Seminarians from diocese gain insight, inspiration at conference

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
May 5, 2005

Four seminarians from the Diocese of Sioux City were among the 150 U.S. seminarians to attend a conference that was held last month at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana.

According to seminarian Brent Lingle, a national conference like this one had not been held for several years due to lack of interest, leadership and finances. With that in mind he said that about 18 months ago the students at St. Meinrad began to kick around the idea of resurrecting the conference and hosting it at the seminary and archabbey.

Seminarians from St. Meinrad's played a major role in organizing the conference.

"I was on the hospitality committee which played a major role during the actual conference. In particular, I helped organize and host the formal social events that we had throughout the days of the conference," noted Lingle, a Sioux City native and parishioner at Sacred Heart Church.

He pointed out that the conference provided an excellent opportunity to meet seminarians from other seminaries all over the country, to get to know one another, and build solidarity in our mission and ministry.

"It gave me great hope to know that there are a lot of guys all over the country that are happy with their vocations and on fire for the church and her mission. Our gathering was a manifestation of our theme 'A Future Full of Hope,'" added Lingle.

Andrew-Bao T. Vo, a seminarian from Sioux City, said the National Catholic Seminarian Conference held a special meaning of hope for the church.

"To me the conference will enrich our desire to be happy, healthy, holy and zealous priests for the church," said Vo, a parishioner at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Jeremy Wind, another diocesan seminarian, noted that it was encouraging to meet other young men who are passionate and think the same as he does, and yet struggle with the same things.

This native of Jefferson, who also studies at St. Meinrad, said he especially liked a talk given by a priest who is in his 70s because he found him to be "still incredibly fired up and in love with the priesthood, ministry, and the people of God. I find we need to be reminded of the incredible nature of the gift that God has somehow called us to."

Mitch Bedel, a student at St. John Vianney College Seminary, said the conference was very good all around.

"It was such a great thing to have a large number of seminarians coming from college seminaries and theologates alike. All of us gathered in one place to become, over the course of a few days, a brotherhood, a unity, a force gathering to recognize our goal, our mission, and realize that we are all in this together, as warriors on the Father's battleground," he said.

Along with the opportunity to meet with and find affirmation in other seminarians, various talks offered a combination of information and inspiration.

"At the conference, author and lecturer Christopher West spoke about giving Hope as a Healthy Celibate Priest. His talk reinforced my belief that celibacy is a gift which defines itself in the service of a priest to the church and God's people," said Vo, who attends St. Meinrad. "A celibate priest is a bridge of Christ who gives himself completely for the church - like a bridegroom to a bride."

Lingle found Father Tom Forrest's talk about evangelization and preaching the Gospel to be the most dynamic and helpful. The international director of Evangelization 2000 talked a lot about bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people in an energetic and truthful way.

"His zeal for the priesthood and for the people of God was especially inspiring after his many years of service. I also appreciated Christopher West and his presentation on John Paul II's Theology of the Body. His discussion about a healthy and mature sexuality and understanding of the human person was enlightening and most helpful, specifically in regards to celibacy," noted Lingle. "I appreciated his positive treatment of this subject especially in light of all the tragedy of the scandals in recent years."

Wind also liked the talk on "Happy Celibacy" that centered on how those living good marriages provide a powerful witness to "us celibates of the mutual self-gift between husband and wife (like that of Christ and the Church). And we who are celibates in turn provide the powerful witness that union of marriage is not the end but the union with Jesus our lover. Why was this of value? Because celibacy and marriage are complementary and we not only need good priests today, but good marriages as well."

For Wind, another valuable topic related to the vocation "crisis" and the influences of the broader culture.

"It was good to hear that the problem really does not lie within celibacy as the media wants us to think," said Wind. "Rather, what our culture thinks about commitment and service occupations."

Bedel pointed out that there were many good topics and presentations at the conference but the two that stood out for him were those offered by Father Forrest and Christopher West.

"Father Forrest talked to us about the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the way that it is able to be stirred into us, the way that it is able to well up from us, and within that, give us such a spark for our ministry, to give us such a living faith, a living connection with the Lord and with the people, as well as a love growing without end for both," he said.

Bedel said the priest told them how important it was that they take in their faith and make it their own where it could be turned into the songs of their own hearts. That way they would be excited and compelled through the Holy Spirit to evangelize the world.

"It was that sort of missionary feel that the late John Paul II begged for us to have, and it is that kind of thing that needs to be welling up from within each and every one of our priests," said the seminarian.

Bedel noted that West spoke to them on the beauty, wonder and the glory of vocation - of what it is, and of how it manifests itself within the bodies of men and women in a way that is beautiful. The speaker also talked about "the wonder of the body, a creation made in the image and likeness of God, an image that reflects so closely the sheer beauty that is the revelation of God's plan."

As a mere freshmen at the very beginning of his journey, he said the conference helped to boost him up and open his eyes to see just a glimpse of all that is before him.

"It allowed me a chance to recharge, to be renewed in my fervor and my zeal, and to be able to plug myself into a newly born stream of prayer that is now connected across the United States - a prayer community that will be bound to spread the divine energy of the Holy Spirit's converting force," said Bedel, a parishioner at St. Joseph's, Wall Lake.