What is your full name?
Fr. Paul Michael Snyder

What is your current Assignment/Parish?
I am a family pastor in South Oakland Vicariate Family 4, primarily at St. Mary in Royal Oak, and the Moderator of the Family.

What is the greatest gift about being a priest?
The greatest gift about being a priest is helping people to recognize that what their hearts are really searching for is Jesus.

What would you say to a young man discerning the priesthood?
I would encourage a young man discerning the priesthood to spend time in daily prayer, in the presence of the Eucharist if possible, and to be patient. Understanding what God wants from us comes in the context of a relationship with Him.

How can people at your parish best support you?
Parishioners can best support priests with their prayers, asking the Lord how He wants them to serve their parish.

How do you see the Holy Spirit working in the Archdiocese of Detroit?
I see the Holy Spirit building up a strong sense of the mission to share the Gospel in the Archdiocese of Detroit. There is also a strong community of young adult Catholics who are seeking deep relationships with the Lord and want to live out their faith with conviction.

Describe the first moment you knew God was calling you to the priesthood.
After I was asking God what He wanted from me for some time in prayer, there was a moment at Christmas Mass when I had a deep conviction that I was being invited to talk to a priest about entering the seminary. The words, “What more are you waiting for?” were placed on my heart. That was a powerful moment when I first had a clear sense that the Lord was inviting me into a priestly vocation. Much more discernment happened in the years in the seminary that followed.

What should all young people know about discerning a vocation?
God is inviting you into something that is more amazing than you could ever think up on your own. Don’t be afraid of what He might ask of you.