Casey Sanders' Journey To Priesthood

It was a typical day for Casey Sanders. He was eating at Arby’s with his co-workers for lunch.  Each of them was complaining about how difficult their job was and how they were underpaid, although their salaries were above average.

One of the Arby’s employees went above his job duties to ask Casey and his friends if he could take their trays for them. Casey was the only one who noticed how innocent and happy the teenager seemed. At that time Casey was contemplating becoming a priest and the happiness he saw in the Arby’s employee motivated him to do so.

Casey graduated from the University of Evansville with a degree in math. He went on to become an actuary for Humana in Louisville, Ky. He was making a high salary and had a lot of nice materialistic things, like his condo overlooking Louisville. However, he said he wasn’t as happy as he wanted to be. He didn’t feel like he was getting what he should out of life.   

Working in Louisville, Casey found himself making connections with homeless people. He would get to know them and sometimes take them to dinner. He said he got a fulfillment out of that that he didn’t get at his job.

One of Casey’s friends introduced him to the Catholic faith in 2008. Casey had been going to various Catholic and Protestant churches.

Casey said, “Wow, I never saw this coming. Why did God want me to become Catholic?”

People would randomly come to Casey, and ask him if he was studying to be a priest. He took that as a sign that maybe that’s what he should do.

Casey said, “I feel this desire to give myself to people and to help people, and eventually I decided maybe He was calling me to be a priest.”

When he was visiting Washington, D.C., Casey found himself praying in a church about what he should do. While he was praying a nun walked up to him and said, “Excuse me, are you praying about your vocation?” Casey’s answer, “Yes.”

They spoke a little bit about where he was from and what he was doing in Washington, D.C. As the nun was walking away she looked at Casey and said, “You should do it, become a priest. That’s what God is calling you to do.” Casey made the decision then to study to become a priest.

When Casey decided that he wanted to quit his job at Humana to become a priest, his mother, Myrna Sanders, was shocked. 

Tracie Pauley is a close friend of Casey’s; she has known him for six years.  Pauley was also surprised to hear that Casey was changing paths and becoming a priest.

Pauley said, “He worked very hard to reach the level in his career that he did, and I was surprised to see him give that up. But I also knew that being a priest is a role that he is very suited for.”

In order to become a priest Casey has to study at a seminary for six years.  The first two years he will study philosophy and the last four years he will study theology. Casey is currently in his first two years of study in Washington, D.C.

Casey and Myrna have a close relationship and when he moved away it was difficult for her.

She said, “He’s always kind of been like my backbone. He’s always been there when I needed someone to talk to.”

She was devastated to see him leave. At first, she thought, “He’s quitting his job, leaving his family and friends,” but now she says, “He’s gained so much.”

She said, “I think I have learned to deal with it better recently because I know he is definitely doing what he wants to do.”

Casey was asked to spend four to five years studying in Rome by his archdiocese in Louisville.

Casey said, “The faith that they have in me is an honor.”

At first it wasn’t something that Casey wanted to do because he would be away for so long but he said, “Eventually I was able to come to terms with that and accept it, and think maybe that’s what God wants me to do and to look at the opportunity.”

He expects to leave for Rome around August, and he can’t visit home for the first two years of study in order to entirely immerse himself into the community.

Myrna isn’t looking forward to him being away for so long. She said, “I don’t know what I’ll do. I mean I’ll be lost.”

Although Casey won’t be able to see his family and friends, he said that his desire to serve Christ and do what he believes God wants him to do keeps him motivated. Casey said he still longs for things at home, like his family and friends.

He said, “If you don’t have a good faith life and you don’t have a love for Christ, then it makes it all very difficult.”

Casey said he was making a good salary, had a nice condo, saw his family and friends whenever he wanted and when he was working, after work he had a lot of free time. Now he isn’t making very much money, he’s living in a dorm and can’t see his family and friends unless he visits home.

He said, “Even in the midst of all that, all these drastic changes that seem like they’re for the worst frankly, I really do feel I’m much happier just because I feel like I’m on the right track, I’m getting closer to what I’m supposed to be doing in life.”

Casey said that he can’t focus on the negative aspect of becoming a priest.

He said, “Whenever you kind of change your perspective and say okay I’m giving these things up but what am I gaining? I’m gaining happiness; I’m gaining fulfillment, I’m gaining liberation really, freedom.”

Myrna said it’s almost like he is a different person now.  She said her son is the most faithful person she knows.

Myrna said, “He’s very relaxed, very laid back, he’s so devoted. I see this peace in him that I’ve never seen before.”

This isn’t what Casey originally thought he was going to do. He said he always thought money would buy him happiness and the more he made the happier he would be but he was wrong.

Casey said, “It took a long time for me to realize that money really does not buy me happiness. That’s kind of a part of why I’m here, I think that realization.”

After studying in Rome Casey would like to go back to Louisville and be a priest at a church. He would eventually like to give the homeless and less fortunate people the attention they deserve because he’s always had a connection with them.