Cincinnati Seminarian Blog

Last year on his feast I posted this reflection on my visit to Ars and the continuing blessings of the life of St. John Vianney.

A couple new comments have popped up in the last few weeks. Then after our daily Mass at the parish today a young professor from the University of Dayton stopped by the sacristy to talk about his recent visit to Ars. As I mentioned to him today, you don’t go to Ars unless you want to go to Ars… and St. John Vianney is today undoubtedly moving hearts and inspiring lives for the priesthood. I know that was the case with my visit.

For the very, very lucky souls who can attend, the Congregation for the Clergy is hosting an “International Priests’ Retreat” in Ars next month. For the rest of us… this YouTube video (simply of a pilgrim’s photos) gives some glimpse of the town today.
YouTube video: Pilgrimage to Ars

During today’s Mass, I was struck by the fact that Ars is truly a simple place. It could be Kettering, Ohio. I could be Coldwater. It could be anywhere.

The deep love of Christ, the selflessness, simplicity, humility, and charity that characterize St. John Vianney and make him the model for all priests are universals.

We need to follow that model. And we need more men willing to step up and live the life to which Christ is calling them.

From June 8-20, my four classmates, myself, and Fr. Earl Fernandes became pilgrims to the Holy Land. As mentioned, this is an annual part of our program at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West. Every year, the class that has just finished internship is blessed to have this opportunity.

For the sake of this blog, I’ll post pictures and descriptions of some of the many highlights of this trip. The first region of the country that we saw was the northern part of Israel, including the Mediterranean coast and Galilee.

After seeing Caesarea and Mount Carmel in our first couple of days, we drove (rather, “were driven,” as we had a guide and driver for this whole trip) east to the Sea of Galilee. Our home base was the city of Tiberias, and from here we took smaller trips to the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha (and the Church of the Multiplication), Capernaum, Mount Tabor, Nazareth, Cana, and the Sea of Galilee itself.

Quite a list… and it’s no less incredible to me as I type it out today.

So, here are some photos and descriptions of our visits:

The Church of the Beatitudes
Galilee is a lush, verdant area, in sharp contrast to the desert in southern Israel. This mount, where Christ preached to the masses on the hillside below, forms a natural amphitheater where his teaching could have been heard by all. This 20th century church is simply stunning, and it was a great blessing to spend time here in reflection and prayer.

The Shore of Galilee: “The Church of the Primacy of Peter”
It is said that it is on this spot, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the Risen Lord prepared a fire and meal for his Apostles. Peter, upon seeing the Lord, rushed to the shore. It was here, too, that Peter was reconciled with Christ after his threefold denial, and here Christ commissioned Peter to “feed my sheep.” (John 21)

We were blessed to be able to celebrate daily Mass at so many holy sites. Fr. Fernandes always had a striking homily that incorporated both the readings and the pilgrimage site. This was one of my favorite spots; we were at an outdoor altar very close to the Sea. To hear him speak of Jesus encountering the apostles on the shores of Galilee… with those very shores right behind him… was very powerful.

Capernaum was a key town during Jesus’ Galilean ministry. The ruins of Peter’s home were central in the town. This picture, however, is of the Synagogue in Capernaum. It was here that Jesus proclaimed his “I am the bread of life” discourse. (John 6:48) While a number of the holy locations in Israel are “traditional” or approximate, we know this is exactly where Jesus walked and preached.

Mount Tabor is the location of the Transfiguration. We had a beautiful Mass and time to reflect on the dramatic revelation of Christ’s glory. Another highlight of the trip for many.

The Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth
Okay, I keep saying that these sites were highlights… but this was surely one of my favorites. The mammoth Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth was completed in 1967. Unfortunately, Israel was not immune to the architectural fads of the time. The upper church is certainly a product of the era. However, the lower church (or grotto) is the true highlight. Here we have the excavations of Mary’s childhood home and the spot honored as the location of the Annunciation (and, thus, the Incarnation). I loved praying here and could have stayed for ages.

So… there’s the first part of our trip in condensed “blog” form. In running through the destinations, it might seem as if we were on a mere whirlwind tour of a series of stops. Thankfully, though, we were able to keep it a true “pilgrimage.” Especially as the trip went on, we made sure to take time for a Holy Hour or just time for quiet prayer at the key stops. Celebrating Mass, as mentioned above, was central to at least one of the locations each day. In short, it remained a prayerful and focused trip.

More of the pilgrimage, with more pictures, forthcoming.

I won’t waste time apologizing for the all-too-frequent silence here… FWIW, I don’t keep up with Facebook any better.

During the summer months, Cincinnati seminarians are scattered at various parishes/apostolates/ministries or places of employment. Only during the summer between 2nd and 3rd theology are the summer months really spoken for: most do a hospital program called CPE.

Along with three other seminarians, my plan was to spend six weeks this summer in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in our seminary “exchange” program. We annually host seminarians and priests from Honduras in the winter, then send our men in the summer to learn Spanish and experience the life of the Church in that nation.

But… this is not the summer to go to Honduras. We continue to pray for the people of that nation and hope that stability and peace are restored soon.

The coup occurred the week before we were to arrive in Tegucigalpa, so with the input of Cardinal Rodriguez, we were able to cancel the entire program for this summer with a couple of days to spare. Two of the men decided to go to San Antonio, Texas, to study Spanish through an alternate program. The other two of us chose to find alternate ways to spend our summer. Thus, unexpectedly, I am back at my internship parish of St. Albert the Great in Kettering, OH.

My prior post was written on the eve of my class’ trip to the Holy Land. I have tons to share from that trip. I will break this incredible trip up into a few different posts… so stay tuned.

After highlighting the diaconate ordinations of the men in our house this year… I’m afraid I failed miserably to give due attention to “the main event(s)” in recent weeks. I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, but…

On Saturday May 23, seven men were ordained new priests for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Fathers Marty Bachman, David Endres, Robert Hadden, Shawn Landenwitch, Matthew Lee, Barry Stechschulte, and Tony Tozzi are now grisled two-week veterans of the priesthood. It was a glorious celebration at the Cathedral on their ordination, and the ensuring Masses of Thanksgiving are also huge highlights for everyone privileged to celebrate with them. The joy and hope that this relatively large, vibrant ordination class offers to the Archdiocese cannot be overstated. I was privileged to attend Mass this morning celebrated by Fr. Tony Tozzi, and it was awe-inspiring to have a recent seminary brother out there in a parish celebrating Mass.

Then, last weekend three of our seminarian brothers were ordained in the beautiful Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio. With two other ordinands, these men were ordained by Bishop Blair in yet another striking and beautiful liturgy. I have to say, I particularly enjoyed not having to worry about the behind-the-scenes “work” of an ordination while up in Toledo. While it is a true privilege to assist at the big liturgies in Cincinnati… it can become a challenge to truly abandon oneself to deep prayer while worrying about “what needs to happen next.” So, in any case, the liturgies were very similar yet I could experience this second ordination in a new way as Fathers Chris Bohnsack, Jason Kahle, and Tony Recker were ordained. Toledo even has a fancy YouTube video of the ordinations–very snazzy.

Between these two ordinations I had my final week as the official “in-residence” seminarian intern at St. Albert the Great parish in Kettering, Ohio. To be honest, I was spoiled in so many ways while an intern. The pastor, associate, staff, and parishioners were wonderfully kind and encouraging, and last week was in many ways a fun “goodbye-for-now” celebration. But, it was busy. Just moving out most of my stuff back here to Cincinnati, plus visiting my family, etc. led to a somewhat chaotic time.

And… (trumpet blasts!) tomorrow my classmates and I get on a plane for Israel.

Every year, the class that has just completed the internship year goes on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The generosity of a benefactor makes this possible year-by-year, and I can’t believe our time is upon us. Fr. Earl Fernandes will be our faculty leader, and with my five classmates the six of us will be visiting incredible sites such as Caesarea, Capernaum, Cana, Nazareth, Mt. Tabor, the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Masada, Bethlehem - and many more places. The itinerary is mind-blowing. All of the men who have gone on this trip in years past rave about the profound influence it has on them, not just practically (i.e. while preparing homilies, you can picture how and where the Scriptural events happened) but mostly spiritually, as walking in the footsteps of Christ, the Apostles, and the Prophets before them moves the heart and mind in life-transforming ways.

Suffice it to say, I’m pumped.

Currently, it is quite late on the night before the trip. I’m packed and I’m just hoping to get some decent sleep on the fourteen-hour trans-Atlantic flight… but I’m not worried about having a jolt of adrenaline to get things moving once we get there.

At least a modest account, with pictures, will be on the way. Pray for us and for our newly-ordained priests!

Thanks to Tricia Hempel and the Catholic Telegraph, we have some pictures from last Saturday’s diaconate ordinations in Cincinnati.

This was the setting I attempted to describe previously, as the ordinands sat in the sanctuary during Archbishop Schnurr’s homily. As you can see, it gave the sense of a small, intimate gathering to which the rest of us were privy.

The ordinands lie prostrate as the Litany is about to begin.

Here, Archbishop Schnurr extends the Book of the Gospels to Deacon Rob Muhlenkamp, who is being charged with proclaiming the Gospels.

Deacon Tim Ralston, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, Deacon Rob Muhlenkamp, Deacon Matthew Rader.

Again, congratulations to our new deacons! I know that Deacon Rader is driving north to his home diocese of Toledo this weekend to assist at Mass and to preach; these are exciting times for all of them to begin their new ministry of service.

I heard the call to enter formation for the priesthood while I was a law student at Notre Dame. The three years I spent at Our Lady’s university–the last two while living on campus as an “assistant rector” in a mens residence hall–were a joyous, blessed, wonderful period in my life.

Many of the highlights of my time at ND were rooted in the Catholicism that could be such a central, life-giving aspect of the university. Serving at the majestic Basilica all three years; the friendship and mentorship of the Holy Cross fathers–whose order I considered entering before responding to the call to my home diocese; the deep and incredible faith of my fellow students, who inspired and encouraged me; and so much more.

Knowing how incredible Notre Dame is capable of being makes the really dumb things that all-too-frequently occur all the more distressing. When I was a student, it was the incessant, yearly production of the “V-Monologues” on campus–which organizers finally gave up on this year, without the school actually taking a stand. The award and commencement addressed offered to President Obama this year are, unfortunately, consistent with a lot of the larger decisions and worldviews that are still operative on campus… but I am hopeful that good can come out of the principled responses of Bishop D’Arcy, Mary Ann Glendon, and many others, including Archbishop Pilarczyk.

But this is not why I’m posting today.

While I was still a student, a group of dedicated students helped re-introduce to campus a glorious event, the Eucharistic Procession. This had been a staple of campus devotion in years prior… but the 2005 Procession was the first since the reforms of Vatican II.

Apparently, the Procession has been growing and growing ever since. A personal blog posted a thorough account, full of great pictures, of this year’s Eucharistic Procession, which occurred last Saturday. I recognize many familiar faces, including good friends in formation for Holy Cross.

I love the pictures on the original blog’s post, which give a nice look at who shows up at events like this. Everyone. Young, old, lay, religious, the curious and the devoted. The first year of the procession, we literally interrupted frisbee games on the quad with our procession from altar to altar. It was a teaching moment and an opportunity for evangelization, in addition to being a celebration of Jesus Christ as the heart and soul of our university community.

So, when people bash Notre Dame as a whole and wonder if anything good can come from under the “tarnished” golden dome… I continue to hope and pray that the university remain faithful to all that she is called to be. It is a good place; not perfect, but still able to be (as Fr. Sorin envisioned) “one of the most powerful means of doing good in this country.”

And, of course, Eucharistic Processions are incredible.

Update: An individual had sent me the link to the blog coverage of this year’s Eucharistic Procession, but I think we owe a hat-tip to The Curt Jester.

This past Saturday, three men were ordained transitional deacons at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati.

Deacons Rob Muhlenkamp and Tim Ralston were ordained for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, while Deacon Matt Rader was ordained for the Diocese of Toledo. Coadjutor Archbishop Dennis Schnurr was the celebrant and ordaining bishop. It was a fantastic day - one of the real highlights of the year, of course, for the seminary community.

Ordination liturgies are always impressive. This one was especially so, in some ways. A new and noteworthy aspect of the liturgy (at least for me) was that after being Called to Orders–as the ordinands came forward from their initial places with their families, in the congregation, up to the bishop in the sanctuary–the three ordinands listened to the archbishop’s homily while seated before him. It’s somewhat hard to explain, but this setup presented the image to the rest of us of a intimate conversation between the archbishop and his men, to which the rest of us were fortunate witnesses. Then, later on as the ordinands knelt and the bishop imposed his hands upon the crown of their heads, Archbishop Schnurr reached down and helped pull each man up to his feet–another rich image of the relationship of support and encouragement that is to be operative in their ministry.

It was a tremendous day, and the church is blessed to have these men serving the People of God. Deacons Muhlenkamp and Ralston have their biographies on the Cincinnati Vocations website - just click on each of their names within this page. Deacon Rader’s info can be found here, on the Toledo vocations site.

These new deacons will serve the church–and continue their studies–for one more year on their path toward ordination to the priesthood. As many people may not be aware, though… it is with ordination to the diaconate–ordination into the clerical state–that the men make their permanent promise of celibacy. This is a discipline that is readily associated with the priesthood, and we are familiar with the concept of married permanent deacons… but, again, it is with ordination to the diaconate that the promise of celibacy is made. (Canon 277… but I’ll spare you further details) Just a point of interest that I didn’t realize when I first entered seminary. It makes for a nice retort/clarification when some punk cracks that a deacon should have a wild night on the town before being ordained to the priesthood.

The seminary is FULL of deacons (a nice problem to have) right now as we look forward to the ordination of our priesthood candidates in May. As always, keep these good men in your prayers!

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has had a really great new program within the past year called Cast Your Nets. It is a coordinated effort by the Vocations office, Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry, and some active and dedicated youth ministers. Fr. Schnippel has blogged on it previously.

I was able to accompany a group of our students from St. Albert the Great parish here in Kettering to the fall event at St. Luke parish in Beavercreek. There was lively music, a fantastic Mass with a dynamic homily from Fr. Schippel, and some really good camaraderie amongst the folks who went.

This past weekend, the latest edition of Cast Your Nets was hosted by Holy Redeemer parish up in New Bremen. Of course, this is close to my hometown of Coldwater and I was happy to be there. It was a great event. We had a nice group of high school students from all over the area, and the hard work of Wayne Topp, Paul Fullenkamp (the emcee), John Paul Herbert rocking the tunes, and many others really showed. Plus, the kids from Coldwater did a really nice job with their skit. One of my sisters played Lucifer, while another played a member of N’Sync. Yes, there is an obvious connection between the two… but they did well.

I had been asked to be the speaker at the end of the evening, which was both exciting and humbling. The theme “Be Bold” framed the discussion and I tried to emphasize how even now, in high school, daily decisions make the difference between mediocrity and “just getting along” versus really living life to the fullest. My own vocation story was part of it too (to the chagrin of the good students of Sidney Lehman HS who have heard the story well enough to tell it themselves). It went fine; I’m a perfectionist and it was not as smooth a talk as I would have liked, but everyone was very kind with their feedback. I’m glad I had the opportunity.

*****

There is a further, exciting event happening this week. On Wednesday evening we are having our first “Andrew Dinner” in the Archdiocese. Similar events have been held in other dioceses, and the idea is to invite guys to come learn more about the priesthood in a comfortable, personable setting.

The name is rooted in this passage from John’s gospel (1:40-42): “Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).” Just as Andrew brought his brother to Christ, we are encouraged to bring brothers in the faith to the foot of Christ and–as He leads us–to serve him as priests.

Holy Angels parish in Sidney is hosting this event and the word on the street is that there are already over twenty guys that are going to be there. Regardless of how the numbers actually play out… this is a great idea.

Archbishop Schnurr is going to be there and I’m excited for these young men to learn about the priesthood directly from our shepherd-to-be. Fr. Schnippel has been working hard on this I know and I’m looking forward to tagging along to provide the “Why enter the seminary?” perspective.

If you or someone you know should be there, contact the Vocations Office and we’ll work to make it happen. Not in a dragging-in-a-headlock way if you are volunteering someone else… but this is going to be a great way to informally but thoroughly discover more about serving as a Priest of Jesus Christ.

It seems to me that thanks are due to Dan for keeping this blog alive. I think one of the factors that keeps a lot of other seminarians from posting is that many of the posts would be, “went to class, studied, went to prayer, went to class…”. I think that my nine classmates would agree that we’ve certainly been distracted from blogging by all the preparations for our upcoming priestly ordination. A lot of work has gone into getting to this point, on our part and on the part of a whole host of other people. And presently ’tis the season to plan receptions and First Masses. Having done a bit of that myself, I now know why people spend so much money on weddings and the associated necessities. But hey - priestly ordination is a once-in-a-lifetime event. So, given all that, what does tomorrow hold? “go to class, study, go to prayer, study…”

As noted earlier this month, our seminarian brother Kevin Kahmann became Deacon Kevin Kahmann at a beautiful ordination Mass in his home diocese of Covington, Kentucky. We now have some pictures of the ordination to share, courtesy of the Covington diocese’s Messenger newspaper.

To-be-ordained men Ian McDole and Kevin Kahmann, as Bishop Roger Foys enters in the procession.

Some of the seminarians present; five of them are seminarians for the Diocese of Covington, while the rest visible here are all at Mount St. Mary’s of the West in Cincinnati.

The imposition of hands upon Deacon Kahmann.

Many more are available here. It was a tremendous occasion. The ordination of the rest of our transitional deacons, representing the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Diocese of Toledo, will be next Saturday, April 25. Keep these men in your prayers!