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The fraternity of seminarians and discerners in the Diocese of Little Rock is growing. Two members of the Catholic High class of 2013, Brian Cundall and Steven Kelley, have announced their intention to become seminarians for the Diocese of Little Rock.
The classmates were honored at the school during a special signing ceremony May 3 before a packed gymnasium of students, faculty, clergy and guests.
“Yours is a life to be lived for others,” Bishop Anthony B. Taylor said. “And ironically, it is your own life that will end up most enriched as a consequence of living for something bigger than yourself, a life filled with meaning and purpose and joy.”
Cundall, 18, is a member of Christ the King Church in Little Rock and will attend Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas. He said the call to vocations had gradually grown louder during his Catholic education, but that he started to think about it in earnest in his junior year.
“It took some poking and prodding on God’s part,” he told Arkansas Catholic. “It finally came down to opening my heart to what he wanted me to do, forget about everything else and just say yes. Now I want to say yes every day to what God wants from me.”
Cundall said attending Search 126 and serving on the leadership team for Searches 128 and 129 helped make him more receptive to God’s plan for his life. He also gives a lot of credit to the seminarians at the House of Formation.
“I know quite a few of those guys and we spoke about saying yes to God’s call,” he said. “Then one day (vocations director) Msgr. (Scott) Friend came to me and said, ‘A few of the seminarians said I should go talk to you.’”
His time at Catholic High was invested in his studies, earning a 3.6 cumulative grade point average. A four-year varsity offensive lineman, Cundall also played clarinet in the school band for four years. He was elected a team captain and band president, respectively, his senior year. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout.
Cundall is the son of Yancy and Rose Cundall of Little Rock and is the eldest of three.
“The thing that appeals to me most is the opportunity to be a father to everyone,” he said. “Priests are called ‘Father’ for a reason and that’s because we minister to all people.”
Kelley said the idea to follow a vocation first came to him as a middle school altar server at St. Theresa Church in Little Rock. Attending Search 128, he said the pull to the priesthood was solidified, to the delight of his parents, Karen and Doug Kelley.
“My parents are supportive 100 percent of what I am being called to do,” he said. “My mom can’t tell me enough how proud she is of me.”
Kelley will live at the House of Formation in Little Rock and attend classes at the University of Arkansas Little Rock and St. Gregory University in Shawnee, Okla.
“Msgr. Friend takes the time to guide you along,” he said. “He wants to make sure that you are sure of what you’re doing.”
Kelley’s activities at Catholic High included one year on the wrestling team and four years in the Jr. ROTC program. He has been active in Theology Club and sang in the choir at his church. He was also on the leadership team for Searches 129 and 130.
He said the opportunity to serve others was the most appealing thing about becoming a priest.
“I like helping others,” Steven Kelley said. “Not just talking about it, but actually doing it, whenever and whatever they may need.
“I’m very excited about his new chapter of my life. I’m excited to see where God leads me.”
The seminarian signing, similar to an athlete signing a national letter of intent to play college sports, has become at tradition at CHS. Since 2009, seven seniors have committed to becoming seminarians for the Diocese of Little Rock.
