Beginning his journey with Sacred Heart as a seminarian in 2008, Fr. Mabee became ordained in 2015, serving as a priest for the diocese of Lansing. His brother, Fr. Drew, is also a priest, serving in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Fr. Zach Mabee served parish communities in Flint for two years. He then went on to pursue further study in theology and philosophy. His path led him to return to Sacred Heart Major Seminary as a resident priest in the fall of 2020, with him joining the philosophy faculty and pre-theology priestly formation team in Fall 202.
In his new faculty role, Fr. Mabee embraces teaching, prayer, and learning — looking forward to serving the students as they grow in faith through their studies.
“Most of all, I relish the opportunity to work with and accompany the men in their own journeys of discernment and priestly formation. I of course also look forward to working with the various lay and religious students who are also part of the community here.”
In teaching philosophy, he strives to instill within his students a value for taking what they are learning in the classroom and applying it to practical, real-world contexts within their daily lives.
“I hope most that the students will take with them a value for the philosophical act or habit,” Fr. Mabee says, “The practice of asking critical questions and learning to respond to them strategically and with nuance, and of course with an eye to seeking the truth.”
In his teaching and work with the seminarians, he carries with him inspiration from numerous saints, especially St. John Henry Newman and his great witness that the lived experience of believers is a key part of theological reflection.
This guidance informs his work and teaching practice. He passes on to his students the conviction that the role of a faith community in education is to keep a heart of service for God and for others.
“I think one of the most valuable aspects of a faith community in education is that it orients us toward our brothers and sisters, with a sense of the common good in view, such that we don’t just or mainly think of our study as an intellectual or theoretical exercise, but instead as a key part of our formation that prepares us to love God and neighbor more deeply.”
Join us in prayerfully welcoming Fr. Mabee to the Sacred Heart faculty this year!