Meet our new seminarians

Transcription

1 Meet our new seminarians This year, we welcome four new seminarians who just started their formation at St. John Vianney College Seminary earlier this month. They all are in Pre-Theology I, which means they will spend 2 years at St. John Vianney studying philosophy. After graduating they will begin their theological studies at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach where they will, God willing, spend the next 5 years! Donald Amodeo Zachary Brasseur Peter Gonzalez Home Parish: Holy Family Home Parish: St. Paul, St. Pete Home Parish: St. Paul, Graduate of: Franciscan Graduate of: St. Leo University Tampa Univ. of Steubenville Graduate of: UF Gustavo Gus Matos Home Parish: St. Ignatius of Antioch Graduate of: FSU Inside this Issue: Animus Seminarian Perspec ves...3 Voca on News..6 Calendar...7 Our Seminarians...7 August 2015 Volume XXII:VIII

2 As I have said before, this time of year is a bitter sweet time. All of our seminarians have returned to their respective seminaries and there is a bit of sadness that they are not with us here in the Diocese, with the exception of the four men that will begin their pastoral Year assignments on September 1 st. But there is also great excitement as we begin a new school year that will culminate with the Ordination of five men in May. We begin this year with four new men. They are all college graduates and will begin seminary formation as Pre-Theologians. A Pre-Theologian is a man that holds a college degree and is required to only do two years at the college seminary to fulfill his Philosophy requirements. The Church requires a seminarian to have 36 undergraduate credit hours of Philosophy as a requisite before beginning the study of graduate level Theology. Anyway, these four men are all very bright, energetic, and kind. They all have a great sense of humor and, if called by God, will be tremendous priests. Two come from Catholic colleges, Franciscan University of Steubenville and St. Leo University. Two are graduates of our State college system, University of Florida and Florida State University. All four were active in Catholic ministries on their college campuses, and all four grown up in local parishes. This new school year sees three men begin their Theology studies at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL. and one man begin Theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome after their graduations last spring from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. This year also sees five men enter their final year of formation and, as I mentioned above, their Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood in May. There is truly a lot to be excited about. The new academic year also marks my return to preaching in our parishes on the subject of vocations. Last year I was able to complete a three year cycle that has taken me to all the parishes in our Diocese. So, this year I begin a new three year cycle. It is a great grace to be able to visit each of our parishes with the sole intent of speaking about vocations to priesthood animus and religious life. The priests, staff, and faithful are so welcoming, engaged, and kind that I cannot hank you enough. Finally, as we begin this new year I ask all of you to continue to pray, support, and promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life to your family, friends, and in your parishes. Allowing the Lord to use your voice in His calling of our young people to Himself is one of the greatest gifts we can give the Church! I look forward to the great work the Lord is going to do in our Diocese this year! As I said, these are really exciting times!!! God Bless you all, Fr. Carl Melchior Director of Vocations August Volume XXII:VIII

3 Anthony Astrab, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary The Hand of God Have you ever had one of those experiences where everything just clicked? There was nothing you did to make it click, it just did. As a result, the event or experience deeply impacted you in a particular and profound way. This summer, I was privileged to study Spanish in Guatemala for 10 weeks with my diocesan classmate Joshua Hare and seven other Florida seminarians. The hand of God was extremely evident in my time in Guatemala. While my already skinny self lost 10 lbs that I really couldn t afford to lose, my heart and my mind grew to new bounds. In many ways the experience was life changing. As I boarded the Boeing 747 from Miami to Guatemala City one thing became very evident, the English language had left the building. I thought to myself, Dear God, please help me. However after the first few days the Lord helped transform my nervousness, discomfort, and anxiety into excitement, joy, and ambitiousness. My fearfulness to go to Guatemala even turned into a noticeable sorrow to leave the country and come back to the US. As my confidence and ability rose with the language, I began to dive deep into the culture and into peoples lives. I talked about the faith and many other important topics with my teacher and others. As a result, I began to find out many heart-breaking facts about their reality. For those that do not know, among other issues, Guatemala is currently being ripped apart by political corruption: the President has been removed from office because of financial corruption, the Vice-President that has stepped into the President s office is now caught in the same corruption, a former President sold the government-owned energy facilities to foreigners who have raised electricity costs to near US electricity prices, the local gangs in Guatemala City have taken over entire sections of the city and now seem to be in bed with several politicians, the police are corrupt, often being the ones behind car theft, and the list goes on. However, despite all of the corruption and poverty, a raw beauty was evident in the people. Even though they suffered on a daily basis, their smiles were literally heart piercing and radiated joy. Their hope, joy, and reliance on God in the midst of many difficulties struck a cord in my heart. I can t help but remember a very common Guatemalan expression that will surely remain with me forever, Primero Dios (God first). I am truly grateful for the opportunity to go to Guatemala, and I am extremely excited to spend this year reflecting on many of the experiences, continuing to allow them to form and expand my heart and mind. Anthony Astrab is a native Floridian born in Dunedin. His home parish is St. Ignatius of Antioch in Tarpon Springs. Anthony s parents are John and Rose and he has one older brother John who is married with two children. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes School in Dunedin and Jesuit High School in Tampa. Anthony has a Bachelors in Accounting and Masters in Entrepreneurship from the University of South Florida. After college he worked for himself buying foreclosed homes, renovating them and reselling them. His hobbies include mountain biking, running, fishing, surfing, golfing, and working on classic cars. His summer assignments have been St. Raphael s Parish, the Institute of Priestly Formation, and the Guatemalan Spanish Immersion. Anthony really enjoys working with the poor, youth, addicts, sick and homebound, and elderly. His attraction to the priesthood comes from wanting to serve others. Anthony is a fourth year seminarian in Second Theology. Seminarian perspectives Dcn. Felipe Gonzalez, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary What a Blessed Year it has Been! Last year when I wrote a column for this newsletter, I was entering third theology just months before my diaconate ordination. I was transitioning from parish life for a whole year, back to seminary structure and its discipline, as well as, transitioning into feeling all the jitters that one can feel leading up to ordination. Ordination day came and it was not until I heard the words, Do not be afraid, I will be with you during the proclamation of the gospel, that I was able to fully surrender my fears; Fears that were keeping me from seeing that I was not doing this by myself. Having been ordained and sent back to our diocese to serve in my home parish for the summer was another blessing! There, I was able to gradually adjust to the fact that I was being now called Deacon Felipe and not just Felipe. At times people would even call me father just because they saw that I was wearing the collar and could not make the immediate connection. There were countless blessings that I received, many baptism ceremonies, celebrations of the Eucharist where I preached, funerals, house blessings, one wedding, listening to people one on one, sharing with the youth and going on a trip with them, partaking in various parish meetings, leading a retreat and other workshops, but above all, learning how to become a bridge to the diverse communities that exist in the parish. All these experiences have allowed me to taste a little bit of what my ministerial priesthood can and will be like. But most importantly, how important God needs to be at the center of it all, and how important friends are to be able to share in the joys, and the struggles that come with this life, as well. Now, I write to you from the seminary, once again, experiencing another adjustment from parish life into seminary and into another parish assignment during the weekends. There are certainly lots of things that need to happen first, before I am fully recommended to the priesthood by the formation team at the seminary. I am looking forward to this year with great optimism and always motivated by the experiences that I had with the people during the summer. In the end, it is the people in the parish that will teach me how to become a better priest. May God continue to bless you abundantly! Felipe Gonzalez was born on November 8 in Medellin, Colombia. Deacon Felipe is the youngest of three. He has one older brother and sister. He moved from Colombia to the United States at the age of 11. Felipe lived with his parents in Miami for three years and then moved to Tampa. Upon visiting the seminary a number of times, and having had graduated from High school, Felipe then decided to apply to enter the seminary. His parents moved back to Colombia to retire, while Felipe remained in the U.S. studying in the seminary. As a young child, Felipe started to show some inclination to the vocation to the priesthood by pretending to play the mass with friends, family and neighbors. In fact, every time Felipe calls his neighbors and friends, they always take him back to those experiences. Felipe has now been in seminary formation for eight years, and was ordained to the diaconate last April. After so many years in seminary formation, Deacon Felipe is looking forward to his ordination to the priesthood with great eagerness. On his leisure time, Felipe enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, reading, traveling, and listening to music. Deacon Felipe s vocation to the priesthood continues to be inspired by priests he has worked with, but also by the number of young men that are saying yes to God s invitation to serve Him in his Church. August Volume XXII:VIII

4 Seminarian Perspectives - continued Connor Penn, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary All In! I write this update from the desk of my new dormitory room on the campus of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary as a first-year theology student! These weeks of orientation have begun in earnest and I have greatly enjoyed settling in here for a new semester of priestly formation. This past summer, I took part in the Institute for Priestly Formation s Summer Program for Seminarians. Don t worry, I didn t flunk out of my philosophy studies last year! Instead, this summer program provides a complimentary summer of study in spirituality for seminarians from around the country. This year, 175 seminarians from all across the United States spent 9 weeks in Omaha, Nebraska, on the campus of Creighton University. The program included four distinct courses covering aspects of the diocesan priesthood along with weekly spiritual direction and an 8-day silent retreat. As the summer rolled on in America s heartland, I started to become incredibly excited to begin my time at St. Vincent de Paul. One particular class which discussed the liturgy really ignited a desire within me to delve into studying the great mysteries of our faith. I remember leaving each class during the course s three-week period with small nuggets of insight that brought me to prayer and reflection later that day. Since arriving at St. Vincent de Paul, I have tried to examine just what has caused this excitement for theological study. Both in high school and in college, I enjoyed learning on the whole but very little topics of discussion would truly captivate me and spur a desire to learn more of my own volition. Surprisingly, I found that during this summer certain discussions or insights into our faith would motivate me to further research and investigation. Honestly, I believe what has truly sparked my enthusiasm for soon learning about Jesus Christ and His Church here at St. Vincent de Paul is a knowledge that all of this information is not just for me. In fact, I begin my studies here with an eagerness to learn so much more about our Catholic faith precisely because the great people of our diocese yearn with that same eagerness to understand the person of Jesus Christ in their own lives. So many parishioners throughout our diocese enter church on Sunday craving the spiritual food that will nourish and sustain them throughout their upcoming week. Put simply, I start my studies here not for my own benefit, but rather to learn for those to whom I will one day preach the Gospel. This fact, then, motivates me to burn the candle at both ends in those long nights of work and study: the people of God deserve nothing less! Connor Penn enters his first year of theology studies at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary after having studied for three years at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, for which he earned a bachelor s degree in philosophy. Born and raised in Tampa, Connor hails from Temple Terrace and calls Corpus Christi Catholic Church his home. He attended elementary and middle school there before studying at Jesuit High School. Before seminary, he spent one year at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, where he studied journalism. Connor enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He enjoys keeping a presence on social media, something that (together with a limited background in television and radio) he hopes to bring one day to the Church. Above all, drawing others to Christ through the sacraments and establishing life-long friendships centered on these sacraments most attracts him to the priesthood. Connor has greatly enjoyed his three years in seminary and continues to look forward to all that God has in store for his journey. He avidly follows Tampa Bay s sports teams and also enjoys running in his free time. Deacon Kevin Yarnell, Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary Avoiding a Lost Year As a high school teacher of 30 years I saw my fair share of senioritis a general laziness that affects students in their last year of high school. While I found good ways to deal with unmotivated seniors I never fully understood the phenomenon. Students would talk about their last athletic events or last exams as if they truly were the last things they d ever experience. Yet all but a handful left high school to attend college where they most certainly took more exams, did more homework, and attended more events. In short, the logic of senioritis doesn t hold. An analogy to chapters in a book might be a better. A chapter is ending and a new one beginning but that s a lot different than the senioritis mentality of being at the end of the book. For some reason I never experienced senioritis as either a high school or college senior. Some of that can be attributed to my father who instilled in me an if you see a job that needs to be done, do it mentality. Final school terms had jobs that needed done and so, I did them. I m hoping that will be true this coming year as I finish up my studies at Pope St. John XXIII near Boston. It isn t likely to be a difficult or challenging year but, if I m not careful, the ease and maybe some senioritis could lead to a lost year. Donald Miller in his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years observed that there is a great deal of our lives that we don t remember. He likened this to scenes cut from a movie by the director and challenges readers to actively work at creating memorable scenes. He tells, for example, of a family on a water front property who said goodbye to him by jumping into the lake and a man who asked him to take his place at an orphanage ground breaking ceremony. The book allowed me to see the need to make the ordinary memorable especially in this last year of formation. If I don t, the year will end up on the cutting room floor. It will be a lost year. One way for me to do this is to say yes more than no. A yes last fall, for example, got me on a rain soaked hike up Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire which, in turn, led to summiting the highest points of four New England states all in snow and subfreezing temperatures. Another yes allowed me to meet Karen, a homeless woman living near this year s summer assignment. These scenes, and others like them, have most certainly not been cut from my life s movie. My goal then for this coming year is to accept the opportunities that God brings into my life and avoid any hint of senioritis. Sure, ordination in May will be amazing but that s no reason to lose the next 10 months by looking to the future. Who knows what great scenes await! Kevin Yarnell was born in Pennsylvania and, while in the 4th grade, moved to Florida where he attended a Methodist Church and actively participated in their youth program. Following high school Kevin attended Florida Southern College where he earned his BS in Physics and Mathematics. He later received his master s degree from Shenandoah University in computer education. Kevin worked at Tampa Catholic for 28 years teaching computer, physics, and math courses and serving as the school s technology director. His spiritual journey from Methodism to Catholicism and on to seminary consisted of many small steps in which he felt God s direction. Now in his final year of study, Kevin is a 4 th Theologian at Pope Saint John XXIII National Seminary located near Boston. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys long distance bicycling, hiking (even in winter), and golf. August Volume XXII:VIII

5 Summer Photo journal Seminarians Joshua Hare & Anthony Astrab In Guatemala Bishop s BBQ Johnatan Fernandez & Reinaldo Jara at Seminarian Convocation Seminarians Drew Woodke and Leonard Nglame at Camp Hidden Lake Seminarian Convocation Connor Penn, Izzie Hernandez & Billy Augensen in Omaha at the Institute for Priestly Formation August Volume XXII:VIII

6 Holy Hour for Vocations Cathedral of St. Jude Sponsored by the Serra Club Every 4th Wednesday of the month (with a couple of exceptions) the Serra Club hosts the Holy Hour for Vocations from 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. Please consider attending one of these holy hours to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Upcoming dates are as follows: September 23 October 21 November 18 Animae Via Animae Via is a discernment group for individuals who are reflecting on God s call in their lives and are considering the possibility of priesthood or religious life. It meets every other month at St. Timothy Parish (17512 Lakeshore Road, Lutz). We start with dinner in the Parish Hall followed by a talk, conversation and prayer and concludes with Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction (chapel). Without a doubt participation in Animae Via will help to make God s will in your life clearer! The evening is open to anyone high school age and older. Friends are always welcome. Scheduled dates are as follows: November 18, 2015: Prayer and Discernment January 13, 2016: Mary: Mother and Model of All Vocations Vocation news National Vocation Awareness Week Baptized in Christ Jesus November 1-7, 2015 The Solemnity of All Saints is when the Church honors all saints, known and unknown. This is similar to the American holidays of Veterans Day and Presidents Day, when a group of people are honored on a specific day. While we have information about many saints, and we honor them on specific days, there are many unknown or unsung saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been honored specifically. On All Saints Day, we celebrate these holy men and women, and ask for their prayers and intercessions. The observance of National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) began in 1976 when the National Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the 28 th Sunday of the year as the beginning of NVAW. Resources are available on the vocations website for parishes and schools. Come & See Weekend Retreat November 6-8, 2015 Held at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, these weekends serve to provide opportunities for male high school juniors and older to get a first-hand experience of seminary life and the opportunity to interact with other young men who are discerning a vocation. The Diocese will provide transportation and there will be no charge for the retreat. For more information contact Fr. Carl Melchior at (727) or [email protected] SAVE THE DATE! Vocation Promotion Workshop Bethany Center, Lutz 8:00 am 2:00 pm Saturday, January 23, 2016 August Volume XXII:VIII

7 Calendar of Upcoming events September 2015 September 9, 2015 (7:00 pm-9:00 pm) Animae Via Discernment Group St. Timothy Parish, Lakeshore Rd, Lutz Parish Hall September 23, 2015 (7:00 pm-8:00 pm) Diocesan Holy Hour (Sponsored by SERRA Club) Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle October 2015 October 21, 2015 (7:00 pm-8:00 pm) Diocesan Holy Hour (Sponsored by SERRA Club) Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle November 2015 November 1-7, 2015 National Vocation Awareness Week November 6-8, 2015 Come and See Weekend St. John Vianney College Seminary, Miami November 18, 2015 (7:00 pm-8:00 pm) Diocesan Holy Hour (Sponsored by SERRA Club) Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle November 18, 2015 (7:00 pm-9:00 pm) Animae Via Discernment Group St. Timothy Parish, Lakeshore Rd, Lutz Parish Hall Our Seminarians St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary Anthony Astrab 2nd Theology William Augensen 1st Theology Elixavier Castro 3rd Theology Dcn. Felipe Gonzalez 4th Theology Joshua Hare 2nd Theology Connor Penn 1st Theology Bradley Reed 4th Theology Dcn. Jonathan Stephanz 4th Theology Mark Drew Woodke 1st Theology Pastoral Year Daniel Angel Kyle Bell Louis Turcotte Timothy Williford St. Ignatius of Antioch Nativity St. Paul, St. Petersburg St. Cecelia Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary Dcn. Kevin Yarnell 4th Theology Pontifical North American College-Rome Ralph D Elia 1st Theology Alexander Padilla 4th Theology St. John Vianney College Seminary Donald Amodeo Pre-Theology I Zachary Brasseur Pre-Theology I Johnatan Fernandez Junior Year Peter Gonzalez Pre-Theology I Christopher Grevenites Senior Year Israel Hernandez Pre-Theology II Reinaldo Jara Junior Year Patrick Lambert Junior Year Gustavo Matos Pre-Theology I Leonard Ngalame Sophomore Year Michael Orajaka Pre-Theology II Mark Yarnold Junior Year Contact Us: Fr. Carl Melchior, Director of Vocations ( [email protected]) Heidi Varley, Administrative Assistant ( [email protected]) P.O. Box 40200, St. Petersburg, FL (727) Website: August Volume XXII:VIII

8 Office of Voca ons Diocese of St. Petersburg P.O. Box St. Petersburg, FL NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID St. Petersburg, FL PERMIT NO Return Service Requested 2015/2016 Diocese of St. Petersburg Seminarians August Volume XXII:VIII