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Meet Father Scott Pottoff
Do your family and friends think it is a good idea that you’re becoming a priest?
My parents are very supportive in different ways. My siblings and friends are also supportive, but I don't think they quite know what to make of it.
Do you ever have any fun? What do you do in your free time?
Yes. I like to play basketball and run with some of the other guys. Every year there is an inter-seminary basketball tournament that we play in that is tons of fun.
I also enjoy reading. There are also some great bluffs all around us so it’s nice to hiking in them as well.
If you were not a priest, what do you think you would be?
As far as a profession goes, I’d have to say I’d be a teacher or work for the Department of Natural Resources in some way.
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have two older brothers and two older sisters.
What is your favorite TV program?
M*A*S*H
Who is your favorite singer or music group?
It has to be either Elton John or the WHO.
Do you ever get bored while studying to be a priest?
Sure, there are times when it gets boring or difficult, but I trust that God has called me here and that He will get me through the tough times as I try to do His will.
How is seminary different from a regular school?
Well, in addition to our usual college classes, we live in a separate building as a community dedicated to seeking holiness and God’s will in our lives, especially in seeing if God is calling us to the priesthood.
In seminary, we are being formed to Christ in a specific way as we discern His will. This means that we grow spiritually by praying communally and individually, grow intellectually through our classes, grow pastorally as we minister to others in our apostolic works, and grow as all-around human beings by trying to live holy and balanced lives.
We also have classes, conferences, and spiritual direction that really help with this on a practical level.
How often do you see your family?
During the school year, we have breaks every month or two, so I see them then. We also have a family weekend in September to which our families are invited. They can also come up and stay at the seminary for a weekend throughout the year as well. In the summer, I either live with my parents or seem them throughout the summer on days off.
Can you really be happy as a priest since priests don’t make much money?
Definitely. Happiness isn’t about having a bunch of money; it’s about doing what you were made to do, and being who you were made to be. If God wants me to be a priest, there is other ways that I could be happier.
How often do you pray?
We have Mass everyday and we also pray the Liturgy of the Hours, which is the prayer of the Church that all priests must pray throughout the day. I also have a holy hour each day that I spend praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. I also pray the Rosary every day.
It may seem like a lot, but praying really puts the attention of my day where it should be and God uses it to get me through each day.
Who helped you decide to become a priest?
I first talked to my former pastor, Father Harold Datzman, OSB, about it. He helped me in the beginning stages.
My family has helped, but the monks of St. Bede Abbey (I went to St. Bede Academy for high school) really provided a great atmosphere for discernment at the Academy and by their presence and support.
Father Brian Brownsey, our vocation’s director, and the seminarians I visited with also helped me in coming to the seminary.
When did you decide to study to be a priest? How did you know God was calling you to be a priest?
Well, I am not totally sure that God is calling me to be a priest; the seminary is a testing ground of a vocation. But, I am becoming more confident that He is calling me the longer I’m in the seminary.
I first felt that God might be calling me be a priest in about fifth grade. As I went through high school, I thought about the monastic and married life, but at the end of my senior year, I wasn’t sure.
I went to Emmaus Days, our diocesan vocations retreat, that summer trying to spend some time figuring it out. During the time I spent with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and with the seminarians, I just felt a peace.
Since I had been going a little crazy up to that point, I felt I should take the step and go to the seminary and pursue more whether God was calling me to the diocesan priesthood. It’s going well so far.
What do you think the best thing will be about being a priest?
That’s a tough one. I am looking forward to being the instrument of God’s healing forgiveness in hearing confessions. To be with the people as they make their peace with God must be awesome. And, I’m not sure if anything can compare to being in the person of Christ celebrating the Eucharist.
How has TEC influenced your discernment to the priesthood?
I grew up knowing a lot about Jesus, but it was at TEC that I got to know Him. My spiritual life became less focused on my thoughts and opened up to a real relationship of friendship that He calls all of us to as Christians.
The Lord also used TEC, especially different team members I've worked with, as a tool to open me up to community in the Church. God calls us individually and by name, but he also calls us into a family, His Church, and TEC helped me to see this wider picture.
I guess in short TEC has made me more human, more who I'm supposed to be. TEC also made me make the decision that if I'm going to be a Catholic Christian then I've got to change the parts of my life that are not Christian. It especially helped in having purer relationships with women.
So, I'd say that TEC has helped me come to know Jesus as a Person, has helped me to become more human, and has helped me to conform my life to Christ. That it was the Christian life and seminary formation/training iare all about, conforming our lives to Jesus.
My parents are very supportive in different ways. My siblings and friends are also supportive, but I don't think they quite know what to make of it.
Do you ever have any fun? What do you do in your free time?
Yes. I like to play basketball and run with some of the other guys. Every year there is an inter-seminary basketball tournament that we play in that is tons of fun.
I also enjoy reading. There are also some great bluffs all around us so it’s nice to hiking in them as well.
If you were not a priest, what do you think you would be?
As far as a profession goes, I’d have to say I’d be a teacher or work for the Department of Natural Resources in some way.
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have two older brothers and two older sisters.
What is your favorite TV program?
M*A*S*H
Who is your favorite singer or music group?
It has to be either Elton John or the WHO.
Do you ever get bored while studying to be a priest?
Sure, there are times when it gets boring or difficult, but I trust that God has called me here and that He will get me through the tough times as I try to do His will.
How is seminary different from a regular school?
Well, in addition to our usual college classes, we live in a separate building as a community dedicated to seeking holiness and God’s will in our lives, especially in seeing if God is calling us to the priesthood.
In seminary, we are being formed to Christ in a specific way as we discern His will. This means that we grow spiritually by praying communally and individually, grow intellectually through our classes, grow pastorally as we minister to others in our apostolic works, and grow as all-around human beings by trying to live holy and balanced lives.
We also have classes, conferences, and spiritual direction that really help with this on a practical level.
How often do you see your family?
During the school year, we have breaks every month or two, so I see them then. We also have a family weekend in September to which our families are invited. They can also come up and stay at the seminary for a weekend throughout the year as well. In the summer, I either live with my parents or seem them throughout the summer on days off.
Can you really be happy as a priest since priests don’t make much money?
Definitely. Happiness isn’t about having a bunch of money; it’s about doing what you were made to do, and being who you were made to be. If God wants me to be a priest, there is other ways that I could be happier.
How often do you pray?
We have Mass everyday and we also pray the Liturgy of the Hours, which is the prayer of the Church that all priests must pray throughout the day. I also have a holy hour each day that I spend praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. I also pray the Rosary every day.
It may seem like a lot, but praying really puts the attention of my day where it should be and God uses it to get me through each day.
Who helped you decide to become a priest?
I first talked to my former pastor, Father Harold Datzman, OSB, about it. He helped me in the beginning stages.
My family has helped, but the monks of St. Bede Abbey (I went to St. Bede Academy for high school) really provided a great atmosphere for discernment at the Academy and by their presence and support.
Father Brian Brownsey, our vocation’s director, and the seminarians I visited with also helped me in coming to the seminary.
When did you decide to study to be a priest? How did you know God was calling you to be a priest?
Well, I am not totally sure that God is calling me to be a priest; the seminary is a testing ground of a vocation. But, I am becoming more confident that He is calling me the longer I’m in the seminary.
I first felt that God might be calling me be a priest in about fifth grade. As I went through high school, I thought about the monastic and married life, but at the end of my senior year, I wasn’t sure.
I went to Emmaus Days, our diocesan vocations retreat, that summer trying to spend some time figuring it out. During the time I spent with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and with the seminarians, I just felt a peace.
Since I had been going a little crazy up to that point, I felt I should take the step and go to the seminary and pursue more whether God was calling me to the diocesan priesthood. It’s going well so far.
What do you think the best thing will be about being a priest?
That’s a tough one. I am looking forward to being the instrument of God’s healing forgiveness in hearing confessions. To be with the people as they make their peace with God must be awesome. And, I’m not sure if anything can compare to being in the person of Christ celebrating the Eucharist.
How has TEC influenced your discernment to the priesthood?
I grew up knowing a lot about Jesus, but it was at TEC that I got to know Him. My spiritual life became less focused on my thoughts and opened up to a real relationship of friendship that He calls all of us to as Christians.
The Lord also used TEC, especially different team members I've worked with, as a tool to open me up to community in the Church. God calls us individually and by name, but he also calls us into a family, His Church, and TEC helped me to see this wider picture.
I guess in short TEC has made me more human, more who I'm supposed to be. TEC also made me make the decision that if I'm going to be a Catholic Christian then I've got to change the parts of my life that are not Christian. It especially helped in having purer relationships with women.
So, I'd say that TEC has helped me come to know Jesus as a Person, has helped me to become more human, and has helped me to conform my life to Christ. That it was the Christian life and seminary formation/training iare all about, conforming our lives to Jesus.