Mr. Thomas Gallagher
I am a native of
Cross Lanes, West Virginia. My home parish is Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. I attended Sacred Heart Grade School and
Charleston Catholic High School. After that I went to Wheeling Jesuit
University where I graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy.The first time I started wondering about the priesthood for more than a passing thought was when I was in late high school, but it was not until college that I began to take the nudging more seriously. I kept playing with the idea back and forth. After school I worked at the Library of Congress for a year. Through the inspiration of Fr. Paul Hudock I decided to apply to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The two priests that really helped me discern were Fr. Eric Hall and Fr. Paul Hudock, the vocations director. I have attended St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA this past year while growing in discernment. This summer I will be attending the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
I think the one thing to know is that everyone is called to holiness no matter whether their vocation is priest, religious brother or sister, married, or consecrated life. Pope John Paul II really stressed this because people thought that holiness is something only for priests or religious. Holiness is for everyone. The most important thing one can do for holiness and their vocation is prayer. Change will happen, but not overnight. It will take time and effort. The fruits of this labor are rich beyond compare, and it is well worth it.