By Fr. Brian Kane
Rector, St. Gregory the Great Seminary;
Director of Seminarians
“The harvest is abundant…” Mt 9:37
St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward is surrounded by fields of corn this year. The field behind us was recently harvested, one of the first fields in the area. As the combine kicked up dust, I marveled at how efficiently the machine rolled through the field, almost without a thought about how complicated the inner-workings are.
Next weekend, our parishes will be conducting the annual Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations. It is the annual collection that enables our 33 seminarians to study at St. Gregory the Great and at our theology seminaries, St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia and Mt. St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md.
Similar to the combine that appears to effortlessly roll through the field, the work of seminary formation can appear from the outside to be rather elementary. The opposite is true: there are a lot of intricate parts that make up both processes. In seminary formation, in order for seminarians to thrive in their discernment and growth, there are many layers that develop over nine years of preparation.
In his column last week, Father Alec Sasse, vocation director for the Diocese of Lincoln, spoke about the gift of 17 new seminarians who entered St. Gregory the Great this fall. That gift gives us a total of 33 seminarians for our diocese this year.
Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a man sowing seed. He speaks about how the seed, in order to thrive, must be planted in soil that is rich and nourished with water and sunlight. A young man who is discerning a call to the priesthood is, in a sense, a fragile seed that must be cared for, fed and nourished during the seminary years.
The Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations each year does three important things to help care for and nourish the seed of discernment that the Lord has planted.
First, as posters and brochures with the names and faces of our seminarians are distributed in parishes and schools across the diocese, everyone is reminded to pray for the men each day. The seminary process is an intricate one, at times a challenging path. When seminarians know they don’t walk alone, but are supported and loved by the diocesan community, the burden is lighter.
Second, the annual appeal highlights in families, schools and parishes the importance of being open to the call of Jesus when discerning a vocation. It has been fun to watch high school students who visit the seminary on school trips see seminarians who were once walking the halls of their schools, and serving Mass at their parishes, who are now in the seminary. Our “Come and See” weekends, one of which is taking place this weekend, are full of young men who have been inspired by seeing others answering the call to try a year at St. Gregory the Great.
Third, just as rising harvest-related expenses can be daunting (equipment, fuel, repairs), seminaries, too, feel the squeeze. We work very hard to keep our expenses as low as possible, striving to be good stewards of the gifts we receive. The Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations continues to enable us to meet the costs associated with forming men to be priests. I am very grateful for the families who give faithfully each year to support the appeal, and I invite you to consider making a gift. Each gift, large or small, plays an important role in forming our future priests.
We enjoy inviting guests to the seminary on our Visitor Sundays to pray with us and to meet the seminarians. It is a little like standing in awe as one watches a combine kick up dust as it rolls through the field at harvest time. At the seminary, something far better than dust rolls across the property: it is hope and confidence that the Father is caring for his flock in Southern Nebraska and beyond.
If you would like to make a gift to the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations, please look for more information at your parish or go online: https://www.lincolndiocese.org/vocation/bishops-appeal-for-vocations.
