Seminarian Biography: Greg Bohren

Greg Bohren was born on March 27, 1977 in Madison, Wisconsin and was baptized at St. Aloysius Church in Sauk City.  His home parish is the Newman Center in La Crosse.

Greg attended Roosevelt and McDill elementary school in Plover, Wisconsin and then moved to Ben Franklin Middle School in Steven's Point.  Attending SPASH, Greg graduated from high school in 1995. 

Having numerous jobs before entering the seminary program, Greg has worked at a golf course, a car wash, and as a janitor, cook, salesman, and bank customer service representative.  Greg received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1999 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting also from the University of La Crosse in 2004.

Greg is currently a fourth year theologian at Mundelein Seminary and will graduate in 2009.  Before studying at the theologate at Mundelein, Greg studied pre-theology also at Mundelein.  Greg will receive a Master of Divinity degree when he graduates from Mundelein Seminary.

During the summers of 2006 and 2007, Greg spent time at Sacred Heart St. Patrick's in Eau Claire and attended the IPF program in 2005.

Greg's ecclesiastical interests include scripture, liturgy, and helping people.  His secular interests include reading, the Green Bay Packers, his family, as well as fishing, biking, and hiking.  Greg is a First Degree member of the Order of the Knights of Columbus.  Greg's favorite books include the Bible, A Story of a Soul: St. Therese, and Sayings of the Desert Fathers.  Greg likes to listen to sports radio as well as Relevant Radio.

Finally, Greg's favorite saints include the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St. Paul, St. Jude, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Peregrine, St. Dymphna, St. John Vianney, St Charles Borromeo, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. Terese of Avila, St. Catherine of Sienna, and Bl. Peter Cappuci.

Personal Autobiography

I grew up in the Stevens Point area and attended mass with my parents at Saint Stands.  I enjoyed playing hockey for twelve years and playing football.  I graduated high school from SPASH in 1995 and attended college at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse obtaining a Bachelor Degree in Marketing in 1999.  I worked for two years in sales for TechniPower Inc. in Milwaukee and Atlanta.  Following that I moved back to La Crosse and worked at First Federal Bank while attending UW-La Crosse again part time and attained a degree in accounting in 2004.

My call to the priesthood began in 1999 when my Dad asked me if I ever thought about the priesthood after I telling him about a priest I had met.  I told him I never thought about the priesthood.  After that a seed was planted.  I talked about vocation with a priest once before graduating college and never followed through.  When I was living in Atlanta I started attending daily mass and praying the rosary.  My job was going good but it didn’t feel like it was a fit so I started asking God “what do you want me to do” in prayer.  The answer always felt like priesthood but I kept on running from the call. 

When I moved back to La Crosse I joined the Cathedral and the priest there asked me if I had ever thought of the priesthood and reluctantly I said yes.  He put me in touch with the vocation director who I met with a few times.  During that time I started dating a girl I had known in high school and so I informed the vocation director and the call to the priesthood was put on hold again.  After nine months I decided this wasn’t God’s will for me.  I then started meeting with two different priests once in a while and asking all kinds of questions about the priesthood.  After a year and a half of this, it was time to go back to the vocation director to fill out an application and see what happens.

I was accepted by the diocese and started attending seminary at Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois in 2004.  Since I started seminary I have felt a lot of peace, this is usually a good sign.  While seminary is very challenging academically, there is also a deeper process of discernment going on.  Seminarians need to address prayer life and it is recommended that we pray for one hour a day.  Also we need to take a deep look at ourselves and see what areas need improving.  An example would be communication skills.  Overall seminary is a great experience and I would recommend to any young man who is feeling a pull to the priesthood to meet with a priest to determine if the next step should be taken, that being contacting the vocation director.