WCU Vocation Scholarship Winners Announced

Sancta Maria ora pro nobis! “Holy Mary, Pray for Us.”

These are the words stated at the end of Benjamin Coggeshall’s essay sent with his application for one of five Western Catholic Union’s Gerald A. Weiwel Vocation Scholarships.

Benjamin, seen in picture to the left with Western Catholic Union President/CEO, Mark Wiewel, also won a scholarship in 2010. He stated, “As you well know the Church is in need of holy, mature, well-formed priests to bring the sacraments to the faithful and to further the salvific mission of Christ here on earth. All candidates work diligently to bring the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus. They have fed and cared for the starving children in China…though my apostolate with the starving children was not in China, but in Gabon Africa.”

Benjamin is in his third year of theology studies with the society of apostolic life called The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. The multi-national seminary is near Florence, Italy. “God willing, I shall be ordained to the transitional diaconate this coming July and my priestly ordination will follow in the summer of 2014 as well as my eventual assignment to the province of North America.”

Expenses are $15,000 per year, all of which must be raised through his personal effort. He sincerely
appreciates all of the assistance given to him, no matter how modest. “We are beggars, following God’s call in our lives to serve Him and His Church.”

Other winners for 2013 include: James Andrew Mueller or Arlington Heights, IL, Chase Hilgenbrinck of Bloomington, IL, Patrick Russell of Shrewsbury, MO, and Joseph Baker of Morton, IL.