Jacob Schneider
Diocese/Religious Community
- Diocese of Evansville
Degrees Pursuing at Saint Meinrad
- Master of Divinity
What attracted you to the priesthood?
I frequently served at Mass as a boy at my home parish. I didn’t understand much about the beauty of the Mass, but my pastor at the time, Fr. Jim Blessinger, helped me know what was happening was important. Even when he started developing Parkinson’s, he celebrated Mass as though it were the first, last, and only one. I stopped serving in my latter years of high school, but for some reason I found myself still interested in matters of Church history and theology, and I was always curious about the lives of saints, especially in the early years of the Church. The lives of sacrifice subtly pushed me to wonder about what I felt called to give myself towards.
Who or what influenced you to begin study for the priesthood?
In my junior year of high school, I attended a youth retreat in my diocese called Source & Summit. There were some guys who were helping out who were part of a group called the “House Q. FAVORITE SCRIPTURE VERSE AND WHY? “He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part in me’” (John 13:6-8). This part of John’s Gospel is constantly a point of reflection for me. It is part of the Gospel reading for Holy Thursday and is a prime example of the life Jesus seeks His apostles to imitate. Peter’s objection reflects a feeling of unworthiness which many who feel called to priesthood often feel, me included. But Jesus did not call the of Discernment.” The rector of the House, Fr. Tyler Tenbarge, explained that the House was a place for guys who were feeling the call to go into seminary, and it helped men get into the groove of what seminary life would be like while they were still a college student or young adult. This was one of the first times I was even aware of what was involved in the formation of a priest, and I felt deep down, “I want to do that.”
What were you doing before you came to the seminary?
After I graduated high school in the spring of 2020 (a crazy time), I enrolled at the University of Southern Indiana as an engineering major, but I also decided to move into the House of Discernment that same year. While I was doing all of that, I also worked part time at a local grocery store where I served in almost every department of the store at some point. While in the House, I lived with three other guys and a seminarian who had just graduated college seminary and was taking a gap year. We had a regular schedule of prayer and Mass, as well as the chance for spiritual direction. In many ways, it really was a taste of what seminary would be.
Favorite Scripture verse and why?
“He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part in me’” (John 13:6-8). This part of John’s Gospel is constantly a point of reflection for me. It is part of the Gospel reading for Holy Thursday and is a prime example of the life Jesus seeks His apostles to imitate. Peter’s objection reflects a feeling of unworthiness which many who feel called to priesthood often feel, me included. But Jesus did not call the apostles because they were perfect; in calling them, He was qualifying them.
Favorite saint and why?
St. Polycarp of Smyrna is one of my favorite saints and a personal patron, even though he is not my confirmation saint. He was born of converts to the faith in ~80 AD in what is now modern day Turkey and was a student of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. I was drawn to him primarily because of his life of self-gift to the people of Smyrna, where he was a priest and later a bishop, even to the point of giving his life in the ultimate witness of martyrdom. He was a leader in the Church at what many scholars saw to be a very turbulent and confusing time, with souring relations with Jewish Christians and a wave of persecutions leading to many leaving the faith, thinking that Jesus wasn’t coming back at all. Polycarp didn’t have all the answers right away, but he kept the faith and cared for his people to the very end, and that is a huge inspiration for me to this day.
Hobbies?
I enjoy getting outside and hiking through the woods or going for a walk, and it doesn’t matter what season it is, or whether it rains or shines. Fishing is another favorite outdoor activity of mine, and luckily Saint Meinrad has lakes which are stocked with all kinds of fish. My goal has been to catch every kind of fish that resides in these lakes, and a carp is the last one on the list. I also like to read, and my list of books keeps getting longer even when I’m not reading for classes. Right now, I am in between reading The Cardinal by Henry Morton Robinson and Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson.
What aspect of seminary life has been most rewarding?
The fraternity of seminary life has been one of the most rewarding parts of life in seminary, and it adds an excitement to other parts of life here at Saint Meinrad. All of the guys here come from varying backgrounds and yet we have all found ourselves here on campus with the desire to give our lives fully to the Lord as priests for our dioceses. It really shows that holy priests can come from anywhere. The brotherhood here is also a great place for support and encouragement in all dimensions of seminary formation, from the spiritual to the academic and pastoral.
What has been the most challenging part of seminary life?
One of the most challenging parts of the seminary life is the temptation towards perfection, and it truly is the enemy of formation. I said earlier how the feeling of unworthiness is a common experience for those called to be a priest, and in my own experience, this is not just an academic perfection, but it can also bleed into the spiritual and pastoral dimensions of formation. There are many things that a priest must navigate, and it can seem overwhelming at times.
Best advice you’ve received during seminary?
A seminarian from my diocese once said that nobody is out to get you; they are helping you to become the best man you can be. This is part of the reason that I find the fraternity of seminary to be very important. One should not beat themselves up or freeze up wondering if someone is judging them for not doing what they supposedly should be doing. It’s more likely that they are thinking the same thing you are. As such, seminarians can encourage growth in each other because they see gifts present in another that can continue to grow, they build each other up based on respect and true charity.