Deacon Kevin Manthey, 26

Home parish: St. Michael, Farmington.

Hometown: Farmington.

Parents: Jim and Ann Manthey.

Family: brother, Greg

Education: B.A. in philosophy and Catholic Studies, University of St. Thomas.

Teaching parish: two years at Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, then two years at St. John Neumann in Eagan

Pastoral learning experiences: discernment year with the Emmanuel Community in Belgium, including a month with L’Arche (founded by Jean Vanier) — homes for people with mental handicaps; chaplain’s aide at Gundersen Lutheran hospital in La Crosse, Wis.; deacon at St. Joseph in West St. Paul

Hobbies: racquetball, playing the drums, camping, watching movies and tinkering with graphic design

Favorite book: “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis.

Favorite movie: “Of Gods and Men.”

Person you admire most: I’ll never forget when Father Thierry Quelquejay explained to a group of us seminarians in the Emmanuel Community that he sees his identity as being a beloved son of God the Father and a “fisher of men” and that his hobby is street evangelization. Also, he would sometimes see homeless men on the street and invite them to have lunch with us.

Favorite saint: St. Joseph.

Thanksgiving Mass: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 1, at St. Michael in Farmington.

What were you doing before you entered the seminary?

I entered St. John Vianney College Seminary after graduating from Farmington High School.

When was the first time you thought about the priesthood?

At Boy Scout camp in sixth grade, the priest chaplain encouraged all of us at Mass to think about the priesthood even if we didn’t think we could speak in front of people. I was very shy at the time, and his words hit home for me.

Were there any reasons why you had not considered the priesthood earlier in your life?

I had never thought of it as a real option for me, even though I was an altar server and people had mentioned it to me before.

Who was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation?

My mother encouraged me to visit the seminary and inspired me by her desire to learn more about the faith and grow in holiness. My grandparents have been praying the rosary for vocations since long before I was born.

Was there an experience that was instrumental in identifying and developing your vocation?

The Lord captured my heart on a retreat at the Institute for Priestly Formation: This was a deep confirmation of my call to celibacy and to the priesthood. Also, I remember reading a guide concerning the life and ministry of Emmanuel Community priests and thinking: This is beautiful! This is the kind of priest I want to be!

What excites you most about becoming a priest?

I am most excited about seeing conversion in people’s hearts, ­­seeing people touched by Jesus and responding to his immense love. I am very much looking forward to being a minister of the Lord’s mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation and to being a minister of the Eucharist.

How would you like to answer the call to evangelization in your priestly ministry?

I want people to see in me the joy of knowing Christ.

What concrete ways have you answered the call to evangelize up to this point?

With the Emmanuel Community, I have often gone out evangelizing on the street, two by ­two (of course, this is just one of many ways of evangelizing).

What encouragement and/or advice do you have for young men who may be considering the priesthood?

Pray, seek to follow Jesus in your daily life, go to Mass and confession regularly, and don’t hide it (speak to a priest, your family, etc.).