Seminarian Matthew Samson

Park River, ND
Theology I
Mount St. Mary Seminary; Emmitsburg, MD

Matthew Samson grew up in Park River, ND. The youngest of 7 children and an uncle to 28 nieces and nephews, Matthew has always considered himself blessed to have such a loving and supportive family. While seeking to lead a fulfilling career in business after graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville, his faith became increasingly conflicted with worldly pursuits. This continued until a significant moment of grace in 2017 started Matthew on his journey to seek God’s will for his life. This journey ultimately led him to seminary; however, it did not end there. After 3 semesters of seminary formation, Matthew discerned to return to a lay profession and had hopes of his own family one day. Through life experiences, both successes and struggles, Matthew came to realize that to properly discern God’s will, no reservations could be made of his own will. Only after a total surrender of self did he realize that God’s call is not a command but an invitation. By choosing to respond to this invitation, Matthew found himself once again back at seminary. He is currently studying at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, MD.