Daniel Mies, a Newman University student and St. Joseph’s House of Formation seminarian, said his discernment story unfolded gradually through an openness to God’s will.
Even though Mies grew up Catholic as a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi in Wichita, he said his faith wasn’t always at the forefront.
“I’ve always been around the faith, but there were definitely times when I wasn’t practicing,” Mies said. “It’s been in reflecting back that I’ve seen moments when God was with me, even though I may not have been going towards him.”
Now in his propaedeutic year — a time focused on personal and spiritual growth before entering major seminary — Mies has embraced the discipline that comes with this stage of preparation.
“My main task right now is to focus on my prayer life and my human formation,” he explained. “I really want to get those things honed in so that when I move on to pre-theology and theology, the foundation is set. I try to take it day by day. Sometimes I start thinking seven years by seven years and realize I have to reel it back in.”
An unexpected path
Before entering the seminary, Mies played baseball, worked and earned his college degree in physical education between Tabor College and Wichita State University in 2024. Returning to school after several years away wasn’t part of his original plan.
“I had my college experience already,” he said with a laugh. “Being a little older, hanging out with 18-year-olds didn’t sound fun at first, but I enjoy it. The community here at Newman is really good, the professors are great and the campus is very peaceful and quiet.”
Mies’s connection to Newman began long before he enrolled. Growing up in Wichita, he often drove past the university and played baseball at fields nearby. Friends who attended Newman gave him a glimpse of the campus culture. Now, he’s living it firsthand.
“I really enjoy being a student again,” he added.
Today, Mies calls the St. Joseph House of Formation home. Located near St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wichita, the House of Formation serves as a residence for seminarians of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita who live, study and pray together while attending Newman University.
“It’s a blast,” he said. “The best way I can describe it is it’s like a fraternity going to the Lord. Imagine a fraternity where everyone there is striving to be as much like Jesus Christ as they can. There’s never a dull moment. We’re always hanging out, laughing, playing games. The community is really life-giving.”
He and his fellow seminarians balance coursework with prayer, spiritual direction and service. Their days often include Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, study and shared meals.
Moments of encounter
Mies recalled several pivotal moments that affirmed his decision to pursue the seminary.
During one of his final years attending Camp Totus Tuus, a Catholic summer program that had been part of his life since childhood, Mies experienced what he now recognizes as a profound encounter with God.
“We had adoration and confession, and you were given a red candle before confession to symbolize your soul, and afterward a white one,” he said. “At the end, the altar is just lit up by all these white candles. I remember kneeling in front of the monstrance, looking up, and just knowing, ‘This is God.’ I didn’t hear or see anything, but I felt the happiest and most joyous I’ve ever felt. It was like my soul was hugged.”
As he returned to his carpet square, he couldn’t help but cry.
“My friend Conrad, who’s actually about to be ordained a deacon, sat next to me and just put his arm around me. That was a big moment for me.”
Spending time in a holy place
Another God moment took place during a spring break. Mies traveled by train from Boston to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, home of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, which proved to be both challenging and spiritually rewarding. After a long day of travel, delays and even being stranded without transportation, Mies prayed a decade of the rosary.
“I pulled out my phone, opened Uber and there was one single car available. I just laughed and said, ‘Mary, you have my back.’”
When he finally arrived, Mies was struck by the beauty and stillness of the shrine.
“It was probably one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been,” he said. “It was sunny and 75, just perfect weather. I spent the day walking the life-size Stations of the Cross, visiting grottos and attending Mass and adoration with only a few others.”
After returning home, Mies began reading “The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul” by Faustina Kowalska and continued attending adoration regularly.
“One day at St. Paul’s (Catholic Student Center), I was praying and just felt the Lord say, ‘Come to me,’” he said. “It reaffirmed that, ‘OK, I think I’m on the right path.’”
Faith and mentorship
Throughout his journey, Mies said he’s been shaped by mentors who modeled authentic faith, especially the Rev. Dan Duling — a priest he’s known since he was an altar server in 8th grade.
“Father Dan has been a huge influence,” Mies said. “Seeing him live out his priesthood has helped me realize that at the end of the day, we’re just men trying to be perfect like Christ. We’re not always going to be perfect, but we can always do our best.”
Duling, who is the pastor of both St. Rose of Lima-Mount Vernon and St. Louis-Waterloo, describes Mies as a “very passionate, great young man” who gives everything his all.
“To see a young man like Daniel look up to me makes me so proud of him,” Duling said. “I have watched Daniel grow up. I first met him when I was the diocese master of ceremonies and Daniel was in eighth grade and very eager to serve. Later as his associate pastor, watching Daniel grow and mature over the years has been a truly rewarding experience. I am truly very proud of the man Daniel has become.”
Duling said the seminary experience is ultimately about “falling in love with God.”
He added, “By doing so, a man is able to discern and have clarity in his vocation. My hope is that Daniel falls more in love with our Lord every day.”
Letting God take the lead
After completing his studies at Newman, Mies will move on to major seminary — either Mundelein Seminary near Chicago or Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland — where he’ll continue his formation in pre-theology for two years before beginning theology studies.
“At the end of the day, it’s God’s will, not mine,” Mies said. “So if in three years from now he says, ‘I think you should get married or do something else,’ then that’s what I’ll do. Wherever he leads me, I know I’ll be able to bear fruit from that position in my life.”
For Mies, this sense of surrender is not about uncertainty, but peace. He continues to carry the phrase, “come to me,” close to his heart, especially as he continues his studies and discernment. His ultimate goal is to deepen his relationship with Christ each day.
“I want to know him like a best friend, a family member or the back of my hand,” Mies said. “And for him to know me in that same way. It’s a two-way street. I can know Christ, but Christ also has to know me. So I’m giving him my heart and soul — everything I have to offer — so that I can learn my vocation and learn what it is he truly wants for my life.”
He added, “My goal is just to take it day by day, say ‘yes’ to the Lord one day at a time, and let him lead me where he wants me to go.”
Apply to Newman
Newman University is a Catholic university named for St. John Henry Newman and founded by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ for the purpose of empowering graduates to transform society.
