Life in the Viatorian Pre-Novitiate: Not Your Father’s Discernment
1/20/2012

In one of his first weeks as a pre-novice, Sean Tessmer discovered why a Viatorian vocation goes beyond traditional parish ministry.

He observed classes at Saint Viator High School, before attending a rally against torture at Chicago’s Federal Building, and ultimately discovered a sense of peaceful serenity in a Taize prayer service held at the Viatorian Province Center chapel.

“Initially I was drawn to the Viatorians because of the education component and of working with young people,” Tessmer says. “But the whole peace and justice aspect of their ministry, just resonates with me.”

Tessmer, 25, grew up in Phoenix and earned a degree in philosophy with a certificate in ethics at Arizona State University in Tempe. However, he left the Southwest for the Midwest, to attend the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.

What started out as a career walking with families during their times of grief, sparked a realization in Tessmer that it was a ministry, and he wanted to take it further.

He was accepted into the diocesan seminary in Cincinnati, but after one year, he realized he was searching for a broader vocation.

“I like the idea of being able to stand in solidarity with people who cannot defend themselves,” Tessmer says. “It makes the Viatorians one-of-a-kind.”