Hello! My name is Olivier Ndorimana. I am so excited to be a part of Holy Family Parish as your teaching seminarian. Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I was born in Burundi, a country in East-Africa, in a countryside village called Bamba. I have a wonderful family still in Burundi: my mom, Josephine Ngendakuriyo, and five siblings (one brother and four sisters). My father died in 2009 as did two of my brothers, one in 1998 and another in 2021. My early education was in our village through 6th grade followed by Buta Prep Seminary. In 10th grade, the principal approached me with the opportunity to try a new program that brought students to the United States for high school. I was excited and supported by my mom, uncle and eldest brother.
I arrived in Oshkosh, WI in August 2013 and started school at Lourdes Academy as a sophomore. Here, I found my second family in my host family, Laurene and Robert Brooks. After graduating high school, I returned to Burundi for one year to teach 7th grade English at my former high school. When I returned, the Brooks family continued to be my home base as I started college at the University of Mary in Bismark, ND where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.
I grew up in a Catholic family, though I didn’t receive my first Holy Communion until 7th grade when I attended Buta Prep Seminary. I was confirmed that same year; that’s when I started taking the practice of my faith seriously. Even when I came to the US, I desired to remain close to Jesus through being involved in the life of the Church. I can remember a particular day in 2015 (my junior year of high school), when I experienced the presence and love of Jesus in the Eucharist. I was deeply moved by his generosity in giving Himself wholly to me in the Eucharist. He inspired me to respond to His generous love with my own generosity towards Him. The possibility of becoming a priest came on my heart.
I started exploring this possibility with the vocation director of the Diocese of Green Bay. After much prayer and discussion, I decided to attend college first while continuing to be open to what the Lord might be calling me. I attended daily Mass and went to confession frequently. My sophomore year, I attended a silent retreat. It was there that the Lord Jesus invited me to go deeper into friendship with Him and started healing me in various areas of my heart. After that retreat, I felt a deep and clear call to follow Him as His priest.
In September 2021, I entered formation for the Diocese of Green Bay. In the fall of 2022, I started Seminary at St Francis de Sales Seminary here in Milwaukee. I am now entering my last four years of formation for the priesthood. I am grateful for the ways the Lord has continued to deepen my relationship with Him in my time in Seminary. I am looking forward to sharing His life with others through the Sacraments and His word and through loving others in and with Him as his priest. I am looking forward to being part of the Holy Family Parish and to get to know people of this family. Please pray for me, and I will pray for you.