On February 1, 2025, a Mass was offered for all seminarians with the intention that they grow in holiness and lead us in love. Seminarians need our prayers, and what a beautiful way for the world’s children to support these men called by God by praying for them. In 2024, we featured a seminarian’s vocation story almost every month, and how inspired we were by each man’s faith journey and message to the faithful! We are so grateful to be able to continue featuring seminarians throughout 2025. This month, we introduce Samuel Saava, a postulant with the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles in Cromwell, Connecticut, USA.
My name is Samuel Savva, and I am 20 years old. Currently, I am living and studying at the small but beautiful Holy Apostles College and Seminary, located in Cromwell, Connecticut. I am also a postulant with the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles (MSA), whose charism is to promote, form, and accompany vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and lay ministries in the Church. We are a missionary society, with several priests and brothers stationed in Cromwell, CT (running Holy Apostles College & Seminary is our primary apostolate in the US), as well as a large presence internationally, in various other countries. As of now, I am completing my second year of undergraduate philosophy studies, after which, God willing, I will continue on to Theological Studies, after completing my novitiate and taking first promises.
My vocation story started when I was very young. As a child and teen, I would often reflect about what I would do as a grown-up, and the priesthood was very attractive to me. However, I also felt very deeply drawn to marriage. When I was 15, though, I went through a very difficult social crisis, in which the “vocation plans” which I had hoped and dreamed of, especially regarding marriage, literally came crashing down. It was in the aftermath of this that I seriously began questioning what I would do with my life regarding a vocation, and because of the situation, my heart was very open to any possibility. Unaccountably, I began experiencing a deep draw and attraction toward the priesthood, something that stemmed from deep inside my soul, and that only grew stronger as time went on. Eventually, I started actively discerning with my home diocese, and became involved in their vocation programs and activities. Simultaneously, I graduated high school, and, feeling unready to begin seminary, but still wishing to discern where God was leading me, I came to Holy Apostles College and Seminary, where there is a program for young men to live alongside the seminarians and experience first hand seminary life as they discern. During the year that I spent in this program, God began to show me many signs that I was not called to serve as a diocesan priest but rather as a religious. Increasingly I felt a great sense of peace, joy, and wholeness in my soul regarding this, and felt led by God to embrace this vocation, which I had not really had a chance to discern previously. Under the guidance of several holy priests and friends, eventually the Lord led me to joining the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles, whose abundant joy, charity, and faithful service to God and the Church made a profound impact on me, and in whose company I felt the peace of Christ leading me to strive for sanctity.
As a priest, simply put, I hope to give my life in service to Our Lord and to His Holy Church, under the protection of Mary, my mother. I hope to spend the rest of my life loving and serving those around me with the heart of Christ, and with profound charity and zeal for the salvation of souls, so that one day I and all those I have encountered can rejoice together as brothers and sisters in eternity with Our Lord. As an MSA, I also hope to particularly minister to those discerning their vocation, whether to religious, married, or single life, assisting them on this crucial, exciting, but often difficult journey. Lastly, I hope to be of service in renewing and encouraging the priestly and religious vocations of those already consecrated, as well as married couples, so that there may be a new flourishing of holy priests, religious, and families in the Church and the world!
We humbly ask that you please keep Samuel Savva in your prayers.
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