Felix Pesce
- Diocese/Religious Community Memphis
Degrees Pursuing at Saint Meinrad
- Master of Divinity
What attracted you to the priesthood?
The source of my attraction is Jesus Christ. It wasn’t until I began going to daily Mass in 2017 that I really started discerning God’s will for my life. When I was younger, I suffered from depression and severe anxiety. I tried to escape through reckless living and working long hours. I was investing my energy into gaining earthly rewards, receiving only cycles of despair in return. I realized God was calling me to use my struggles to help those who are less fortunate find peace and a path to eternal happiness. With the grace of God, I hope that I can demonstrate the eternal rewards to be more attractive, so they can find peace through Jesus Christ.
Who or what influenced you to begin study for the priesthood?
There is a priest in my diocese who always reminded me of his prayers for my vocation. In 2013, when I started bringing communion to shut-ins and the sick, I was often told that I would make a great priest. Not feeling worthy and thinking self-indulgence was the key to a good life, I ignored them. In 2016, I made an Italian pilgrimage called “The Via Di Francesco” where I backpacked from Assisi to Rome visiting all the significant places concerning St. Francis. I was intrigued by the way he gave up everything he had to follow Christ by serving others. The St. Francis pilgrimage showed me that a purposeful life was the key to a life well-lived.
What were you doing before you came to the seminary?
I was born and raised in Memphis, TN, where I attended Catholic schools with my three siblings. After graduating from the University of Memphis, I ran my family’s neighborhood grocery store, Granny’s Market. It was a fitting career for me because I had always thrived on hard work and long hours, mainly to escape from having to deal with what a mess I was on the inside. The economy tanked in 2006, and by 2012, we were forced to close the store. With the free time I suddenly had, I began to volunteer for ministries at my parish. My favorite ministry was (and still is) bringing the Eucharist to shut-ins and those sick in the hospital. I also did volunteer work at Catholic Charities for a few years. In 2014, I started my own personal training business, “Personal Training by Felix,” until I entered the seminary in 2020.
Favorite saint and why?
Oh my gosh, there are so many GOATs it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite. I really love St. Augustine and Pope John Paul II, but the one I have really been connecting with lately is Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini. She was an Italian immigrant like my dad and grandparents. Her unfailing persistence, strength, determination, and courage to rise against all of the social mores of her time and fight to save immigrants from being decimated really put her on a pedestal for me. The scope of her work reached all corners of the world, starting hospitals, missions, and schools for the underserved communities. Truly amazing!
Favorite Scripture verse and why?
Psalms 118:8-9
"Better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put one’s trust in mortals.
Better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put one’s trust in princes."
In the last decade or so it seems that we have made politicians into veritable demigods. We have handed them power over our emotional well-being, and they always end up disappointing us. Putting our trust in the Lord is guaranteed to never disappoint. He may not always give us what we want, but he will always give us what we need. And the rewards are eternal.
Hobbies?
My hobbies are weight training and reading.
What aspect of seminary life has been most rewarding?
Being affiliated with a good group of men that share a positive vision of where I want my life to go. The more I learn about my faith, the more I fall in love with my faith.
What aspect of seminary life has been most challenging?
The obvious answer one might expect is that I’m twice the age of most of the other seminarians. But alas, no! We are all on the same journey supporting one another. If anything, academics are challenging, but in a good way. It motivates me to know that I can use my seminary education to better defend my faith.
Best advice you’ve heard in seminary?
Own your own baggage. If you don’t own it, then you can’t fix it.