Interview with New Seminarian: David Neumaier

David Neumaier is a parishioner at St. Benedict's in Broken Arrow. He will likely begin Pre-Theology I at St. Meinrad Seminary in January 2022.

Could you tell us a little about your family, growing up, and your faith life? 

Growing up, I moved around a lot and I was in all sorts of places. As a family, we would return to Michigan (where I was born and where a majority of my family was) from Shanghai, China every summer. We came back to live in the States after living in China for 5 1/2 years. I have two older brothers, Josh and Kris. My faith life was supplemented mostly by my Grandma (in Michigan), and aside from that, religion was really a Sunday thing, not much else. I came back to Oklahoma and my brothers started slipping away from the faith and I almost did too, but I felt more connected to it for some reason or another and would go even if my family was out of town for whatever reason. My faith life really started to blossom after I went to college at the University of Missouri. I attended my first Catholic retreat and it encouraged me to look into my faith a lot more (before it was more like I was there on Sunday because I knew I had to be, but it didn't feel like I was being pressured to go). Since then, I started to look more into church doctrine and philosophy and found a lot of it making more sense the more I looked into it. I developed a daily prayer life in college, started attending Bible studies and campus ministry events regularly and it helped me further my faith. 

I hear you are interested as a journalism, when did that start? Is that what you’ve always wanted to do? Did this help with your faith journey?

I am working as a journalist at the Columbia Missourian. My interest in it started when I heard about Mark Twain who worked as an author and as a journalist, and before that I always wanted to be an author (and I still do, I have finished writing one book and thinking about publishing it, but there is another book in the works that I would prefer be published if a choice had to be made). In a sense, being a journalism major helped me with my faith life because it posed a lot of challenges to it, and I decided in every situation to side with the church. I did not like how being a journalist required me to be so left leaning when it came to social issues that violate church doctrine and struggled a lot with that, a few classes I had really tried to shove it down my throat (even saying at one point that sex is a social construct). So its challenges forced me to make a choice because nothing is worse, in my opinion, than not having an opinion/stance.

Who are some of your favorite Catholic writers? Favorite saints?

I love reading Tolkien's books. I have loved Lord of the Rings since I was about 5 or 6 and loved watching all of them, then I finally read the books and I was in love. And I know CS Lewis isn't Catholic, but I loved reading through the Chronicles of Narnia and the Screwtape Letters. I also like Jason Evert's work on the Theology of the Body, I think he does a great job of explaining it. As for other Catholic writers, I have not read many, I've read some of Jacques Philippe's Interior Freedom, but because I don't own it, I never finished it. Some of my favorite Saints include Sts. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Josemaria Escriva, and Peter (not ordered by preference, because that is really difficult). I read a lot of snippets from Josemaria Escriva's works because his words are motivating, harsh, and true. I love the Augustine and Aquinas because of their work as church leaders. And Peter because he is relatable and it is nice to see someone so relatable be the chosen first pope. I also like St. Polycarp's tenacity in the faith, but I know only a little bit about him.

When did you feel the call to discern the priesthood? Was there someone who nudged you toward the priesthood or was there a priest you looked up to?

As for the call, it had almost always been there, I "played Mass" once as a kid (in an attempt to get out of going, but that didn't work so I never tried again). I was always my Grandma's holy grandson and she had a lot of influence in keeping me in the faith. It was Fr. Joe Townsend who first encouraged me to start talking with Fr. Michael Pratt, and so I did starting in my 11th grade year. Fr. Pratt is actually the one who helped me establish a lot more regularity in my prayer life and because of that prayer I was able to learn to listen to God a lot more and eventually found myself acknowledging and praying with the discernment to be a priest. Adoration was also really big for me, I've always had a strong connection to the Eucharist in Adoration. In October of 2020, I started altar serving and working as a sacristan for the Newman Center at my college. Learning how to do that and helping make mass work really made me realize how much I wanted to do it.  I really look up to a lot of the local priests like Fr. Joe and Fr. Pratt, Fr. Brooks and Fr. Porter at St. Benedict's, Msngr Gallas at St. Bernard's is also a wonderful example of a priest. Some I met while in college like the Dominican Fr. Reginald and the Diocesan Fr. Dan Merz and Fr. Christopher Aubochon and Fr. Paul Clark. I've met a lot of amazing priests.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Hobbies include: writing, a little reading, video games, board games, baking cookies (or making them if they are no bakes), cooking (especially if my roommate says he'll clean up), and hanging out with my friends. I would love to go snowboarding a lot more. Sometimes I'll go out skateboarding as well, but I have just enough skill to stay on the board, so don't ask me to do any tricks.

When is your favorite time of the day to pray? Favorite prayer?
I like to pray in the mornings for the most part, but what I really mean by that is when I first wake up. I love praying the Rosary and leading it for others. Some of my other favorites include the Memorare, the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and the Angel of God prayer. I love simple prayers because that is what prayer should be.

What characteristic do you most admire in a priest? In a dad? In a single man?

A true man in my mind gives his life for others, and that is reflected in every role a man can take. With a priest, they give their life to the church, a dad, to their wife and kids, and a single man gives his life generously for the sake of others.

What do you love about Tulsa? Favorite restaurant to go to in Tulsa?

This might sound weird, but I like that Tulsa is a city, I enjoy more urban areas and I admire the grid system (I don't get lost easily here like I can in Columbia, MO or in Michigan). I have a lot of favorite restaurants here in Tulsa, but my absolute favorite food comes from OK Country Donuts, a small shop located at 81st and Yale that I've been going to since about 7th grade, they have some amazing sausage rolls and donuts. But for an evening out with the family, Red Rock Canyon Grill is also amazing, fancy enough yet equally as casual it seems.

What are you most looking forward to in seminary?

I am really looking forward to meeting some others and growing in my faith. What I have learned so far is that God will not send me anywhere or ask me to do anything without supplying me with what I need first, and seminary seems to me like where He is calling me, so I look forward to what He has to show me.