritual and pastoral. The life Deacon Joseph and his brother seminarians are preparing for is profoundly different from the secular world.
“Not that we have it all figured out, but there is a certain degree of conviction,” he explains. “If you are going to lay your life down at ordination, you have to be all in. To the world, that’s going to seem countercultural. It’s a very powerful thing. It’s an impossible task, in some regards, that you are taking on.
A Missionary Church
Deacon Joseph sees this moment in Church history as reminiscent of the early missionary days of the Church in Wisconsin. People yearned to worship and desired the sacraments, but there were not enough priests to serve every community.
Priests were missionaries, traveling from place to place while the Catholic faithful gathered for Mass whenever they could.
“We have to remember that the first Catholic immigrants had Mass once a month,” says Deacon Joseph. “We need to keep a missionary spirit alive. A priest is going to have to minister as best as he can to many parishes. The important thing to remember is that while we are attached to the physical, at the same time the Church exists beyond the physical. The Church is the people of God and will always exist.”
Sharing Ordination Traditions
With ordination on the horizon, Deacon Joseph is excited to share the beauty and traditions of the sacrament of ordination with his family.
“I’m most looking forward to giving a blessing to my parents,” he says. “The maniturgium is used to wipe the sacred chrism off the new priest’s hands. Traditionally, the cloth is given to the priest’s mother; she keeps it, and it is buried with her to show that she gave her son to the Church. The stole the priest wears when he hears his first confession is given to his father, who keeps it and is buried with it.”
Answering God’s Call
For those men called to discern the priesthood, Deacon Joseph encourages them not to be afraid.
“In most cases, from people I’ve talked with, just reaching out to the vocation director seems to be a huge step—and causes fear,” he says. “That vocation director is there to walk with you. Secondly, you have to pray. You have to take time to be with God as often as you can. The more difficult part is we have to listen. The answers often come through other people and from spending time in the chapel. You may not hear a booming voice, but God is still speaking.”
Walking a New Beat
Deacon Matthew Szymanski is ready for the priesthood
No matter where his family lived when he was young, the Catholic Church was home for Deacon Matthew Szymanski and his six siblings. He and his identical twin brother were the youngest of the family.
God first whispered to Deacon Matthew about the priesthood when he was a teenager. “I first felt the call to be a priest when I was 15,” he remembers. “My family also knew when I was younger that I had a call. They have always been very supportive.”
After graduating from high school, Deacon Matthew entered Society of the Precious Blood for a year. The fit wasn’t quite right, so he joined the Army and served for four years.
“I still had the calling to be a priest,” says Deacon Matthew, who then began college seminary for the Archdiocese of Chicago. When he graduated college seminary, he went to study theology at Mundelein Seminary.
The vocation of marriage was also on his heart, so Deacon Matthew left seminary and became a police officer. But God continued to draw him to the priesthood.
“I felt like for many years I ran from my calling,” he explains. “I was a police officer in a Chicago suburb for 22 years. I always worried about finances and material things. The hardest obstacle for me was giving myself to Christ. When I decided not to worry about those things anymore, it was a weight off my shoulders.”
Leaving His Old Life in the Past
Deacon Matthew began reaching out to different dioceses to find where he might best serve as a priest.
“I wrote every diocese in Wisconsin, and they all answered me,” he says. “I came to the Diocese of La Crosse. I really believe the Holy Spirit guided me there. The people are just wonderful. They are the salt of the earth—a great Catholic community of believers. I’m just happy to serve wherever I’m needed in the diocese. I consider this what God has always wanted me to do.”
Before entering St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee, Deacon Matthew completed a propaedeutic year. The goal of the propaedeutic year is to help men discern their call and begin to leave behind their secular lives.
“It was really good for me to get my spiritual life in order and prepare for four years of theology,” he says. “We were a close-knit group, and we couldn’t go anywhere because of COVID. I needed that time. It was a beautiful year for me.”
Life as a Seminarian
After 22 years as a police officer—11 years as a patrol officer, five as a detective and six as a patrol sergeant—entering seminary was a major shift. It was time to be immersed in theology and the teachings of the Church.
“I’ve seen all kinds of people and different situations in life. I’ve seen great people and bad people,” Deacon Matthew says. “I’m just wrapping up my fourth year of theology. I now feel very confident to be a priest and serve the people.”
Ordination and a New Life
Deacon Matthew’s father and siblings will travel from Missouri, Arizona, South Carolina and Florida to share in his ordination on June 28.
The Diocese of La Crosse’s “Priest Unity Days”is scheduled for three days leading up to ordination, allowing priests from around the diocese to participate in the Mass.
“There are wonderful priests in our diocese,” he says. “I am very blessed. I thank God for everything He has given me.”
Deacon Matthew isn’t hoping for a particular assignment. His only desire is to begin ministering to God’s people.
“I am just looking forward to celebrating the sacraments with people,” he says. “I just want to be with people and bring them closer to Christ as best I can. It’s a blessing to pray and journey along with them.”
Listening For God’s Call
Deacon Matthew knows the process of discernment isn’t always easy, but help often comes through the people God places in one’s life.
“It took me two years. I prayed a lot about it,” he remembers. “I went to daily Mass, and I got to know a lot of priests and talked to them. That was super helpful.”
Trust and hope, he says, make the decision easier.
“Don’t be afraid. The Holy Spirit will guide you,” says Deacon Matthew. “God will lead.”
“The hardest obstacle for me was giving myself to Christ. When I decided not to worry about those things anymore, it was a weight off my shoulders.”
“I just want to be with people and bring them closer to Christ as best I can. It’s a blessing to pray and journey along with them.”
“Don’t be afraid. The Holy Spirit will guide you. God will lead.”
West to Wisconsin
Deacon Brian Ward follows his Father’s plan
Family has always been central to Deacon Brian Ward’s life. The youngest of seven children—and the only son—he was raised in the Faith at Holy Cross Parish in southern Indiana, attending Catholic grade school and spending a year at a Catholic high school.
“I grew up in a little town,” Deacon Brian says. “My high school was in the middle of a cornfield.”
A devout Catholic as a teenager, Deacon Brian experienced a profound conversion at the age of 15.
“After I fell away for a couple of years during college, I reverted back to my faith in a deep and meaningful way,” says Deacon Brian.
The Next Step
After graduating from college, Deacon Brian went to work in an auto plant while discerning how God was calling him.
“When I was 27, I was at my sister Becky’s house in Florida,” Deacon Brian remembers. I was praying about my life and working in a factory. My sister said, ‘Take it to prayer. Allow the Holy Spirit to work on your heart. If you are moved, speak to a priest or a vocation director.’ I kept asking the Lord what He wanted me to do. I felt peace and consolation and that’s when I started searching again.”
Deacon Brian felt a powerful connection to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (Marians). He spent time in the seminary at Steubenville while discerning whether God was calling him to the religious life. At 34, he left the factory job and became a religious brother with the Marians. Though it was a good experience, God eventually called him to take another step.
Called to the Priesthood
Being a diocesan priest was a call that he could no longer ignore. In his search for the right diocese, Deacon Brian felt a strong sense of connection with the Diocese of La Crosse.
“I really liked Wisconsin
a lot,” he says.
He joined Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Independence in 2019 before entering St. Francis de Sales Seminary outside of Milwaukee in 2020. Although seminary life was fruitful, it wasn’t without challenges. “It was really difficult to leave family,” remembers Deacon Brian.
But in seminary, Deacon Brian found a new family. It was helpful for him being surrounded by other men who received the same call to serve a loving Father.
His experiences with the Marians had created a strong foundation for Deacon Brian. Seminary built on that foundation, making him ready to serve the people in the Diocese of La Crosse wherever he is assigned.
A Loving Servant
Now ready for ministry, Deacon Brian is eager to serve in the Diocese of La Crosse alongside his new parish family. He trusts that God has already mapped out the right place for him to care for His people, just as He’s guided him this far.
“It’s been an interesting journey—especially these last 10 or 15 years,” he says.
In 2007, he didn’t feel particularly drawn to youth ministry. Still, he worked with the teens in his parish and was surprised by how much he enjoyed it. He also found fulfillment visiting the elderly and bringing them Communion. Hospital ministry became another meaningful avenue.
“I really enjoyed visiting people in their rooms,” he says with a smile.
Wherever he’s assigned, he knows he’ll find joy. “I love working with all age groups and all people,” he says. “I really do enjoy everything—and I know I can do what I’ve been called to do.”
What is he most looking forward to as a priest?
“I know it sounds like a generic answer,” he says, “but preaching, teaching and leading others to Christ and heaven—that’s what I truly feel called to do.”
Ordination
Deacon Brian is looking forward to ordination on June 28. It will be an incredible celebration for his whole family.
“Mom is really happy about ordination,” he says. “Four of my sisters are going to be there and many other family members and friends.”
How to Listen for God’s Call
For those discerning a call to the priesthood, Deacon Brian recommends beginning with prayer. Whether through a Holy Hour, the rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet or an examination of conscience, these practices are powerful ways to start a conversation with God.
Story by Mary Kay McPartlin
Published in the Summer issue of Catholic Life Magazine