Message From Aaron Johanneck

Dear Family and Friends,

I am writing you from the Eternal City!! (That is Rome for those of you who don't know.) I am at the beginning of four years of theology studies, which, God willing, will lead me to ordination to the Catholic priesthood. A little over a year ago, my bishop asked me if I would be willing to study here at the heart of the Church. After taking some time to pray about, I discerned that this did seem to be God's will for me, so I informed the bishop that I would be happy to do so if that is what he wished.

I spent the spring semester working on the application (it doesn't have to take five months, but I worked on it bit by bit along with my other school work). In the summer I renewed my driver's license and my passport, and applied for an Italian Student Visa. This required a daytrip to Chicago (from Omaha, NE, which is where I spent my summer). After the necessary paperwork, shipping (what a headache!), and packing, I said good-bye to my family at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport on Wednesday, August 22, met up with about 10 other seminarians in Newark, New Jersey, and arrived in Rome at about 9:00am (2:00am in Minnesota) on Thursday, August 23.

At the airport a priest and three seminarians were waiting for us to help us gather our luggage and load a tour bus for the Pontifical North American College. This is my school. It is a seminary for men from North America studying for the priesthood in Rome. The NAC is less than a ten-minute walk from the Vatican. As a matter of fact, I can see St. Peter's Basilica (through a tree) if I look to the right out of my window (see attached picture)!

They have kept us very busy since our arrival. So as to help us recover more quickly from jet-lag, they made us stay awake that whole first day with tours of the College and of the City, so that we would get a good night's sleep and feel more refreshed the next day. Our first full day included Mass at the tomb of St. Peter in the crypt beneath St. Peter's Basilica. I was also able to visit and say a prayer at the tomb of Pope John Paul II, which of course was not there when I was last in Rome, since he was still alive at the time.

We have also toured St. Peter's as well as the excavations beneath. The "Scavi" (Italian for excavations) tour ends with a viewing of some of the bones of St. Peter! These have been uncovered and placed back more or less in the location in which they were found. Now they are enclosed in clear boxes that were donated by NASA.

The Sunday after our arrival, we loaded two buses and went to Castel Gandalfo, which is where the pope's summer residence is located. Every Sunday the Pope Benedict the XVI gives a little homily and prays the Angelus. He then greets different groups present and offers his blessing for us and our families. We "new men" of the NAC were greeted personally by the pope (as a class, not as individuals). We were able to be very close to the balcony from which he preached, prayed, and offered the blessing (see attached picture). Another amazing day!

This week begun our Italian language studies. There are two universities at which we are able to study. The Angelicum, which is run by the Dominicans, offers classes in English. The Gregorian (which is probably where I will be studying) is run by the Jesuits and offers classes only in Italian. Our Italian studies are very important! Fortunately, those of us who study at the Greg have access to a note system in which everyone's notes are combined into one master set. Apparently, this system works pretty well. After listening to Italian lectures for awhile, eventually my ear should adjust. At least that's what I'm told by the other men!

They have also been making every effort to make us feel welcome here. On Friday evening we had Mass and Evening Prayer in the chapel. After that, we gathered in what is known as the "Red Room" (a room which seminarians rarely see) for apertivi (Italian for "before-dinner drinks"). The we went to the cortile (courtyard) outside the chapel where we were served a multiple-course meal by the second-year men. After a Spumante toast, we moved from this courtyard to the larger one at the center of the building for digestivi ("after-dinner drinks"). It was a most enjoyable evening and gave us a chance to get to know one another as well as the faculty and some of the returning men. (Don't worry, we won't eat like that for every meal!)

Although there are certain things I am already beginning to miss about home (family and friends especially!), I am very excited to be here. To study in Rome, blocks from the tomb of St. Peter and from the home of his successor, is an amazing blessing! I am very grateful and honored that my bishop asked me to be here. I am also grateful to God for giving me such a gift. I'm sure it will be an adventure seeing what He has in store for me over the next few years!

Please feel free to share this email with anyone you think might be interested. Also, if anyone else would like to receive updates from time to time (don't worry, it won't be that often) please let me know, so I can add them. Also let me know if you don't want to receive any more. Don't worry, I won't be offended.

Know that you are all in my prayers and I ask you to please pray for me. There are many joys that come with being in Rome for so long a time, but there are also many challenges.

Please keep in touch! May God bless you!

Aaron Johanneck

Summer assignments for the seminarians

I apologize for the late posting of this update. Even though our seminarians have been in their assignments for a few weeks already, we will 'announce' it now.

Matt Wiering: He is studying Italian in Sienna. He will be returning to North American College in Rome for Theo. II.

Zach Peterson and Jacob Niemand: Spanish studies in Guatemala offered through St. Meinrad's Seminary. Both will be returning to St. Meinrad's, Zach in Theo. II and Jacob in Theo. I.

Aaron Johanneck: the 10-week Summer Program offered through the Institute of Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha NE. Aaron will be attending North American College in Rome for Theo. I.

Anthony Mielke: He is living in the Cities and working at St. Paul Seminary. He will return to the University of St. Thomas and St. John Vianney College Seminary for his Sophomore year.

Please keep them in prayers.

Greetings from Rome

Greetings from Rome!

I thought the best way to introduce myself would be to post a letter I wrote recently to some 1st grade students at St. Mary's in Tracy:

May 2, 2007

To the 1st grade class of St. Mary’s in Tracy,

Greetings from Rome and Happy Easter! I received the beautiful Christmas cards that you made—thank you so much for them! Please forgive me for my late response! I hope that school has not let out for the summer yet and that you get a chance to receive this letter, so that you know that I am very thankful that you thought of me and made me the cards!

The weather has been very beautiful in Rome, like it has been in Minnesota the past couple weeks. It is sunny and clear, and the city is filling up with many tourists and pilgrims who come to see Rome for its 2000-year-old ruins, its wonderful pasta and gelato (Italian ice cream!), or to see the Pope and visit some of the spectacular churches that have been built here in this city since Sts. Peter and Paul were both martyred. I am currently studying at the “Pontifical North American College,” which is the United State’s seminary here in Rome. If you don’t know, a seminary is place where men go to study to become priests.

There are nearly 200 other men here who are studying to be parish priests back in the United States. The seminarians here are a very diverse group! Some have lived in the city for their whole lives. Others grew up on farms like I did. (Just a mile down the road from where your teacher, Mrs. Drake, grew up!!) Some of the guys are excellent athletes, while others are concert pianists or talented artists. Some are loud and love to be the center of attention. Others are very soft-spoken and are much better at listening than they are at speaking. Some are very young, having just graduated from college. Others are older and were lawyers or businessmen or teachers before they decided that God was calling them to be priests. But what unites all of the seminarians here is our love for Jesus and our desire to do whatever it is that He wants us to do!

From the time that I was very young I wanted to be a priest. My mom tells me that I used to line up all of my stuffed animals, read to them from the Gospel, and then “feed” them crackers and grape juice. But because their mouths were sewn shut I had to chew and swallow for them!!

I think that I wanted to be a priest when I was young because I loved to go to Mass and to watch the priest at the altar. I wanted to wear those vestments—I thought the priest looked like a king!—and to pray those prayers and to hold the bread and the cup of wine in my hands as they change into the real Body and Blood of Christ. Now, my reason is different. Surely I am very excited to say Mass and to hear confessions in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to do the Anointing of the Sick. This is how Jesus comes to be with us today! But the very simple reason that I want to be a priest is because I love Jesus very much and I love people very much, and I want to be Jesus for other people—to help them to believe in His love for them through me.

Maybe God is calling some of you young men to be priests, and maybe He is calling some of you young women to be sisters. Whatever God is calling you to do when you grow up, I hope that you try to do whatever God wants you to, because this is how you will be happy in life!

Please be extra good for your teacher Mrs. Drake today and for the rest of the school year. She is a friend of mine—actually I’ve known her since she was your age!, and I bet she is a very good teacher.

God bless you and have a great summer! Please pray for me, and I will pray for you too.


In Christ, Matt Wiering

So this gives you a little of everything: my current life as a seminarian in Rome and on God's call for my life. And no, I am not advocating responding to the letters of little kids five months after you get them.

More to come in the future...

Photo Courtesy of http://www.rome.info/link/.

A Prayer of Gratitude for Archbishop Nienstedt

With this week's Diocesan Mailing, we are asked to pray the following prayer of Gratitude. I offer it to you for your prayers, too:

Lord, our God,
You chose your servant, John,
In the tradition of the apostles,
To be the shepherd of your flock
in the Diocese of New Ulm.
We thank you for his ministry with us
And for his spirit of courage, knowledge, wisdom, and love.
Bless him in his new duties as Archbishop.
Guide him to be a faithful teacher, a wise administrator,
and a holy priest.
May you sustain us with loving care as
we await a new Bishop,
And guide us as we continue to grow in faith,
holiness, charity, and loving service.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Archbishop Nienstedt's Biography

A Catholic Community Blog called Stella Borealis, "The Star Of The North" posted the biography of the new Archbishop of St. Paul Minneapolis, of course that being Archbishop Nienstedt formerly of New Ulm. They found it on the Diocese of New Ulm website. Thanks Stella Borealis, and congratulations on your new Archbishop!

At the press release, Archbishop Nienstedt defined himself as a parish priest that holds and teaches what the Catholic Church does. He certainly does. While some might hold this against him, it is a true strength of his. After all, who said that Catholic leaders, especially bishops and priests, should withhold the truth from those that would rather not hear!

Bishop Nienstedt's New Assignment

I am saddened, for completely selfish reasons, to announce that His Holiness, Pope Benedict has appointed Bishop Nienstedt appointed Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He was assigned as the Bishop of New Ulm in June of 2001, and installed in August of that year. Now, after only six years, he moves on.

Such an announcement is received, no doubt, with great joy by Archbishop Flynn, the Archdiocesan priests, and the people. Bishop Nienstedt is a great administrator and a very solid Bishop. It has been my pleasure to serve as Director of Vocations for him these last five years.

While we wait for the Holy See to appoint another bishop here in the New Ulm Diocese, Bishop Nienstedt will serve as Apostolic Administrator. Let us pray already that God will give us another holy Bishop who will proclaim the truth without fear - a truly good Shepherd modeled after Jesus Christ.

A New Associate Director of Vocations

We are pleased to announce that Bishop Nienstedt has named Fr. Craig Timmerman, ordained in 2005, to be an associate Director of Vocations, to formally begin in June. While the exact nature of his assignment is yet to be detirmined, I am certain he will do well, and would also appreciate your prayers. Watch for his posts on this blog!

Divine Mercy Sunday

This is Jacob Niemand, college senior at St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, MN.
Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. I was back home in Montevideo, serving for the confirmation mass for our area faith community. What a great mass! Bishop Nienstedt gave a wonderful homily. A real touching point came in a story that he told. An older couple was driving somewhere, when they met an on coming car. The older couple could see in the other car, that there was a young couple sitting so close to each other, that they couldn't tell who was driving. That prompted the older lady to ask her husband, "Do you remember when we used to do that? We were so in love that you couldn't tell us a part. I wonder why we're not sitting that close today." Her husband gave her a chide answer, "I didn't move." Bishop then connected that story to our lives. In the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, we are sitting so close to Jesus that we can't tell who is driving. Through sinning we move away from Jesus. We are called to the same closeness with Jesus as the young had for each other. When we sin, we move away from that intimacy, but we can regain it and move forward in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The truth is, the closer we get to Jesus, the more we are one in Him. Everyday we need to take steps, they can be small, but we need to take steps towards that intimacy. Congratulations to all of the newly Confirmed.

Vocations Views Blog

As we begin this new cooperative site, I woould like to provide this link to my first blog which I will continue to run, found at frtodd.blogspot.com. I hope that between these two sites, we will keep you well-informed!

Diocese of New Ulm Vocations Blog - a joint cooperative

Through this new medium for us in the Diocese of New Ulm Vocations Office, I hope that we can us this space to keep you informed, provide prayer resources, and help discern a vocation to the priesthood. I hope that I could use this to also post weekly reflections on the Sunday's Gospel/feast as they relate to vocations.

About me: I am Fr. Todd Petersen, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota. I was ordained in 1999, and was named Director of Vocations in 2002. I am also a pastor, currently serving three small parishes in eastern Sibley County.

About our Diocese: We are a diocese that covers 15 counties in south/central Minnesota. We have just short of 70,000 Catholics with a total population of about 280,000 people. Some of our major cities are Willmar, Marshall, New Ulm, and Hutchinson. The Diocese of New Ulm was established in 1958. Bishop Alphonse Schladweiler was our first Bishop (1958-1978), followed by Bishop Raymond Lucker (1978-2000). Our current bishop is the Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt, originally from the Archdiocese of Detriot. He was installed as our 3rd bishop in August of 2001. We have 80 parishes and 2 Oratories (former parishes that no longer have Sunday Mass but are still active in provide prayer and service opportunities), served by 45 priests. We also have 11 Pastoral Administrators (Lay men or women, Deacons or Religious) who serve parishes through administration and some pastoral assistence (of course, in accord with Canon Law, so a priest is also assigned to provide the Sacraments).

We currently have six Seminarians. Deacon Paul Timmerman, soon to be ordained a priest, is currently at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio. Matt Wiering, Theo. I, is at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Zach Peterson, Theo. I, is studying at St. Meinrad's in Indiana. Aaron Johanneck, Pre-Theo. II, is currently finishing his program at the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, MN, and is applying to major seminary. Jacob Niemand, College IV/Senior, will graduate from the University of St. Thomas and St. John Vianney College Seminary also in St. Paul, MN; he is also applying to major seminaries. Anthony Mielke, College I/Freshman, is at the University of St. Thomas and St. John Vianney College Seminary also in St. Paul, MN.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate in emailing me.