Meet the Diocese of Marquette’s weightlifting seminarian

The U.P. Catholic

William “Will” Heller, one of the newest seminarians of the diocese, brings a unique experience to his journey of discernment to the priesthood as a competitive weightlifter. Heller is originally from Toledo, Ohio. “I went to 13 years of Catholic school prior to Northern Michigan University (NMU), I am an only child, and I have been around athletics and athletes all my life. Growing Courtesy Photo
William Heller during the 2024 University National Championships, in which he finished second. Heller was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Marquette earlier this year.
​up I loved playing catch with my father and playing with the other guys in the neighborhood,” Heller said. He attended NMU for weightlifting but got involved with Catholic Campus Ministry and eventually discerned a calling to the priesthood.

Heller said that the first person to suggest the seminary for him was Fr. Greg Heikkala, the former vocations director of the diocese, and current pastor of St. Michael Parish in Marquette. “[It was] right as I was leaving a morning Mass to go home for winter break in December of 2022,” Heller recalled. “I eventually started spiritual direction and it quickly became a large part of my prayer every day.”

As Heller prepares for seminary studies, he said that he has much excitement and joy to begin a new part of his life, to more deeply discover and discern where the Lord is leading him in his life. “I think in some ways it can be likened to when a man or woman takes the next step in their relationship with their partner: to really take the next step to see if this is the person they want to spend the rest of their life with,” Heller said.

As a cradle Catholic himself and the son of two cradle Catholics, Heller said, “In short, the Catholic faith has given my life a new direction that had instilled in me a desire to answer the calls of holiness and evangelization that are given by virtue of baptism. It has given me a desire to bring others into relationship with Christ and experience the joy that relationship with Christ has given me in my life.”

Heller said that he first got into lifting weights in his freshman year of high school. “The principal at my high school was big into it and convinced some of us freshmen to join his lifting group at 6 a.m. every day before school. However, I got into the sport of weightlifting during May of 2020 prior to my senior year of high school,” he said.

He remarked that he had texted an old strength coach from his high school for some workout advice during the COVID-19 pandemic when the gyms were shut down. “He told me he had a garage gym and invited me, and asked me to invite some of the other boys, over to lift. I had been trying to get college offers for football but when I found out I could get offers and money for weightlifting I pivoted to that and started training for weightlifting only in November. I was 17,” he said.

Heller competes between three and four times a year. “I was recently at the Senior National Championships in Pittsburgh where I was the youngest competitor in my weight class and finished fifth,” he said, and added, “I was a university national champion last year, a university national runner-up this year, a two time U20 national medalist, a two time All-American, I have four Team USA selections, and am a state record holder in both Ohio and Michigan.”

“My demeanor in practice is very solemn and prayerful, which is different from what most people think happens in a gym,” Heller said. For Heller’s routine, he prays a lot before, during, and after practice. “I start every practice with Psalm 144 and much of the music I listen to is Gregorian chant and the like to help me keep a prayerful state during practice,” he said.

“I liken it to iconographers and how they prepare themselves for their work. I am reminded of the parable of the talents, like a musician or artist is charged to use those talents to help draw people into relationship with the Lord,” Heller said. “Similarly in athletics we are able to do the same with a different group of people. Praise God that he can use something as temporary as athletic ability for something as eternal as the salvation of souls.”

Heller said that bringing his faith to how he approaches weightlifting has helped his spiritual health and wellbeing. “There are so many similarities between a prayer life and the sport of weightlifting, it certainly has [helped],” Heller said. “In both cases one must focus on what is right in front of them and not lose concentration. Similarly, one must always be striving for improvement in both disciplines. One may never be content with their progress in either, as both are journeys that through grace, we are able to walk.”

Heller said that for him, the Eucharist means everything. “The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ is the pinnacle of my day,” Heller said, and added that Mass, a Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and other times of prayer are the sources of grace that allows the work he does to actually be fruitful. “This Sacrament gives me the true nourishment I need to continue each and every day,” he said.

Heller said, “Never doubt the power of the Lord and his plan. I came to Northern for weightlifting and left for the seminary. I did not have much for him to work with and he still found a way.” He shared some of his other advice for fellow Catholics: “Pray, pray often, pray for each other, and frequent the Eucharist. From there, bring your friends to know him and watch him work in their lives.”