Reflections on the Catholic Worker Movement II

Perhaps most striking about the Catholic Worker Movement is the communal nature of the lifestyle shared by those who lived within the confines of one of the many Houses of Hospitality. While I am not aware of any common “rule of life” for those who placed themselves at the mercy of these houses, the lifestyle that emerged within the houses was uncannily similar to the lifestyle of the Apostles themselves. As Luke writes, “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” In Loaves and Fishes, Dorothy Day speaks at length about the devotion of the members of the movement to the teachings. While they are not necessarily always the explicit teachings of the Apostles, they do seem to reflect a certain deference to the content of Revelation. Indeed, as Day describes Peter Maurin, one cannot help but be moved by a rather obvious piety and devotion. It seems impossible to read Maurin's “A Case for Utopia” without at least a fleeting recollection of the Beatitudes and Jesus' declaration that the poor in spirit would come to possess the Kingdom of Heaven, or that the merciful would be shown mercy, or that the clean of heart would see God (Cf. Mt. 5:5-12). In short, while the teachings promoted by the Catholic Worker Movement in general and by Maurin in particular were not always explicitly the words and teachings of the Apostles, they were very much in keeping with the wider implications of those teachings.

Reflections on the Catholic Worker Movement

As an experiment, for the next several weeks, I will be posting excerpts of an essay I recently wrote comparing the Catholic Worker Movement and the Apostolic Church as described in Acts of the Apostles. We'll see how it goes.

_________________________________________________________



In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke describes the early Christian community in the following manner:

They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).

Without knowing its source, the characterization provided in the lines above might have been made about Dorothy Day and the members/leaders of the Catholic Worker Movement. Indeed, throughout her book, Loaves and Fishes (Maryknoll: Orbis Books. 1997) , she consistently describes a mode of life that seems altogether consistent with the lifestyles of the earliest Christians. The following "Reflections on the Catholic Worker Movement" Series will examine some of these similarities.

Public People

A great dictum was hammered into me (and my brothers who attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona during the glorious reign of Fr. David Kunz) while in the minor seminary: "You are a public person." This statement was repeated over and over again when the rector, vice rector, and spiritual director would variously address the community during Wednesday evening formation conferences. "People are watching you. They see you. They know you are a seminarian," they would tell us. It was true. Time and again, I would be sharing a meal out with friends and someone would invariably wander to our table and ask if we were seminarians. We would sheepishly respond that we were while quickly recalling what we had recently been saying. Were we gossiping or griping? How did these people know we were seminarians? Had we said anything to embarrass ourselves, the seminary, or the Church?

That was college. We were men in the first days of our formation, and as Mother Church has predicted, the process of formation works. One gradually begins to see oneself more and more as a public person, a person whom others will recognize and from whom others will and should expect a certain type of behavior. One grows used to it, and by the time one receives one's collar, he is prepared to step into a new dimension of this public personhood - when you wear the Roman collar in public, everyone notices.

While it becomes second nature, sometimes it is hard to live life in the public eye. As a public person, there can be an almost constant sense of scrutiny. It becomes easy to believe that someone is always evaluating how I behave, and basing their opinion of not just me, but of the Church, my superiors, and the seminary, on their perceptions of my behavior (anyone who has ever been asked about the so called "bad popes" can tell you that this is true).

I had to take pause a day or so ago, though, and realize that I have it all comparatively easy. One of our fine priests was in the refectory, and had placed something in the microwave. After closing the door and starting the machine, he bent over and stared intently at his food through the small window. It was a rather comical sight. I was put in mind of my own childhood experiments with marshmallows in the microwave. Several of us were sitting at table eating our own lunches and noticed Father's behavior. We all chuckled, and several commented to him about the negative consequences to one's health associated with standing so close to the microwave while it was running. Likewise, at breakfast this morning, one of the other priests wandered by the window. He was enjoying the fall morning, eating a bagel and looking at the birds. Again, we chuckled knowing this particular priest's penchant for bird watching.

As I consider these two vignettes, I realize that while I am certainly a public person, I am under far less scrutiny than the priests who have been charged with my formation. The Church tells us that the best priests a diocese has to offer should be placed in seminaries; I believe this to be the case here at SPS. However, oftentimes, seminarians expect more than simply the best from our formators. We want something akin to perfection. We look to these men to show us how to be good priests, and we have some rather rigorous expectations of what such an example ought to look like. It must be incredibly hard to serve the Church as a seminary faculty member.

And so, as I pray Compline before going to sleep tonight, I will be offering it for them - the men that God has placed over me to guide me and to form me.

The Week in Review

Though my memory is not the greatest, I wish to review a bit of the week.

Other than attending the ordinary 15.5 hours of class time, the four hours of Mass (appx. 40 minutes per daily mass), the (optional) daily 6:00am holy hour, the two and a half hours of liturgy of the hours in the chapel, the two-hour Wednesday spiritual/pastoral formation, the daily 8:45pm rosary (though my attendance at this did not always work out), the daily 9:15pm night prayer, the Wednesday morning and evening social with faculty in the morning and then just amongst the priests and seminarians in the evening, the Monday night dinner, here were some of the other events:

Last Sunday we attended the installation of Knights and Ladies into the order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem from 1:30-4:30. This event was amazing and awe-inspiring. The liturgy began with an approximate 500 person procession; that's right, almost every knight and lady processed into the Cathedral, along with seminarians, priests and bishops. Then, Archbishop Burke of St. Louis presided over the installation of new knights and ladies. Archbishop Flynn presided over the Mass.

Which, by the way, really is awefully fitting for an SPS seminarian such as myself. It really hit me tonight. I am one of some 20 or so men studying here at this seminary who are not from nor studying for this Archdiocese. Nevertheless, residing in this diocese, there is a way in which we seminarians from other dioceses show the honor, respect and obedience to our own bishop by honoring, respecting and obeying the Archbishop of this local Church. Hence, as the Divine Liturgy called for us to name not only our holy father but also our bishop ("We pray for N., our Pope, and N., our bishop, --protect them and in your goodness make them holy."), though not a single one of us praying together were from this Archdiocese, nevertheless, we prayed for the visible head of this Archdiocese: Harry, our bishop.

On Monday we had the Serrans here. Quoting one of my brother seminarians, "On Monday, September 24th, the St. Paul Seminary was treated to a wonderful evening of worship, food and conversation during the annual Serra Mass & Steak Fry. The steak dinner, which is usually held outside, was moved inside this year because of rain. However, this did not stop the nearly 250 representatives from eleven different Serra clubs, seminarians, staff and other guests from having a great time. The Steak Fry is always one of the highlights of the year for seminarians, and is one of the many ways in which the Serrans continue to foster and support vocations. Thank you Serrans!"

For myself, Wednesday afternoon was occupied by traveling out to the parish where my spiritual director is pastor and receiving an approximate hour of spiritual direction. Since the Holy Spirit is directing each individual soul, adequate discernment is of utmost importance in order to carry out God's will in each's life. For those of you who may not know, to make that discernment more conscientious and purposeful, we seminarians meet with a priest who guides us in the discernment of God's will once every two weeks.

On Wednesday evening, Dr. Christopher Thompson (our Academic Dean, beginning his second year as Academic Dean of the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity this year) organized an open-to-the-public panel discussion of the pope's July Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum. Three of our priests on faculty insightfully discussed the Apostolic Letter issued "on his own initiative" ("motu proprio") from various perspectives: Fr. Christopher Beaudet (Canon Law), Fr. Andrew Cozzens (Sacramental Theology) and Fr. Thomas Margevičius (Liturgical and Pastoral Theology). They similarly each answered the questions raised by those attending, if it was in their area of expertise.

Thursday evening a number of the men celebrated the birthdays of two of the fourth year deacons by going out for dinner. In this vein, a thank you is due to all those who support us seminarians by way of grants and other similar means. As already noted on this blog, fraternity is an essential element in the life of the priest. Little events such as this foster the ongoing fraternity of priests who are to be closely knit as one presbyterate supporting and assisting the bishop for the purpose of the unity and sanctity of the local Church, always with and never without communion with the universal Church.

Friday evening was an evening filled with studies, for myself. Today was much of the same, studying and preparing to write the four papers that are coming due this week.

All in all, a week filled with opportunity for continual conversion, continual reception of the grace God offers and the pursuit of the quickening and realizing of the Kingdom of God in the end days and in the here and now.

Fraternity

By my estimation, one of the most important parts of formation for the priesthood is the development of fraternity between the men who study with you. It would seem that my classmates agree. On Friday afternoon, after classes were over, we all headed to Greg Parrott's family home. The wind was cold and the water choppy, so we couldn't really spend any time on the lake as we had hoped, but with an apple tree in the yard and a metal bucket near the fire pit, it was only a matter of time until a different sort of activity occurred to us (see below). As evening began to settle in, we lit a fire and cooked hot dogs and marshmallows over it. After praying vespers together, we all returned to the seminary.

Relax

A week and a half into the academic year, we decided to take a break. With a free weekend in the calendar, I couldn't bring myself to spend the whole time reading for class. So, three other men and I drove north to see Lake Superior. Having never been to the lake before, I was struck b the vastness of it all. Facing the right direction, I could not see another shore. It felt like I was looking at the horizon of a South Dakota prairie, and I was momentarily homesick. I felt compelled to touch the chilly water so that I could tell everyone that I have been in Lake Superior. After viewing the lake, we returned to Duluth and shared a meal with Fr. Sirba. It was a marvelous day, all in all. Below are some pictures of us at the Lake.

Roman Collar

One of the great aspects of returning to school after having spent a year in my own diocese is the chance to catch up with my old classmates. While it really has been a treat to be with them again, it has been a little odd for me to see them in their relatively newly acquired Roman Collars. What is more odd, though, is to see them without the collar.

From time to time, when classes are over for the day,guests have gone home, everyone is doing their homework, the deacons do remove their clerical garb and replace it with something more comfortable. I use these opportunities to mercilessly harangue them, reminding them that the people of God, myself included, deserve the witness that clerics provide when they wear their collars into the world.

While this teasing is done as a joke, there is a seriousness to my comments. We do deserve for our leaders to wear their collars. While historically the collar was common to others besides clerics and while the clerical garb as a whole was meant to serve as a symbol of the priest's simplicity of life, I think the meaning is more profound today. In a world that doubts God's existence, that demands empirical proof for everything, and that is convinced that the things of our existence are not inherently meaningful, the Roman Collar serves as a powerful voice of opposition. It says that God exists, and that it matters that He exists.

I know that the collar can be uncomfortable, hot, scratchy, and a variety of other unpleasant things (like a yoke perhaps?), but to you deacons and priests who wear them daily, regardless of where you are, thank you.

"Business"

Well, the new year is well underway and it's about that time that we seminarians begin adopting that same old word that is heard far too much in regular conversation and even the smallest of small talk: "busy." How are you doing? "I'm pretty busy, but I'm keeping up with things." "Doing well. Just really busy." "The new job is awesome, really taking off. It just keeps us very busy."

"Business." (By the way, a quick search for business on the very helpful Bartleby.com will shed some light upon the connotation of "business" with which I write.) Something about that darned perpetual "now" of the existentially-minded consciousness keeps one so caught up in the present, about the imperfections of what I am doing now, how I wish I could do it better than I am currently able with my resources or abilities, what I must do next, and what comes after that that the grand scheme seems to lose ground and all too quickly fades as a shadow at nightfall which leaves only a slight hint in the pale and faint moonlight.

It all reminds me of a quite good homily during my first year here at SPS which reminded all of us seminarians, SOD students, guests at mass, faculty and priests that without simple moments of recollection throughout the day, our life will flitter by without and our lives--and our souls--are slowly but surely led to dissipation, discontent and dissatisfaction with the majority of life. Thanks be to God for a place like the chapel, a little "shrine" or area with holy images in my room, the intelligence to appreciate God's providence and all God's many little graces (bestowed with the wonderful cooperation of human intelligence, ingenuity and planning) that provide the day with some continuity, some permanency, stability and a place at which the soul can verify that it is willing something, it is not lost in a sea of particulars but rather is actually willing one consistent end, with many particular manifestations; it is truly willing (hopefully, please God!) to love God in the midst of all the many fluctuating circumstances of daily life and the many menial duties of the day.

Seen in this light, the "business" of life is not a stream of endless activities which occupy the consciousness and slowly eat away at the soul (giving us the feeling of being perpetually busy) but rather opportunities of grace by which we can utilize all that God has given us and then take the time to serve God more wholly in prayer and confirm that these activities are not serving themselves but rather a greater end, the kingdom of God.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #16

(By Stephen Villa)

Closing thoughts

It's hard to believe already. But it is just about time to go. Tomorrow afternoon, we fly to Caracas to spend the night, catching our US-bound flight to Houston then to St. Paul on Monday.

Whatever apprehensions we may have had prior to coming down here, they have all since vanished, and in its place, there are many many fond memories to cherish of the beautiful people that we have met, the breath-taking places we were able to visit, the delicious food that we were able to eat. There are also many insights that we have gained in terms of the universality of our Catholic faith, the theological notion of inculturation of faith, its ritual expression and catechetical formation, the role and function of the priest in the community, the role and function of the laity, the reality of poverty in a context outside of the US, the relationship of missiology and ecclesiology and evangelization. All of this -- and then some -- was jam packed into our short 2 week immersion into the Archdiocese's mission parish in Venezuela.

Besides the memories and the insights, all of which will prove themselves useful in our future priestly ministry, the other thing that we will be able to take home with us is a stronger sense of fraternity. There is something beautiful that can happen among seminarians (and priests for that matter) when they are sent away for a period of time from the normal regimen of seminary life. In our particular situation, we have been out of our normal comfort zones for the past two weeks, and correspondingly, our personal idiosyncrasies have become more easily observable than when we are at home at the seminary. Here, there are fewer places -- if any at all -- to hide from your brothers. We have lived in a tight community, where just about everything we did during the trip was done together. In a situation like this, it would be normal for tempers to flare a little more readily than they might back home. It would not be unheard of for a missionary group to endure a certain dynamic where tensions go unspoken, and where gossip acutely (though subtly) divides. Thankfully, this was not the case with our group. While each man sorted through this new environment in his own way, I got the sense that we, in turn, learned much about each other in new ways. We were able to utilize each others' gifts which were generously offered, but also we to be compassionate to each others' moments of weakness without using it against them. There was a general tone of "chevere" -- happiness -- among the group throughout the entire trip. And while some of are are looking forward to getting on the plane tomorrow, and while others will deeply miss this place, I think that we all agree that is was a positive experience for us -- not only theoretically, but personally as well -- in our continued preparations for priestly ministry. The only thing that would have made this trip even better would have been the company of our other classmates who, for a variety of reasons, had different summer assignments than the Mission Trip.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #15

(By Stephen Villa)

The relationship between the Church and the State here in Venezuela has given me lots to think about. There is definitely a different ecclesiological model at work here. One could describe the Church here as "mother" -- providing, or struggling to do so, for the needs of her children. It is not uncommon to find the Church meeting not only the spiritual needs but also the physical needs of the people (ie. via soup kitchens, temporary lodging, small medical facilities, small education opportunities, etc).

A new insight here is that 'poverty' is contra naturam in the sense that it inhibits a person to fully engage their potential or even to explore the full range of the human experience. Poverty seems to lock a person into a 'survival mentality' because the situation here oftentimes in grim. One must labor - and be peculiarly cunning about it - daily to make sure one is able to survive. And because so many people have been accustomed to such a life for so many year, and therefore not knowingof any other way of life, they seem to be somewhat content, or at least resigned, to their poverty.

I find myself somewhat enraged at the socio-economic situation here. It appears that there is plenty of money in the country due to the wealth gained by the export of oil and mining resources. Yet unemployment rates are high. I guess that, among the general population, there is a discontent about the way life is (though I hear it is an improvement of the situation several years ago) and it manifests itself in a number of aberrant behaviors. I suspect that at the heart of these 'pobres' is a certain reaction to a human potential that never had the chance to be. There are so many skilled and educated people that I have met, yet they are forced to settle for mundane jobs just so that they are able to survive because jobs are not presently available in their given field. Though they might not expressly articulate it as such, I would guess that there is a frustration at having been demoralized in a certain sense.

I also find myself deeply humbled by these people. For even though the socio-economic condition can be described as controversial, the situation has not tainted the inherent goodness of these people. Our ineractions with them have been honest and frank about life here in the parish; yet, while it is clear that these people know their situation is difficult, I have not sense an anger or an attitude of having been victimized. The people here have been genuinely warm and hospitable to the gringos (and the chino!). They are very patient with our poor Spanish-speaking skills. They are very willing to share with us the very best that they have, even though it might not be much.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #14

(By Alan Paul Eilen)

Day 11 (July 26, 2007)

Not surprisingly, we kind of slept in a little bit this morning – got up around 7:00 AM. We went as a group to visit Fr. Steve Woods parish in the city of Puerto Ordaz. He has a inner city parish and a German dog (Weimerheimer) named Humboldt, along with a Gato (Cat), who are kind of the mascots of the place. The cat has taken a vow of celibacy, whereas Humboldt has sired two litters of puppies that have been raffled off to raise funds for the parish. In the afternoon, Antonio drove us to the La Lloizna Park with our guide from the parish Enrico. This was a pretty cool park, what with a great view of the waterfalls of the Caroni River (similar to the one in this picture, which is actually of the Gran Sabana) and paths and stepping-stones across portions of the lake/river and the park. Unlike the other park (Cachamay), their was no zoo. Nonetheless, we say a near extinct small animal off the path, a tree snake and some bees – Michael irritated one to the point that he got stung. In the evening, we got together with a group from the barrio of La Laguna. We introduced ourselves (name, age, place of origin, diocese, and home parish) and sang songs (Mary did an operatic piece and Stephen sang with guitar his song: “Soul of Christ”. They both did a great job. Before saying ‘goodbye’ a young boy (@ 11 years old) played the drums with a couple of sticks – we all joined in a sang and clapped our hands. It was a nice visit. Oh, I almost forgot. Earlier in afternoon, before Mass at 6:00 PM, we were entertained with a children’s program of dance and song. They even got the rest of us out there, but I think we set back cultural relations a few decades with our bad dancing.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #13

(By Alan Paul Eilen)

Days 9 & 10 (July 24 & 25, 2007)

Well, that was a short nights sleep; I was up before the roosters. The reasons for this trip was to see the “Gran Sabana”, as well as to cross the border into Brazil, so as to buy some cross or crucifixes for some rosaries that the people of the parish are making. In fact, Fr. Schaeffer said that they are giving each of up a Rosary and Spanish edition of the Bible for a gift – wow! That’s very generous of them. Although, it doesn’t surprise me, everyone has been very hospitable toward us. In addition to the seminarians and Miguel and his two boys (Miguelito and Raphael) Mary (UST Student) and Juanny and Luz (2nd driver) joined us for the 8-12 hour trip – depending on the number of bathroom, waterfalls, food, or checkpoints we would stop at. Foolishly, I decided to ride in the back of the pickup for 45 minutes later that morning. I hadn’t put on any sunscreen and since the sun is quite intense at times down here, not surprisingly, I was a little red-faced, along with my arms. I felt it during the night and will have to take precautions (sunscreen, hat, umbrella) for the next couple days. Besides that, some of the roads and twists and turns and checkpoints were a little annoying. Once we got to the “Gran Sabana”, which took about 6-8 hours, the ride was more enjoyable. The ‘GS’ is basically a large and beautiful valley between the hills of Venezuela and goes on for about 140 miles. We saw a really cool waterfalls about ¾ of the way down – don’t ask me the name, but it was pretty cool. The other great thing about going south was that the temperature dropped about 10-15 degrees.

The guards or officials at the various checkpoints and gas stations were generally bored and not interested in looking us over too much, although at a few this wasn’t the case. Oftentimes, they commented on the Chino, who was riding with us (Stephen) or about the beer in the cooler. Once we got to the end of the ‘GS’ and the city of San Elena, some (Miguel and his two boys and Juanny and Jonathan and Michael) crossed the border into Brazil to buys some items. Those who didn’t have the ‘Yellow Fever’ shot and the yellow card indicating this were not allowed to go, unless you wanted to hang down there for 10 more days – no thanks! We found a decent hotel that night; had a late supper of ham and cheese sandwiches, etc. and hit the sack. I got up early to pray and to see some of the beautiful scenery before the sun got too hot. The ride back today amidst stopping at two waterfalls was long. We didn’t arrive back at our home base until about 9:30 PM. It was great to make the trip – even Omar Guanchez says that he has never been there – but nice to be back. 12-14 hour trips in a car are not as enjoyable as they were, say, 20 or 30 years ago. Miguel and Luz were troopers though – they were the one’s who drove – God reward them! The only downer of the trip was that we weren’t able to get to Mass on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #12

(By Alan Paul Eilen)

Day 7 (July 22, 2007)

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.” My first Sunday in Venezuela was spent, first with people of “JesuChristo Resuscitado” parish. I was interested to see how many would come to Sunday services versus, say a “weekday” Mass. I was pleased to see that the church was about ¾ full for the 8:00 AM Mass. Later, in the afternoon, we went over to another parish to have a “Youth Mass” with bishop Mariano. Not surprisingly, it was a “high energy affair”. It was great to see all the young teens together. Of course, the good bishop had to single out the seminarians from the United States for recognition. Afterwards, one young lady (Karla) came up to a few of us to thank us for being there with them. We had a great time. That evening, we went out to a restaurant (Chinese food) with Father Schaeffer and a few of his teachers (catechists) from the parish. Even the waiters thought Stephen was Chinese – that has become a common and comical theme throughout our stay.


Day 8 (July 23, 2007)

“Monday, Monday” – we went on a cool boat ride with a few local people on the Caroni River and up to the Oronoco River. There is a definite visual difference the two at the point in which they meet. The Caroni appears much cleaner, whereas the Oronoco has a lot of sediment – a brownish color. We were delayed about 20 minutes in getting started, because the owner was out looking for the body of a young boy, who had supposedly drowned during the night or early morning, although the only thing he came back with was a big (@ 10 lbs.) fish – he was very happy. I gather that was the meal or ‘fish of the day’. Getting back to the boat ride, we went right up to beautiful waterfalls, which is part of the La Llovizna Park, which we will visit on Thursday.

This afternoon, we visited for 1-½ hours with Miguel Munoz (parish administrator), who talked about the challenges of running a parish in the diocese of the city of Guayana. With unemployment around 70-80% financial concerns abound. Yet, the people do what they can. Corruption amongst the government is not uncommon, as different officials come out to try to get their piece of the pie. Tonight, we are going to lay low, because tomorrow we head with Miguel and his two boys and a few others to drive down to the “Gran Sabana”, which is one of Venezuela’s revered National Parks, so we need to get to bed early, because we have to leave by about 5:00-5:30 AM.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #11

(By Alan Paul Eilen)

Day 6 (July 21, 2007)

Saturday is the day of the big Confirmation Mass for this parish. True to form Mass started about 9:45 AM, which was only 45 minutes later than it was scheduled. No big deal; one just goes with the flow. It was a very nice celebration; the bishop confirmed something like 70 teens. Afterwards, we headed over to the Rectory for lunch with Bishop Mariano. Guess what we had? OK, you don’t have to guess; it was chicken and it was very good. We had a nice visit and conversation with the good Bishop. He talked fairly openly about the Church in Venezuela and its relationship with President Chavez and the problems facing the local church in general (unemployment, poverty, healthcare, malnutrition, violence, etc.).

Later, in the afternoon, we went to the local zoo-park and saw some monkeys, no not, Michael, Stephen, Gregory, and Jonathan, but the real kind. Don’t ask me the kind of monkey – don’t know. In addition, we saw some parrots (Amazons and Macaws), some Crocodiles, Vultures, and a series of small waterfalls. In the evening we went to Mass with Fr. Tim in one of the barrios. Well, have a good day, bye for now.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #10

(By Alan Paul Eilen)

Day 5 (July 20, 2007)

Today, we finally got to do some work. We went over to one of the barrios where Galdys’ sister Magdalene operates a soup kitchen. Actually, it is right across the street from where Gladys and her family live, but more on that in a moment. I got to chop and slice carrots to put into a large kettle, which already had diced beets (or what looked like beets) in it. To this something called Yucca (sliced up, of course) was added. A jar full of mayonnaise was mixed in. Next, I helped with stirring some mixture of relish that was being heated on the stove. To this was added the Tuna that Gregory, Jonathan, and Steve, and later yours truly were breaking apart to remove any bones. At this point, I could ask: Where’s Michael. Well, the truth be told – Michael hates fish (doesn’t matter if it’s eating or cleaning them).

Our next foray was over to Gladys’ family home to meet her siblings. Well, I think that was part of it, but to see her brother’s prized roosters and an exhibition of cock fighting was the real highlight. Sure enough, there were people and chickens and roosters and chickn-sh__ all over the place. After a demonstration with some rookie roosters, he brought out El Capitan, aka, Mr. Nasty or the Terminator. His quickest win, decision, or kill was about 2 minutes - most matches last anywhere from 2 minutes to around 20 minutes. Mr. Nasty and I got along just fine, in fact, we even crooned (cock-a-doodle-doo) together. Obviously, this is legal in Venezuela, but not back home, even though I’m not naïve to think that it doesn’t go on in some back roads of the US. Just ask Michael Vick.

At lunchtime we met with Fr. Steve Wood (a former Maryknoll missionary), who is now incardinated into the local diocese. He told us about his 35+ years and his mission (we will visit there next week) and about the political situation. We finished the evening after Mass by going to a local barrio to visit with some of the leaders. I recognized one of the young men (He was up to SPS with the Venezuelans two years ago), who is trained in computers, but out of work. Unemployment is about 75% in the area.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #9

(By Greg Parrott)

Die XXIII Iulii, Anno Domini 2007
Festum S. Iacobi, Apostoli

Well, it has been over a week now in Venezuela and I'm not quite yet getting used to the cold showers in the morning. I think I can say I've adapted, but having gotten used to it? I'm not quite sure. (Might I also mention, however, that Father Laird did not pass up the opportunity of mentioning to us that he thinks some seminaries still recommend that their seminarians take cold showers.) Of course, my own method of adapting has been influenced by my previous life lessons as a lifeguard/WSI (Water Safety Instructor). Your body best adapts to a different temperature water by getting your head wet. It's far easier to get used to a cold pool if you just put your head under and stay under for a good long breath right away. So too with my showers here. Then, it's just a matter of forcing myself to put up with the rest of the shower until finished. Perhaps some things in life just are not meant to be gotten used to--for they somehow necessarily clash with that which is proper, in accordance with nature ("connatural"), fitting.

For example, poverty--a topic that has been thrust upon my consciousness even more intensely here. It is something to which a person can somewhat adapt. However, I really question whether one can get used to being poor. Though much of the routine may be the same, each day presents its own struggles, each day the body forces into the consciousness that not all of its necessities are being met, each day the surroundings of the heat, bloating from malnutrition, lack of education, near defenselessness and constant risk of violence, inability to find employment, etc... thrust upon one's consciousness the same fact: poverty is not fitting to a person. Perhaps a more likely thought for the one who lives in poverty, "This just isn't right." "I wish I didn't have to live like this."

And so cold showers it is for the time being. Consequently, I have decided that one of the first things I will do upon returning to the States is take a nice hot shower.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #8

(By Jonathan Sorensen)

Today we went on a boat tour of the Caroni and Orinoco rivers. Since it was a lump-sum fee, Father Greg invited many of the mass servers (monaguillos, in Spanish) along. For about an hour and a half, we toured the rivers, viewing the many waterfalls--up close!--as well as the confluence of the two rivers. Interestingly, one river is dark while the other is a light tan. Where the two rivers meet, there is a sharp line in the water that continues for several miles until the water from both rivers finally mixes. Check out Google maps:
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=es&geocode=&q=san+felix,+venezuela&sll=8
.33414,-62.717857&sspn=0.129085,0.2314&ie=UTF8&ll=8.346369,-62.669449&spn=0.
129081,0.2314&amp;amp;t=k&z=12&om=1>

The man who owns the boat took out a very large fish while he was out, something that any angler in the United States would be proud to catch, a mochoroca, I think.

We returned to the rectory for a lunch of native cuisine, fried chicken and french fries. Some made a run into town to withdraw money from the ATM and check out the pirated DVD's for sale. I think some of those movies weren't even in theatres when we left the States!

In the afternoon, we had a discussion about Venezuelan politics and the difficulties of running a mission parish amidst high inflation with the parish administrator, Miguel.

Finally, we had dinner and a little visit with Father Greg about missiology.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #7

(By Stephen Villa)

In the few days that we have been here already, there have been some beautiful moments to cherish. One of them happened on the first night that we were here. We were visited by the local group of the St. Vincent de Paul Society who shared with us some stories of the work that they do among the poor people here amidst the 11 barrios within the parish boundaries. The work ranged from bringing food to the homebound, and changing diapers and doing house chores for the invalid. The members of the SVDP Society are not wealthy people in and of themselves, but they are so generous with their time and whatever few resources they have. One recounted a story that happened in her barrio not too long ago. A fire took out completely a house of a single mother with some children. Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire, but everything else was lost. This member of the SVDP Society gave to the victims of the house burning the clothes of her own children to the children who now had nothing else to wear. It was a beautiful example of how generous these people are even with whatever little they have.

Fr. Laird made a comment about how these people were the hands and feet of Christ for the poor here in the parish. With this thought in mind, I spent a good portion of a morning meditating on Mt 25, from which come our tradition of the Corporal Works of Mercy. In a place like this, where poverty is more visible to the eye (espeically mine, coming from the United States), this particular passage has been quite insightful for me here, especially when I hear stories like the above. It is as if the wounds of Christ crucified are still bleeding today, and the work of these people is like a balm to heal the wound that cannot be healed this side of the grave. It is very beautiful to see, and it has made me think more deeply at how I can give and serve in the way that I have seen these Venezuelan people give and serve.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #6

(By Allan Paul Eilen)

We had a beautiful Mass and visit afterwards with the MC’s. We introduced ourselves and heard about their ministry to men with aids. Afterwards, I went with Father Schaeffer and Maria (UST student) to the Police Academy graduation Mass. I sat with Maria and a woman (cantor) and man (guitarist) who were heading up the choir. This woman had a beautiful and strong voice. Maria sang an “Ave Maria” solo after Communion. The most interesting aspects of this Mass were the fact that some of the officers were wearing guns, some were chewing gum, some were talking on cell phones, and some were filming different parts during the Mass. Not surprisingly. The “Sign of Peace” turned into a free-for-all. Father says that he has to just continue with the Mass in order to keep control of the situation. As part of the offertory, a number of couples brought up the gifts: 2 bottles of wine, a fruit basket, a basket of bread, etc. This was given to Father as a gift to take with him afterwards. I’m glad I went along, because it was good to see how they celebrated. Today, after lunch, we went with Father Norris to the Wake Service for the young teen who was shot. It was good to be there, but very touching to see the Family mourn the death of their son and brother. This funeral was similar but much more emotional than the one yesterday. Our visit with Father Matia Camuna (He is a friend and supporter of President Chavez) was cancelled due to an emergency call that he received to go out of town. We will try to re-schedule for later in our visit. Instead, we used the time to go with Father and a couple young girls (daughters of people who work in the office) to go grocery shopping and to visit their Mall. Upon returning, we met Doctor Luce (she is the Doctor for the Mission). We will try to go with her on some house calls before we leave. After Evening Prayer and Mass, we had dinner with Father Schaeffer. The rest of the evening was free.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #5

(By Allan Paul Eilen)

Today, after breakfast and Morning Prayer, we got a tour of the parish. Afterwards, we toured some of the different barrios with Fr Schaeffer. Sadly, at one of the visits we learned of a shooting the night before that killed the godchild of one of the female leaders in this particular barrio. The wake service will take place tomorrow. After lunch, I went with Fr. Tim Norris for a wake service of an elderly woman (94 years old) who had recently died. I assisted Father at the service, which was in the home of the family. There were about 30 or 40 in attendance. Because they don’t embalm the body, they have the service usually within a couple days of the death. The top half of the casket is open and covered with Plexiglas in order to view the upper torso. The woman looked rather peaceful. All told, the service lasted only about 20 minutes. Father initially expressed his condolences to the family before gathering all together for the prayers. Before leaving, he again expressed his sympathy and promise of prayers. In the afternoon, we had a bus tour of the cities of San Felix and Puerto Ordaz. Our mission is located in the city of Guayana, which is a sister city to San Felix. After Evening Prayer, Mass, and Dinner, we were to visit with the people of the Barrio of Guaiparito, but this was cancelled due to the fact that this was the barrio where the young 15 year-old born was shot and killed. There were rumors that a young child was injured as well, but I will have to confirm this maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow morning we have Mass with the Missionaries of Charity at @ 7:00 AM.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #4

(By Greg Parrott)

Die XV Julii, Anno Domini 2007
Dominica XV per annum

With a departure time of 5:00 pm, each of the missionaries (a truly appropriate term, if one considers its etymology) had the opportunity to make this Sunday a true dies Domini, both fulfilling his Sunday Obligation and then making it a day of resting in the Lord. Yet, Divine Providence (for one reason or another) had in store even more rest for this missionary group. Having been chauffeured to the Lindbergh terminal by Misters Doug Pierce and Jim Lannan, the group quickly learned of inclimate weather in the Houston, TX, area which caused the cancellation of their flight until the following day at 7:10 pm. Instead, the went their ways until 6:30, at which point they came together again to say Evening Prayer and go to a Spanish-esque dinner. At 6:50, one of them ran up to knock on the good Father Vice Rector’s door to find out whether he was coming. He had only been catching up on lost energy and sleep from his other travels and missionary work this summer. . The group finally prayed and then went out to have some exquisite, authentic Hispanic food—Chipotle’s; okay, perhaps not so very authentic. Nevertheless, with a good meal, good conversation and one extra night’s rest, the group was well-prepared for the departure the next day. And in fact, this second time the flights went as planned—for the most part. A little delay to Houston, a little ahead in Caracas, a little too long in Caracas so a later flight to Puerto Ordaz. All in all, pleasant travels and a happy arrival to begin the immersion.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #3

(By Greg Parrott)

Die XIV Julii, Anno Domini 2007
Memoria Sancti Camilli de Lellis, Presbyteri

Indeed, this is the day before our official immersion experience is to begin, but the preparations are often as important as any other day on the trip. In preparation, Saint Allan decided that he would relax for the evening and allow his soul to build up its “store” of peaceful nada, seeing as the next two weeks would flood his imagination with plenty of distracting thoughts—good thoughts, but distracting him from his contemplation. Filial Michael decided that since he would be traveling to a distant country with only God knows what possibilities lying ahead, he ought to spend his last evening with his parents; too, with his summer placement he thought this would be an opportune time to fulfill the fourth commandment. Companion of Christ Stephen traveled with his brother Companions to Faribault for their Lord’s Day celebration. Keeping in step with the natural rhythm of the spiritual practices of the Companions, he had one more evening of priestly fraternity before heading out on immersion. Jonathan and Gregory joined one of the SPM Archdiocesan deacons for an evening of culture by dining, going to the Orchestra to hear a performance of Ravel’s Bolero, and finishing by drinking to life, discussing the world’s most pressing issues.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #2

(By Michael Johnson)

Hello,

We, Jon, Michael, Steve, Allan, and Gregory, made it down to Venezuela safely, and this is now the third day in the country...I think. We were to arrive a day earlier than we actually did but our flight to Houston was cancelled, thus pushing everything back a bit.

Venezuela is a beautiful country, with very warm people. We have not encountered any problems thankfully. We toured the city (Ciudad Guyana) yesterday which is comprised of two different towns, much like the Twin Cities, San Felix where the parish is and Puerto Ordaz. It is a city of differences. The parish, like most of San Felix is extremely impoverished. Trash litters the street, the roads have potholes and the electricity goes out often. We lost power last night for about 6 hours. Water stops working as well. The parish maintains a three day supply of water however. If the power or water stays off too long, the people riot on the bridges connecting the two cities burning tires and causing the city to stop completely. Then the government is forced into addressing the problem. Puerto Ordaz does not have any of these problems. While this side of the river is impoverished, the other side has considerable more wealth. Instead of broken glass on the tops of the walls surrounding each house, as in San Felix, the residents of Puerto Ordaz have electric fences.

Crime everywhere within the city is extremely high. We are not allowed to go out at night, nor go alone during the day. But truth-be -old none of us really wants to wander around too much. The first night we were here a 15 year old member of the parish and a baby were gunned down, the family was supposed to talk with us last night, but they are grieving the loss of two children. Today we attended his funeral, what more can be said aside from the fact that it was a terrible event which happens all too often down here, indeed most funerals that the priests down here celebrate are for homicides.

As for things we have done thus far. We have had lunch with the bishop, Monsignor Mariano, he spoke frankly with us about his vocal criticism of Venezuela’s president and his policies. Of Venezuela’s bishops, he is the most outspoken of Chavez’s critics. Bishop Mariano in turn is routinely criticized by Chavez for not being among the poor, being rich, and extravagant, yet the bishop visits and stays at the parishes and lives among the people. He really has no choice but to celebrate Mass with the people as the cathedral is not finished, nor will it be anytime soon by the looks of it. He will be coming back Saturday to celebrate confirmations at this parish. By the way, this parish (Jesuscristo Resucitado) has 60,000 people in it and only two priests. There are 5 chapels around the area in which they cover.

Theology 2 in Venezuela #1

(Administrator's note: The following series of blog entries are from electronic journals submitted by members of Theology 2, recounting and reflecting upon our current visit to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul/Minneapolis' mission parish, La Parroquia Jesuchriso Resusitado, in the diocese of Cuidad Guyana, in Venezuela. We have been sent here for a two week cultural immersion to practice our newfound Spanish skills, and to become better acquainted with the Archdiocese's mission parish and their pastor, Fr. Greg Schaefer.)

(July 17 2007 by Allan Paul Eilen)

Our group arrived in Caracas a little after 6:00 AM and waited for Fr. Schaeffer to arrive from Puerto Ordaz. He was excited to see us upon his arrival (@ 7:30 AM). The feeling was mutual. At this point, we visited for a little while before checking our bags in and getting our tickets for the flight to Puerto Ordaz. Since our flight wasn’t until 10:30 AM, we had time to get breakfast. Fr. Schaeffer treated us – I had a ham and cheese croissant, along with some fresh squeezed orange juice. Upon arrival in Puerto Ordaz, Antonio met us in his pick-up and we loaded everything and everyone, including Frs. Laird and Schaeffer in the back for the brief (10 minute) to the Mission, whereupon we met Fr. Tim Norris and Mary (a May graduate of UST, who is volunteering to teach music to the children for two months before she goes home to Long Prairie, Minnesota). In addition, we met the two women (can ‘t remember their names at this point) who will prepare our meals. The highlight was that Fr. Schaeffer called bishop Moriano, who came over immediately to join us for lunch (beef, salad, rice, etc.). We had a good visit with him (he brought his assistant and a seminarian with him). After saying “goodbye” for now and receiving his blessing, we got a quick tour before checking into our rooms to catch up on some needed rest – I probably slept for two to three hours. At 6:00 PM we gathered with their community for Mass and dinner (chicken, macaroni & cheese, salad – oh, and a cervaza) afterwards. After helping with dishes, we gathered with Fr. Schaeffer and a group of leaders from the local barrios to introduce one another and share some brief conversation about their work with the poor, before enjoying some cake, cookies, and Pepsi (No Coke!). I checked my e-mail, prayed Night Prayer with Fr. Laird and my brothers, before typing this journal and getting ready for bed. We worked out a prayer schedule for our time here as follows:

Morning Prayer: 8:30 AM (breakfast on your own beforehand).
Evening Prayer: 5:30 PM
Mass: 6:00 PM
Night Prayer: 9:30 PM
Buenos Noches!

Duc in Altum

The last three weeks have found me traveling the Diocese of Rapid City as a teacher in a program we call Duc in Altum. This is a traveling catechetical program that looks much like the Totus Tuus program that exists in other dioceses. I have been traveling with two other seminarians (both of whom have completed only their first year of minor seminary) and we have had a variety of teaching experiences thus far. In the first town, we had about twenty participants total from 1st through 12th grades. In the next town, we had nearly 100 participants from among those same grades.

This week places us on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This is an entirely different place to be. There is almost no catechesis among the people here. Many do not even know the basic facts of the life of Christ. Some are not baptized, and others have received a variety of sacraments. We are supposed to be teaching them about the sacraments. I dread trying to teach marriage. These are young people who have never witnessed a stable marriage. What image am i supposed to give them that helps them understand it? How am I to tell them that marriage demonstrates Gods love for the Church when the coupling of people on the reservation is inevitably a practice in infidelity?

But, where there is life there is hope, and for the coming week my goal is to demonstrate to these children that God loves them - that at the Church they are safe, that they will be fed, that they will be loved and wanted, and that God wants these things for them too. Perhaps herein, they will find some sense of the transcendent God who desires to be in a relationship with them.

And, this work is not without its small lessons and rewards. They are beautiful children with wonderful senses of humor. Today, as I played tether ball with several of them (apparently reservation tether ball has different rules) on of the children would shout his battle cry in the native language of his people every time he hit the ball - "Hoka Hey!" It's a good day to die.

Ordination

It seems worth mentioning that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has ordained seven, count them, seven new transitional deacons. I made my way back to the Twin Cities to join in this celebration, and it was beautiful. Bishops Pates celebrated the Mass and ordained the men, while Archbishop Neinstedt participated in choro. Many priests of the Archdiocese were present, and from my place in the sanctuary (I was one of the servers) it seemed that the Basilica was full.

Several more men are yet to be ordained in their own dioceses as the spring progresses. We join with the whole Chuirch in thanking God for the gift of their vocations.

(I don't have a picture. Maybe Stephen can add one for me.)

Fr. Stan

Perhaps you are aware of the phenomenon of Fr. Stan Fortuna, the rapping priest. I admit that I had heard his name in the past, but had always assumed that he was kind of lame. I mean, I just don't go in for the hokey sort of youth speakers that seem so popular. Well, my preconceptions were shattered a couple of weeks ago. He was invited to speak at our annual diocesan high school youth rally. He was brilliant. The message was simple: Lean into Christ. Sacrifice yourselves for him. And he was funny. He spoke directly to the hearts of our teens. It takes some talent to impress a teenager. He managed to accomplish that task. I found his talk to be stirring as well. And the music wasn't too bad either . . .

Chrism Mass

On Monday evening, I had the pleasure of attending the Chrism Mass for the Diocese of Rapid City. It was a beautiful celebration that incorporated the majority of the cultural heritages present within our diocese. A Lakota drum group led the penitential rite. Several of the songs were bilingual in an attempt to incorporate our Spanish speakers. Most beautiful of all, however, was the fact that almost every priest in the diocese was present. They traveled for hundreds of miles to be there. Those who were not present were either sick or comforting grieving families, and had called other priests to tell them why they could not attend.

It really is a stunning thing when you consider it. The priests of my diocese don't always get along. They certainly don't see eye to eye as concerns theological questions. Nevertheless, for one night, they laid aside those differences, they gathered around their bishop, and they professed anew the promises they made on the day of their ordinations. At that moment, they were truly a presbyterate - a group of men whose ministry flows from that of the Bishop, Successor to the Apostles.

I witnessed this event and was reminded that no priest is a lone ranger. No priest operates on his own. No priest can somehow absent himself from the fact that he is connected to every other priest in the diocese by their common mission and their shared ministry in relationship to their bishop. I find it hard to believe that any priest would choose not to attend the Chrism Mass out of shallow resentment, political statement making, negligence, or ignorance of its importance. The beauty of the priesthood is very apparent in the celebration of the Chrism Mass. It would be a shame to let one's own pettiness obscure it.

The new North American Martyrs

So I thought that this is pretty hilarious!

Apparently, there seems to be a new inter-seminary league in Rome between the various houses that are preparing men to serve as priests throughout the world. They are in the competition called the CLERICUS CUP. It might be worth noting that one of their players is from our Archdioces, and another spent his two years of Pre-Theology with us at SPS.

Rite of Election

I suppose that I have always liked processions. I remember attending an ordination when I was in middle school and being astounded to see every priest in the diocese process into the sanctuary of the Cathedral. Even now, when I attend a Mass with more that one priest present, I try to sit near the aisle so that I get a good view of the procession. My efforts to that effect were richly rewarded on Sunday, when I attended the Rite of Election at the Cathedral.

I don't know how many catechumens and candidates were present, but they filled almost one half of the pews in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Bishop Blase Cupich preached eloquently, reminding all present of the need to hear and hear again the story of our salvation.

I was most moved, however, to see so many people present who desired full initiation into the Church, and the equally impressive number of those there to support them in that decision. It is not often that one sees the Cathedral full. It was for this Mass. There is much to be grateful for this Lent.

SPS Closed for Prayer

In a bold move, the Saint Paul Seminary will be "Closed for Prayer" on Saturday, March 10th @ 7pm. Msgr. Callaghan, Rector of the Saint Paul Seminary, is inviting all the faithful to 'join us at our place' for an evening of Lenten Scripture readings, prayer, and music as we continue our preparations for Easter.

Music will be provided by SONAR, a contemporary Catholic group. A reception will follow.

St. Mary's Chapel

2260 Summit Ave

Free. no charge.

7:00 pm to 8:45 pm, doors open at 6:15 pm. Light refreshments to follow ......

Please spread the word! We'd love to see everyone at the seminary!

A Busy Morning

We have a permanent deacon in the parish whom several of our parishioners jokingly call "Deacon Lazarus." Apparently a little over a year ago he was preaching at a penance service, and in the middle of his homily, he had a heart attack. He collapsed, he was taken by airplane to a distant hospital, and eventually recovered. After the initial shock and terror wore off, people got quite a kick out of the fact that the deacon had died (his heart stopped after all ) right in the middle of a ceremony.

Well, he did it again. It wasn't his heart this time. He is diabetic, and when he took his medication before the 7 am Mass, he failed to eat anything. His blood sugar began to drop, and just as he was finishing distributing the Eucharist, he collapsed. He couldn't have done it in a better place - there were two cardiologists and a handful of nurses present. They were feeding him sugar him while the pastor, the servers, and I processed out of the Church.

The ambulance came, tested his heart rate and those things that they do, and then sent him home to rest. I did his visits to the nursing homes for the day.

I suppose there is some deep lesson about the ephemeral nature of life, or the value of contemplating our own deaths to be found in this episode. However, when the deacon came to the sacristy before going home the only thing I could think to say was, "You've got to quit trying to die in the middle of communal celebrations."

Bonds of Brotherhood

There is something to be said about the bond between men who spent time at the seminary together. Because of daily grind of seminary life -- classes, group projects, parties, liturgies, retreats, etc -- there is a beautiful connection in Christ that develops between men. There is something more than merely a "human" connection, though lifelong friendships do often form between men at the seminary. But rather, when the the document from Vatican 2 that talked about the 'supernatural bond among the presbyterate,' there is a keen insight to a reality that happens, though not always with perfection, when men pursue a particular vocation together towards Jesus Christ.

The only thing that I can liken it to is the bond formed between men who served in the military together. Though very different lifestyles in terms of occupational hazards, formation practices, etc, there is something to be said about military men who pursue a common ideal, understand a common way of life, and who practice discipline and obedience. The recent HBO series, Band of Brothers, offers a keen insight into the life of military men; the personal interviews with the actual men upon whom the series is based gave new meaning for me as to necessity of kinship in military service.

Military kinship begins, oftentimes, during camp. Likewise, fraternity among priests oftentimes begins at the seminary. When men leave the seminary, the whole house feels a loss. But when we see them again, there is great joy at being reunited with those with whom we lived for a time. Hence, when I was browsing the Pontifical North American College website, I stumbled across the pictures of two men who spent time at SPS. They were asked by their bishop to study in Rome for Theology. Off they went, perhaps with excitement at having been given the opportunity to study in the heart of Catholicism, perhaps with heavy hearts having to leave the men with whom deep bonds of brotherhood were formed. I look back fondly -- as well as many other men at SPS -- on the memories I have with these men during their days of Pre-Theology. Though our paths to the priesthood have taken different courses, the bonds of fraternity still exist. We continue to wish them well in the preparation for priestly ministry and eagerly look forward to the day when we begin our days no longer as brother seminarians but as brother priests in service of the Lord and of His People. Currahee!

PS ... Our long lost brother was lost and now is found! Not that I forgot about the 'golden baritone' of the Saint Paul Seminary, but I couldn't find his picture on the NAC website. With what wonderful memories do we have of him playing in the pep band, singing the hit single from the seminary, Our Lady of Knock, and general merriment with him.

Images of the Borromeo Weekend 2006

To refresh your memories!

Our Lady of Guadalupe images

These pictures are from the beautiful celebration of the mass on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We were joined by a young mariachi group from OL Guadalupe parish in St. Paul; even Juan Diego himself came (no, he didn't rise from the dead. Jorge portrayed St. Juan Diego during the Offertory of the mass). It was a wonderful way to honor our Blessed Mother.

YouTube and the seminary?

So I was browsing around YouTube recently, curious to see what sorts of 'Catholic' clips I could find there. Lo and behold, I found something posted last semester from our minor seminary, St. Joyn Vianney. I was quite surprised to find this, and curious to see what they would put on it. It is an impressive video, especially seeing that it was 'home-grown' ... I think that one of SJV's own men put the 10 minute video together. I know the men there well; they are indeed my younger brothers. Even though I'm at the major seminary in graduate level studies, I try hard to get to know the men at the minor seminary. Some of them are my dearest brothers in Christ. The are a great example of young men who are trying to pursue the Lord in their lives .... and they are quite joyful about it. It is a beautiful witness of manly men pursuing a call to follow Christ with every ounce of their being. They are a constant inspiration to me.

Hebrews

The Letter to the Hebrews, in all of its eloquence and beauty gets a little old after four weeks. We are now only in week two, with two remaining and I find myself thinking at Mass, “When are we going to hear from a different book?” While I have had this experience several times since becoming a daily communicant, it has become all the more clear to me this week. Occasionally at the parish there arise situations where the pastor has to be gone and is unable to celebrate Mass at the regularly scheduled time. Usually this means that the permanent deacon or I is asked to lead a Communion Service. Though I am opposed to this practice in principle, I do relish the events inasmuch as they allow me to practice preaching in front of a real congregation (This is a legal and licit practice.) So, this week I have led two communion services and each time I looked at the readings from Hebrews I asked, “What on earth am I going to say about this?” Thank goodness for the Gospel. As I said, Hebrews is a beautiful letter, and I have found it to be a fruitful piece of Scripture with which to pray. But it’s awfully hard to preach on it.

Don't bother reading this, I'm just venting

Allow me to vent a moment:

I am reaching my threshold for the music of Bernadette Farrell, David Haas, Bob Hurd, Marty Haugen, and their ilk. They have a stranglehold on the music that is used in parishes around this nation, and as a result, on any given Sunday, one can expect to hear “Christ be our Light,” “Gather Us In,” “We are Called,” or some other banal melody with saccharine lyrics. I am perfectly aware that I have my own tastes and preferences, and that some people do, indeed, like these hymns. In fact, there was a time when I liked them. There are moments when I still like them. However, these hymns utterly fail to capture even a tiny portion of the majesty of God or the great mystery that shrouds all that we do. And, because everyone in the pews knows these songs, we settle for them. It is more important to use music that we know (mediocre though it may be) than to sing inspiring or transcendent songs. I understand the argument. I follow the logic. But how are we ever going to learn anything new? This is not a criticism of the people who play this music. I think that they do a fine job of it. I also think they would do a fine job with some other music too.