September 18, 2009
The Bishop's Forum
The Year for Priests: From whence the priests?
by Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger
Third in a series
The Minor Seminary included four years of high school and the first two years of college. The Major Seminary included two years of college and four years of Theology.
Seminary life was highly structured. It was designed to keep the seminarian well occupied with measured free-time for recreation. Opportunities for physical activity were plentiful and participation was expected. I took a liking to handball and workouts in the “outdoor gym” on the parallel and horizontal bars. Later I became deeply involved in theater and bookbinding while maintaining an active life of intramural sports.
Common prayer in the life of a seminarian was patterned. It was carefully structured and spaced throughout the day in keeping with the monastic disciplines of the Benedictine Monks at St. Meinrad. Personal prayer and devotions were left to the individual seminarian.
My spiritual upbringing in our farm home as the fourth child of eight which led by mom and dad and shared with my seven siblings had prepared me well for seminary life. The eight of us were all born within 10 years. Our ages alone have kept us close but much more importantly, we love each other!
Our parents instilled in each of us that attendance at Sunday Mass was understood. It was a non-negotiable issue. We attended as a family. We looked forward to a chance to connect with cousins and friends in our parish family.
Our parents inspired us with their special love of the Eucharist. We never missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days requiring great familial and personal discipline.
Our family was most faithful in keeping the First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart and First Saturdays in honor of our Blessed Mother each month. The months of May and October were laced with daily family rosary and the litany of our Blessed Mother. The litany of the Sacred Heart followed the rosary during the month of June. Dad’s special devotion to the Sacred Heart was not lost upon his children.
Family prayer and familial devotion to the Sacred Heart and our Blessed Mother at home assisted me well in adjusting to the life of prayer in the seminary. I must say, however, that the practice of personal prayer came with me from home.
To this day it is not unlike that which I learned at home. The personal disciplines required for personal prayer were taught to my siblings and me by our mom and dad. They lived those disciplines!
Next Week: Yet another surprise from home!!