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Joseph Plesko
St. John Vianney College Seminary
(Senior Year)
Home Parish: Nativity, Brandon
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Joseph was born in New York. He has an older brother and older sister and one younger sister. Joseph’s family moved to Brandon when he was in 4th grade. He then attended Nativity Catholic School and graduated from Jesuit High School in 2006. Joseph spent his first year in college at St. Louis University before making the decision to apply to the seminary. Joseph transfered into St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami in August 2007 and is now in his senior year. Joe likes to golf, build model rockets as well as mess with gadgets and mechanical things.
Do your family and friends think it is a good idea that you’re becoming a priest? Most of my family and friends are supportive for me in what ever I do. They say that if it is something that I really want to do then they support me for it. There are a few friends and family that understand me differently and do not really support me like the others. They are there for me but, think I should be doing something else.
Do you ever have any fun? What do you do in your free time? I have lots of fun, especially down here. I definitely get my ten laughs a day down here. I have recently picked up ping-pong which I feel I have really improved in. I have also been trying to keep up with a pretty good routine of jogging and weight lifting during the week to keep myself in shape and feeling good. Anytime, we have a sports game scheduled to play out on the field or court, I try to go. On weekends, I sometimes drive up to Ft. Lauderdale to see my brother or grandparents for the day. I also like to read my car magazine.
If you were not a priest, what do you think you would be? Well, I am not a priest yet. So I really do not know for sure. If I was not here in Miami, though, I might be back at St. Louis University continuing my engineering degree so that I could enter in the Air Force as a pilot or flight test engineer. So If I do not become a priest, I still would strongly consider Officer Training School and try to be a pilot or something else in the Air Force.
How many brothers and sisters do you have? I have one brother and two sisters. My brother’s name is Michael and he is 33 years old. He is a First Officer pilot for JetBlue Airlines. Then, there is my older sister who is 31. Her name is Stephanie and she is a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. She is married and has three children. My youngest sister’s name is Catherine. She is 16 years old and is a sophomore at the Academy of Holy Names High School in Tampa.
What is your favorite TV program? Well, lately, I have not been watching too much TV, which I think is good. My favorite TV shows are CSI: Miami and Mythbusters.
Who is your favorite singer or music group? The type of music I like includes Christian rock, alternative rock, instrumental, jazz, techno, and trance. Some artists that come to mind are Skillet, Switchfoot, Kutless, Darude, and DJ Tiësto.
How is a seminary different than a regular school? College life is much different from high school. It is too much to explain. If you are coming from college life though, then it may not be that big of a change. I went to St. Louis University for a year before I came here to St. John’s. I was also in the AFROTC so that occupied much of my time too during a weekly basis. The basics are the same, it is a college for goodness sake. There is a similar relation to a set structure here like I had at St. Louis. An example would be. We have to get up and go to mass at 7:15am everyday during the week. In St. Louis, I had to get up for Physical Training at 6:45am two to three times a week. It is not a regular school though. It is a college geared toward preparing men for a certain life. Just like Embry-Riddle or the Air Force Academy. People who want to be pilots or deal with Aviation may consider Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University because that is what it is preparing the students for. The same idea applies to the Air Force Academy. St. John’s is a College that prepares men for the priesthood and life.
How often do you see your family? I see my family as often as any other college student who lives away from home would see their family during a normal school year. I see them about 3 to 4 times a semester.
Can you really be happy as a priest since priests don’t make much money? Something that I have learned is that God will provide. I am not worried about money too much. I have grown up in a family that has looked at money carefully but enough has always been there. More money does not equal more happiness. In fact, this summer, I intend to go through my room and get rid of many possessions that I have in my room that I just do not need. More does not always mean better.
Who helped you decide to become a priest? I will continue to say this all my life because it is so true. Even though the priests that I know and close family have had more of an influence on me, every person I have ever come in contact with has brought me to the point where I am now in life.
When did you decide to study to be a priest? How did you know God was calling you to be a priest? I decided to study at the seminary during the summer of 2007. If I am supposed to be a priest, I will only find out in the 9 or so years ahead of me. I certainly do not know for sure that God is calling me to the priesthood, though I have thought of it since I was very young. God has a plan for me and I am only here to open my mind and life to what He wants me to do.
What do you think the best thing will be about being a priest? I think that the best thing about being a priest will be experiencing life through and with many peoples’ lives and not just your own. You will be able to be the phone line that connects people, young and old, to God in their good times and in their bad. Being able to transfigure the bread in wine into the body and blood of Christ is also right up there with my other.
