“I’m called to love his people”

Jerome Krug was a teenager confused about what God was calling him to do. He wanted to become a lawyer and work to make people’s lives better through political or community advocacy, but something was telling him to follow a different path.
 
For help discerning his call, Krug returned to the place where he often found Jesus – the adoration chapel at Saint Monica in Edmond. 
 
“I said ‘Lord, I want to change the world for you.’ As clear as day, he said, ‘I’m not asking you to change the world, I’m asking you to let me change yours.’”
 
At age 17, a junior in high school, he now finally knew for certain he wanted to become a priest. He kept his decision to himself for several months before telling his family.
 
“The only person who was surprised when I decided to go to seminary was myself,” he said. “The other day I said to my sister ‘I can’t believe I’m going to be a priest in a month.’ She said, ‘Really? To me, you’ve always been a priest.’”
 
Krug is one of seven children raised in Edmond by his parents Tom and Katie Krug, who is a teacher at Saint Mary in Guthrie. He is the godfather of his youngest brother who is age 10.
 
“I come from a very devout family. I have memories of praying the Rosary with my family and going to the adoration chapel at Saint Monica. My parents would invite priests over and I think that was really powerful for me.”
 
He attended homeschool until high school when he entered Mount Saint Mary Catholic High School in Oklahoma City.  
 
“I had a kindergartner’s love of school at 14. I was excited to have a backpack and a pencil bag. I’m sure I annoyed the other students.”
 
It was at The Mount that Krug met a group of friends who would keep him connected to his faith and bolster his prayer life.
 
“A friend started inviting me to daily Mass or to go pray at the chapel. We were praying one time after soccer practice, and I remember leaning over and saying, ‘What are you praying?’ He said, ‘I’m just talking about my day.’ I remember that blowing my mind. I thought I could do that. I started going to daily Mass and praying more.”
 
After realizing he wanted to go to seminary, he turned down a dream internship in Washington D.C., his senior year. He applied and was accepted as a seminarian in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and enrolled at Conception Seminary College in Missouri. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Conception and then asked to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He recently earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology at PNAC and is working over the next year on a specialized curriculum with an emphasis on marriage and family.
 
“For someone who grew up in Edmond and whose extent of traveling was taking road trips to see his grandma in New York, moving to Rome has been more challenging than expected and more beautiful. It has allowed me to do mission work in India and Africa; things I never imagined,” Krug said.
 
This past September, Krug was able to bring his family to Europe for the first time to be with him for his diaconate ordination at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
 
“To share it with them and show them my favorite parts was wonderful.”
   
Now age 26, Krug will be ordained a priest on June 29 at Saint Mark in Norman.
 
“It’s kind of surreal. They’ve always been somebody else’s ordination!” he said. “Any life call is huge and being entrusted with this call can be overwhelming. But, I know I have a gift to be able to love Jesus’ people the way Jesus loves me. I focus on that and all of the anxiety fades away.”
 
Diane Clay is editor of the Sooner Catholic.