by Fr. Brian Kane
Rector, St. Gregory the Great Seminary;
Director of Seminarians
“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” 1 Peter 3:15
I would like to share an explanation for my hope.
In February, the community of St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward traveled to Milwaukee to attend an invitational basketball tournament sponsored by St. Francis de Sales Seminary.
Bishop Emeritus Fabian Bruskewitz attended seminary there and also taught at St. Francis, and several of the priests of our diocese have studied there over the years.
Thirteen basketball teams from across the country and more than 200 seminarians gathered to participate in the tournament. To anyone watching, it looked like a group of college students from any university playing basketball. To someone with eyes of faith, it was clearly much more than that.
On the benches and in the stands were priests, religious sisters, parents and others from the area who understood that something special was happening.
Referees in any other similar basketball setting probably would have braced themselves for a challenging weekend of disputed calls and crowds expressing their collective displeasure. Instead, they watched young men compete in a way that others should learn from and in an atmosphere of intense competition, a desire to win—and a joy in being together.
It was moving to watch, and even more hopeful to realize that every player, on the court and on the bench, was discerning a call to the priesthood.
Saturday was a full day of basketball. I walked into the chapel at 5:45 a.m. to find it full—200 young men kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, making a holy hour before Mass. No one required them to be there, but they knew what was most important.
The end of every game included the traditional handshakes. Those handshakes were followed by the members of both teams kneeling in a circle at center court, praying together.
It was a weekend to see strong, convicted young men gather together to pray, compete and be encouraged by each other. It is a sign of hope for the Church in the United States—increasing numbers of men considering a call to the priesthood and who desire to be disciples of Jesus.
St. Gregory the Great Seminary is preparing for a large group of men entering this fall from the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln and from the six other archdioceses and dioceses with which we partner.
The spirit in evidence at the basketball tournament in Wisconsin is an every-day part of our community. I was very proud of our seminarians as I watched them compete, and I am even more proud to live and pray with them every day.
Each year, we invite people from the Diocese of Lincoln to glimpse our seminary community at the annual Table of St. Gregory Dinner.
Please join us this year, on Sunday, April 14, for an evening of prayer and good food. The event fills up quickly every year, so if you would like more information about the dinner please go to our website: www.sggs.edu/events.
Those who attend surely will have a new explanation for their hope.
