Seminarians
Meet the Seminarians
Our Parishes have been immensely blessed over the past several years to have many seminarians come through our doors and spend time with us at both Saint Mary of the Woods and Saint Patrick. Join us in praying for these wonderful men as they continue their formation to the priesthood. May we continue to be blessed with wonderful men entering the seminary. If you would like to send any cards or care packages, the address for the men is as follows:
6616 Beechmont Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45230
Mount St. Mary's of the West Seminary in Cincinnati.
Meet current seminarians of Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Benjamin Packer
Seminarian Intern
2023-2024
My name is Benjamin Packer. I will be spending the next year in your parishes as a seminarian intern with Fr. Landenwitch. I have completed six years of seminary - four years in college seminary and two in Theology in Cincinnati. I grew up in a homeschooling family with my five younger brothers and two younger sisters. I entered college seminary at Bishop Simon Bruté in Indianapolis after graduating high school and have continued for two years at Mt. St. Mary's in Cincinnati for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. God willing, I will be ordained in just under three years from now. I enjoy hiking, camping, reading, and occasional casual sports whether it is disc golf or a casual game Of ultimate frisbee. Hopefully, I will have the pleasure of meeting many of you in the coming weeks.
Daniel Jasek
Summer 2020
Meet Daniel Jasek!! He is from Our Lady of Good Hope parish in Miamisburg, OH and is the oldest of five children. He studied Computer Science at the University of Notre Dame, worked for one year as a web-developer in Columbus, and started seminary studies at Mount St. Mary's of the West Seminary in Cincinnati in the Fall of 2019.
Matthew Montag
Summer 2020
Matt Montag is going into Theology II at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary and School of Theology. Matt was born 30 minutes Northeast of Cincinnati in Loveland, Ohio, and comes from a family of four. Prior to seminary he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a business degree and worked for two years in sales. In his free time he enjoys the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, as well as camping and hiking. Matt's favorite Saint other than the Blessed Mother is St. Maximillian Kolbe.
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Update: Father Matthew Montag was ordained into the priesthood on May 18th, 2024 at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, Cincinnati, OH.
Robert Hale
Seminarian Intern
2019-2020
"Hello, I am Robert Hale and I am studying for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary's of the West Seminary. I am excited to spend the next year on internship with you all at St. Patrick's and St. Mary's of the Woods. I am the oldest of four children; I have two sisters and a brother. I was raised just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. I moved to Cincinnati when I entered the seminary, and I am still trying to learn more about the Archdiocese. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you over the next year. Please pray for me as I continue my formation to the priesthood, and I will be praying for all of you as well!"
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Update: Father Robert Hale was ordained into the priesthood on May 21st, 2022 at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, Cincinnati, OH.
Adam Berning
Summer 2019
Have you met our newest seminarian?? Adam Berning is here for the summer at both Saint Mary of the Woods and Saint Patrick's! He graduated from Anna High School and his home parish is Sacred Heart of Jesus in McCartyville. After graduating high school he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis. This August he will be entering Mt. St. Mary's Seminary in Cincinnati to begin his studies in Theology. We are so excited to have him here with us this summer!
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Update: Father Adam Berning was ordained into the priesthood on May 18th, 2024 at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, Cincinnati, OH.
Alex Dugas
Summer 2019
Meet Alex Dugas! "I am originally from Huber Heights and am one of three children. I graduated from Wright State with a degree in history, and it was during my time at WSU that I decided to pursue a call to the priesthood-this was something that I had thought of since I was at least 7 years old. I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, so please do introduce yourselves to me."
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Update: Father Alex Dugas was ordained into the priesthood on May 20th, 2023 at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, Cincinnati, OH.
Anthony Marcelli
Seminarian Intern
2018-2019
"Hello! My name is Anthony Marcelli, I am a seminarian for the Archdiocese and I will be doing a yearlong internship with Father Shawn. My hometown is Amelia Ohio which is about a half hour from downtown Cincinnati. I am one of 7 kids: 5 girls and two boys. I attended public high school and during that time I wanted to become a coast Guard rescue diver but seeing how I have very little experience swimming in the ocean (being from Ohio and all) I decided to sign up for paramedic schooling instead. A couple of months before my high school graduation I saw a video of a priest anointing a woman who was dying in the hospital; in that moment I felt that God was calling me to serve the kingdom in this way. I decided to drop paramedic schooling and sought out studies for the priesthood. I then received my degree from Franciscan university and entered seminary after graduating college. This is my third year in seminary and I have a little less than 3 years to go. I am very excited to be here with all of you and I look forward to a great year to join you in serving our Lord. God Bless!"
Update: Father Anthony Marcelli was ordained into the priesthood on May 15th, 2021 at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, Cincinnati, OH.
Patrick Blenman
Summer 2017, 2018
Patrick Blenman, Seminarian... "I am a seminarian going into my fourth year of college seminary for for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. I study at Bishop Simon Brute College Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana. I am so blessed to be here and I cannot wait to become more involved and get to know all of you here in the parish. I grew up just across the county line in Sidney, Ohio. I come from a family of 6 with my parents, a twin brother, older brother, and older sister. I graduated from Lehman Catholic High School in Sidney in 2014 and entered college seminary right after graduation. Some things I enjoy doing are hanging out with friends, meeting new people, watching movies, riding my bike, and being able to be present to the needs of God people. If you see me around the parish or around town, please do not hesitate to come over and say hello, ask for prayers, or just want to talk. I will be giving two talks here over the summer. Thank you all so much and I cannot wait to get a chance to serve you this summer."
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Update: Father Patrick Blenman was ordained into the priesthood on May 20th, 2023 at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, Cincinnati, OH.