Austin Holgard
Birth Date: January 5th, 1990
Home Parish: Queen of Peace, Dickinson
High School Attended: Dickinson Trinity High School
College Attended: North Dakota State University, Architecture
Year in Seminary: College II
Seminary Attending: Saint John Vianney Seminary, St. Paul MN
Hobbies and Interests: Reading, Drawing, Sports, Music, Movies, Architecture, and Travel
Heroes: My Dad
My Story
“Growing up, I never thought about the priesthood. Throughout my teen years, I was particularly obstinate towards Catholicism. However, despite this seemingly impossible vocation story, God still got his way.
During my senior year of high school, I was shown the deep mysteries and beauties of the Catholic faith and of Christ’s love. I experienced the sacraments like never before… I saw Christ in the Eucharist for the first time. I took my newfound love and faith with me to my first year of college at NDSU where I studied architecture. During those days, my attraction towards God and the Priesthood grew and grew. The religion I had once so strongly disliked turned into a love affair, and I was eager to do whatever it was that God wanted of me. With help from my brother seminarians and father priests, I joined the seminary for the Bismarck Diocese. The happiness and peace I have felt since has been completely overwhelming.
Without the help of my friends, fatherly priests, family members, God the Father and Our Lady, none of this would be possible. It fills me with such joy to finally set off on the right path, a path that draws me into a deeper relationship with Christ our Lord.”
