Authentic Witnesses Drawing Souls to Christ

Fr. Luke Strand, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and good friend, recently gave a talk about vocations to a women's group dedicated to supporting vocations called the "de Chantal Society" at St. Francis De Sales Seminary. Fr. Luke is such a great role model for me and so many others who continue to discern calls to the Catholic priesthood. I invite you to read Fr. Luke's talk and also encourage anyone you know who is interested in the priesthood, or just would like to talk, to please contact him at lstrand@sfs.edu.

10 Days into Seminary Life

When I first decided to apply to St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago, the essence of community and brotherhood played a huge factor. I wanted to be around other guys headed toward the same goal. Now ten days into my seminary career, I have already begun to see it more clearly. On Move-In Day, returning seminarians helped move myself and other new seminarians into our rooms and introduced themselves. They were very glad that we were here. I'm glad I am too!

If it were not for my brother seminarians helping me and guiding me in the right direction, I would never have learned the things that I now know. Before coming to St. Joseph's, I knew that good liturgy was always important, but I never had been to a place where everyone is passionate about liturgy, liturgy that is flowing but yet has structure and body. Good timing and reverent movement is very essential when serving, lectoring and even while being an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist.

If it were not for my brother seminarians, I would not have been able to tie my own cincture and wear a collar with my cassock. I would not have know how to decorate an altar after it had been anointed during the Dedication of the Altar Mass that we just had the previous evening in our brand new chapel. So far, seminary has taught me how important it is to work with one another. Cooperation is very important.

In a way, my brother seminarians are my new family. We live, eat, pray, study, and play together. It really is what I needed. I needed to be around other guys who are determined to meet one goal, growing together in love and service, and God-willing,one day as priests! I have learned that nobody is ever alone. Everyone is here to help everyone else succeed. If there was such a thing, this would be the objective of the "No Seminarian Left Behind Act." Nobody should ever feel like they are alone in their discernment or their studies. We are here to encourage one another and grow ever more in love with Christ and His Church each day.

Supporting Vocations to the Priesthood

It feels so strange to say I will be moving out of my house and moving in to St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago in less than a week. I have been so blessed to meet so many great people over this summer and I am so grateful for their love, prayers and support. To know that I have the backing of my home parish, family, friends and complete strangers is an amazing feeling.

When I first started this blog, I had just got home from attending my second Seminary Summer Camp hosted by St. Francis De Sales Seminary in St. Francis, Wisconsin. I was on fire for the faith and wanted to share my experience with anyone who would listen. I was feeling confident that God was calling me to become a priest as I was entering into my sophomore year of high school. I began recording my thoughts, my prayers, my writings and the many events that I participated in. I became a team member of a major vocations website that had begun in England run by teens specifically for men thinking about the possibility of priesthood, writing prayers and reflections for the site. Because of the site, I had the opportunity to be interviewed on Relevant Radio about how I came into contact with the creator and founder of the website, John Howard who is now a seminarian in England.  It was a very exciting time in my life!

The biggest thing that I learned this summer is how important it really is to be involved in as many events as you can. Everything that you are able to participate in, gives you an opportunity to share your faith with others, network and meet new people as well as make great new friends. This summer I frequently visited a discernment house in Shorewood, WI which housed five young men who were discerning the priesthood. One of these men will be entering college seminary with me this Tuesday as a Junior. I got to know each of these men, prayed with them, shared my discernment story with them and let them know of my support. I felt it was only fair to offer not only my time, but also my prayers and support that I was so fortunate to receive as I was applying for seminary.

The point that I am trying to make in all of this is not to make myself look high and mighty, but to share with fellow seminarians and discerners that even after getting accepted to seminary our work is not done, but is only beginning. Besides going to classes and formation lessons, I feel it is so important to take the time to show discerning men how much you are praying for them and how much you support them as they continue discerning God's will for them. Having the support of seminarians and priests while I was discerning and even during applying to seminary gave me confidence and helped me to know that I had good friends that had confidence in me that I seemed capable of being a good priest. It is so important to pray for the future of our church and support them with our company and kindness.

The Pilgrimage: 50 Miles to Holy Hill

Millions of people make religious pilgrimages each year. Whether it is making a trip to Lourdes, Fatima or Champion, Wisconsin, a religious pilgrimage is a time to step back from our day to day lives and begin a voyage, not only in a physical state but also in a spiritual sense. It is during these pilgrimages that we begin to draw deeper into our relationships with Christ, giving ourselves a chance to admire, as well as ponder, His wonderful deeds and His constant love for human kind.

A few weeks ago,  I was given the chance to embark on my first religious pilgrimage led by Archdiocesan Vocations Director Father Luke Strand. This pilgrimage was a 50 mile walk from St. Francis De Sales Seminary in St. Francis to Holy Hill in Hubertus, Wisconsin. Following Mass, we began our pilgrimage with a trip to visit Auxiliary Bishop Donald J. Hying at his office at the Archbishop Cousins Center to wish him a happy one year anniversary to the episcopacy.

After congratulating our awesome Auxiliary Bishop, we made our way to various churches on the south side of Milwaukee such as: Immaculate Conception in Bay View, the Bascilica of St. Josaphat on 6th and Lincoln Avenue, St. Anthony's on 9th and Mitchell, as well as the St. Joan of Arc Chapel on the Marquette University Campus before going to Aurora Sinai Medical Center on Kilbourn Ave, where my Mom had planned a wonderful lunch for the starving pilgrims.

After filling our bellys with some amazing food, we continued to make our way  up Wisconsin Ave, picking up two Marquette students that chose to pilgrimage with us for the day. We stopped to pray in front of Planned Parenthood, tried with no avail to get a look at the new chapel that was built inside Marquette University High School and prayed inside the Schoenstatt Shrine on 55th and Wisconsin Ave. For dinner, we traveled to Christ King Parish in Wauwatosa and finally arrived at St. Mary's Visitation Parish in Elm Grove at 8:00 to spend the night. The next day began with 6:30 AM Mass. We were graciously invited to have breakfast at the home of Brian Magliocco and his wife, Melissa.  Brian is the coordinator of WYRE Ministries which produces wonderful events for the youth of Wisconsin with opportunities to grow closer to God, such as the Wisconsin Youth Rally that is held every year.

After breakfast, we made the trip to St. John Vianney Parish in Brookfield to pray Morning Prayer and then to St. Dominic's Parish for lunch with Fr. David Reith, the Pastor, and newly ordained Fr. Brad Krawczyk, now the Associate Pastor. After breakfast it was straight walking all the way to Merton, Wisconsin. Relying solely on Divine Providence, we were amazed when a man stopped us on the side of the road with bottles of water and Hershey chocolate bars. It was even more amazing to us when he revealed to us that he was a Mormon. We stopped at Fr. Luke Strand's aunt's house for dinner and to spend the night. The first thing we all did was jump in the cold pool. Relaxing our tired bodies in the pool was awesome!

We woke up the next morning refreshed and energized, ready to conquer the final 10 miles to Holy Hill. We were a mile away from our destination when we decided to walk the rest of the way barefoot. It was just a small sacrifice, offering up our tired bare feet to Christ. I can't even imagine how He could walk the Via Dolorosa with so many lacerations on His body, His crown of thorns and His tired feet. All of these painful details with the addition of a heavy wooden cross in just incomprehensible! This small sacrifice that we gave, by walking the last mile to Holy Hill barefoot was our way of completing our pilgrimage, by uniting ourselves with Christ, and offering up our sore and tired bodies, so that He could transform them and use them for His glory. This was the purpose of our pilgrimage, to give witness to Christ by walking these 50 miles, carrying a Papal flag, carrying no food of our own with us, totally relying on God like we should be each and every day of our lives. 

Attending the 4:00 o'clock Mass at Holy Hill was such a fitting end to the pilgrimage, reminding us what our true purpose of this journey was. Pilgrimages are supposed to bring you closer to God and for us, this literally was true. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I hope to go on more pilgrimages in the future, continuing to move ever closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Summer Continues to Teach The Importance of Hard Work

This summer I have the opportunity to work at St. Francis De Sales Seminary here in Milwaukee, as a part of a groundscrew team. The previous two summers I had spent work at my parish. Being able to work on various things to keep the grounds and the building working and looking good is a really great feeling. To know that I am working at a place that not only fosters my vocation, but also has fostered countless others over the 157 years of its existence is amazing.

While working there I have had the opportunity to learn different skills and work tatics that I not only need in order to keep the building running, but will also need them for the rest of my life such as the importance of hard work, determination and patience. As I start college seminary this coming August, I know that I will need all of these same characteristics. I realize that I will need to learn all that I can, in order to help as many as I can. This means that in order to properly educate people in the faith and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I need to immerse myself in every area of study that I can. Just as a maintenance man who does not know how to use tools will have a hard time improving and taking care of the buildings he is entrusted to, so a priest who has no knowledge of the faith really have a hard time educating others in the ways of the church.

With that in mind, I have given myself a few goals this summer as I move closer toward beginning seminary life.

1. Increase or find consistency in my prayer life.
2. Read as many philosophy and theology books as I can.
3. Write emails or letters to those discerning a call to priesthood or has expressed an interest in applying to seminary, but need a little encouragement.

All in all, this summer I feel like it is time for me to start living the life that I will, while I am in seminary. This is my time to continue to grow in my faith and bring others to it as well. I only pray to God that I can.

A Letter of Inquiry

Just a few short weeks ago, my Effective Composition class was assigned to write and mail a letter of inquiry to someone that had affected us in a particular way whether it was positive or negative. The purpose of this letter was to write to someone who inspired us to listen to our heart and follow our dreams and hopefully receive some sort of response back with some sort of advice. Many people in my class chose to write to rock stars, politicians and even to the President of the United States of America. I chose to write to Archbishop Dolan. I would be absolutely thrilled if I get a response back! Below is my letter to the Archbishop.

Dear Archbishop Dolan,

My name is John Bender and I am a senior at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, WI. I am writing to you today because you are a huge inspiration to me and countless others who follow the Catholic faith. My family and I have been life long members of St. Matthias Parish in Milwaukee, and loved getting to meet, talk with you and receive an occasional bear-hug or headlock from you. It was so awesome just to be able to approach you with questions, talk briefly about sports or simply just say hello. I remember having breakfast with you at the first annual vocations seminary summer camps that were held at St. Francis De Sales Seminary, which had been coordinated by Father James Lobacz. Just the way you were always smiling, making jokes and praying so hard during Mass all made a huge impact on me and my own vocation.

For my Effective Composition class I was assigned to write a letter to someone that inspires me and encourages me to follow my dreams. Many of my classmates are writing to professional athletes, rock stars and politicians. I chose to write to you. Ever since I was in in 5th grade, I have felt a call to the Catholic priesthood. I have been attending Mass regularly, participating as an acolyte, lector and cantor. I have also attended discernment groups and vocation camps offered by the seminary. I am also thinking off enrolling at St. Joseph’s College Seminary Program in Chicago as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee next year.

The reason why I am writing to you is because I am seeking words of wisdom and answers to questions that I have while I am still discerning. I couldn’t think of a better person to ask. I am wondering if at any time during your discernment process you felt temptation, and what you did to overcome it and continue on your path to priesthood? I’m also wondering how your prayer life was during your discernment and if you had a special saint in particular that you prayed to as you continued on the path that you were going. Any other additional advice you would have for someone who is discerning the priesthood would be really appreciated. Thanks so much for your time and for reading this letter. I know that you are extremely busy but I would really appreciate any advice or help you could give me.

Sincerely,

John Bender

Congratulations Bishop Hying!

This Wednesday I was given the tremendous honor of being able to attend Bishop Donald J. Hying's Ordination as the new Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee! After all, it isn't everyday that you see an Ordination of a Bishop, not to mention that of a close friend.

My Mom, Dad, and my friend Jerry and I were lucky to be a part of the 700 invited guests at this wonderful occasion. We were also able to get great seats, close to the front so we could see all the action up close. It was very cool to see the hundreds of priests, the 18 Bishops from both our Archdiocese and neighboring diocese, and the seminarians and seminary summer campers all present.

One of the things that really stood out for me on that great day was Bishop Hying's personality and attitude. Having a special celebration in your honor can be overwhelming. You can be sucked into pride; feeling like your on top of the world! I for one would probably feel this way. Bishop Hying was the complete opposite however. Throughout that entire day, and the days leading up to his ordination, Bishop Hying remained humbled, full of humility. He often stated to Archbishop Listecki, in a joking manner of course that "he was probably the most unqualified person to ever be ordained a Bishop." This is one of the special traits and characteristics that he possesses; total self-abandonment to God and perfect submission to His will.

To be an Auxiliary Bishop means to serve the Archbishop, priests, and the whole church community to the best of his ability. Bishop Hying will indeed have his work cut out for him as he will travel across the Archdiocese ministering to each and every person he meets.

To me, Bishop Hying is a role model for me during my own discernment. If I do indeed become a priest I should look to him as a mentor as to how I should serve others with the same love, care, and humility that he does each and every day. Bishop Hying truly inspires me and reminds me through his episcopal motto, that even throughout hardships and trials during my life, "Love Never Fails."

Thank you Bishop Hying, for teaching me how to love and care for the church through simple acts of kindness and compassion, which you demonstrate day in and day out. I want to thank you for everything that you have done for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee both now and in the future.

May God bless you always!

Seminary Camp Reflection "What is "Your" plan for me?" Part 2

The ride down the tree lined drive of St. Francis De Sales Seminary usually gives me a sense of peace and tranquility, but on this day, the day of the fourth seminary summer camp things were different. I was still feeling upset about my grades, about my ACT test and how that all played into my future. For me there is nothing I want more than to serve God as a priest. I am sure that this is what I want to do with the rest of my life, but those marks on the college entrance tests left me feeling down.

On the the way to the seminary, my mom suggested that I talk to Father Peter Berger, the Vocations Director, and Deacon Ryan Pruess who will be ordained a priest in May of next year, about what I should do. Could this really be a sign that I am not meant for the priesthood? Talking to them was probably the best thing that I could have ever done. As it turns out, Deacon Ryan attended a two year technical college and then transferred his credits he earned over to Cardinal Stritch University for his final two years of college. This path that lead him to the Seminary allowed him to avoid the ACT tests needed to enter into many colleges. Deacon Ryan is one of the smartest and friendliest people I know.

Father Peter Berger also provided words of wisdom and strength. Father Peter reminded me that God is in control and if he has a plan for me He will make it happen, regardless of what obstacles I face. Father Peter also told me that I should take the ACT test at least one more time, and advised me to pray and don't worry.

These meetings and talks with Father Peter and Deacon Ryan were definitely what I needed that day. Their words of wisdom kept my doubts at bay and gave me new hope for the future and what the Lord has in store for me. I am so happy to have such great friends and mentors who have been through everything that I am experiencing and can give me advice.

My time at the camp this year was just as relaxing and enjoyable as they had been in the years past. It certainly gave me the opportunity to continue to reflect on God's will for me and my vocation. Thank you Father Peter, Deacon Ryan and all who have kept me in their prayers each and every day. Know that you all in my prayers as well!

Seminary Reflection- " What is "Your" plan for me? Part 1

The next few posts that will be uploaded are my own reflections on my past seminary summer camp. They contain thoughts that crossed my mind and things that I struggled with while there. These posts have been divided into parts, each part being posted on a different day to create suspense, allow time for reflection and prayer for those who are also going through some of the same things I am currently undertaking, such as being in high school and also discerning a call to the priesthood. I hope that you enjoy each and every part of this story and share it with others who are dealing with similar feelings and thoughts in their own discernment processes.


Discernment processes for those thinking of certain vocations, particularly the Catholic Priesthood, provide an opportunity to grow in your faith in God, to expand your love for our Mother Church whom you will ultimately give your entire life to and lastly, to learn how to trust one another. You also learn how to help and guide one another on your own individual journeys.

Despite all of the positive influences and opportunities that you gain while discerning a possible vocation to the Catholic priesthood; There are in fact a few things that apply unneeded pressure and negative impacts for someone discerning. Lately there has been a one thing that has been pressuring me, my current education.

One of the things that I have learned in discussions and talks at my local seminary is that education is extremely important. You need four years of college and at least a philosophy major and theology degree. This is my final year of high school coming up, so my life is busy with researching colleges and programs, taking ACT tests and working full time to save money for tuition. I'm realizing real quick that life is hard.

Before I even enter a college, I need to meet requirements. I need to match grade point average scales, ACT test scores and cumulative grade scores to the colleges that I am interested in. Lets just say that school has always been tough. To be honest, I am a horrible test taker. It certainly shows on my ACT scores, which were well below the requirement for a number of colleges I had wanted to attend. This has certainly made me start rethinking my vocation and filled me with doubt. After all I have taken the ACT test twice already, each time coming out feeling very confident, so sure that I had such a great score only to find out two weeks later that I had not met my expectations.

Thoughts began filling my head with, "How can I become a priest when I can't even get out of high school? What is wrong with me that no matter how hard I study, things just don't work in my favor? God does not want a dumb, uneducated man to become his priest! How can God lead me through all of these summer camps that I relish each and every summer while placing seminarians, priests and even bishops in front of me to inspire, teach and guide me, just so I can fall short of expectations and realize that the priesthood is no longer a possibility?" I became angry at God... What is "Your" plan for me?

-To be continued

Guest Post By Michael Lawinger "Go, take your faith! Ignite the World!"

This is the fourth guest post that has been sent to me by a fellow seminary summer camper. Michael Lawinger has attended the summer camps held at St. Francis De Sales Seminary all four years that it has been offered. I am so happy that he wrote a post on his overall review of the camp, showing how it has grown and truly shaped vocations in the many teens that have attended over the years. Thank you so much Michael and all that have written guest posts for my blog. Know that I am praying for each and everyone of you. No matter if we become priests or not, I am still so grateful for your friendship throughout these years. Michael's wonderful post is below.

This year was my fourth time at seminary camp, and I am proud to have made every camp to date. There was one thing you noticed when you saw the first camp four years ago; it was small. The junior high camp only had 5 campers, but even then I saw something I never thought I would realize. I was not the only one discerning the priesthood in the whole state of Wisconsin! It was a great thing to see that, and even greater was the sight of next year’s camp. Over tripling in size it was now at 16, and it swelled with new energy and personalities. Yet again the bond became stronger as the camaraderie grew, seeing and meeting new people, as well as catching back up with the group from the previous year.

I was very proud of the second year camp, as I dragged a friend, his brother, and my brother to camp that year, and I was not the only one who did. More and more the camp grew with people drawn in. The truth is attractive, and no matter how much the world and the devil want to change it, some men are called to become priests. I have always felt a gut feeling ever since I was about 6 that the man behind the altar should one day be me. The call grew and grew, and when Bishop Elect Hying, then just Fr. Don (at the camp we affectionately named him the late Fr. Don) asked if I wanted to go to the first camp I jumped at the chance. The camps have definitely deepened my outlook on the priesthood, and what a priest actually does. The camp also helped me understand the gravity of the priesthood, for no man without the aid of God can have such an impact on others lives.

The spiritual camaraderie was astounding. We all understood there was something that made us feel we would be happy in the vocation of priesthood, and this common bond resonated throughout the camp. From playing monopoly till 2 in the morning, or deriving a logical proof from scientific evidence that God exists, we knew we were one in the same.

God looks out for us, Deus providebit, God will provide; He just asks we trust him. Not even the deepest dark can put out a candle, and every single person that attended seminary camp is a candle, and it is their choice to light others. Putting all 21 candles together this year only made us burn brighter, and created a holy bonfire. You could almost visibly see the holiness jumping from person to person giving energy and light to any situation.

From mass to confession, the sacraments were fuel to the flame, and during adoration we were scorched with the true presence of God. We knew we all had the same goal. Priesthood or not we were alive with the fire of the Holy Spirit and nothing was going to stop us. For we are the burning ones and we will not be contained!
Go, take your faith. Ignite the world!

Michael Lawinger

Totus Tuus "Totally Yours"

I am very pleased to announce that this is newest guest post that I have received from one of my fellow campers from the Seminary Summer Camps at St. Francis De Sales Seminary this year, Jay Egan. This past Seminary Summer Camp was Jay's first! Hopefully it will not be his last. It was so fun having Jay as a roommate and to be able to talk and pray with him. God bless you Jay and may He continue to guide you on your path of discernment. Know that I am praying for you each and everyday! You can read Jay's awe-inspiring post below.

This was my first time attending the 2011 seminary summer camp. I was really impressed, the whole experience was really illuminating. There were a couple of things that really stuck with me. First was the fact that I'm not alone. Satan likes to isolate and divide people, and build up a pride in their apparent uniqueness. This was an illusion that was instantly shattered. It was very easy to see that many of the boys there were very serious about discerning God's call, and genuinely desired to do the will of God, and the people there were equals. Second, the immense common bond and instant camaraderie shared by all the guys by virtue of their potential vocation. The community there felt like the Church Militant, and I got the sense that a number of boys were considering priesthood as a sort of zealous rebellion against the devil, the flesh, and the world. Most of the guys all seemed to be altar boy geeks like me. I expected something watered down, which is usually the fare teenagers get at things like this. This wasn't at all what I got. I had expected the talks to be basic, as if none of us had a regular prayer life. But the talks on prayer really addressed in many ways where I was at in my own spiritual life. We would talk about prayer, and it genuinely got you excited to pray (beyond just being emotionally enthused), and then we would go pray, and live out what we just talked about. It was all about living the theological truths we discussed. There was a great focus on hearing the voice of God and sitting in His presence. And then we would go pray before the Blessed Sacrament, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, go to Mass, and meet Him right there. It was a very contemplative experience for me, seeking silence to hear the voice of God and encounter His living reality and presence. I feel further convinced that His Majesty is calling me to serve Him as a priest, and the desire for this really takes my breath away. It's frustrating being unable to express one's gratitude to God, because He's so much bigger than anything you'd ever imagined. But I guess that's His will, to take your breath away and fill with silence and the breath of life – the Holy Spirit. This camp made be inexpressibly grateful for His goodness and the fullness of truth in His holy Church. One day I earnestly desire to say those infinitely precious and beautiful words: this is my body, this is my blood, and hold the fullness of truth Himself in my hands.

I was impressed by the service project, in which we helped the elderly and mentally disabled. I think I really was able to glimpse a manifestation of God's being there among the mentally disabled. They seemed really just so human. I could really feel God present there among them, amused and delighted by His creations simply enjoying themselves, even if they themselves might have been absolutely oblivious to His existence.

In this camp, Our Lord continued to open my up to the desire to do His will, and to abandon myself more deeply into His hands. Meeting the people there and growing closer to them impressed on me a lot of hope for the future of the Church and the world. His Majesty has a perfect plan, and the fulfillment of that plan is absolutely fantastic. One of the first things mentioned in the first of the talks was the literal translation for “fiat”, Our Lady's response to the message of Gabriel: do it. I guess this is the essence of sanctity. Abandon yourself to God, freely surrender everything you've got to His will, and let Him do it. In the words of the motto of Bl. John Paul II: totus tuus. Totally yours.

Deus tecum,

Jay Egan

"The Least of His Brethren; A Conversation with God" By: Kenny Urlakis

This is the second guest post that I had promised to upload, once again about the Seminary Summer Camp that I attended. This guest post is written by a good friend of mine, Kenny Urlakis, who has also attended past summer camps. Kenny is a wonderful writer and even maintains his own blog! To visit it please click here. Thank you Kenny for writing this wonderful masterpiece and also for your continued friendship. Kenny's post is below-

Hello. My name is Ken. I was one of the campers who attended “Is it I, Lord?”- the camp/retreat at St. Francis De Sales Seminary. I have attended this camp for two years in a row and plan to attend in the future as long as they keep up this awesome experience.

My most fond experience at “Is it I, Lord?” this year was the service project at the St. Ann’s Center. When we departed from the Seminary, I must admit I did feel a little nervous. I had heard from the seminarians that we would be working with everybody-from the nursery and children’s day care to the mentally disabled and the elderly. A combination of my own human pride along with a sentiment of uncertainty left me feeling a little on edge. I kept this emotion in the back of my mind as I hiked along with the other guys, cracking jokes and doing other boy things (i.e. pulling little pranks, playing with sticks. . . you get the picture).

When we arrived at our destination, we were split up into small groups and sent to different units. I and two other guys were picked to go to the Alzheimer’s and dementia unit. As soon as I heard in what unit I would serve, the same emotion came over me. However this time, I decided to conquer it, and saying a quick prayer for humility, I fell in rank with the other two as we marched on to where we would serve. As we marched, I called to my memory my Grandma, who died of Alzheimer’s seven years ago. When we arrived at the unit, I found out that the patients were not as scary as my human pride had made them out to be. We all had a nice game of bingo while watching a movie. Then came the time to take the patients for a walk around the building.

I was paired up with a peaceful older man. He was tall and with his long with beard he looked like a Jewish Rabbi. He looked like God. God walking along with me in blue jeans and a white polo shirt. As we walked along he spoke almost nothing. Finally as we passed a sign that read “Aquatic Center,” he turned to me and said slowly with great difficulty, “I went swimming yesterday.” I, unsure of what to say, blurted out “really, was it fun?” Almost as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I thought of the stupidity of my response. However, he still continued the conversation by responding – again, slowly and with great difficulty - “Yes.” This was all he said to me. Yet, as I reflected, I realized that this was not just a conversation about a dip in the pool – no, this was a conversation with God. The Second Person of The Blessed Trinity says in Matthew 25:40: "Whatever you did to the least of my brethren, you did it to me."
On our hike back to the Seminary, instead of cracking jokes, we talked about our experiences serving God in the "least of His Brethren."- Kenny Urlakis

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!

"Make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise."- Ordination Weekend Wrapup

This weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Ordination Masses for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and celebrate with five of the most influential and holiest men that I know, who were ordained to the priesthood. Fathers Christopher Klusman, Kevin Barnekow, Kevin McManaman, Javier Guativa and Hugo Londono I offer my congratulations to you and pray that your priestly ministry is one filled with joy, excitement, and ever increasing love and zeal for God and his continued mission for you all.

Even after ordination, it seemed that the celebration was just beginning. Only a few hours after being ordained, Father Kevin McManaman celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving; his first Mass as a priest. It was such a joy to see him in his beautiful vestments, standing along with his fellow brother priests and celebrating his first Mass in his home parish, Nativity of The Lord Church. Father Kevin frequently helped with the Summer Camps and the Remnant Basketball Camp that my brothers and I attended. He was always so welcoming, so easy to talk to and always seemed ready to serve. It was such an honor to be able to journey with him through each year of the seminary leading up to now and I am so grateful for his friendship. May God continue to bless you as you are now His holy priest, and may he help you to love and serve His people with the same readiness to serve and enthusiasm that you so often showed during our times together.

Sunday was also a special day as Father Christopher Leonard Klusman celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving at our home parish St. Matthias. Before the Mass at 11 o'clock in the morning, Father Christopher held a breakfast at a banquet hall filled with over 350 guests and my family was invited. It was a great honor and privilege to be able to eat with him, pray with him and celebrate with him, this beautiful day in his life. Father Christopher's Mass of Thanksgiving had to be one of the most beautiful Masses I have ever attended. Everything from the music, to the prayers and liturgy, the meeting new people and seeing old friends was absolutely fantastic and I felt blessed beyond words to be a part of it.

Although Father Christopher has many special qualities, one of them that really stands out is hard of hearing. Father Christopher has been deaf from birth but it certainly has not hindered his being able and willing to serve and love others. He always seems to have a big bright smile on his face and that has become his trademark. Father Christopher is one of only five priests who are deaf in the nation. We have a deaf community in our Archdiocese of Milwaukee, a large part of it at my parish St. Matthias. Father Christopher will be working with the Archdiocesan Deaf Community along with St. Romans Catholic Parish in Milwaukee. Please pray for Father Christopher and all those recently ordained that they may serve God to the very best of their abilities as his Holy priests and be filled with the joy and happiness of Christ as they become like Him for the rest of the world. Know of my prayers for all of you!

A Weekend at the Seminary

Its hard to believe that two weeks have come and gone already. Time sure flies when you're having fun! A couple of weeks ago my brothers, Justin, Joe and I went to the Remnant Basketball camp at the Cousin's Center in St. Francis, WI. The Cousin's Center is a former minor seminary that was once filled with high school students working their way up to St. Francis De Sales Major Seminary next door. A lot of time has passed since then and the Cousin's Center now stands nearly vacant with the exception of a few Archdiocesan offices; so it was great that our camp was held there, bringing some life to the building.

The Remnant Basketball camp was created and led by several seminarians with whom I have become good friends. The weekend involved: staying overnight Friday and Saturday, going on morning runs, lots of opportunities for pick-up games of basketball, working on skills, listening to spirituality talks by guest speakers and also included time for Adoration and Benediction. For me, the highlights of the weekend had to be the talks on spirituality by seminarians Ryan Pruess, Kurt Krause and Archbishop Listecki. They have so much wisdom and knowledge that I really took to heart.

In one of the talks, Kurt Krause talked about how,"people always tell us that we are the future of the church. We are called to be active members in the church. What we fail to realize, though, is that we are no longer the church of tomorrow, but the church of NOW! We are called to be active in the church NOW! The church doesn't needs wishy-washy Catholics, but instead strong active members, fighting for the faith." This talk really struck me, and invited me to continue being an active participant in my church and in the various groups that stand up for the faith.

Archbishop Listecki's talk also inspired me both as a ballplayer and as one who is discerning a vocation to be a priest when he said, "The same skills that you use in basketball, the team building and motivating your teammates; use those skills in your day to day life." In the different aspects of life, we need these skills in all that we do, whether it be as a student in the classroom, an accountant in a business office or a priest in a parish. This talk with the Archbishop was a great way for me to look at life and how we all should live it.

After camp my family and I attended the St. Francis De Sales Seminary Open House. It was beautiful to see so many youth in attendance! The seminary itself was bursting with excitement. That weekend was truly an awesome experience. I loved every minute of it. I would like to offer an word of thanks to everyone at St. Francis De Sales Seminary for inspiring me and other teens, inviting us to deepen our relationship in God. I would like to thank seminarians Ryan Pruess, Kurt Krause and the Vocations Office at St. Francis for creating a wonderful camp that not only helped my basketball skills, but also taught me that these same skills can be used to help others and build the kingdom of heaven. Thank you for all the wonderful things that you do!

Our Vocation

We all are called to a vocation in life. Some are called to be doctors. Others are called to be police officers or firefighters. Still others are called to a deeper relationship with God by feeling a call to become a priest, brother, sister or nun.

At the Seminary Camp that I attended, this was the topic of one of Fr. Peter Berger's spiritual talks. Fr. Peter is the associate vocation director at the Seminary of St. Francis De Sales. " We all feel called to a certain vocation," he said. "However we get so wrapped up in thinking and discerning our call to that future vocation that we lose sight of the vocation God is calling us to right now at this very moment. At this moment, God is calling us each to a vocation. This vocation is really very simple. God wants us at this moment, not to worry about the future or our possible future vocation. Rather, God wants us to focus on our vocation to be a good son/daughter to our parents, obeying them and there directions. He wants us to be a good example for our siblings to look up to. He wants us to comfort our brothers/sisters when they are broken and down. God wants to fulfill our vocations that we have been called to right now and then in the near future continue discerning our other vocation."

Today, my little sister Mary was heartbroken when we learned that her pet guinea pig "Benny" had died. My family had a little memorial service for him and we all when around the room and shared stories and good memories that we had of Benny. My sister loved him so much and was very sad. My brothers and I tried very hard to comfort her and make her feel better. As Christians, we are called to comfort and support one another even when they are sad and broken. This is what our vocation is right now. Our vocation is to support one another, to build each other by being a friend to the friendless, bring hope to the hopeless, and joy to those who are sad. My little sister will be getting a new guinea pig tomorrow and we will take extra special care of it. I can't wait to see her heart filled with joy and happiness!

Our vocation is simple. We are being called right now to be a light in the dark. We are called to be a comforter, a shoulder to cry on to our siblings and those around us. We are called as Christians to live our lives for others.

Please pray for my little sister Mary and please pray for anyone who is discerning a vocation in life.

We are called to be Real Men for Christ

Just this past week I attended a Seminary Summer Camp at St. Francis De Sales Seminary. The camp was for teenagers thinking about the possibility of priesthood. I have attended this camp for the past two years and every time I come back home feeling totally refreshed and renewed! This year’s camp consisted of praying the Liturgy of Hours and celebrating Holy Mass. There was also time for games, recreation, prayer, adoration and benediction, and I really appreciate the excellent food!

The camp included talks on spirituality and advice to help us in our discernment process toward the priesthood. One of the talks was given by our assistant vocation director for the Seminary, Fr. Peter Berger, who was ordained just 5 years ago. He spoke about a frequent theme in current movies: “In some movies these days, men usually have the following characteristics; they are disrespectful towards women, dishonest, selfish, violent, totally oblivious to the problems of the world, and have no concern for or thought of God. These days so many men are not respectful and honest, yet other young men look up to them saying “This guy is the man!”

Although these men seem to have everything going for them and are looked up to by men and children all over the world, they are the exact opposite of what Christ wants us to be. When we look closely at Christ’s characteristics we see that He treated women with dignity and respect, sacrificed His life for others, and was full of compassion towards the poor and the broken. Christ loved the world and wanted to save it, even if it meant losing His own life. Christ is the true man to look up too. He was such a great man that even Pontius Pilate recognized this when he uttered the words, “Ecce Homo,” which means “Behold the Man.” Jesus Christ was such a great man that even Pilate recognized He was a man who we should follow. Jesus is calling us to been men just like Him. We are called to been men that others can look up to.

As priests we will be called to serve others by sacrificing our own lives. We are called to be real men like Christ. This is what young men are supposed to be looking up to. Christ asks us to follow Him and conform our lives to Him. Please follow Him and become “real men of Christ.” Please pray for all young men who are discerning a call to the priesthood and are called to be real men for Christ.

* This post is also posted on the website www.catholicpriest.me.uk under the prayer page.