Diocese welcomes seven new seminarians into formation
The Office of Vocations is pleased to announce that the Diocese of Spokane has accepted seven new men to join its growing number of seminarians. These men represent various parish communities across the diocese and have a wealth of diverse experiences and backgrounds. This year, the diocese is experiencing a 50% increase in seminarians, from 10 to 15, compared to last year.
Please pray for the seven new men who have begun formation this year. Seminary formation is a years-long process, often taking between seven to nine years for men to pass through four distinct stages of priestly discernment and preparation.
Meet our new seminarians and learn some fun facts about them below:
Sean Crepin, 36, is from Pullman, Wash. and is in Configuration III (Theology III) at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon. Before seminary, he was a campus minister at St. Thomas More Student Center at WSU. He enjoys hiking, playing guitar and reading historical fiction. He once met and served at Mass for Pope Benedict XVI at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia.
Andrew Frey, 22, is from Moses Lake, Wash. and recently graduated from Washington State University. He is in the Propaedeutic Year at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Wisconsin and enjoys golfing, baseball and cooking. At the airport on the way to Wisconsin, a TSA officer gave him a badge sticker that said “Junior TSA Officer.”
James Vair, 27, is from Seattle but has lived in Spokane since graduating from Gonzaga University in 2019. He is in the Propaedeutic Year at St. Patrick’s Seminary in California. Before entering seminary, he was an international student advisor at Gonzaga and has been a parishioner at the Cathedral. James is fluent in Chinese and enjoys sipping on Chinese teas, sewing his own menswear and playing volleyball.
Nicolas Guitierrez, 18, is from Burbank, Wash., near the Tri-Cities. He was a parishioner with his family at St. Paul in Eltopia, Wash. and is in the Cor Christi Propaeduetic Year at Bishop White Seminary in Spokane. He recently graduated from Tri-Cities Prep, enjoys spending time with his family and playing tabletop board games. His birthday is only one day away from the feast of St. Nicholas, his namesake.
Dalton Lopez, 19, is from Walla Walla, Wash. and attended St. Patrick’s Church there. He recently graduated from DeSales High School and liked working alongside his grandfather. He is in the Cor Christi Propaedeutic Year at Bishop White Seminary in Spokane and enjoys art, cooking and hiking adventures.
Oscar Pacheco, 18, is also from Walla Walla, attended St. Patrick and graduated from Walla Walla High School. He is in the Cor Christi Propaedeutic Year at Bishop White Seminary in Spokane. Before seminary, he intended to attend college to become a police officer. He enjoys working out and playing soccer and is fluent in three languages.
Ezra Scott, 18 is the third seminarian from St. Patrick in Walla Walla and is a DeSales High School alumnus. He is in the Cor Christi Propaedeutic Year at Bishop White Seminary in Spokane. Before seminary, he was “taking lots of difficult classes and not getting enough sleep.” He spends his free time reading, writing, playing/composing music and occasionally plays some video games. He is also interested in theoretical linguistics and wanted to study linguistics in college before deciding to go to seminary.
