I meet our seminarians at least twice a year when they are in the diocese for their holidays. Occasionally we also meet at the seminary if I am in the area for another meeting.
Different ages, different backgrounds, different parishes but all gathered by their call to the priesthood.
I remember addressing the Diocesan Pastoral Council on their journey at one of our meetings. For some reason some people see their journey as the "normal one" any student follows at university: you pass your exams, you become a priest. Therefore they expect everything to be the same for each one of them.
It is much more than that.
So one day, addressing the pastoral council, I said: "Let us suppose you have two, three, four children from the same father and mother. Still, what you did with the first born you could not do with the second born. Our seminarians come from different families, parishes, backgrounds but you expect me to do exactly the same with each one of them. You are simply being unfair with me and with them."
It was important because, in different ways, the seminarians experience the "pressure" that comes from their parishes, communities, even from some of the priests...
Remembering my own journey I always encourage them to have their own personal voice and not to submit even to peer pressure.
Different ages, different backgrounds, different parishes but all gathered by their call to the priesthood.
I remember addressing the Diocesan Pastoral Council on their journey at one of our meetings. For some reason some people see their journey as the "normal one" any student follows at university: you pass your exams, you become a priest. Therefore they expect everything to be the same for each one of them.
It is much more than that.
So one day, addressing the pastoral council, I said: "Let us suppose you have two, three, four children from the same father and mother. Still, what you did with the first born you could not do with the second born. Our seminarians come from different families, parishes, backgrounds but you expect me to do exactly the same with each one of them. You are simply being unfair with me and with them."
It was important because, in different ways, the seminarians experience the "pressure" that comes from their parishes, communities, even from some of the priests...
Remembering my own journey I always encourage them to have their own personal voice and not to submit even to peer pressure.
When we meet we normally we spend a morning together. We start with the celebration of the Mass at the chapel of the former bishop's house (which is now the diocesan chancery) and then I distribute among them the reports I receive from the seminary together with the academic results.
After they have gone through them, I meet privately with each one of them. At the end we come together "for a few minutes" but lunch is always delayed as the meeting warms up and different topics are raised by them.
During their holidays they spend most of that time in a parish. At their request we try to make sure they rotate "parishes" and "priests" so that they are able to experience the diversity of our diocese.
We are grateful for each one for them and we daily entrust them to the Lord who called them.
