Seminarian Spotlight: Zach Jarrell’s Pastoral Internship Year
10.21.25
Zach Jarrell
God willing, I will be ordained a deacon at the end of this school year, a big step on the road to the priesthood. That milestone feels both exciting and humbling, and it’s possible because of the people and experiences that brought me here.
I did not grow up Catholic. I was raised in a Protestant home where faith was taken seriously. I loved youth group and worship music and felt close to the Lord. But when I went off to college in Alabama, I started asking deeper questions not just about theology, but what it really means to follow Christ.
That search led me to the Catholic Church during my sophomore year. My first experience of Eucharistic Adoration, at the Bergamo Center in Dayton, stopped me in my tracks. I was overwhelmed by the idea that Christ could be truly present, and I was deeply drawn to Him.
After college, I served as a FOCUS missionary, walking with students and leading Bible studies. It was during a night of prayer at a national conference that I began to sense a deeper call, one that eventually led me to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology.
This past year, I served at the Eastside Family of Parishes in Cincinnati, where I learned what the priesthood is really about: presence, compassion and peace. Those moments with people, in schools, parishes and homes, confirmed that this is where I am meant to be.
Through it all, I have come to see the priesthood as the most beautiful way I can give back to the Church that gave so much to me. Every class, every Holy Hour, every conversation with a parishioner reminds me that the Lord is preparing me not for myself, but for His people. Formation at Mount St. Mary’s isn’t just about learning, it is about being shaped for service.
If you’ve visited Mount St. Mary’s or joined us for an event, you have already been part of this mission. Your prayers and generosity help form future priests who will serve with joy and faithfulness.
In Christ,
Zach Jarrell
III Theology