"Vocations"

Travels from:  Cincinnati, Ohio
Growing up in a small town in western Ohio, Fr. Schnippel dreamed of saving lives as a medical doctor.  “My grandfather was afflicted with cancer, and I wanted to do something about it,” he admits now.  But God had a different plan.  Part way through his freshman year at The Ohio State University, God intervened in a dramatic way.  “I was happy at OSU, loved the friends I had made, and generally was doing well.  But something was missing.  One night, I came to the Catholic student meeting and the priest was talking on vocations.  As I left, I could not get the idea out of my head, and over the next few days, instead of getting weaker, the idea kept getting stronger.  Coming home for Easter, I told my parents that God might be calling me to the priesthood, and I started the application process shortly thereafter.”

After completing his undergraduate degree in Philosophy at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio; Fr. Schnippel enrolled at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati, the major seminary for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  Ordained in 2004 for the Archdiocese, his first assignment was teaching full time at an all boys Catholic High School on Cincinnati’s west side.  “This was about as polar opposite of an experience of high school than what I had in my rural upbringing.”  At the school, sports was king and the constant challenge was integrating the pursuit of the faith with this culture of sports.

After two years, though, the needs of the diocese changed, and Fr. Schnippel was appointed as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  He outlines three areas of responsibility to his position: the recruitment and evaluation of candidates for seminary; promotion and marketing of the priesthood and religious life; and to serve as a clearing house for religious communities who are seeking members from within the Archdiocese.

“It is great to be able to walk with young men who are exploring the option of the priesthood in their life.  Plus, I get to share what I do and who I am with every person I meet, it is a dream assignment within the Church.”

Father Schnippel travels from Cincinnati, Ohio, and has experience speaking in parish settings, Theology on Tap, and school presentations.  Topics covered include Discernment, Priesthood, Marriage, and Building a Culture of Vocations in the home or parish.

For more information visit the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Vocation Office homepage at www.cincinnativocations.org or Father’s Called by Name weblog: http://fatherschnippel.blogspot.com. 

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