Hello,

To those whom I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting and sharing in conversation, my name is Daniel LaPolla, and I am one of the seminarians for the Diocese of Youngstown. Through the pastoral decision of Bishop Bonnar, I have been blessed with being assigned here at Saint Michael Parish for a whole year as the seminarian intern. While at Saint Michael, I will be continuing my discernment of diocesan priesthood by learning, through personal experience, all the different aspects of parish life, in hopes to be ready for the holy task of pastoring a parish in our Diocese. During my time at Saint Michael, I hope to be able to meet and have a personal conversation with each of you here, but while we wait for that graced moment, I would just like to share a bit of myself with all of you. 

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I was born and raised in Warren, Ohio. I have four siblings, two older sisters, one older brother and one younger brother, who will be a high school senior. My parish is Saint Theresa of Calcutta in Warren.  I have been in Catholic schooling for all my formal education, starting at Blessed Sacrament grade school (which is now Warren John F. Kennedy Lower Campus) for K-6th grade, then completing my secondary education at Warren John F. Kennedy Upper Campus, graduating in 2015. I continued my education at the University of Dayton, where I graduated with a B.S. in Biology, and a Minor in Religious Studies, in 2019. After graduation, I had the opportunity to work as a 6th and 7th grade teacher at John F. Kennedy Upper Campus, teaching science and religion. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I wasn’t given the opportunity to return to Kennedy to teach for the 2021 academic year. It was in that moment of loss that I reorganized myself and decided to seriously discern diocesan priesthood. After speaking to the Vocation Director for the Diocese of Youngstown, I was encouraged to become more actively involved at my parish, so I decided to apply for the Youth Minister position at my parish, which at the time was Blessed Sacrament Parish in Warren. From 2020-2021, I worked as a part time Youth Minister and substitute teacher at Lakeview Schools in Cortland. It was in the late Spring of 2021 that I was accepted by the Diocese to formally study Diocesan priesthood. 

 

With the completion of the 2024-2025 academic year, I have finished my 4th year of seminary formation and have enjoyed every year of formation. Though seminary formation, much like many other commitments, has its trials, the graces and blessings that God has poured out on me, encourages me not to despair but to place my hope in God to continue my formation.  

 

I would like to share with you some of those specific graces I have received during my seminary formation. First, there is the community of devoted young men studying at the seminary who have taught me how to live as an authentic disciple of Jesus Christ and to treat others with brotherly love.  Second, my regular appointments with my spiritual director and the psychologist at the seminary have brought me needed healing, which has opened me up to the love and mercy of God active through the Sacraments and in daily graced encounters

 

I hope this short introduction may help to shed a little light on who I am. I would like to state once more that I am looking forward to my year of formation here at Saint Michael. Please know that you are all in my prayers! 

 

Peace be with you all!

Daniel LaPolla

 

 

Read more about Mr. LaPolla and his assignment HERE.

 

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