Hello everyone!

     Thank you all so much for welcoming me to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish! My name is Sean Hoey and I am a 28-year-old seminarian studying at Immaculate Conception Seminary for the Diocese of Metuchen. I would just like to briefly introduce myself and share some of my journey up to now. I am a lifelong Catholic, raised in Lopatcong, NJ with a very loving mother and father, both of whom are also lifelong Catholics. I am the oldest among my siblings, which includes my younger sister and my even younger brother. I grew up receiving my sacraments and going to Mass at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Alpha, NJ. I graduated from Phillipsburg High School in 2016, having received a varsity letter in soccer and participated in the school’s marching band, in which I played the alto saxophone. I was 14 years old when I first heard the call to discern priesthood. I remember that at my Confirmation my pastor informed us that there is a great need in the world for priests, whose vocations have been greatly dwindling here in the U.S., and had encouraged all boys receiving Confirmation that day to begin discerning what kind of life God is inviting us to seek. At that moment a thought had entered my head: “What if I became a priest?” This thought, which I believe had come from God, has been present in my mind ever since that day.

    In my spare time I have a variety of interests and hobbies that I like to do both individually and among friends . One particular hobby I enjoy on my own is reading. I enjoy reading the works of J.R.R.Tolkien, other fantasy novels, historical fiction, and non-fiction history about Europe and Colonial America. Another particular hobby I enjoy is hiking, whether alone or with friends. I am enthralled by the prospect of exploration and having time to reflect on my own thoughts and the beauty of God’s creation around me. While hiking I also sometimes like to go bird watching or take out my sketchbook and pencils to practice landscape drawing.

    One of my favorite activities to do with friends is to watch plays and musicals with them. Among my personal favorites are Les Miserables, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Music Man. I initially studied historic preservation and archaeology for three years at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI., with a minor in religious studies from 2016-2019. While there, I became actively involved in the campus ministry and have developed many strong and lasting friendships with people who also professed the Catholic faith. I had also found a love for serving the local community through various service opportunities. After three years of study I transferred out of Salve Regina University and into Warren County Community College here in New Jersey, where I earned an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts. From there, I transferred to the Franciscan University of Steubenville to study Theology through their online courses program. After two years, I graduated from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in December 2022 with a B.A. in Theology. After graduation I then taught Theology for two years at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison, NJ, teaching freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. I studied and lived my propaedeutic year in the Mater Redemptoris House of Formation in La Crosse, WI. Afterwards, I began my first year of study at Immaculate Conception Seminary and was introduced to my first pastoral assignment at the Church of St. James in Basking Ridge, NJ. Having finished my first year, I look forward to my next several years of study and priestly formation, as well as serving this beautiful parish here in Whitehouse Station!

Many thanks to you all and God bless you!

Sean Hoey