A Worthy Way to Spend a Birthday (Part I)

2008-07-10T01:59:00.000-07:00

The Seminary College that I am intending to attend this next school year to begin my vocational studies is called Conception Seminary College. I would like to take this blog as a chance to tell about my first and only trip out to the place.
The occasion for my visit was one of the two times each year that potential seminarians get to check out the college on a three day weekend. The visit is known as Encounter God's Call Weekend and it scheduled for November and April. This weekend offers not only an opportunity to scurry about the college campus, but also to attend some of the classes with the seminarians.Anyway, I went in November.
In what was clearly an occurance of sheer providence, the the November visit was scheduled for the weekend of the 10th: my birthday. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my eighteenth birthday than getting an entire week off of work and school to visit the seminary college. Well, then again, it also would have been nice to spend it in Rome, at the Vatican, with the Pope singing happy birthday to me in his native German. (Wishfull-thinking if you didn't catch it!) However, I was greatly excited nontheless! A further inclination for excitement was that my senior retreat was taking place right after the college weekend. It was going to be a good week.
For further background info, Conception Seminary College is located in the northwest corner of Missouri and is one the few actual seminary colleges left in the Midwest and it draws seminarians form all over that wide expanse, so there is plenty of diversity. ( As proof of this, while I was there I ran into a guy form Wyoming. Wyoming! Does the Church even exist in Wyoming?) Conception is first and foremost a Benedictine Monastery with a magnificent Basilica and over sixty resident monks.(Many of whom have beards).
So, to get out to this place which is located in the middle of nowhere and a whopping seven to eight hours away, I was to be driven by Father Chris of the Diocese. Traveling with Father Chris and I would be a member of his parish and also potential seminarian, Alex Worthington. Now these two characters were people a didn't know anything about and that little factor would prove to be a cause of interesting mishaps along our long excursion. I had spoken to Fr. Chris once before we left so I all knew was the time he was picking me up. We were scheduled to leave on Thursday morning, so I didn't have to go to class at all that day. (Ha!) Turns out that he didn't show up until two o'clock that afternoon! Now the curious thing was that I was shown a picture of Fr. Chris by Clara my ninety-two year Landlady because I wanted to have an idea as to what this guy looked like, but when he arrived to pick me up, he didn't look anything like the picture I was shown. I was confused, but I let it slide for the time being.( As it turned out this guy was Fr. Chris alright, but I was shown a picture of another Fr. Chris, Father Chris House of the Cathedral in Springfield. This guy was Father Chris Brye! I spent the whole day thinking this priest was some other priest and confused the whole time! Something else that failed to be brought to my attention was Fr. Chris' habit of driving over 100 mph on the interstate and referring to the divider lines between the two lanes as mere "suggestions". You remember that it supposedly took seven to eight hours to get to Conception, well I might have to reference Alex again for the time ,but I am certain it didn't take that long to get there with Fr. Chris driving!
Well that's it for Part I. Sequels due in coming.
P.S. You're welcome Craig!

Fitting of my casket?

2008-06-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Due to the prompting of the vicar and the diocesan vocations director, I needed a cassock for my eventual departure to Conception in August. I was awoken Monday morning to the sound of phone vibrating in my desk ten feet away, and thinking that was odd because I thought it was on "ring." But anyway, I was surprised to see that Fr. Daren was calling, considering that he rarely called me, but it was often I that bothered him. He asked me if I could travel to Chicago that day. I told him I could be ready to go by noon, but he was under the impression that I was already in town. Upon discovering that I was not, he rescheduled the trip for the next day.

An insight?

2008-06-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading a very informative and "insightful" book by an author previously unknown to me. From my knowledge, it seems to be a newer publication by Brennan Pursell. It is of course, Benedict of Bavaria. I am reading it by recommendation of the vicar, Fr. Daren Zehnle. One of the most notable aspects about the book is the sheer brilliance of our Pope Benedict XVI as a theologian. I have found, within my reading, that Fr. Daren was correct in saying that Benedict is a pope to whom people "listen", whereas his predecessor, John Paul II, was one to whom people "watched." Though I have a most profound respect for John Paul II, I am continuously growing in my admiration of our current Holy Father, Benedict XVI.

Viva il Papa.

Christus vincit et Christus regnat.

Presby Speaks

A Worthy Way to Spend a Birthday (Part I)

Fitting of my casket?

An insight?