MEET THE SEMINARIANS

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2 MEET THE SEMINARIANS Introducing our new Detroit Seminarians ANDREW CIPOLLA Age: 30 Parish: Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth Hobbies/Interests: Movies, playing guitar, music, backpacking, outdoors Prior Occupation: Accounts payable When did you first consider a call to the priesthood? I first considered the priesthood after about a year of wrestling with the idea and trying to discern without giving God full permission to change my heart. At 27, I could no longer ignore the call and by 28 my heart had been completely converted. What were the major factors in your decision to answer God s call to the priesthood? The major factor in my decision was the support of my parish priest and a personal willingness to trust in His guidance. Self-abandonment, personal prayer, holy hours, confession and daily mass were irreplaceable in allowing myself to hear what God had been saying all along. RYAN EGGENBERGER Age: 29 Parish: Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth Hobbies/Interests: New music, studying languages, working out/running, hanging out with friends. Prior Occupation: Marketing/Communications When did you first consider a call to the priesthood? I first considered the priesthood when I became Catholic in 2006, although I had thought about ministry in my home church growing up. What were the major factors in your decision to answer God s call to the priesthood? The biggest three factors were prayer, the sacraments, priests, and mentors. Growing in a deeper relationship with Jesus through prayer and the sacraments, especially confession and the Eucharist, were essential (and still are!) for me to hear him and follow. Knowing many priests personally and working at a parish also helped me learn some of the very practical aspects and day-to-day life of diocesan priesthood. Vocare 1

3 CHARLES GIROUX Age: 19 Parish: Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Sterling Heights Hobbies/Interests: Reading, playing sports, watching television, listening to music, hanging out with friends. Prior Occupation: I worked at a rental company When did you first consider a call to the priesthood? Being a priest sounded cool when I was little. I gave it some more serious thought when I was sixteen. That year, I went up to Vermont to stay with my uncle who is a Franciscan priest. During that visit, I decided I was not called to be a Franciscan, but perhaps a Diocesan priest. What were the major factors in your decision to answer God s call to the priesthood? One day while I was sitting in my intro to logic course at community college, it hit me, I don't want to study math like I had previously thought. I wanted to solve practical philosophical and moral problems and study my faith. That was when I decided to come to the seminary. LOUIS HACKSTOCK Age: 18 Parish: Holy Family, Memphis Hobbies/Interests: Farming, hunting, carpentry, music. Prior Occupation: Finish carpentry When did you first consider a call to the priesthood? When I was very young I felt my first attraction to the priesthood. As I grew older the call faded, yet it was always in the back of my mind. The most prominent call came in my junior year of high school. What were the major factors in your decision to answer God s call to the priesthood? In my junior year of high school I was mentored by an Augustinian friar. This holy man helped me to realize my vocation was real and able to be discerned. As a senior I focused on praying for an answer from God. What I realized through prayer was that the only thing that mattered (or will ever matter) was that I did the will of God. This led me to apply to Sacred Heart Seminary. FRANCISCO HERRERA Age: 18 Parish: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Detroit Hobbies/Interests: video games, reading. Prior Occupation: High school student When did you first consider a call to the priesthood? I first considered being a priest around sixth grade. I was thinking of what I wanted to be when I grew up, and the idea of the priesthood appealed to me. It was many years later that I took the concept more seriously, however. What were the major factors in your decision to answer God s call to the priesthood? I received plenty of support from those around me. The testimonies I heard from priests encouraged me to continue forth. The various discernment overnights at the seminary I attended helped me understand what the priesthood was really about. Vocare 2

4 NEW DISCERNMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY REGION The Archdiocese of Detroit s Regional Vocation Promoters are hosting new regional discernment groups. The Watchmen Regional Discernment Groups are for men ages who want to actively discern the call of the Lord in their lives. These groups will meet bi-monthly for times of prayer, presentations on discernment, and fellowship with other like-minded men. These groups are facilitated by the Regional Vocation Promoters. South Region: December 6 at 6 PM February 21 at 6 PM Divine Child, Dearborn Northwest Region December 13 at 7 PM February 21 at 7 PM St. Mary s, Royal Oak UPCOMING DATES: Regional Vocation Promoters Northeast Region December 6 at 7 PM February 6 at 7 PM Holy Trinity, Port Huron Central Region December 20 at 7 PM February 21 at 7 PM Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit FR. JEFF ALLAN Northeast Region (Blue Water, North Macomb, Central Macomb, SERF Vicariates) Parochial Vicar, Holy Trinity, Port Huron FR. PAUL SNYDER Northwest Region (Thumb, Lakes, Pontiac Area, and South Oakland Vicariates) Pastor, St. Mary, Royal Oak FR. JOHN KOPSON South Region (Northwest Wayne, West Wayne, Downriver, and Monroe Vicariates) Parochial Vicar, Divine Child, Dearborn FR. PATRICK GONYEAU Central Region (Renaissance, Trinity, Southwest, and Genesis Vicariates) Parochial Vicar, National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak More information at detroitpriest.com Vocare 3

5 ANNUAL SUMMER SEMINAR with Archbishop Vigneron For most people, the opportunity to get away during the summer months is a welcome addition to any calendar. This is certainly the case when it comes to the first week in August, when the annual Summer Seminar with Archbishop Vigneron and the AOD Seminarians takes place over the course of three days at Manresa Retreat House in Bloomfield Hills. For the past five years, the Archbishop sets aside three days in August to get away with his seminarians for fraternity, instruction and prayer. Fraternity: Not only is this Seminar a time for the new seminarians to meet the returning (and now) brother seminarians, it also provides time with the man that they will one day pledge their respect and obedience. In the spirit of building up fraternity amongst the seminarians, the schedule provides ample free time for recreation, games and movies in the evening, shared meals and plenty of good conversation. Instruction: Each year the Archbishop chooses a book or excerpts/articles with which he utilizes for instruction and conversation with the seminarians. It provides the seminarians an opportunity to supplement their seminary instruction and it also gives the Archbishop the gift of putting his professor hat back on, if for only a few days. All benefit from the conversation and the lessons that are gleaned from it. Some of the past instructors have come from: Cardinal Ratzinger, Msgr. Ronald Knox, Blessed John Newman, and a variety of resources from Church documents. Prayer: While this time together is not envisioned to be a retreat, the schedule does place a priority on times for prayer. Each day the Holy Mass is celebrated, along with Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. In addition to the above, time is set aside for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the recitation of the Rosary, and private prayer. This time together in prayer also affords the men who have received the ministry of Lector or Acolyte and those who have been ordained as a transitional Deacon, the opportunity to practice their ministry with their brother seminarians. There is no substitute for getting away, especially when it is with those who will one day be future brothers in service to God s people. This is further amplified by the fact that this three day gathering also includes the Archbishop. Through time spent together in fraternity, instruction and prayer, the ultimate goal of assisting young men better realize and appreciate their vocation is well achieved! Vocare 4

6 7 REASONS TO CONSIDER THE PRIESTHOOD First: The World Needs Heroes God has shown his love and respect for human beings by taking an incredible risk, putting the very future of his project of redemption into our hands. He has arranged things such that the graces he intends for mankind reach us primarily through the seven sacraments. If men will step up and accept the responsibility to be the channel of these graces, then the risk will pay off, with eternal rewards. If they don't, it simply won't. Second: To Make Christ Present to More People Before He ascended into heaven, Christ said, Behold, I am with you until the end of time! He didn't mean He would be with us in spirit or in our thoughts and prayers. He meant he would be with us for real, in His body, blood, soul, and divinity. Christ fulfilled his promise in an astonishing way: by being present in the Eucharist. He will always be present in the sacrament somewhere in the world. Third: To Forgive Sins Christ taught about the true value of human beings when He said, What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? In confession, a priest gives the greatest gift possible, worth more than all the riches in the world: He restores penitents souls. Christ instituted many sacraments throughout His life, but only one after his resurrection. That was the sacrament of confession, when He breathed on the Apostles and told them, "Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven." Fourth: To Be a Living Icon of Christ That's a necessity. Human beings respond to other human beings. Jesus Christ was not just a teacher, and he wasn't just an instrument of salvation. He was a man with a face. People can experience Christ's presence in the Eucharist and His forgiveness in confession, but the human heart still needs to see a man behaving in a Christlike way to fully understand Christ's message. We need more priests to do this for the Church. Fifth: To Be Like Mary It may seem odd, calling on an all-male priesthood to be like Mary, but Mary is the perfect model for any Christian and especially a priest. She brought Christ into the world and, from the wedding feast at Cana to Pentecost, was at the center of efforts to introduce him to the world. Priests uniquely imitate her in the Mass. Sixth: To Preach and Teach Priests have at the same time the easiest and most challenging teaching job in the world. What they have to teach is Christ himself who united himself with humanity in order to show us how to live. The Gospel contains unique, powerful answers to all our yearnings, problems and desires. A preacher who immerses himself in Christ's life will be a profound and wise teacher just by saying the simple and true things the Church teaches. But it's a challenging task, also, precisely because of its simplicity. Seventh: To Expand Your Family In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus gives the apostles a novel reason to follow Him, leaving everything, and everyone: Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. Adapted from the National Catholic Register Vocare 5

7 STATISTICALLY SPEAKING 36 TOTAL DETROIT SEMINARIANS 6 NEW SEMINARIANS 1 ESL 2 College I 1 College II 2 Pre-Theology I 30 RETURNING SEMINARIANS 9 College 21 Theology 27 PARISHES ARE REPRESENTED BY THE SEMINARIANS 9 - Northeast Region (Blue Water, North Macomb, Central Macomb & SERF vicariates) 9 - South Region (Northwest Wayne, West Wayne, Downriver & Monroe vicariates) 6 - Northwest Region (Thumb, Lakes, Pontiac Area & South Oakland vicariates) 2 - Central Region (Renaissance, Trinity, Southwest & Genesis vicariates) 6 PARISHES HAVE MORE THAN ONE SEMINARIAN: 4 - Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth (south) 3 - St. Joseph, Lake Orion (NW) 2 - National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak (NW) 2 - Assumption Grotto, Detroit (Central) 2 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Detroit (Central) 2 - Ss. Cyril & Methodius, Sterling Heights (NE) 3 SEMINARIES ARE ATTENDED BY OUR SEMINARIANS: 32 - Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit 2 - St. John XXIII Seminary, Boston 2 - Pontifical North American College, Rome ORDINATION PROJECTIONS (BASED ON PRESENT NUMBERS): (Theology IV) (Theology III) (Theology II) (Theology I) (Pre-Theology II and Philosophy II) (Pre-Theology I and Philosophy I) Vocare 6

8 JUNIOR HIGH VOCATIONS AWARENESS DAY On September 23, over 300 seventh grade students and teachers gathered at Sacred Heart Major Seminary for the first of five Junior High Vocations Awareness Days. This day gives the students an opportunity to learn more about vocations to the religious life and priesthood. The students come from catholic elementary schools all over the Archdiocese of Detroit. The day begins with a presentation from Fr. Tim Birney about vocations. The students have mass in the Chapel with one of the Auxiliary Bishops and help out with reading and serving the mass. Afterwards, they go back to the gym to enjoy a lunch and free time. Following their tasty meal, the girls and boys are split up for separate specific vocations talks. At this vocations day, the presenters were Sr. Anthanasius and Sr. Mary John of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. The Sisters showed a video about their community and religious life and then shared their own personal vocation stories. They opened the floor up for questions, and the girls were full of them! They ranged from questions about their habits to what community life is like. The boys presenter was Fr. Tim Birney. They watched the movie Fishers of Men and Fr. Tim shared his own story of discernment, followed by a Q & A. To complete the day, the students then gather back in the gymnasium where they are taken by seminarians on a tour of the Seminary. They visit the chapel, Ward Library, O Bergs, and the Auditorium. At the end of the day, Fr. Birney typically asks the students to raise their hand if they have a vocation, and all of the hands in the gym shoot up! Mission accomplished! Vocare 7

9 CALENDAR OF EVENTS National Vocations Awareness Week November 1-8, 2015 Location: Worldwide Audience: All Catholic Faithful High School Discernment Overnight April 15-16, 2016 Location: Sacred Heart Major Seminary Audience: Men, high school freshmen-junior Discernment Weekend November 5-8, 2015 January 21-24, 2016 March 31- April 3, 2016 Location: Sacred Heart Major Seminary Audience: Men, high school senior-55 Solemn Evening Prayer & Dinner with Archbishop Vigneron December 3, 2015 Location: Sacred Heart Major Seminary Audience: AOD priests and guests, ages Discernment Retreat with Archbishop Vigneron May 20-22, 2016 Location: Sacred Heart Major Seminary Audience: Men who are discerning All events require preregistration. For more information on these events, visit detroitpriest.com WELCOME TO NAOMI VRAZO I would like to welcome Naomi Vrazo as a new staff member in the Office of Priestly Vocations. Naomi holds a new position in the office, Marketing and Events Coordinator. Her main duties will be to both market and promote our vocation and discernment programs, primarily through our various social media platforms, website, and regular communication avenues within the Archdiocese of Detroit. In addition to these responsibilities, the Marketing and Events Coordinator also assists with planning our many programs and helping the office to achieve its ultimate goal of promoting priestly vocations throughout the Archdiocese. Naomi brings many special talents into this new position, and I am confident that she will be a welcome member to the team. -Fr. Tim Birney Just a little background: I grew up in the Metro-Detroit area, and was raised Catholic. After a year of community college, I spent two years as a missionary with a ministry based in Syracuse, NY called Hard as Nails, and returned to Michigan in August. I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the Office of Priestly Vocations and work to promote vocations in the Archdiocese of Detroit -Naomi Vrazo Vocare 8

10 DISCERNMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH ARCHBISHOP VIGNERON Solemn Evening Prayer & Dinner Date: December 3, 2015 Time: 6:00 PM Location: Sacred Heart Major Seminary Who: AOD priests and guests, men Pre-registration required. Join Archbishop Allen Vigneron for Solemn Evening Prayer at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Enjoy prayer, dinner, and a presentation by seminarians of the Archdiocese of Detroit. This event gives young men a chance to see other men who are discerning a call to the priesthood as well as a chance to interact with seminarians, their parish priests, and the Archbishop. Priests remain the single greatest influence to encourage our young men to consider the priesthood. Prayerfully consider inviting one or several young men whom you believe may be interested in the priesthood to attend this evening with their parish priest. If you are a young man between the ages of and are interested in this event, please contact your parish priest or school chaplain. Vocare 9

11 DISCERNMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH ARCHBISHOP VIGNERON Two-Day Discernment Retreat Date: May 20-22, 2016 Time: 7 PM Friday - 10 AM Sunday Location: Sacred Heart Major Seminary Who: Men discerning the priesthood Pre-registration required. The Discernment Retreat is for anyone seeking a better understanding of their vocation from the Lord. This weekend retreat will feature presentations focusing on the different aspects of discernment. The featured speaker is Archbishop Allen Vigneron. Other presenters will include Detroit seminarians, the Director of Priestly Vocations, and seminary faculty members. The Discernment Retreat will be informative and most importantly, prayer-filled. Both are important tools for anyone seeking a better understanding of their vocation. The retreat will also include time for quiet reflection and Eucharistic adoration. If the opportunity to spend two days in prayer contemplating your vocation with the assistance of priests and seminarians sounds like a good use of time, this retreat is for you! Vocare 10

12 Office of Priestly Vocations Archdiocese of Detroit 2701 Chicago Boulevard Detroit, Michigan c CONTACT US phone fax detroitpriest.com Fr. Tim Birney, Director birney.tim@aod.org Nancy Dietrich, Administrative Assistant dietrich.nancy@aod.org Naomi Vrazo, Marketing/Events Coordinator vrazo.naomi@aod.org Follow Us Detroit Priest