Trey Ange is a new student from the Diocese of Lake Charles studying in our two-year program. He plans to graduate in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Theological Studies. He holds a Bachelor of Science from McNeese State University in mass communications and a minor in sociology. He is 28 years old.

Trey originally produced this video to share with his friends and family. He offered to let us use it for our Deo Gratias fundraising event in Baton Rouge. We gratefully accepted. Before he entered, Trey wrote a biography for the Serra Club newsletter in Lake Charles. We also include an excerpt from that article below.

I'm Trey Ange of Lake Charles, La., studying at Saint Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict, La., and I was asked to share a bit about my life and how I got here.

I was baptized at Our Lady of Good Counsel in 1983 and as a child, I looked up to my Paw Paw, Deacon Garrett Caraway, at Saint John Bosco in Westlake. Growing up as the oldest of eight, I helped my parents raise a lot of kids in a family of ten. We are very close with our extended family, a large Catholic populace in the Lake Charles area. I have always loved the culture, food, music, dancing, people and spirit of the South Louisiana area, which is unique and unmatched to many places around the world.

My parents homeschooled me and my siblings, until my eighth grade year when I attended Saint Margaret's Catholic School and then Saint Louis Catholic High in south Lake Charles. I loved every minute of my Catholic education and clearly identified myself as a Catholic. In college, I grew to love my faith even more and became closer to Christ through the Newman Club near McNeese State University, back at Our Lady of Good Counsel parish. It was a time of growth for me, with guidance from Father Alan, Deacon Viau and Sister Shirley. It was there I realized that I could never leave the faith, or I would be completely lost.

This was helpful knowledge, when I graduated from McNeese State in 2006 and moved to Austin, Texas. I was there to pursue film business, but I soon found out that my selfish ambitions were just driving me hard against the grain and down the wrong path. I was all alone in the big city and I had no one to cling to but God – and He did not let me down. I gave my life to the Lord and asked Him to take it and do what He wanted with it. At the time, I did not know what else to do with my life, so I thought that I would enter the seminary. I tried to look at entering for the Diocese of Austin, but I was not at peace with it. I thought God was telling me "No" but He was actually saying, "Not yet." So, I continued to date women and form friendships in the fast-paced city.

Eventually, I accepted a job in March 2007 as project coordinator at the Diocese of Austin and worked there for four years. I also volunteered my time for Christ Renews His Parish retreats and mostly, the Catholic 20-somethings Ministry. Alongside many great friends who were my age, we supported and challenged each other, which was crucial to my journey. My life was put on the fast track in Austin, but I buckled up for a momentous ride that would take me even further into my faith and venture into a deeper love for the Catholic Church.

In the summer of 2010, I visited Lake Charles for the Fourth of July weekend. I showed up to Saturday afternoon confession and Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel, remembering my times there at the Catholic Student Center. I felt a connection to my roots, a place of belonging. I knew where I came from, where I belonged and that God was calling me. During that mass, the gentle tug that I felt on my heart changed how I looked at my life. It helped me to see that I was being called to return home to Lake Charles and apply for the seminary.

My parents and entire family were overjoyed after I returned home in April 2011. I visited Rome and the beautiful, holy Vatican City during the summer with my cousin Fr. Bubba May, and a large Ange crew. Mama Mia and Papa Sam Ange wanted us to see Sicily and Italy, to discover and understand more about our Sicilian roots and heritage.

Now I'm studying the Church and the priesthood at Saint Joseph Seminary, and I have developed a great respect and admiration for those who travel to another diocese away from their original home, doing so with a missionary spirit. God has called us to serve Him in many different ways, but His Church is everywhere. Whether you are in Texas or Louisiana, at Rome or at home - Mother Church is here with open arms.