Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On my recent vacation, my priests and I were talking one evening about our lives and our ministry. Each of us have followed a different pathway in our priesthoods. Some of us have gone back for additional schooling, earning degrees in Canon Law. Some of us are pastors, some are not. One went into a Religious Order for a bit and then discerned back out. It would have been impossible to predict where our priesthoods have gone so far, and it’s equally impossible to know where they may lead to in the future. Yet, there were a lot of commonalities too. Common experiences in ministry and things that we share together, both good, bad, and indifferent. It’s important to have friends to share with in that way and to have good support from fellow priests in our common way of life.
Earlier this week, I accepted an invitation from a different priest friend of mine. His pathway of priesthood has led him into seminary work and for the last several years, he’s been the rector, or priest in charge, of the College Seminary at Seton Hall. The very same College Seminary I am an alumnus of. Back in my day, there was always a retreat of some kind. For the first few years, it coincided with the university’s Spring Break, which resulted in the occasional groan from the other guys. But in my senior year, they changed the schedule so that the retreat was at the beginning of the school year, in late August, before classes had started. And apparently, that’s still the case, as I’ve been invited to lead the retreat for the seminarians the weekend of August 22-24.
There’s a lot of emotions for me in having this opportunity. On the one hand, I am deeply honored and humbled that I would be considered for such a task. I’ve spoken to seminarians before, and I’ve done talks and led various Parish Missions over the years, but this strikes me as a different sort of opportunity, but one that my background in Spiritual Theology allows me to be well-suited for. On the other hand, there’s a real sense of both coming home and a sense of accomplishment in leading this retreat. It’s hard to put into words how much my college seminary experience impacted me and helped me grow as a person and spiritually. And now, I can share in helping the young men of St. Andrew’s, with both my personal experiences and my spiritual expertise, to find the Lord for themselves and continue to grow in their own formation.
And so, if I could invite you, please keep me and the 15 seminarians of St. Andrew’s in your prayers in the weeks ahead. That the Lord may inspire me to give the words the men need to hear, and that the young men are open to the promptings of God’s call and invitation to deeper communion with Him.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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