What kind of man would want to become a priest?

Here are some answers:

The ordination Class of 2009, with computer experts, refugees, marathon runners and second-career men, mirrors the United States today. The men from dioceses nationwide show that the call to serve God is heard at all ages. Respondents include attorneys, financiers, teachers and farmers.

Justin Minh Nguyen, of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, a skilled tailor, was a refugee from Vietnam. He was a parishioner of the only Vietnamese parish in Austin and is one of five men to be ordained for the diocese. Quy Vo, a refugee from the Philippines, is being ordained for the Diocese of Albany, New York. He decided to be a priest when he was 10. Pablo Migone, one of four men to be ordained for the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, is a native of Lima, Peru, and came to the U.S. when he was nine. He started to think about priesthood in tenth grade.

Others from outside the United States include Fernando Jimenez, the first Hispanic to be ordained for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, and Pawel Sass, a native of Poland to be ordained for the Archdiocese of Washington. Budi Wardhana, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, will be the third native Indonesian-born priest ordained to serve in the United States.

Pre-seminary education and careers vary. Will Straten, of Austin, graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in agronomy and specialized training in turf management. Barry Stechschulte, of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, was a teacher and administrator at a Catholic elementary school. Carl Melchior of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, was equipment manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Edward Hegnauer of Washington is a geologist.

Matt Lee, one of seven men to be ordained for the Cincinnati Archdiocese, had a 12-year career in computer programming in the U.S. Air Force. Ken Halbur Jr. of the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, also worked in information technology. David Cupps, of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, worked for 18 years at Capital One and was one of the first people in its information technology division. Stephen Schultz, one of the men to be ordained for the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, was director of operations at a computer server manufacturer.

Many had careers in law. Brian J. O’Donnell, one of four men to be ordained for the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, is a lawyer who was first in his law school class at the University of Maine. Matthew Larsen, of Spokane, Washington, was a public defender. Charles Cortinovis, of Washington, practiced environmental law.

Others come from finance. Burlington’s Sean Dowling holds an accounting degree from Montclair State University in New Jersey. He also was a professional baseball umpire. Russell Kovash, of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, started and operated an insurance/financial services business for 16 years. Robert Mucci, of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, spent 25 years as an actuary on Wall Street. Michael Quinn, of San Francisco, spent 20 years in financial management, including several years with a national certified public account (CPA) firm. James Boccabella, of the Washington Archdiocese, worked as a CPA for 20 years.

Law enforcement initially drew some men. Andrew Smith, of the Archdiocese of Chicago, was a Chicago cop for 10 years. John Pachaco, of the Diocese of Forth Worth, Texas, was a certified Texas peace officer at Texas Christian University. Dominic Colangelo, a member of the U.S. Southern Province of the Dominican order, was a probation officer.

There’s much more at the link. Read on, and be inspired, and remember these men in your prayers.

(A footnote: I knew a Boccabella family when I was growing up in St. Peter’s parish in Olney, Maryland. Could James Boccabella be one of them?)