Seminarians build fraternity while visiting archdiocese’s historic roots
Seminarian Luke Roesener, a member of Holy Family Parish in Oldenburg, kneels in prayer on Aug. 12 by the grave of the Servant of God Bishop Simon Bruté in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Vincennes, Ind., in the Evansville Diocese. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)
By Sean Gallagher
VINCENNES, IND.—As seminarian Lance Tony knelt by the grave of the Servant of God Bishop Simon Bruté in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Vincennes, Ind., he felt a kinship with the man who was the first leader of the Church in Indiana.
Bishop Bruté, the founding bishop of the Diocese of Vincennes, which later became the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, had arrived in 1810 from France as a missionary to the United States, eventually being sent in 1834 to serve as a bishop in the wilderness of the American frontier.
More than 190 years later, Tony was sent from his home in southern India to be formed for the priesthood in Indiana and, God willing if he is ordained, to serve for some years here.
His priestly formation is co-sponsored by his native Diocese of Palayamkottai, India, and the archdiocese. The two local Churches have had a longstanding relationship in the formation of future priests from the Indian diocese.
On Aug. 12, Tony and 27 other archdiocesan seminarians went on pilgrimage to Vincennes. It was part of an annual convocation in which archdiocesan seminarians meet before beginning a year of formation at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis and Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad. This year’s convocation took place on Aug. 10-13, primarily at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis. (Related: See a photo gallery from the convocation)
“I spent some time praying at his tomb,” said Tony of Bishop Bruté. “He came at that time from a place, France, that was completely different. And he established the Church here.
“It’s inspiring to see how much he did as a missionary. And it was motivating for me for my future as a priest one day to serve in the archdiocese.”
Showered with graces
The calls of Bishop Bruté and Tony to serve the Church in Indiana came ultimately from God. And the divine nature of a vocation to ordained ministry was something that Archbishop Thompson emphasized during a Mass he celebrated on Aug. 11 at the convocation.
During the Mass, seminarians Seth Hickey, Robert McKay and Hayden Merkel, who are entering into the last four years of their formation, were admitted into candidacy for holy orders.
The ritual marks the entrance of the seminarians into a more advanced stage of their formation for ordained ministry.
“Remember how you are being called and how giving of yourself is a response to that awareness of God’s grace, God’s blessings, God calling you and embracing you in mercy and love,” said Archbishop Thompson during his homily. “ … You’re declaring candidacy because you believe in God’s saving grace in your life. Through you, God will touch the lives of others.
“The declaration of candidacy is built on the profession of faith. Everything we do as people of God is built on that profession of faith.”
In an interview with The Criterion after the liturgy, Archbishop Thompson described the seminarians who were admitted to candidacy as “a great hope for us for the future of the Church.”
“As we cultivate vocations and cultivate a culture of vocations here in the archdiocese, they give witness to what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said. “They’re three quality men who are courageously, humbly and generously discerning this call to priesthood. I think that is a great witness to all young people throughout central and southern Indiana and beyond.”
Seminarian Robert McKay, after four years of formation at Bishop Bruté, was admitted to candidacy before entering into priestly formation at Saint Meinrad.
“It brings me a lot of joy to know that I’m one step closer to being able to serve the people of God as a priest,” said McKay, a member of St. Ann Parish in Indianapolis. “I’m a little nervous as I get closer to the priesthood. But I also know, as I get closer, that the Lord will shower a lot of graces on me to be able to help people, to offer the sacraments and to love him and his Church to the capacity that he wants.”
In being admitted to candidacy, the three seminarians will begin wearing clerical attire—a black Roman-collared shirt, black pants and black shoes—in public events at their seminary and in the archdiocese. All three were dressed in that attire at the Mass.
“I see myself in the mirror and I see that I’m getting closer and closer to the priesthood,” said McKay of wearing clerical attire for the first time. “It also gives me a lot of peace and joy knowing that I’m stepping closer to being a spiritual father for a lot of people.”
‘Follow in my footsteps’
The annual seminarian convocation is a way for potential future archdiocesan priests to build up fraternity with each other.
That was definitely on the mind of Hayden Merkel, a new seminarian who will be in formation at Saint Meinrad.
He was glad to get to know the other archdiocesan seminarians, especially those who are closer to ordination and have walked the path of formation that he’s starting.
“When you have people who are walking in front of you, it makes the path less intimidating, for sure,” said Merkel, a member of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Aurora. “You know that you’re not doing it by yourself. You have a community and fraternity. That’s what the convocation is all about.”
Following in the footsteps of those who have gone before us was something that Father Eric Augenstein, archdiocesan director of seminarians, reflected on during his homily on Aug. 12 at a Mass at the basilica in Vincennes.
He retold a story about Bishop Bruté when he was called to the bedside of a dying man in a cabin in the wilderness on a snowy winter night.
When the bishop’s guide refused to go on in the deepening snow and cold, Bishop Bruté said, “ ‘I will go first. You follow in my footsteps,’ ” Father Augenstein said.
“Today, we come, following Bruté to this holy place, knowing that he leads us out to follow Jesus Christ, Jesus who leads us through the pilgrimage of this life to the promised land of heaven,” Father Augenstein continued. “He calls us to take him with us wherever we go.”
In an interview with The Criterion, Father Augenstein spoke about how some of the new seminarians have felt at home quickly with those who are more experienced than them, in part because some of them come from parishes where other seminarians are members.
“They’re coming in already knowing someone in formation,” he said. “That makes the transition into the community of seminarians smoother and easier. They already have a connection.”
Father Augenstein also explained how archdiocesan seminarians are now in new “Caritas groups,” made up of five or six seminarians at various stages of formation.
“They’ve had opportunities to gather together as a small group for fraternity, support and to get to know each other a little bit more during the convocation,” Father Augenstein said.
He foresees them continuing these connections during the upcoming formation year, even when members of the group might be separated in different seminaries.
“Something the younger generation does well is connecting together through text groups or some other digital way,” Father Augenstein said.
The groups are named after the handful of priests who helped Bishop Bruté as he led the Church in Indiana from 1834-39: Father Vincent Bacquelin, Father Stephen Badin, Father Simon Lalumiere and Father Benjamin Petit.
“It’s another way of encouraging fraternal bonds among seminarians,” Father Augenstein said of the groups.
(To learn more about archdiocesan seminarians and about a vocation to the priesthood in the archdiocese, visit HearGodsCall.com.) †
