Reflecting on the Past and Looking Forward to the Future

This past weekend was our "Parents and Pastors Day" at the seminary. Every year, a couple of seniors are asked to speak to everyone about the experiences they've had at our seminary over the past few years, and I was asked to do just that. It was a great joy to reflect over my time at this great seminary, and to be able to share my experiences with others. What follows is the text of what I shared:

If you ask the guys at the seminary, they'll tell you that I am a guy that loves quotes. In fact, last year, the door of my room was covered top to bottom with index cards with quotes that I liked and wanted to see. When thinking about my time at Bishop Brute', one quote comes to mind, and it goes like this, “My greatest wish for our college seminary is that it be a simple and joyful house of prayer, and that you seminarians and seminarians to come patiently learn to be men of prayer, and to do so with a spirit of joy” Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, our seminary’s founder, said these words when he dedicated the current seminary building in 2008.

A few years later, in August 2011, I moved into that building—the castle just a mile down the road. I had just graduated high school, I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know anyone, and I was nervous. Looking back over these past few years, there’s no way I could have expected all the amazing things that have happened during my time here.

During my time at Bishop Brute, a lot has changed. My classmates and I have seen the seminary community grow from 35 to a peak of 46. We’ve seen the seminary before and after the chapel renovation, and the addition of the new dining hall and residence wing. We’ve welcomed a new Archbishop and a new Vice-Rector. We’ve been able to serve Mass with over twenty thousand people at Lucas Oil Stadium, not once, but twice. We’ve had the opportunity to see the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to explore the city of Indianapolis, go on the March for Life, pray at Bishop Brute’s final resting place, celebrate the seminary’s tenth anniversary, and so many other things. On top of that, we’ve gotten to receive a great education from some very dedicated professors here at Marian University.

But, while I was seeing all those changes and experiencing all the things that I did at the seminary, I was changing, too. Day by day, I was, and still am, learning how to become the man God made me to be. I’ve learned how to become a better leader and follower, work in different ministry settings, even some that I initially hated and wanted nothing to do with, dive deeper into my spiritual life, and find types of prayer that work for me, and have had the blessing of receiving the help, support, wisdom, and love of some pretty fantastic priests. Now, it hasn’t always been easy, but even during the difficult times, with help, I was able to learn and to grow.

But most of all, I’ve gotten to see Archbishop Buechlein’s wish come true. During my time here, I feel like I have grown into a man of prayer, and have been able to see my brother seminarians do the same. I’ve learned what it means to be a man of prayer—what it means to be in love with Christ and His Church, and have seen examples of that in the seminary staff. But Archbishop Daniel also wanted us to be joyful, and joyful is the perfect word to describe this seminary. You can’t walk outside your room without hearing someone laughing. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone without a funny story of something that happened at the seminary. There’s no other way to describe it—the guys here are simply joyful.

Speaking of my brother seminarians, I’m sure you parents know this, but you have some pretty outstanding sons, and I am honored to be able to call them my brothers. Over these past few years, my brothers have been there for me to laugh, to give advice, and to challenge me when I needed it. Thank you to our parents for everything that you’ve done for us and for the love and support you continue to show us.

Time has gone by quickly. In about 7 months, I’ll be graduating. As of now, I don’t know whether I’ll be in Saint Meinrad or in Washington, D.C. for major seminary, but I know that because of my time here, because of my brother seminarians, because of the support of my parents and the priests of Louisville, as well as the guidance of the priests at the seminary, I’ll be ready.

I have one more quote to share, if you don’t mind. Saint John Paul II once said, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure”. My time at Brute’ itself has been an adventure, but it has also taught me what John Paul II must have meant, and for that, I am and always will be truly thankful.

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My time here has been great, and I really am looking forward to what the rest of this year, and the future, has in store!

In all things, may God be glorified. Amen.

#seminary #reflection #senioryear