Deacon Patrick Wille 
Birth Date
May 23
Parish Location
St. Philomena, Peoria
Year entered the Seminary/Class of
Entered in 2017, Class of 2023
Studying at
Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD
Why did you become a seminarian?
I believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Indeed, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all. But (!) now Christ has been raised from the dead…” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20). I became a seminarian because I believe God is calling me to share this hope of salvation as a priest. Jesus Christ promised, “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), and the priest humbly participates in His eternal presence by baptizing, forgiving sins through Confession, and celebrating the Eucharist with the People of God.
Before you entered the seminary, what were you doing?
After graduating with a degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I worked at The Boeing Company in St. Louis and Chicago. God then called me to higher heights than even an aerospace company can provide.
An interesting fact about you
While growing up in Peoria, I was a newspaper boy from the time I was nine until the start of high school. Now, God is calling me to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ.