By Kenny Nauert
I am asked all the time, “What is it like to be a seminarian? What do you do?”
The seminary is a place where I am able to discern more fully what God is calling me to do. It is an active participation in the pursuance of God’s will over my own.
While seminary is a place of discernment, it is also a cooperation in the numerous aspects of formation: intellectual, spiritual, human and pastoral. You can liken seminary almost to a graduate level Catholic school, except when you graduate you hopefully become a priest!
On an average day at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, I take classes, I attend Mass and pray, and I perform ministry during the week and on the weekends.
On Sundays we reinforce our community and purpose through the celebration of the Mass and praying the Liturgy of the Hours together. Every morning we pray the Morning Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours in common, and afterwards classes start.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday we have classes throughout the day, with Mass at 11:30 a.m. On Wednesdays, Mass is at 8 a.m. and the day is reserved for ministry in the local communities and parishes. We pray Evening Prayer in common at 5 p.m. almost every day and our afternoons, evenings and Saturdays are free for studying and community fellowship and service.
Ultimately, seminary formation is an active “Yes!” to God’s call for the priesthood while simultaneously making sure that God is calling me to this “Yes!”
In doing so, I am opening my heart to His heart, imploring that my desires become His desires, and hoping that I can be the man God wants me to be for His greater glory and for the good of His holy Church.
