Our Seminarians

Deacon Peter Wigton

Peter Wigton is from Cedar, Michigan. His home parish is Holy Rosary Parish in Cedar. He is the fifth child of ten siblings. His father is a very hard working medical doctor, while his mother stayed quite busy raising ten children. He attended Catholic schools from the second grade. He remembers being a good student, rewarded for excellent or outstanding work and always did very well in religion class. While in high school he became very involved in sports and school politics. After high school, Peter attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He originally enrolled in business courses, but after one semester, switched to Humanities and Catholic Culture and Theology. While in college, Peter spent several semesters studying abroad. Each location was a very spiritual experience for him. By the end of his junior year, he felt the call to enter a life- long relationship with God.

After this graduation from Franciscan University in 2005, he began a serious vocational search. He decided to join the Friars Minor of Mary Immaculate in Rome, he remained with them until May 2008. He made temporary vows in May of 2007. Early in 2008 he realized that he needed to discern diocesan life. After working with his spiritual director in Rome, it was decided that he would ask for a dispensation from those vows and was accepted for the Diocese of Gaylord. He is attending the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus.  Peter was ordained as a transitional deacon in June of 2011 and will be ordained to the Priesthood on June 9, 2012. 

Bryan Medlin

Bryan Medlin was born in Wyandotte, and raised in Trenton, Michigan.  His home parish is the Catholic Community of Manistee. His father is a pharmacist, and his mother is an elementary school teacher.  He has one younger brother.

He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Michigan.  Over the summer of 2010 Bryan was chosen to attend The Rome Experience. He studied and lived in Rome for six weeks.  Bryan said this was an unforgettable and faithfilled experience.  This fall of 2011 Bryan will be entering his third year of Theology at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

Chet Collins

Chet was born in Linden, Michigan.  He has two older sisters and a younger brother. His family moved permanently to Gaylord in 1952 when Chet was seven years old. Chet grew up attending daily Mass beginning at age three when he walked with his mother and his sisters to St Mary Church and School where his sisters attended. He feels that those daily trips at a young age has always made it easy throughout his life to attend daily Mass whenever possible.  In high school, Chet's principal, Sr. Mary, asked him if he had ever though of pursuing the priesthood.  Looking back Chet said if he had answered with his heart, he would have told her "Yes".   He also had two family members who were sisters.  They were always close to Chet and helped him grow spiritually. In 1971, Chet joined the U.S. Navy. Upon leaving the Navy in 1975, Chet took the exam to work in the US Post Office.  He was hired there in March of 1976.  He attend various colleges and seminaries throughout these years, with thoughts of being ordained to the priest hood always in the back of his mind.  Throughout these years, Chet was an active member of his home parish, St Mary Cathedral in Gaylord.

He finally met up with some Franciscan candidates and found a special love for the order. He made his profession in the Order in 2006.  He credits his friends and parish priest for the ongoing encouragement to fulfill his dream of being ordained.  This led him to being accepted to Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisonsin. 

Matthew Cowan

Matthew Cowan is from Petoskey, Michigan.  His home parish is Cross in the Woods Shrine in Indian River. He is the youngest in his family, growing up with one brother and one sister. Matt attended St Francis Xavier Elementary School in Petoskey, then went to the public school for his high school years. He graduated in 2003. He began his college career at Michigan State University majoring in History and English, received his BA in History and English. Matt was a Boy Scout while growing up, achieving the position of Eagle Scout.

In college he was very active being a Tower Guard, and as a member of the History Fraternity, Honors Fraternity, and Spanish club. He is quite fluent in Spanish and had some experience teaching while in college. He would like to study Spanish more and perhaps teach more in the future. Matt also competes in triathlons.

Matt is doing his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. 

Will MacMaster

Will MacMaster is from Harrisville, Michigan. His home parish is St Anne Parish. He is the oldest of four siblings, having one brother and two sisters. Will's parents are medical doctors in the Harrisville area.

Will graduated from high school in 2006. He then attended the Franciscan University in Stubenville.  While in college, Will became active in Music Ministry. He has recently collaborated on a CD of Christian Music. He is studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.   

Tyler Bischoff

Tyler Bischoff is from East Tawas, Michigan. His home parish is Holy Family Parish.  He was born and raised in East Tawas as the oldest child with two younger sisters. He remembers wanting to be a priest as early as elementary school. He went to Catholic schools beginning in the 3rd grade. Tyler graduated 4th in his class from high school in 2007. While in high school, he also began running track and cross country, setting some new records for his school. 

Upon graduation he enrolled in Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. He loves being in college, meeting new people, and studying as well as competing with the cross country and track teams. He feels his love of teamwork helped him transition into college life.

In the fall of 2011, Tyler began attending the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Chris Jarvis

Chris Jarvis grew up in Ludington, the youngest of four siblings.  After his graduation from high school, Chris and his parents moved to Traverse City.  Chris completed a business degree from Spring Arbor University and was in business with his brother building custom homes.

After some discernment, Chris applied and was accepted to the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception.  He has also studied at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.  Chris finally discerned that the Diocesan priesthood was what he had been searching for.  His home parish is Holy Rosary Parish in Cedar. He is studying Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. 

Benjamin Rexroat

Benjamin (Ben) Rexroat is the eldest child of Douglas and Jozell (Korson) Rexroat. Born in Traverse City, Ben lived in Lake Ann for the first 8 years of his life, attending Traverse City St. Francis School and Immaculate Conception Parish, where he made his First Communion and Reconciliation.

The summer before Third Grade, Ben and his family - which now included four siblings, moved to a home in a 65-acre cherry orchard in Lake Leelanau. That following school year Ben transferred to St. Mary of Lake Leelanau, the same school attended by three of his four Grandparents, both parents and his siblings. Ben was surrounded by family and thus had a ready-made ‘circle of friends’ that included many cousins.

All Ben’s hard work paid off with scholarship offers, and he accepted a full-ride to the University of Detroit Mercy, where he studied Electrical Engineering. To say waking up in Detroit was a much different experience than waking up in Lake Leelanau is a bit of an understatement. Ben likes to say, “I went from going to bed to the sounds of crickets and waking up to birds chirping to going to sleep to the sounds of gunshots and waking up to police sirens.” Ben finished his studies and received his degree in four years.

Through all of these activities, Ben’s faith played a role in his choices. The retreats and homilies and general activities of ministry in both his college and younger years provided him with a real sense of community. Knowing his Mass attendance and campus ministry while away at Mercy was freely chosen and not forced strengthened his Catholic identity; he began to own his faith.

Eventually Ben began to seriously consider the priesthood. The more he prayed, the more God answered. Random hints as to his vocation seem to pop up from the universe — a casual friend mentioned he had the traveling chalice for Vocations and that he was praying for the seminarians and for Ben; his godmother and pastor of his church asked if he had thought about the priesthood. It was at the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Bernard Hebda when things really fell into place. Rexroat began the steps leading to his priestly vocation in earnest. He has been accepted by the Diocese of Gaylord and is studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

Nicholas Cooper

Nicholas Cooper grew up on a small fruit farm in Williamsburg, MI and is the second of three sons of James and Mary Cooper. For most of Nicholas’ life he has been an active member of Sacred Heart in Elk Rapids where he received the sacraments of First Confession, First Eucharist and Confirmation. While in high school he attended World Youth Day 2000 in Rome, Italy and 2002 in Toronto, Ontario where he saw in absolute awe, Blessed Pope John Paul II. After both moments, several of the youth group leaders motioned to Nicholas the he should consider a vocation to the priesthood but he ignored them.

In the fall of 2003 Nicholas began his academic career at Northwestern Michigan College studying general music before transferring to Aquinas College in Grand Rapids where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2008 majoring in vocal performance. During his tenure at Aquinas he learned about the four Dominican charisms: prayer, study, service and community to which he owes to leading to his vocation to study for the priesthood. Nicholas continued his education by landing a full ride scholarship at the University of Notre Dame du Lac where he earned in 2010 a Master of Sacred Music with a concentration in theology, choral and vocal music. It was during this time of study and the death of his mentor that propelled his decision to pray about the priesthood.

After seven years of academic life Nicholas was thrilled to land the position of Director of Sacred Music and Organist at his home parish, Sacred Heart in Elk Rapids. Where he directed the Schola and founded the Children’s Liturgical Choir. It was while working for Fr. Robert J. Zuchowski and seeing him preside, as well as, cantoring for the weekly Holy Hour that Nicholas began to talk about the priesthood to friends and made the grand step to apply to the diocese. Nicholas is now studying – once again – at the Pontifical College Joesphinum in Columbus, Ohio where he is in his first year of Pre-Theology.

Bradley Nursey

Brad grew up in Georgia.  He is the second oldest of four siblings, having two sisters and one brother.  Brad is the only one who has  moved away from Georgia.  He remains in close contact to his siblings.  Their mother passed away of Lou Gehrig's disease in 2004.  He says family has always been extremely important to him and has a profound impact on his life. 

Brad attended public schools his entire educational career.  His parents always sent him and his siblings to Sunday School Classes.  Brad attended the University of Georgia and obtained a degree in Journalism majoring in Telecommunications.  His greatest difficulties came from mathematics.  In working towards his degree, he only had to take one math class.  He says, in all seriousness, it was that class that really caused a profound increase in his prayer life. Brad has had a number of jobs and has held teaching jobs in New Mexico and in Japan. 

He has thought about being a priest since the second grade.  As he got older it was always in the back of his mind.  "Now  I am as certain as I've ever been of anything that this is what I was made to do and to be.  I firmly believe that as a priest I will be the man God willed me to be."

Brad is attending  the Pontifical College Josephinum studying pre-Theology.

Michael Wigton

Michael Wigton is from Cedar, Michigan. His home parish is Holy Rosary Parish in Cedar.  He is the ninth child of ten siblings. His father is a medical doctor, while his mother stayed quite busy raising ten children. He attended Catholic elementary and high school.

His first year of college he attended Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.  His second year of college, he attended Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan.  He is currently in his fourth year of college, attending the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

Sean Farkas

Sean Farkas was born in Traverse City. His home parish is Immaculate Conception in Traverse City.  He is the youngest of 6 siblings, having one sister and four brothers.  He went to St Mary School in Lake Leelanau until tenth grade.  He transferred to Suttons Bay Public schools to study computers and graphics.  He spent four years working at a local television station.  Sean loved filming and graphics and considered a carreer in television until he had a change of heart.

During those years, some of the friends he spent time with were saying they "used to be Catholic".  He realized that they were missing the "big picture" and that he needed to step up and understand more the teachings that he was brought up on.  He began to attend classes and found a spiritual director.  He began talking and listening to him.  During that time he visited the Oblates of the Virgin Mary in Boston, he stayed with them for over a year.  While he was there, everyone told him he that he should be a diocesan priest. 

He is studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.