News

Seminarian school visits: more than a prayer

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

A group of seminarians from the diocese were not what students at Trinity St. Joseph School in Green Bay expected, but that was a good thing.

"I thought they would be a little quieter," said fifth grader Zach Devroy. "I guess I was very wrong. They were really cool."

"I thought we would just say prayers with them," said classmate Tamara Wolfe. "I didn't know they would tell us stories. I'm really glad they we were able to meet them."

Last week, Mike Brummond, Bill Brunner, Joe Fleischman, Brian Romportl, Dan Schuster and BJ Van Dynhoven, all from Mundelein Seminary, visited the school. They met with students from all grade levels throughout the day to explain the meaning of a vocation and the importance of giving yourself to God in whatever you choose to do. The school visit was one of many for the seminarians during their Thanksgiving break.

Mundelein operates on a quarterly system, so the men had two weeks off. Fr. Tom Long, Vocation Director, sent e-mails to all the Catholic schools in the diocese and to directors of religious education programs offering visits by the seminarians. Many invited them.

"I gave 31 talks last week, including a retreat," said Schuster, who served as the contact for the seminarians. "Basically, we've decided that we don't want to spend our breaks sitting at home. We would like to spend our breaks in service in preparation for the priesthood."

The concentrated effort to meet with Catholic school and religious education students during breaks began last year, said Schuster. His stops this year included Green Bay, Wrightstown, Chilton, Howard and Oshkosh.

"We are getting around," he said. "I didn't meet a seminarian until I was 20 years old. I can honestly say that the majority of the kids in the diocese have met a seminarian, which is a totally different experience than when I was growing up."

"We are asking kids to be open to the priesthood and religious life, especially the priesthood because that's the experience we can share with them," he added.

Third grade teacher Cindy Bell, an active member of the Serra Club, contacted Schuster about visiting Trinity St. Joseph. She said it is a good experience for both the students and the seminarians.

"It is a nice chance for the students to get to know a few seminarians and learn a little bit more about what that choice is like. They learn how to realize God's call. God doesn't call you on the phone or send you an e-mail, Bell said."

"It's a nice chance for some of the seminarians to get used to working with some of the students in a classroom setting," she added.

Wolfe said she learned that seminarians are "regular people."

"I learned that they don't pray all day," she said. "They are really normal people. They like to read and play video games."

"We want them to know the human side of the holy orders," said Schuster. "It is so enriching for us to see the faith that is there in every class in every school.

"Last week, every class, kindergarten and up, was able to tell back to me how they understand Jesus and the Eucharist. Again, that is not something from all of our childhoods. Our teachers are doing a fantastic job."

The seminarians adapted their presentations according to the grade level. For example, when speaking to a seventh grade class, Schuster discussed a vocation as a vehicle for salvation. Meanwhile, Brunner explained to the fifth graders that the discernment process is about finding out if the priesthood is right for you.

"They (seminarians) are our best promoters of vocations," said Fr. Long.

"We learn more about our vocation by speaking about it, by verbalizing it, by learning ways to express what is a mystery that God has called each of us to," said Schuster. "We learn more about it by expressing it to other people and telling our stories."

(For more information about vocations for the Diocese of Green Bay, visit www.gbdioc.org/pg/vocationsMain.tpl.)