Rev. Paul Schexnayder, O.Praem. (’13), Reflects on Path to Priesthood

“I was like a garnish for the Lord, serving to manifest a little bit more of His glory that was hidden from the foundation of the world,” says Rev. Paul (Jesse ’13) Schexnayder, O.Praem., of his solemn profession to the Norbertine Order. Now, eight months after his ordination to the priesthood, he shares his journey to fulfill God’s calling.

It was through the influence of his family that Fr. Paul first became interested in theology. As a child, he enjoyed listening to his father recount conversations he had taken part in at work, defending the Faith against non-Catholics attempting to refute it. Throughout his youth, Fr. Paul was also active in local parishes in and around Loreauville, Louisiana, participating in the Mass as an altar server and through music ministry, as well as attending prayer meetings and youth groups. All these experiences, combined with an excellent education from Mother of Divine Grace School, led him to a revelation: 

“When it first dawned on me that I would have to make a decision about what I was going to do with my life, I remember thinking, ‘I am going to do the rational thing, and that should be obvious to everyone: I am going to be a priest, because that is the best way to get to Heaven,” Fr. Paul recalls. “Ever since then, I had my heart set on that vocation, even though my reason was naïve at first.”

A Deepening Vocation

In high school, Fr. Paul’s brother attended Thomas Aquinas College’s High School Summer Program and, though he determined the College was not for him, spoke well of his experience. Fr. Paul took him up on his recommendation, tried the Summer Program for himself, and was soon amazed by the deep, intellectual questions he and his classmates tackled through their discussions. Moved by the two weeks at the College, he applied and enrolled as a freshman in 2009.

Over four years of reading the Great Books and participating in classroom discussions, his love for the intellectual life deepened. “I was finding real answers to my questions, not just the shallow, mathematical answers of modern science that I found on the internet,” Fr. Paul remembers. “I was in awe at how rational St. Thomas’s teaching was, even though the mysteries he teaches on are beyond our comprehension. I remember thinking during my senior year that I want to live a life immersed in these mysteries, one in which I would constantly be reminded to raise my mind to these wonders of revelation.”

During his time at the College, Fr. Paul’s desire to answer God’s call to the priesthood never wavered. He attended many vocations talks and religious conferences to discern which path was right for him, gravitating especially toward the Dominican and Norbertine orders. He intended to investigate both communities, but God had other intentions. “Every time I tried to visit the Dominicans, the plans fell through, but I was able to visit the Norbertines many times. While there, I saw a community that lived the theology I had fallen in love with, and God planted the seed.”

Fr. Paul spent two years teaching at the Great Hearts Academies in Phoenix, Arizona, after his 2013 graduation from the College. “While I was there, I realized that, besides praying to God in a given moment, it is possible to make an entire lifetime a prayer of dedication to God,” he says. “This kind of unity attracted me even more to consecrate myself to God in religion. My favorite verse from St. Paul was the one in which he talks about us ‘existing for the praise of His glory;’ for me, it was a verse around which I could order my whole life.” Fr. Paul entered St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, California, on August 27, 2015, joining the Norbertine Order on the Feast of St. Monica.

The Life of a New Priest

After 10 years of life spent in prayer, study, and community, Fr. Paul fulfilled his calling of many years: He was ordained to Christ’s priesthood on June 28, 2025 at the hands of the Most Rev. Kevin Vann, Bishop of Orange. In the months since his ordination, he has been grateful for the opportunity to live and minister with the Norbertine Fathers in Rome. Currently, he is studying at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), working toward a licentiate in dogmatics. “This topic is where my love of the divine mysteries first took root, and I am blessed to be able to continue my studies in the Eternal City.”

Given his affinity for the highest truths about God and His creation, Fr. Paul hopes that, through the Lord’s guidance and grace, he may grow in his ability to share his understanding of the mysteries of the Faith with anyone, regardless of his or her background.

“I find it challenging and thrilling to try to frame the teachings of the Church and the philosophical tradition in ways that are accessible without losing their due profundity, in order to help as many people see and enjoy what I was shown,” he says. “My goal is to promote the preaching of Christ in the way that He has designed, reaching people where they are, even when they are not afforded the opportunity for in-depth academic studies.”