By Dylan Stefanich
Home Parish: Holy Cross Parish, Fort Branch
Seminary: Pontifical North American College
Ordination Year: 2028
Editor’s Note: This year, Diocesan seminarians focused their annual seminarian articles on the theme: “Encouraging Discernment.” Our seminarians wrote about a non-ordained person from our Diocese who encouraged them to discern priesthood.
Bryan “Boss” Macke is one of the greatest examples of faith in my life. He was and remains instrumental in my vocation to the priesthood. When my commitment to the faith was lukewarm at best, Boss was someone who helped rekindle and fan the flame that had been reduced to an ember. He led our youth group, invited me to join them for events and always accepted me for who I was.
I think the most effective part of his ministry was his authenticity and vulnerability when discussing Jesus Christ and his Church. Boss didn’t put on a show or give us anything that wasn’t himself. He was honest, raw, goofy and exuded a true joy that he attributed solely to his encounter with the Risen Lord.
After a Righteous to Life March, which Boss led, I was totally convicted of the faith. At this point, Boss mentored me in helping to lead retreats and other youth events, and he always valued my presence and input. When I began more seriously discerning the priesthood, his support for me never wavered. We often visited with each other, called one another and genuinely became true brothers in Christ years after the youth group days.
I still look up to him, and he remains, for me, an avenue to encounter the Lord Jesus each time we are together.