John Paul Phillips

My name is John Paul Phillips.  I’m 20 years old and a sophomore at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Covington, Louisiana. I was born and raised Catholic, and I have five siblings, two brothers and three sisters. My family has always been close with the priests that were at our home parish. Because of their example, priesthood was always in the back of my mind at a young age. In 2019, while attending a newly ordained priest’s first Mass, I felt this strong attraction to priesthood. I decided to discern this call more seriously. Through prayer and attending a silent retreat on Ignatian discernment, it was very clear to me that God was calling me to take the next step and enter seminary.