Discernment Retreat: Days 2 & 3

I decided to write about Sat. and Sun. together since Sun. was only a half day. Day 2 started off with morning prayer and we heard about different calls that guys might be experiencing right now and how to say yes if you are experiencing that call and what it means for you. The types of calls included calling to major and minor seminary as well as simply the call for more daily prayer. We proceeded to celebrate Mass before lunch. The afternoon sessions were focused on the fact that entering any seminary is NOT answering the call to priesthood. The discernment to becoming a priest or not happens in the seminary and not before. After a break we had an optional rosary before dinner for which everyone showed. After dinner and evening prayer together, we had an open Q&A forum with the seminarians. Afterward, we had a holy hour with adoration and benediction and a priest was available for the sacrament of reconciliation during that holy hour. We closed out with night prayer.

Day 3 opened with morning prayer and breakfast followed by a session about different obstacles that we face and hoe to try to overcome them. We finished off with Mass and then lunch. One of the seminarians asked me when I would be talking to my vocations director, so I informed them that I had been and that I had actually turned in my application, I think I was the only one on the retreat that had already travelled further down the discernment trail. Since there were a couple of seminarians at my lunch table, we talked about the application process for a while and a little bit of the differences between the different dioceses.

It was a really great and well needed retreat. I really like having the liturgies and sacraments as part of the weekend. And heard some things that really help. I'm sure some of the other guys on the retreat who are just starting their discernment have a lot to think about now and don't see it as beeing too scary or foreign. There was also plenty of break time to explore the seminary, pray, read, talk with each other, or whatever else. A great way to start off the New Year!

Dominus Vobiscum

Discernment Retreat: Day 1

Yesterday was the first day of the discernment retreat here at St. Meinrad. The day started out nicely, I had spent the night at my brother's house with my family and we got up early to go to Mass before I had to hit the road for the trip here. On the way, I had to stop by the cathedral to pick up another young man who needed a ride and we rode the rest o the way together.

We started off with second vespers last night in the Archabbey chapel. Which was done by gregorian chant in English by the Benedictines here. Then, after dinner we had introductions and welcoming. There are two priests, one is a Benedictine and in charge of enrollment at the seminary and the other is a diocesan and vocations director at another diocese. Four seminarians, I think there is one from each year of theology. In all, there are 11 discerners and I believe we come from four different dioceses. Both priests have promissed to make this retreat non-pressured and so far so good. We have heard discernment stories from three of the seminarians and watched the Fishers of Men video, I'll try to find that video after the retreat on YouTube and post it here, I know I've seen it before out there. We finished the day with compline in the seminary chapel just with our group and has been a really nice so far.

The biggest disappointment so far is the fact that I grabbed my application packet to try to get more of my essays typed up this weekend, but when I got here, I realized that I grabbed the folder that didn't have all of my outlines and first drafts that I have previously written down. So, if I want to do any essays, I will need to start over.

Dominus Vobiscum