STEUBENVILLE, OH — Six young men from Franciscan University of Steubenville will begin their formal journey toward priesthood or religious life this summer.

Three men will begin their studies as diocesan seminarians. Nicholas Dolan ’14 was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey; Matthew Zwilling ’14 for the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio; and Chris Eager ’14 for the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Three more men will begin formal discernment with religious orders: Jason Barry ’14 and Joseph Krilich ’13 will become postulants with the Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular (TOR), Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Kevin Weiss ’14 will enter the novitiate for the Dominican Order (OP).

Dolan, Zwilling, Eager, Barry, and Weiss were members of Franciscan University’s Priestly Discernment Program. Weiss called the program “invaluable” to his journey toward religious life.

“I used to call it the ‘boot camp’ of discernment, because it gives an opportunity to submit to the prayer life of a priest and to grow in the virtue required for priestly formation and thereafter priestly service.”

Now in its 29th year, the Priestly Discernment Program has received accolades from U.S. bishops and Church leaders for helping young men discern a call to the priesthood while they complete their undergraduate or graduate degrees at Franciscan University. In the last 10 years, 115 program graduates have entered seminary or religious life.

For more information, visit the Priestly Discernment Program online or email them at [email protected].