Vocations
father william saunders, v.f.
EARLY LIFE: I was born on March 9, 1957, in Washington, D.C., to Dr. Joseph F. and Pauline C. Saunders. I have one older brother, Joseph F. Saunders, Jr. In 1959 the family moved to Springfield, a “new” suburb of Washington. My parents were founding members of St. Bernadette Catholic Church. My father was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a lector; my mother was a member of the Sodality (including serving a term as president) and the school nurse. My brother and I both attended St. Bernadette’s for most of elementary school.
After graduating from West Springfield High School as class valedictorian in 1975, I attended the College of William and Mary. I graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and membership in Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.
DISCERNING THE CALL: Although I had thought periodically of becoming a priest during high school, I really was not ready to make a commitment. My great aunt, Sr. Mary Louis, who belonged to the Felician Sisters of Coraopolis, PA, certainly encouraged me in that direction. I also benefited from the fine priestly example of Monsignor Bradican, Monsignor Mahler, and other priests of the diocese. Unfortunately, the turmoil in the Church during the later 60’s and early 70’s only added to the confusion.
During my junior and senior years of college, I began to reflect more on what I really wanted to do with my life. I always went to Sunday Mass and Holy Day Mass. Interestingly, my freshman year in college, there were 10 Catholics (including myself) living on my dorm floor; I was the only one who went to Sunday Mass regularly, and I was the only one who had gone to Catholic High School. I did not participate in Catholic Campus Ministry at that time because it was just “too far out” for me. So off I went to St. Bede’s every Sunday, and I started attending during the week when I did not have a class conflict. When I attended Mass, I thought, “I would really like to do this. I could preach. I could really make a difference in people’s lives.” Moreover, I had always admired Archbishop Fulton Sheen and Pastor Billy Graham.
I also benefited from the teaching of a philosophy professor, Dr. Elizabeth Reed, who taught Aristotle, medieval philosophy and philosophy of religion. Although she was not Catholic, her belief and teaching helped me grow stronger in my own faith. Another professor, Mr. Joe Hoyle, who taught accounting and was one of the hardest teachers I ever had, also gave me some good guidance about being content in life; he was a devout Lutheran.
During the summer, I worked for NASA in Washington, doing accounting work, and attended daily Mass at St. Dominic’s. I was always impressed by the intellectual quality of the preaching of the Dominicans.
The spring semester of my senior year was critical. I was graduating, preparing to take the CPA exam, and planning on entering law school at William and Mary, where I had been accepted. So I made a deal with God: “Leave me alone, and by the end of June, I promise that I will talk with a priest about becoming a priest.” I graduated in May and was working at NASA, but I remembered my promise. So on June 23, I called my parish and met with one of the priests hoping he would talk me out of becoming a priest; instead, he set aside my concerns, and I was left with the question, “Why not give it a try?”
When I told my parents, they were very supportive. While they were concerned, since this was a surprise in my career plans, they wanted what was best for me. With that, I applied to the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, and Bishop Welsh assigned me to study at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. In 1984, I graduated with a Master of Arts in Sacred Theology summa cum laude and was ordained on May 12 at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More.
PRIESTLY LIFE: Beginning in 1985, Bishop Keating asked me to pursue studies on a part-time basis at Catholic University, and I received a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Administration in 1992. I was also appointed as President of the Notre Dame Institute for Catechetics in 1992, a graduate school offering a Master of Arts in Catechetics, Sacred Scripture, Spirituality, and Systematic Theology. In 1997, when the Institute officially merged with Christendom College in Front Royal, thereby becoming the Notre Dame Graduate School,
I assumed position of Dean. In 2002, due to the demands of founding a new parish, I resigned as Dean, but still teach on a part-time basis.
Since 1993, I have also written the weekly column “Straight Answers” for the Arlington Catholic Herald, which answers questions about the Catholic faith. Based on the column, two books have been published, Straight Answers and Straight Answers II.