As the music of the piano and other instruments drifts in the background, the choir leads the St. John Student Parish congregation in song.

With their hymnal books open, the parish stands in Father Mark Inglot's presence. Scanning the church, he notices that, unlike most other churches, it is not filled with families and retirees.

Instead, mostly undergraduates sit in the pews, attentively waiting for him to begin his sermon.

Inglot once sat in their place - an MSU student finding time, in between the studying and partying, to worship. Inglot attended MSU and the church, at 327 M.A.C. Ave., from 1973 to 1977.

Often, he shares his MSU experiences - with his roommates, at the bars and in the church - during his sermons.

"You know, you don't have to be a nerd to be religious," Inglot said. "You can have fun, but you don't have to be crazy and hurt other people in the process or destroy property."

He emphasizes responsible drinking, saying as a college student, he was able to hold onto his strong morals and beliefs but still knew how to have fun.

"(My friends and I) enjoyed going to church, and we enjoyed going to the bars."

St. John's parishioner Brian Preston said he believes Inglot's time at MSU contributes to a better understanding of the audience he preaches to.

"He's mentioned in his sermons that he used to drink on Friday and Saturday nights and go to mass the next day," the chemistry junior said. "He takes the gospel and applies it to students' lives."

During Inglot's MSU days, he was not planning to go into the priesthood. He came to MSU and obtained a psychology degree. As a teenager, his inspiration was the community director of mental health in Flint, who lived across the street from him.

"I thought (he had) the keys to life: People orientation, service orientation and lots of money," Inglot said.

Thoughts of a more religious life first came to Inglot as some of his professors exemplified how it relates to psychology. Building a foundation for his interest in the priesthood, one professor required him to read books by a Jesuit psychologist. Another professor was a Jesuit psychologist himself.

"Professor Marian Kinget used to have courses in B108 Wells that were closed out, she was so popular," Inglot said. "She would create the bridge between spirituality and psychology."

Still unsure, two priests at St. John's told Inglot that a sign of resistance is always a sign of God. Inglot said he realized this was true and cited specific examples in the Bible.

"When (God) called St. Paul, he was out killing Christians," he said. "When he called Peter, Peter's response was, 'Leave me Lord, I am a sinful man.' Isaiah said, 'I don't know how to speak.' Jeremiah said, 'I am too young.' And Mary was afraid."

One day, friends saw Inglot driving an ill bishop to a meeting. Until that point, he had not discussed a vocational service with his peers. It was then they encouraged him to make the ultimate decision - and he chose the priesthood.

Excluding his roommate, he received support from his friends living with him in Holden Hall.

"I dated, but he would try to keep setting me up," Inglot said of his roommate's intentions of steering him away from the priesthood. "I used to say he majored in euchre (because) that's all I ever saw him do."

Eventually, Inglot's roommate came to support him, but Inglot still held reservations upon entering the seminary after graduation. Not until after five years of religious study and internship did he realize he had made the right choice.

"I remember thinking, 'I'll go to the seminary, but I won't like it.'" Inglot said. "'I'll leave, and at least I'll have tried.' The fact is that I went, and I loved it."

In 1987, Inglot became an associate pastor at St. John's for four years. He returned again as the pastor in 2000.

Inglot said coming back to be the pastor at St. John's, the place where he found his true vocation, validated everything.

"I could think of myself doing many other things, but I can't imagine myself being happier than where I am," he said.

Inglot said his love for his vocation has not been fazed in the recent crisis concerning the sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic church.

"One case is one too many," he said. "It's a sad part of our history, but the church can change and grow and be better."

Inglot's open mind, in addition to his past experience at MSU, is beneficial to his role at a student parish, said Mike Liberato, director of student faith formation at St. John's and MSU philosophy professor.

"He was always concerned with his own growth and development, open to wherever the Lord would lead him," Liberato said. "(His past) allows him to walk in the shoes of other students because he has been there himself."