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A 2015 graduate of St. James Academy in Lenexa, KS, John Donart is the son of John (Sr.) and Lisa Donart of Shawnee, KS. John has an older sister, Abby, and credits his parents and his sister with influence of his vocation.
John graduated from KU in December 2018 with a degree in Geography. He entered St. John Vianney Theological Seminary (SJV) in the fall of 2019, spending the first year of seminary in “Spirituality Year” experience. With no formal classes, the Spirituality Year is an opportunity to withdraw from the influence of society and deepen prayer life. A fruitful first year completed, John returned to Pre-Theology I in the fall of 2020 to begin the philosophy phase of seminary education, and he is now in Pre-Theology II.
Of his seminary experience, John admits, “I am really enjoying my philosophical studies here at SJV; God has really given me a sense of wonder for these topics!”
John describes his vocational call to the priesthood being shaped not only by his family, but also by the witness of priests and seminarians, acknowledging “That witness of many seminarians and priests, as well as an intimate experience with Christ in his sacraments (particularly in the Eucharist and Confession) were integral in spurring me on to answer God's call to the priesthood.”
When asked about God-given talents, John offered the following, “God has graced me with some pretty bizarre talents such as grammar, navigating around cities, and the Latin language.” A sense of humor appears also to be one of God’s gifts to John!
Among his favorite scripture passages is Hebrews 5:14-16. "Having therefore a great high priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, but one tried as we are in all things except sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Donart described his reaction to the scripture quote: “This passage illuminates the mystery of the Incarnation, particularly Christ's humanity: he has suffered as we suffer and therefore understands the depths of our miseries. He never sinned but is not unmerciful: He wants to pour every grace upon us to lead us to eternal beatitude.”
In his spare time, Donart enjoys playing disc golf and watching college football adding that it can be difficult to find time for either of these in the seminary. He also enjoys making rosaries. “This hobby came about because I could never find a rosary exactly the way I wanted it to be, so I decided to make my own!” One of his creations is pictured above.
A little-known fact about John: he went to both K-State and KU. This may qualify as another of Donart’s God-given talents.
