Rev. Mr. Christopher Picollo
St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton
What seminary do you attend?
I attend St. Charles Borromeo Seminary located just outside of Philadelphia.
An interesting thing about my life is:
I graduated from La Salle University in Philadelphia where I majored in accounting. I enjoy sports and played baseball for my high school.
Prior to the seminary I:
My first job out of college I worked as a mutual fund accountant in Delaware. Then I worked as a program auditor with the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General before I entered the seminary.
When I want to relax or have some fun I would:
I really enjoy following college basketball and going to some games when I can. I am also an avid baseball fan and enjoy going to a Phillies game from time to time.
The first time I thought about a priestly vocation was:
The first time I thought of a priestly vocation was when I was in college. I did not enter the seminary until over 7 years after I graduated college – so it took me a while to finally make the move I was thinking about since college.
How do you pray? What is your prayer life like?
Daily mass is an important part of my prayer life. I also pray parts of the Liturgy of Hours, and try to incorporate the rosary into my prayer life.
What excites me about being a priest is:
As a priest I look forward to being able to celebrate the Sacraments for the people. Hopefully I can be there for the people in the good times as well as the tough times. Hopefully I can convey the importance of faith, hope, and love that we are taught by Jesus and the Church.
What do you enjoy about seminary life?
I enjoy learning about the Faith in my classes. I have a wide range of studies at the seminary from Liturgy, to Church history, to Scripture and more. I also enjoy hanging out with my fellow seminarian friends and participating in sports at the seminary.
If someone is considering a vocation to the priesthood I would tell them:
I would tell them to continue to pray about it and get involved with your parish. Talk to your pastor or another priest. Also, gather information about different seminaries and the formation program in your diocese. You can do this by talking to priests, seminarians, and vocation directors as well as reviewing books, magazines, the internet, or visiting a seminary.
A couple books on my shelf, CD's I own or songs I have downloaded are:
I have a very wide range in taste of music.
A Scripture passage that inspires me is:
I like "The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector" which ends, "...for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14).
I also like the "Love of Enemies" passage in Luke which starts, "But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27)
