Another Vocation from Holy Redeemer!
March 17, 2024
Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, and Forever ~
God has blessed Holy Redeemer with (now) nine religious vocations in the past 15 years, six in the last four years! One of them, Townsen Poissant, is set to leave for Mt. Angel Abbey this Monday (you’ll hear from him below). We are hopeful that many more will follow him in the religious life.
Please pray daily for those from Holy Redeemer who have not yet reached final vows or ordination: Sr. Catherine, Sr. Katlyn, Evan, Br. Gabriel, Sr. Maris, and now Br. Townsen. Almost all those in religious formation will undergo a vocational crisis or more while in formation; almost all have undergone a vocational crisis before they even entered formation. Saying yes to God in this way is the bravest thing a human being can do because it is so un-natural. The only three things Adam and Eve walked out of the Garden of Eden with were: family (each other and the potential for children), self-determination, and the acquiring of goods. When one enters religious life they take perpetual vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience to a religious superior. These three vows negate the only three natural goods left to Adam and Eve and their descendants. At its core, this is why it is so difficult to say ‘yes’ to a religious vocation: you have to say ‘no’ to human nature. Hence, a religious vocation requires a super-natural act of faith, and so they need super-natural help in the form of our prayers and penances to succeed.
In a mysterious unseen way, every religious vocation is a conduit of God’s Glory and the salvation of souls (many). They are beautiful flowers in Our Lord’s Garden, hope in a fallen world, light in the darkness of our times.
Please pray daily for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and please perform some penance for them from time to time. In an unseen, mysterious way, our prayers and penances for these people release grace from heaven and help them to miraculously say “yes” to Jesus and persevere in their vocation.
Below, I have attached a brief vocation story from Townsen Poissant, who will enter Mt. Angel Abbey this Monday, March 18th. Please pray for him.
May Almighty God Bless You,
Fr. Thomas Nathe
Dear Holy Redeemer Family,
My name is Townsen Poissant and I’m 29 years old. My family and I have been members of Holy Redeemer Parish since 2006, two years before the church was built. I’ve had many chapters of my life at Holy Redeemer, each filled with their ups and downs. Through suffering, silence, and investigation into the deep recesses of my heart, I’m now at the precipice of a new chapter of my life. So, I’m thankful and blessed to have been born into a Catholic family. I’m also blessed to have met so many people through my time at Holy Redeemer who have helped carry my cross. Without them I wouldn’t have built the things I built, got involved in the things I got involved in, and witnessed the things I witnessed. With a whisper, I would hear the call, and with a whisper, I could jump.
I am a cradle Catholic, and my family have attended Mass throughout my life. However, I had always been disinterested until I began to suffer. It was late high school to my early college years after enduring Epileptic seizures since middle school that I found myself at the church in silence in front of the tabernacle. I ran frequently from my house to the church since I didn’t have my driver's license at the time. There and back, it was about 3.4 miles, which wasn’t too bad for me at the time. One day it was raining heavily, and I ran to the church to pray after I had felt a deep feeling to repent for sins I had committed. While alone in the church I prayed repeatedly the Hail Mary until I began to cry. Eventually my heart went into shock as I heard a voice. An old man walked up to me and told me, “Keep it down, I can’t pray over here with all your crying…Here come pray with me.” So, we prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet and then talked about my sins. He talked about his life as well and how the same sins affected his own life. I believe God had worked through this man to open my heart.
In 2017, God worked through another man, Father Thomas Nathe, who approached me to discuss the possibility of my pursuit of religious life. He recommended I finish my degree in Machining first. At the time, my heart was still set on marriage, but a seed was planted. It wasn't until 2022 that I seriously considered pursuing a religious life and attended a come-and-see retreat at Mt Angel. When I left, I began to feel a deep conflict stir in my heart since I still desired a romantic relationship and a big family. Later in 2022, I left my job as a drafter at SC&R to work as a machinist at Columbia Machine. While working there, I revisited Mt Angel and felt drawn to the vow of stability they had there, but I still had my reservations. Columbia Machine eventually transferred me to the night shift, which concerned me due to my history of epilepsy. While I hadn’t had a seizure in two years at the time I still worried about my rest. After discussing my concerns with my boss and human resources, I needed to obtain a doctor's note to return to work. I was ultimately deemed a safety hazard and they had me involuntarily resign. Despite my frustration, I turned the other cheek and continued to search for work while also discerning this calling to religious life through silent prayer.
I made another visit to Mt Angel, but I stayed in the monastery for a week just before Christmas. During my one-week stay at Mt Angel, I burst into tears several times. One moment was when I saw a family walking about throughout the campus. The father wanted me to take pictures of him and the family outside. I later saw the same family inside the church while I was cleaning, and inside I took photos of him and the family. Seeing the family made me yearn for my own family. I wanted what that man had, and I was jealous. At a certain point, I also missed my parents and little brother. I began worrying about what might occur to my parents and siblings if I fully committed to this great tug in my heart. So, I spoke with the brothers out in the courtyard about my worries. Their counsel reassured me and took me to a place where I was shocked. Various monks told me to explore more and obtain more experiences in my life to grow my faith. I realized I had not trusted God's grace for quite some time. I was not giving God my whole being.
After the week's stay at Mt Angel, I needed to find another job and spiritual direction and reach out to different religious orders. I received spiritual guidance from Deacon Scott Aikin. During our conversation, he shared valuable spiritual advice, and we prayed together. Later, he sent me a quote by St. Vincent Ferrer about approaching God with all your heart and the importance of charity. I found charity by helping with the Knights of Columbus, getting involved in Trail Life, and Fraternus, and focusing on simple acts of kindness toward my peers, friends, and family. One day the Dominican order of the Western Province reached out to me through email. Eventually, Fr. John Winkowitsch contacted me, and we did several video meetings. With Fr. John, we discussed the charisms of the Dominican order, their way of life, swapped personal stories, and more. It was
2023 when I eventually landed a couple of jobs though they weren’t very stable, so I decided to come back to the company called SC&R.
With a more stable job, I could frequently visit with different orders more often. I investigated the Brigittine monks, and the Trappist monks of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Trappists rejected me due to my Epilepsy and other medical issues, and while I greatly appreciated the Brigittine monks, I couldn’t stop thinking about Mt. Angel while I was there. While I continued to work and investigate, I got an email late in the summer of 2023 from Fr. John Winkowitsch with an amazing opportunity!
I embarked on a pilgrimage to San Francisco, where I met Fr. John Winkowitsch in person and explored St Albert's Priory in Oakland. The expedition led by Fr. Peter Hannah began in Santa Clara and concluded at a mission church in Santa Cruz. During the walk, we prayed, read about St. Junipero Serra, and talked about our own discernment journeys. Upon my return, in my heart, I left with the inspiring words "always forward, never back," or in Spanish, "Siempre Adelante." I am now committed to moving forward with confidence and trust in the Lord, knowing that everything will fall into place as I give myself entirely to Him.
As I continued forward, I realized I needed to commit. So, I placed my heart in Mt Angel. I told my parents and began the application process in September 2023. In the coming months I attended a funeral, witnessed an ordination, saw Brother Gabriel receive his simple vows, and Brother Mathew receive his Solemn vows. During Brother Mathews' ceremony I heard vividly in my consciousness the words “do you love me?” I pondered the meaning of this for some time. I found the tug in my heart was a fight between my own will and the will of God. My heart was not aligned with his and thus I was filled with anxiety and at the root of it all, was pride. I will enter Mt. Angel Abbey on March 18 as a postulant. Where God takes me from there is a mystery. I trust He will lead me to everything I could ever want, at least in eternity. So please pray for me as I continue forward with His will!
Vivat Jesus!
Townsen Poissant
