Fr. Joshua Waltz Fr. Joshua Waltz

I would like to thank Matthew Kurtz, Director of Communications and Editor of the Dakota Catholic Action in the Diocese of Bismarck for sharing the following story and video about the amazing Vocations testimonial of Fr. Joshua Waltz. I think you'll agree when you watch this video that these types of passionate stories of calling, delivered by a holy priest, can go a long way towards inspiring young men who may have a call to the priesthood.

When asked what inspired the making of this video (which has gone viral and also been published by Lighthouse Catholic Media), Matthew Kurtz shared with me:

Here in the Diocese of Bismarck, we’ve been making a concerted effort to utilize video and social media to communicate with people who are searching for truth and joy (within our diocese and beyond). Since Fr. Waltz was named director of vocations a year ago, we’ve been collaborating to simply get stories out there. We’re in the process of recording and posting the vocation stories of all our seminarians (the number of which has doubled in the last six months) and decided to lead off with Fr. Josh’s story. Our hope is that these videos plant seeds in people’s hearts that inspire them to follow God’s will in their lives. If the high level of interest in Fr. Waltz's video is any indication, the fruits will be realized. You simply can’t deny an individual’s personal experience of love, mercy and joy. The power of testimony is real and as Catholics, we don’t share enough of our personal encounters with Christ.

I know you'll enjoy watching this young priest (whose only sibling, older brother Fr. Justin Waltz, is also a priest in the diocese) share his story:

About Fr. Joshua Waltz:

Fr. Joshua Waltz received his bachelors of sacred theology in Rome at the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas. During this time he also obtained a master’s degree in moral theology with an emphasis in bioethics. After being ordained in 2007, Fr. Waltz spent the first six years of his priesthood teaching theology at St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck, North Dakota and served as the chaplain of the high school. He is presently teaching a class in spirituality at the University of Mary and is the vocation director for the Diocese of Bismarck in North Dakota.

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About the Author

Lisa M. Hendey

Lisa M. Hendey

Lisa M. Hendey is the founder of CatholicMom.com, a bestselling author and an international speaker. A frequent radio and television guest, Hendey travels internationally giving workshops on faith, family, and communications. Visit Lisa at LisaHendey.com or on social media @LisaHendey for information on her speaking schedule or to invite her to visit your group, parish, school or organization. Visit Lisa's author page on Amazon.com.