Mason Netzband

Home Parish: Spirit of Hope Catholic Community, Oneida NY

If you had asked me when I was younger what I wanted to do when I grew up, priesthood would never have been the answer. I have been blessed with the best family anyone could ask for. I was born and raised in the faith and attended catholic school my whole life. I never really thought about the priesthood until I was in tenth grade when I felt a calling from God. It was on Good Friday, and I was serving. During the service when the priest lays prostrate, I felt the weirdest feeling in my chest, one I have never felt before, and I heard something say, “Will you be my priest?” At that moment I did not know what to do or think, after some prayer and reflection I realized that it was the Lord speaking to me. I hid my calling for over two months because I did not want to be a priest; I wanted to get married have a family and work a trade. My pastor Fr. Chris Ballard was at my school one day, and I knew I could not hide what I felt any longer. As he was leaving, I chased him down in the parking lot and told him about my calling. He guided me in spiritual direction over the next few months, and with his help I discerned that I needed to apply to seminary. I got accepted to seminary in December of 2023, with plans of starting college seminary in the fall of 2024. However, God had different plans. In July of 2024 I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease that nearly took my life. After consulting with my doctor, we decided it would be best if I delayed my entry for a year so I could regain my health. As soon as I told Fr. Ballard that I was delaying my entry, he immediately offered for me to work at the parish. My home parish, Spirit of Hope in Oneida saved my vocation. If it wasn’t for Fr. Ballard, Fr. Buttner, Dc. Dave, our youth minister Mark Ranieri, the staff, and my brother seminarians, I do not know if I would have continued my discernment to the priesthood. I now realize that God gave me this year so that I could learn more about myself, my faith, and the priesthood. I give thanks to God for allowing me to regain my health and the experience I gained from this past year in my parish, and most importantly, for giving me the faith to continue following the path he has planned for me.