Back to School

Even though the semester ended last week, this has been a busy week for the seminary community. On Monday and Tuesday, we visited Elementary and High Schools and on Wednesday and Thursday we participated in a Priests Symposium as part of the Church’s Year for Priests. While each event this past week provided positive experiences, Tuesday topped them all.

On Tuesday, I “officially” returned to St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School for one of the Vocation presentations. Words cannot express what a great day it was for me to return to a community that has done so much for me. The day was a great one for a lot of reasons:

First, I was uncertain what it would feel like to go back to SJB, especially in this new role. The second I walked in the door I felt like I had never left. The warm welcome, excited response and great words of support reminded me of how fortunate I am to be a part of this great community.

Second, I asked John Kwon, a fellow seminarian, to share the presentation with me. I think he was a little reluctant to speak before hundreds of kids in a Catholic high school (not to mention giving up valuable time off in the midst of a busy week). John is from the Diocese of Daejeon, South Korea and it is only his second year speaking English and living on the mainland of America. Whatever his reluctance may have been, he worked right through it as he gave the students at St. John’s a great personal reflection about making the sacrifice to enter the seminary and his hopes and dreams for priesthood.

Two things that stand out from John’s talk were summed up by one of the Religious Studies teachers who e-mailed yesterday. First, he spoke about the influence of a parish priest in South Korea who helped his family through a difficult time. His presence inspired John to want to make the same difference in the lives of others. Second, John talked about the absence that can be felt in relationships. He had a powerful statement, “I thirst to be loved” and said he has only had that thirst satisfied in his relationship with God. What a powerful witness he offered (and offers) on Tuesday.

I have written before about the benefit of working together with other seminarians, particularly through the parish visits and other projects we’ve been involved in. Spending the day working with John was a good thing for me and for the students we spoke to on Tuesday. First, it was great to show him an American high school and a little bit about my "former" life. Second, John is a great person to share life with here at the Seminary. He’s a good witness to me about keeping focused on what is important both inside and outside of the seminary. I realized that more as I listened and worked with him throughout the day. I suspect he impacted the community at St. John the Baptist in the same way he has done for me.

Well tonight is my last night at the Seminary for this year. On Sunday, I leave for a three week Spanish institute. More to come soon!

Have a great week!