A career in ministry begins as a personal calling for most people. For the Rev. Benjamin and Joel Sember though, it was also a family affair.
The twin brothers, who are both ordained priests in the Roman Catholic Church, serve four churches in Oconto County and one in Forest County. Joel has led three parishes since September 2010. Benjamin relocated to the area in July to oversee two parishes.
“It was a semi-coincidence,” Benjamin said. “The diocese thought it would be good for us to be in the same general area.”
Joel serves as the pastor of St. Anthony in Oconto Falls, St. Patrick in Stiles, and Holy Trinity in Oconto. Benjamin leads the parish of St. Mary’s of the Lake in Lakewood, as well as St. Ambrose in Wabeno.
Born and raised in New Holstein, the Sember brothers shared an early interest in joining the priesthood. They graduated from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and entered Mundelein Seminary in Chicago together in 2002. After graduating from the seminary, the two brothers moved to Rome to study at the Pontifical North American College.
In June 2007, Benjamin and Joel were ordained as priests at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay. After ministering in Oshkosh and De Pere for several years, Joel was chosen by the Green Bay Diocese to lead his current trio of congregations.
“I like the small-town environment,” he said.
In addition to caring for the needs of his parishioners, he enjoys working with the staff and students at St. Anthony School.
“It’s really nice to be able to explain the Catholic faith at a child’s level,” he said.
Joel recalls the February 2012 arson fire that damaged most of the school and how the experience had a significant impact on his ministry.
“The St. Anthony fire was undoubtedly our greatest challenge,” he said.
Working with parishioners, contractors and community members, Joel oversaw the effort to rebuild the school. Students returned to St. Anthony in September, when the school reopened for a new academic year.
Benjamin’s path to Oconto County followed a slightly different route. After ministering in Ashwaubenon for a few years, Benjamin returned to Rome in 2010 to study for his doctorate at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
While in Rome, Benjamin worked in the Vatican at the Apostolic Signatura, an important judicial court in the church. His primary duties consisted of drafting and sending formal letters to bishops in English-speaking countries around the world.
“Being in Rome makes the faith more real,” Benjamin said. “It brings you closer to the roots of our faith. As Catholics, we have some deep roots.”
During his time in Rome, Benjamin witnessed the events that led to the selection of a new pope in the spring of 2013. He especially remembers being at the Vatican when Pope Francis was first named.
“It was a great excitement,” he said.
After receiving his doctorate in canon law, Benjamin returned to Wisconsin and was installed at his two new parishes last year.
“After living in Rome, this is obviously a change,” he said. “It’s good to be surrounded again by the (natural) world that God made.”
Looking ahead, both brothers have plans for their congregations. Benjamin, who recently wrote a book titled “Twelve Lessons on the Catholic Faith,” hopes to lead a summer series for adults on basic Catholic theology. Joel plans to expand the outreach ministries at his churches.
“We’re studying more ways for the parishes to be welcoming and inviting and providing more opportunity for people to connect with the faith,” Joel said.
The Sember brothers credit their family for encouraging a relationship with God early in their lives. They expressed a strong conviction for their ministry and current work in Oconto County.
“I feel that we’ve found the answer that people are looking for,” Joel said. “And I’m motivated to go out and share this.”
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