John Sester, LC
religious, author, artist
Religious, Seminarian, and Art Enthusiast
Brother John Sester is a Legionary of Christ religious, seminarian, creative writer, and art enthusiast.
He grew up in a quiet town in central Minnesota until "joining up" as a religious brother with the Legionaries of Christ. He enjoys fiction and storytelling, movies, and anything that involves creativity and imagination. He also dabbles in singing, playing instruments, songwriting, sketching, digital painting, poetry, and short stories; and has been working on a novel trilogy for almost eight years.
After two years of Novitiate (spiritual formation), he studied Classical Humanities at the Legionaries of Christ College in Connecticut, and then Philosophy and Theology at the Pontifical Atheneum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. He also spent two years in Mexico City as a student mentor and youth ministry auxiliary.
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Instagram: @john_sester_lc
Facebook Profile: John Sester LC
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My Story
I was raised in a quiet town in central Minnesota. Religious parents and Catholic School got the faith into me. I have the fondest memories of those dark and cold school mornings as well as the lazy afternoons by the lake in summertime.
My spiritual journey began with the faith education I received from my parents, church, friends, and youth groups (Conquest by ECYD). My parents have been involved in the Regnum Christi movement and several marriage and family apostolates (Cana Family Institute). That example of dedicating time and effort to evangelization and serving others has always stuck with me.
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The artistic and creative streak started in those early years as well. I played sports on teams and enjoyed it to some degree, but I always felt most alive when imagining stories with friends or scribbling drawing after drawing. I remember deciding to give up drawing for Lent as a ten-year-old, indicative of how addicted I was to "sub-creation" (as Tolkien would call it). I wrote a bad spinoff of Eragon around that same age. (I thank God that the file was lost.)
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My older brother joined a minor seminary boarding school when he was fourteen, and I followed on that same path, not because it was expected of me, but because I was impressed by the lifestyle and spirit I found there. I lived at Sacred Heart Apostolic School in Indiana for six years and loved it. There I met Jesus in a special way, and many spiritual seeds were planted in my heart.
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After finishing high school, I "joined up" with the Legionaries of Christ. I entered the Novitiate in Connecticut and made my first profession of religious vows two years later in 2016. Humanities studies afterward was a period of profound artistic awakening. The Legionaries have two years of Classical Humanities in order to understand the human heart more deeply and engage with culture. I quickly clicked with the subject, started reading literature ravenously, and began writing at the end of my first year. Drawings, poetry, short stories, and the beginnings of a novel trilogy are the remaining fruits of discovering that free expression I found in the arts.
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The following stages of formation continued to give me tools and fresh experiences for this expression. Three years of Philosophy in Rome at the Pontifical Atheneum Regina Apostolorum and two years as a spiritual mentor and youth group leader at the Irish Institute in Mexico City taught me much about myself and the world I live in, both from the theoretical view and through the hands-on experience.
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In 2023, I returned to Rome to finish my Theology studies. I hope to make my permanent religious vows this year and to be ordained a Catholic priest in about two years. In the meantime, I'm a full-time religious and student, and plan to continue using my spare moments to express my thoughts and experiences through writing, music, and images. I finally got around to publishing my first little book, Piloncilus, in the summer of 2024.
I'm living the dream with my Jesus and can't wait to see what he has in store as he sends me to the deep.
"Duc in altum."