At twenty-eight years old and just three years after taking his own vows, Seelos is appointed novice master at St. Philomena’s. His appointment was short-lived – a mere 16 months – because the Superior of the American Mission decided that the novices should be under his watchful eye in Baltimore. But even though his stint as novice master was brief, Seelos had a lifelong effect on the novices entrusted to him, leading them by example and with gentle compassion.