Bradley Dickson

Bradley Dickson

St. Thomas Aquinas, Crane

Entered Mt. Angel seminary in Fall 2023

My name is Bradley Dickson, and I'm a parishioner of the St. Thomas Aquinas Mission on Crane, although I often go to Holy Family Catholic Church in Burns. My parents have a farm that's halfway between both, so I do have options. Although my family has been in the Burns area for over 100 years, I'm somewhat of a transplant.

My childhood was spent with my mom, dad and older sister in the Willamette Valley. I was born in Portland and was raised originally in Wilsonville before my family moved to a small farm in Mulino. While my childhood wasn't perfect, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I was not raised in a particularly religious household. While I had gone to a non-denominational preschool, my religious training was otherwise absent. At age 10, I became an atheist, viewing Christians as holding back societal progress. Then my family moved out to Burns.

At first, I hated both the place and the people. However, after seeing the power of prayer on a cold winter night in 2017, this all changed. Almost at once I just knew I needed to become a Catholic. After a period of hopping around protestant churches, I was able to start what is now OCIA and was received into the Church on March 31, 2018.

It was during the RICA process that I first felt called to priesthood. I was able to attend a youth retreat in the summer at the old Powell Butte Retreat Center. One of our speakers ended up canceling, so we had two hours of Adoration. During this, there were two priests hearing confession, with the lines of both almost going back to the Altar. After this, I experienced Benediction for the first time. As Our Lord Himself blessed us, I had a deep desire to bring the same joy I felt to the entire People of God.

I entered Mount Angel Seminary in the fall of 2023 as a member of the first Propaedeutic year. That year was perhaps the best time in my life. It's hard to describe exactly what and why, but I know that I have gained 16 friends for life. Currently, I am in the midst of my philosophy studies in the Discipleship stage. I have never loved learning as much as I do now. I do not know what the future holds, but I know I am following the Will of God, and it has been the most incredible time in my life.

When I'm not studying or hanging out with my friends, my nose can usually be found in the pages of a book. While I don't have that much time to dedicate to it these days, I love writing and scripting mods for video games, sometimes more than playing the actual game!