Douglas Dorula is the son of Walter and Gloria Dorula of Uniontown. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast/cable at the Pennsylvania State University. In 2000, he earned a master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary. He is from the Diocese of Greensburg.
This article is from The Catholic Accent, July 6, 2000. Reprinted with permission.
By Melissa Williams Schofield
One morning he was working on deadline at a newspaper office. That afternoon, he walked into Saint Vincent Seminary near Latrobe, with intentions to be ordained a priest.
And, the rest is history for Uniontown native Douglas Dorula, a St. Joseph parishioner there.
Dorula’s currently serving a 14-month pastoral internship at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg having graduated from Saint Vincent Seminary in May with a master of divinity degree.
He was used to working on deadlines, but says he realizes now that he faces a much more important one.
“I’m being asked the question, ‘Am I ready to serve, to do something for someone else?’” says Dorula, 32.
He graduated from Laurel Highlands High School in 1986 and from Penn State University in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in radio and television broadcasting with a minor in political science. He worked for about five years in the business world at radio stations and newspapers and in radio advertising sales, and did some disc jockey work. He worked at stations in Connellsville, Uniontown, Waynesburg and State College. People often told him he was a good communicator.
“When I did prayer and reflection and thinking about what God was calling me to do with my life, I really thought I should discern about communicating God’s message, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“And I’ve been very happy since,” says Dorula, whose last job was at The Daily Courier in Connellsville.
“I left work there in 1995 on a Thursday afternoon and went to the seminary that day. I didn’t have too much time to get ready for the transition. I left the business world the same day I entered the seminary,” says Dorula, who admits it was a dramatic change.
“But I really felt the Holy Spirit calling me to act at that point to see if the priesthood would be for me, if it is something I could devote my entire life to.”
Because he is a schedule-oriented person, Dorula says many people were shocked by the move.
“But the Holy Spirit doesn’t work on your schedule, he works on his. I accepted the call and God has been very good. My family has been very supportive, as well as my pastor (Father Alexander L. Pleban), as well as a number of priests in the Diocese of Greensburg.” He credits both priests and laity for leading him in the direction of the seminary.
As for those thinking about the priesthood or religious life, Dorula says he believes the holy Spirit will lead you to tell you that you should think about priesthood or religious life.
“They will plant the seeds and will nurture them and I know that is what everyone did for me. I didn’t know what the future would hold. But I put everything in God’s hands. If he really wants you to be a priest, that will be, I’m surely assured of that. But you have to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. You have to know him not just in a textbook. You have to know him really in your heart. He is a loving God and merciful God that he wants to reach out to save everyone and bring to eternal life. I firmly believe that and have a great devotion to the Eucharist. Everything comes from the Eucharist. We’re not only fed by it and nourished but Jesus tells us to go do the same … go serve others. That is what I firmly believe he’s calling me to do, to serve others. I was sitting in a newspaper office and the Lord came into me at my post and said, ‘Come, Follow Me.’”
Dorula has done summer pastoral work at the parishes of Church of the Resurrection in northern Indiana County; St. Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Kittanning; St. Barbara, Harrison City; and St. Joseph, Derry.
Dorula is a son of Walter and Gloria Dorula of Uniontown. He has an older brother, Ronald, of Uniontown.
