What is your full name?
Fr. Adam Nowak

What is your current Assignment/Parish?
Parochial Vicar at St. Frances Cabrini in Allen Park

What is the greatest gift about being a priest?
The greatest gift of being a priest is being with others in the most intimate moments of their lives: in the confessional, when a loved one dies, at a wedding, etc. The absolute love that people have for their priests can be beautifully overwhelming at times!

What would you say to a young man discerning the priesthood?
Simply keep asking God what He wants for your life, and don’t stop asking until you get an answer! But that’s only the first step… once He answers, pray for the courage to accept what He is asking of you.

How can people at your parish best support you?
They can support me with prayer and encouragement! Being a priest is amazing but not always easy. A few words of encouragement and a reminder of one’s prayers can make a big difference in the day of a priest.

How do you see the Holy Spirit working in the Archdiocese of Detroit?
It’s very clear to me that the Holy Spirit is working overtime in our Archdiocese. As we move toward Families of Parishes, I can see how the Holy Spirit is raising up lay leaders and priests as we realign for mission.

Describe the first moment you knew God was calling you to the priesthood.
I never really thought about the priesthood until I was at the end of high school and beginning of college. My friend, now Fr. Mario Amore, had decided to enter seminary. I was so ignorant at that time that I didn’t even know that men still did that. However, I began to ask God what He wanted for my life and after a lot of prayer and quiet time, I finally heard Him saying in the quiet recesses of my heart, “be a priest.”

What should all young people know about discerning a vocation?
It’s difficult, but don’t let that deter you from discerning nor impede you from making a decision. Discernment is a process that you’ll never truly be finished with, so just take the first step and then one step at a time after that. You should also find a mentor or someone with whom you can share your thoughts.