If you ask Jonathan Francois about the moment he first heard God’s call for him to enter the seminary, he’ll take you back to a summer day in Iowa. Seventeen years old and working as a lifeguard, he sat in his chair, praying the Rosary, when he heard the words in his heart: “Jonathan, you will be my priest.”
“I was going into my junior year of high school, and I just thought, ‘Okay. Jesus called me. Amazing. Super amazing,'” Francois shared with the Denver Catholic. “But I also thought, ‘I can’t go to seminary yet — I’m not even in college!'”
That realization set him on a journey of discernment, leading him to Benedictine College in Kansas. Though seminary wasn’t his immediate next step, God continued to nudge him closer. Francois participated in Totus Tuus and Camp Wojtyla, two programs that bring young adults together to teach the faith to children. It was during these summers, particularly his summer in the Rocky Mountains at Camp Wojtyla, that he felt a deepening call to serve in the Archdiocese of Denver.
“After doing three summers of service in the archdiocese, I just felt a really strong call to come here and enter the seminary,” he said. That call eventually led him to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, where he has spent the last several years preparing for the priesthood.
One of the most impactful moments of Jonathan’s seminary years came during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Assigned to assist at St. Gianna Molla Parish in Green Valley Ranch, he worked alongside Father Jason Wunsch, the new parish’s pastor, to transform an old ballet studio into a makeshift church. The newly established parish hadn’t yet broken ground on their church and had to make do with what they could.
“It was incredible. We were literally building a parish from the ground up by figuring out where to put the altar, the tabernacle, the confessional and even the sacristy,” he said. “People were so hungry to have Mass, to be part of a parish. It was one of the greatest experiences of hope I’ve had in seminary.”
Now that the parish has broken ground on a permanent church, Francois realizes how that experience shaped his vision for ministry.
“It showed me that the Church isn’t just about buildings. It’s about people coming together, creating something for the glory of God,” he said.
That lesson was made clear to him during his poverty immersion, a month-long period of service to the poor in which all first-year seminarians participate. Francois went to the West Coast and worked with the Missionaries of Charity, an experience that showed him the power of hope during someone’s darkest moments.
“It was an amazing experience. I administered meds, I cleaned up diapers and assisted people, many of whom weren’t even Catholic, but giving them an experience of faith and hope, it was such a privilege to witness their last moments of life,” he said.
“The Missionaries of Charity provided me with such a witness of what it means to love and hope for other people, to evangelize to them and to speak about Christ in their last moments of life,” he continued.
Before his ordination to the diaconate, Francois will embark on a pilgrimage to Ireland with some of his brother seminarians. They plan to visit Knock, a Marian apparition site, and Cork, home to their seminary rector, Father Daniel Leonard.
“It’s kind of a tribute to Father Leonard as he heads out,” Francois explained. “And for us, it’s a way to pray, reflect and prepare for what’s ahead.”
As Francois approaches ordination, he remains deeply grateful for the journey that brought him here, from lifeguarding in Iowa to seminary in Denver, and he’s excited for what comes next, knowing that this is just the beginning.
“If you told 17-year-old me at the pool that I’d be here today, I don’t know if I’d have believed it,” he said. “But God is good, and he’s led me every step of the way.”
Francois’ journey is made even more unique by the fact that his twin brother, Jacob, is also in seminary, but for their home Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa.
“People love it,” Francois said. “Whenever I speak for the Seminaries Appeals, people always ask about ‘Jonathan and Jacob.’ It’s like a fun little bonus to the story.”
Jacob will be ordained a deacon in December 2025, a little under a year after Jonathan’s own diaconate ordination on March 1 of this year. The brothers share a close bond, strengthened by their shared vocation, even as they prepare to serve in different dioceses.
On March 1, as he kneels before the bishop and is ordained a deacon, Francois will take another step in answering the call that first echoed in his heart so many years ago. And for those who have followed his journey, one thing is certain: his enthusiasm, faith and joy will make him an incredible shepherd for the Church.
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