Guest Post by John Orgovan

In my last post I mentioned that I would be posting guest posts from fellow seminary campers writing about their overall experience of camp this year and things that they participated in, that impacted their own discernment processes. Who better to start off the guest blogging than John Orgovan, a camper who has attended the camps for three years straight and was my roomate this year. I am so happy that he decided to write a post and perhaps try to stir up further interest in the Seminary camps. I am so grateful and so happy for his friendship.

" Seminary Camp has been an opportunity for me to truly "be me". This year's camp was amazing because we had a total of 22 guys! That is a huge step up from the first two years of the camp. Just getting to hangout with guys my age who share my faith is truly a blessing.

If any guys who have ever even wondered about the possiblity of priesthood are reading this, I really encourage them to get involved at their local seminary, become involved in your parish if you aren't already, and finally pray for an increase for vocations. Thank you Father Peter Berger, Susi Kurek, Deacon Ryan Pruess, and all the seminarians and staff for once again, making this summer camp one of the best experiences I have ever had."

-John Orgovan

Please pray for John and for all those who are discerning a call to the priesthood and for an increase in vocations.

The Highlight of Summer

It is said that summer is a time of relaxation, fun and getting away from stresses of school, homework and tests. But this year my summer has been the complete opposite. I have been hired to work two jobs; one at my home parish, St. Matthias, and the other at Heritage Assisted Living Nursing home as a dietary aide. This is my second year working at my parish as a maintenance assistant. Even though it is only a seasonal job and considered part-time, I work a full day, Monday through Friday, from six in the morning until two in the afternoon.

Sometimes I leave one job and directly go to the other. Even though working through the summer is not something that people usually look forward to, I consider myself very blessed to be able to have not only one job, but two.

With that being said I am pleased to be able to take some time away from work and return to the Seminary Summer Camps for the fourth year in a row. I treat every year that I go as a small retreat. Each camp brings special opportunities to relax, to meet new people who share the same interests and thoughts that I do, to be able to grow in my prayer life, and also to gain further insight into what God wants me to do with the rest of my life. I can easily say that it is the highlight of my summer each and every year. Each camp truly sets me on fire with the Holy Spirit, to continue to seek what God has in store for me in the upcoming months and years.

As I have done in the past, the next few posts that I write will be sharing some of the experiences and highlights of this year's camp: sessions and talks about subjects that influence both my own discernment process and those of my fellow campers, service projects and the impacts that they had, and I also will include guest posts from fellow discerners who camped with me this year and who want to share how they were inspired or influenced by the things that they participated in over the past few days. And so I invite you to continue to visit this blog to read, learn and discover the many ways God calls us to vocations (particularly to the priesthood) and how he constantly works in us and influences us to do His will.

Stay Tuned!

Finals

The last few days of school are suddenly upon us! This Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are each filled with final exams, warm weather, and excitement for the upcoming months of summer. For some, studying for finals is the last thing on their minds. Afterall, who wouldn't want to be outside on a beautiful sunny day?

In some sense, final exam week can be seen as a rollercoaster. The weeks leading up to exams are stressful and intimidating, forcing a student to study long and hard into the night hours. Pressure to score the highest you possibly can, trying to remember everything you learned during the year in each class builds up. Finally, the day arrives and you are on the top of the rollercoaster. Time seems to stand still as you go through every question, sometimes going back and erasing answers you thought were right, only to find out were completely wrong. As you make you way through the last exams, it seems as if you are flying down the steep track of the rollercoaster toward the bright and beautiful light of summer vacation.....And suddenly......the rollercoaster ride of the year slowly comes to an end.

In a way, final exams and the rollercoaster ride you partake in, teach you a lot about life. Final exams are not very enjoyable, but isn't it true that the toughest things that we go through, the things that we do that we feel are unimportant to us at that time make us stronger? It is in these times, when I am feeling stressed that I turn to Christ. Jesus, to me, was a warrior. Even when at times of anguish and sadness, at times when we wanted to give up on what he was called to do, He still continued on, never complaining. Jesus never complained as he took up His cross and took upon himself the sins of the world. If Jesus can do that, than enduring final exams should be no problem. I only pray as I enter into the days of final exams, when the beautiful weather tempts me to slack off and become lazy in my studies, that I will have the strength to take my exams to the absolute best of my ability and then enjoy the wonderful months of summer!

I ask for your prayers for me and all students who are taking final exams in these next couple days. Thank you so much!