Plunging Into Priesthood:
How Ben Chisholm Made His Decision
Ben Chisholm literally took the plunge to become a seminarian in August 2018.
He was on his second vocations retreat at the Paulist Fathers summer retreat house in Lake George, N.Y., and as he stepped to the ledge of the cliffside, he made his choice and jumped in. It was like a second baptism into a new life toward becoming a Paulist priest.
A lifetime as a practicing Catholic and a year of intense discernment led him to this moment.
Ben grew up in Concord, Calif., in a home that embraced both his mother’s Catholic side and his father’s Presbyterian side. He describes his parents, Roderick and Katherine, as people of faith who encouraged his curiosity and answered his questions about religion and spirituality.
“Both my parents were instrumental in instilling in me a sense of love for God. I had good examples from many people in my life, in particular my mother and godmother, Frances. As I think more about my vocation, when it was just a seed, it was the women in my life who were watering it.”
He studied English literature at Fordham University, and it was an important time for his faith development too. He learned more about the social mission of the Catholic Church and participated in outreach activities in the local Bronx community.
“I first started thinking about religious vocation when I was a teenager and then later in college.
I looked into the life of priests and monks and found it all very interesting. I thought they had very interesting lives and were thoughtful, caring, generous, and loving men. I admired them for their commitment and zeal.”
He spent the years after graduating working as a paralegal in Manhattan, teaching English in France for a year, and eventually graduating from law school at Notre Dame University. Although a career in law seemed reasonable, his heart was never really in it.
He found his “happiest” job working at Fordham’s law school administration, and it happened to be right across the street from St. Paul the Apostle, the Mother church of the Paulist Fathers. It was here that he first came to know about and connect with the Paulist community.
Ben attended his first vocations retreat that they hosted, and then began to think seriously about becoming a priest. He engaged a spiritual director, prayed a lot, and had many conversations with priests and friends, Catholic or otherwise.
Then there were the mental blocks to overcome. At 38, was he perhaps too old to join? Did he really want to start over on a new career path? Would this be too weird, too far, or too much for others?
“It’s one thing to be devout but are you really ready to be public figure for the Church,” he wondered at the time. It’s a hesitation many Catholics can relate to, regardless of whether they are choosing to enter the religious life.
Finally, he found himself cliffside at Lake George, ready to go all in. At the end of the weekend, after taking the “Paulist Plunge,” Ben told his classmate that he would ask for the application, which signifies your intention to enter the novitiate. Verbalizing it solidified his commitment and helped him follow through.
Ben says one of his biggest challenges is practicing obedience, not the kind where you do as your told, but the discipline of blocking out the noise in your life, listening for God’s voice and responding to it – even when you don’t agree. A universal exercise in faith that takes a lifetime to master.
As for the anxieties he had prior to entering the seminary, Ben says he doesn’t think about them at all. Now, he derives his greatest joy from his studies – how they have deepened his faith and knowledge of God – and his work with the people he serves as a Paulist.
“Those two things give me joy, inspiration, motivation, and crowning all that is the community life that is part of both those features. My Paulist identity is infused into the whole formation life. It’s a great thing to have because it’s an animating spirit and it reminds me that I’m not just doing this on my own, but part of a team of people both living and dead. All that is supporting me and also pushing me forward.”
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
- Psalm 118:14
This verse is one which comes to mind often when I pray. It reminds me that I do all things only through God, who gives me strength. I wish to make my whole life a song of thanksgiving to the Lord for the great gift of salvation that he won for his people.
Benjamin Chisholm, CSP
Home State: California
Home Parish: St. Bonaventure in Concord, CA
Patron Saint: St. Adjutor
Education: B.A. in English, Fordham University; J.D., Notre Dame Law School
Current Location: Hecker House, Washington, D.C.
Profile by Estefania Garcia.
Benjamin Chisholm, CSP
Home State: California
Home Parish: St. Bonaventure in Concord, CA
Patron Saint: St. Adjutor
Education: B.A. in English, Fordham University; J.D., Notre Dame Law School
Current Location: Cathedral of Saint Andrew / Catholic Information Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Ben Chisholm literally took the plunge to become a seminarian in August 2018.
He was on his second vocations retreat at the Paulist Fathers summer retreat house in Lake George, N.Y., and as he stepped to the ledge of the cliffside, he made his choice and jumped in. It was like a second baptism into a new life toward becoming a Paulist priest.
A lifetime as a practicing Catholic and a year of intense discernment led him to this moment.
Ben grew up in Concord, Calif., in a home that embraced both his mother’s Catholic side and his father’s Presbyterian side. He describes his parents, Roderick and Katherine, as people of faith who encouraged his curiosity and answered his questions about religion and spirituality.
“Both my parents were instrumental in instilling in me a sense of love for God. I had good examples from many people in my life, in particular my mother and godmother, Frances. As I think more about my vocation, when it was just a seed, it was the women in my life who were watering it.”
He studied English literature at Fordham University, and it was an important time for his faith development too. He learned more about the social mission of the Catholic Church and participated in outreach activities in the local Bronx community.
“I first started thinking about religious vocation when I was a teenager and then later in college.
I looked into the life of priests and monks and found it all very interesting. I thought they had very interesting lives and were thoughtful, caring, generous, and loving men. I admired them for their commitment and zeal.”
He spent the years after graduating working as a paralegal in Manhattan, teaching English in France for a year, and eventually graduating from law school at Notre Dame University. Although a career in law seemed reasonable, his heart was never really in it.
He found his “happiest” job working at Fordham’s law school administration, and it happened to be right across the street from St. Paul the Apostle, the Mother church of the Paulist Fathers. It was here that he first came to know about and connect with the Paulist community.
Ben attended his first vocations retreat that they hosted, and then began to think seriously about becoming a priest. He engaged a spiritual director, prayed a lot, and had many conversations with priests and friends, Catholic or otherwise.
Then there were the mental blocks to overcome. At 38, was he perhaps too old to join? Did he really want to start over on a new career path? Would this be too weird, too far, or too much for others?
“It’s one thing to be devout but are you really ready to be public figure for the Church,” he wondered at the time. It’s a hesitation many Catholics can relate to, regardless of whether they are choosing to enter the religious life.
Finally, he found himself cliffside at Lake George, ready to go all in. At the end of the weekend, after taking the “Paulist Plunge,” Ben told his classmate that he would ask for the application, which signifies your intention to enter the novitiate. Verbalizing it solidified his commitment and helped him follow through.
Today, he is a fourth-year seminarian on his pastoral year at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Grand Rapids, Mich. He will spend 10 months learning the life of a Paulist parish priest and working on pastoral skills. Next summer, he will return to Washington, D.C. to continue the process of formation.
Ben says his biggest challenge so far has been practicing obedience, not the kind where you do as your told, but the discipline of blocking out the noise in your life, listening for God’s voice and responding to it – even when you don’t agree. A universal exercise in faith that takes a lifetime to master.
As for all the anxieties he had prior to entering the seminary, Ben says he doesn’t think about them at all. Now, he derives his greatest joy from his studies – how they have deepened his faith and knowledge of God – and his work with the people he serves as a Paulist.
“Those two things give me joy, inspiration, motivation, and crowning all that is the community life that is part of both those features. My Paulist identity is infused into the whole formation life. It’s a great thing to have because it’s an animating spirit and it reminds me that I’m not just doing this on my own, but part of a team of people both living and dead. All that is supporting me and also pushing me forward.”