Vocations in the Diocese of New Ulm

Newest Edition of Vocations View

2012-01-12T21:42:00.001-06:00

I have posted the newest volume of the Vocations View Newsletter. Click to go to the page, or Right click to download!

September, 2011, edition of Vocations Views Online!

2011-09-12T11:27:00.001-05:00

I have posted the newest volume of the Vocations View Newsletter. Click to go to the page, or Right click to download!

Operation Andrew Dinners, 2011

2011-09-06T14:42:00.001-05:00

As in the past 9 years, we will be offering three Operation Andrew Dinners for young men who may be (or at least you would like to invite to be) discerning a vocation. Dates, locations, and RSVP contacts are:

October 5, 2011 – Church of St. John, Appleton
RSVP to Fr. Brian Oestreich (320-598-3690)
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

October 17, 2011 – Church of St. Mary, Sleepy Eye
RSVP to Fr. Mark Steffl (507-794-4171)
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

October 26, 2011 – Church of St. Mary, Bird Island
RSVP to Fr. George Schmit (320-365-3593)
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

RSVP one week in advance to the contact person on the brochure or through me.
The events will begin with Evening Prayer, followed by a meal. We will watch a video, the Fishers of Men, produced by the USCCB, and followed by a little discussion, in addition to Bishop LeVoir sharing a message.
As in past years, priests will be asked to personally invite young men that they wish to encourage to discern a vocation to come to the meal. While not all who attended may discern to enter a seminary or religious order, it is certain that the seed of prayerful discernment of God’s will has been planted. As the Fishers of Men video so beautiful describes, it ought to be normal for every young man to prayerfully consider a vocation to the priesthood. Sometimes, all that is needed to begin that necessary discernment is an event like an Operation Andrew Dinner.
RSVP one week in advance to the contact person on the brochure or through me.
Download the brochure and Permission slip here.
For more information, email me!

New Prayer Calendar September 2011-February 2012

2011-09-06T14:24:00.001-05:00

I have posted the new prayer calendar for September through February.

Seminarian Information 2011-2012

2011-09-06T14:22:00.001-05:00

We have posted our newest list of Seminarian information. Download it here.

Vianney Visit Registration

2011-01-31T10:42:00.001-06:00

The staff at St. John vianney Seminary on the Campus of St. Thomas, St. Paul MN, has posted a registration form for the February 10-12 Vianney Visit. Any young man (High school Junior through college) wishing to attend should register. Please email Fr. Todd for information and transportation.

Vocations View Newsletter

2011-01-29T21:40:00.001-06:00

I have posted the newest volume of the Vocations View Newsletter. Click to go to the page, or Right click to download!

Letter to Seminarians

2010-10-18T14:43:00.001-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI has released a Letter to Seminarians.

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO SEMINARIANS

Dear Seminarians,

When in December 1944 I was drafted for military service, the company commander asked each of us what we planned to do in the future. I answered that I wanted to become a Catholic priest. The lieutenant replied: “Then you ought to look for something else. In the new Germany priests are no longer needed”. I knew that this “new Germany” was already coming to an end, and that, after the enormous devastation which that madness had brought upon the country, priests would be needed more than ever. Today the situation is completely changed. In different ways, though, many people nowadays also think that the Catholic priesthood is not a “job” for the future, but one that belongs more to the past. You, dear friends, have decided to enter the seminary and to prepare for priestly ministry in the Catholic Church in spite of such opinions and objections. You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalization: they will always need the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the God who gathers us together in the universal Church in order to learn with him and through him life’s true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity. Where people no longer perceive God, life grows empty; nothing is ever enough. People then seek escape in euphoria and violence; these are the very things that increasingly threaten young people. God is alive. He has created every one of us and he knows us all. He is so great that he has time for the little things in our lives: “Every hair of your head is numbered”. God is alive, and he needs people to serve him and bring him to others. It does makes sense to become a priest: the world needs priests, pastors, today, tomorrow and always, until the end of time.

The seminary is a community journeying towards priestly ministry. I have said something very important here: one does not become a priest on one’s own. The “community of disciples” is essential, the fellowship of those who desire to serve the greater Church. In this letter I would like to point out – thinking back to my own time in the seminary – several elements which I consider important for these years of your journeying.

1. Anyone who wishes to become a priest must be first and foremost a “man of God”, to use the expression of Saint Paul (1 Tim 6:11). For us God is not some abstract hypothesis; he is not some stranger who left the scene after the “big bang”. God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. In the face of Jesus Christ we see the face of God. In his words we hear God himself speaking to us. It follows that the most important thing in our path towards priesthood and during the whole of our priestly lives is our personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The priest is not the leader of a sort of association whose membership he tries to maintain and expand. He is God’s messenger to his people. He wants to lead them to God and in this way to foster authentic communion between all men and women. That is why it is so important, dear friends, that you learn to live in constant intimacy with God. When the Lord tells us to “pray constantly”, he is obviously not asking us to recite endless prayers, but urging us never to lose our inner closeness to God. Praying means growing in this intimacy. So it is important that our day should begin and end with prayer; that we listen to God as the Scriptures are read; that we share with him our desires and our hopes, our joys and our troubles, our failures and our thanks for all his blessings, and thus keep him ever before us as the point of reference for our lives. In this way we grow aware of our failings and learn to improve, but we also come to appreciate all the beauty and goodness which we daily take for granted and so we grow in gratitude. With gratitude comes joy for the fact that God is close to us and that we can serve him.

2. For us God is not simply Word. In the sacraments he gives himself to us in person, through physical realities. At the heart of our relationship with God and our way of life is the Eucharist. Celebrating it devoutly, and thus encountering Christ personally, should be the centre of all our days. In Saint Cyprian’s interpretation of the Gospel prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread”, he says among other things that “our” bread – the bread which we receive as Christians in the Church – is the Eucharistic Lord himself. In this petition of the Our Father, then, we pray that he may daily give us “our” bread; and that it may always nourish our lives; that the Risen Christ, who gives himself to us in the Eucharist, may truly shape the whole of our lives by the radiance of his divine love. The proper celebration of the Eucharist involves knowing, understanding and loving the Church’s liturgy in its concrete form. In the liturgy we pray with the faithful of every age – the past, the present and the future are joined in one great chorus of prayer. As I can state from personal experience, it is inspiring to learn how it all developed, what a great experience of faith is reflected in the structure of the Mass, and how it has been shaped by the prayer of many generations.

3. The sacrament of Penance is also important. It teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. It leads me to humility. The Curé of Ars once said: “You think it makes no sense to be absolved today, because you know that tomorrow you will commit the same sins over again. Yet,” he continues, “God instantly forgets tomorrow’s sins in order to give you his grace today.” Even when we have to struggle continually with the same failings, it is important to resist the coarsening of our souls and the indifference which would simply accept that this is the way we are. It is important to keep pressing forward, without scrupulosity, in the grateful awareness that God forgives us ever anew – yet also without the indifference that might lead us to abandon altogether the struggle for holiness and self-improvement. Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognizing my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbour.

4. I urge you to retain an appreciation for popular piety, which is different in every culture yet always remains very similar, for the human heart is ultimately one and the same. Certainly, popular piety tends towards the irrational, and can at times be somewhat superficial. Yet it would be quite wrong to dismiss it. Through that piety, the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs, shaping the life and emotions of the community. Popular piety is thus one of the Church’s great treasures. The faith has taken on flesh and blood. Certainly popular piety always needs to be purified and refocused, yet it is worthy of our love and it truly makes us into the “People of God”.

5. Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension. Were it to lack that dimension, it would not be itself. Paul speaks of a “standard of teaching” to which we were entrusted in Baptism (Rom 6:17). All of you know the words of Saint Peter which the medieval theologians saw as the justification for a rational and scientific theology: “Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an ‘accounting’ (logos) for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15). Learning how to make such a defence is one of the primary responsibilities of your years in the seminary. I can only plead with you: Be committed to your studies! Take advantage of your years of study! You will not regret it. Certainly, the subjects which you are studying can often seem far removed from the practice of the Christian life and the pastoral ministry. Yet it is completely mistaken to start questioning their practical value by asking: Will this be helpful to me in the future? Will it be practically or pastorally useful? The point is not simply to learn evidently useful things, but to understand and appreciate the internal structure of the faith as a whole, so that it can become a response to people’s questions, which on the surface change from one generation to another yet ultimately remain the same. For this reason it is important to move beyond the changing questions of the moment in order to grasp the real questions, and so to understand how the answers are real answers. It is important to have a thorough knowledge of sacred Scripture as a whole, in its unity as the Old and the New Testaments: the shaping of texts, their literary characteristics, the process by which they came to form the canon of sacred books, their dynamic inner unity, a unity which may not be immediately apparent but which in fact gives the individual texts their full meaning. It is important to be familiar with the Fathers and the great Councils in which the Church appropriated, through faith-filled reflection, the essential statements of Scripture. I could easily go on. What we call dogmatic theology is the understanding of the individual contents of the faith in their unity, indeed, in their ultimate simplicity: each single element is, in the end, only an unfolding of our faith in the one God who has revealed himself to us and continues to do so. I do not need to point out the importance of knowing the essential issues of moral theology and Catholic social teaching. The importance nowadays of ecumenical theology, and of a knowledge of the different Christian communities, is obvious; as is the need for a basic introduction to the great religions, to say nothing of philosophy: the understanding of that human process of questioning and searching to which faith seeks to respond. But you should also learn to understand and – dare I say it – to love canon law, appreciating how necessary it is and valuing its practical applications: a society without law would be a society without rights. Law is the condition of love. I will not go on with this list, but I simply say once more: love the study of theology and carry it out in the clear realization that theology is anchored in the living community of the Church, which, with her authority, is not the antithesis of theological science but its presupposition. Cut off from the believing Church, theology would cease to be itself and instead it would become a medley of different disciplines lacking inner unity.

6. Your years in the seminary should also be a time of growth towards human maturity. It is important for the priest, who is called to accompany others through the journey of life up to the threshold of death, to have the right balance of heart and mind, reason and feeling, body and soul, and to be humanly integrated. To the theological virtues the Christian tradition has always joined the cardinal virtues derived from human experience and philosophy, and, more generally, from the sound ethical tradition of humanity. Paul makes this point this very clearly to the Philippians: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (4:8). This also involves the integration of sexuality into the whole personality. Sexuality is a gift of the Creator yet it is also a task which relates to a person’s growth towards human maturity. When it is not integrated within the person, sexuality becomes banal and destructive. Today we can see many examples of this in our society. Recently we have seen with great dismay that some priests disfigured their ministry by sexually abusing children and young people. Instead of guiding people to greater human maturity and setting them an example, their abusive behaviour caused great damage for which we feel profound shame and regret. As a result of all this, many people, perhaps even some of you, might ask whether it is good to become a priest; whether the choice of celibacy makes any sense as a truly human way of life. Yet even the most reprehensible abuse cannot discredit the priestly mission, which remains great and pure. Thank God, all of us know exemplary priests, men shaped by their faith, who bear witness that one can attain to an authentic, pure and mature humanity in this state and specifically in the life of celibacy. Admittedly, what has happened should make us all the more watchful and attentive, precisely in order to examine ourselves earnestly, before God, as we make our way towards priesthood, so as to understand whether this is his will for me. It is the responsibility of your confessor and your superiors to accompany you and help you along this path of discernment. It is an essential part of your journey to practise the fundamental human virtues, with your gaze fixed on the God who has revealed himself in Christ, and to let yourselves be purified by him ever anew.

7. The origins of a priestly vocation are nowadays more varied and disparate than in the past. Today the decision to become a priest often takes shape after one has already entered upon a secular profession. Often it grows within the Communities, particularly within the Movements, which favour a communal encounter with Christ and his Church, spiritual experiences and joy in the service of the faith. It also matures in very personal encounters with the nobility and the wretchedness of human existence. As a result, candidates for the priesthood often live on very different spiritual continents. It can be difficult to recognize the common elements of one’s future mandate and its spiritual path. For this very reason, the seminary is important as a community which advances above and beyond differences of spirituality. The Movements are a magnificent thing. You know how much I esteem them and love them as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Yet they must be evaluated by their openness to what is truly Catholic, to the life of the whole Church of Christ, which for all her variety still remains one. The seminary is a time when you learn with one another and from one another. In community life, which can at times be difficult, you should learn generosity and tolerance, not only bearing with, but also enriching one another, so that each of you will be able to contribute his own gifts to the whole, even as all serve the same Church, the same Lord. This school of tolerance, indeed, of mutual acceptance and mutual understanding in the unity of Christ’s Body, is an important part of your years in the seminary.

Dear seminarians, with these few lines I have wanted to let you know how often I think of you, especially in these difficult times, and how close I am to you in prayer. Please pray for me, that I may exercise my ministry well, as long as the Lord may wish. I entrust your journey of preparation for priesthood to the maternal protection of Mary Most Holy, whose home was a school of goodness and of grace. May Almighty God bless you all, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

From the Vatican, 18 October 2010, the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist.

Yours devotedly in the Lord,
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

© Copyright 2010 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

November's Vianney Visit Registration Form

2010-10-06T10:49:00.001-05:00

The staff at St. John vianney Seminary on the Campus of St. Thomas, St. Paul MN, has posted a registration form for the November 18-20 Vianney Visit. Any young man (High school Junior through college) wishing to attend should register. Please email Fr. Todd for information and transportation.

Operation Andrew Dinner Information, 2010

2010-09-20T13:24:00.001-05:00

As in the past 8 years, we will be offering three Operation Andrew Dinners for young men who may be (or at least you would like to invite to be) discerning a vocation. The dates and locations are:

St. Mary's, Bird Island October 13 (6-8 pm)

St. John's, Darwin October 27 (6-8 pm)

St. Anne's, Wabasso November 8 (5-8 pm due to a parish mission at St. Anne's 7:30 pm)

The evenings begin with Evening Prayer, a meal, a video on the priesthood, and some personal sharing by the Bishop and some priests and seminarians (if available). RSVP one week in advance to the contact person on the brochure or through me.
Download the brochure and Permission slip here.
For more information, email me!

2010-2011 List of Seminarians

2010-09-20T13:09:00.001-05:00

We have posted our newest list of Seminarian information. Download it here.

New Vocations Prayer Calendar

2010-08-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

I have posted the new prayer calendar for September through February. Download it by Right clicking on the previous sentance.

Updated Seminarian Information

2010-05-03T11:10:00.001-05:00

After a delay caused by my forgetfulness, I have finally posted the Seminarian Information. Please check it out!

Our Newest prayer Calendar

2010-02-20T08:47:00.001-06:00

Our newest prayer calendar for priests, pastoral administrators, and seminarians is online. You can download it here.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T09:08:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Christ is truly born for us...

From the Christmas Proclamation:

Today, the twenty–fifth day of December,
unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth
and then formed man and woman in his own image.
Several thousand years after the flood, when God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant.
Twenty–one centuries from the time of Abraham and Sarah;
thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the Judges;
one thousand years from the anointing of David as king;
in the sixty–fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel.
In the one hundred and ninety–fourth Olympiad;
the seven hundred and fifty–second year from the foundation of the city of Rome.
The forty–second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; the whole world being at peace,
Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father,
desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming,
being conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and nine months having passed since his conception,
was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary.
Today is the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Two New Seminarians

2009-07-02T14:13:00.001-05:00

We are pleased to announce that we have two new candidates for seminary as of today. They are Alex Rabaey of Minneota and James Blaschko of North Mankato. Both will be Freshmen at St. John Vianney College Seminary on the campus of the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul. James is the younger brother of Paul Blaschko, who will be a Junior next year. Please pray for these two fine candidates, for our seminarians, and for many more young men to hear and respond to the call of God to the Priesthood.

New Seminarian List

2009-06-06T21:22:00.003-05:00

Our new Summer Edition of Seminarians is up... Click here to load, or Option-Click to download.

Boys' Summer Camp

2009-06-06T21:22:00.001-05:00

We are pleased to be offering a summer camp for boys again this year. Fr. Timmerman and I are the directors. Held at the Youth Center south of Renville, it will begin at 9:30 am on the 18th of June and end on the 19th at 5 pm. Space is limited.

We have taken as our theme "Sword of the Spirit", and will focus on the year of St. Paul, and introduce the year for priests (which actually begins on the second day of camp. It will include prayers to the Sacred Heart, Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, and lots of play and good, solid conversation about our faith and what it means to be a true man.

Get the application here. You also need The Code of Conduct and medical forms.

Pontiff's Message for Vocation Prayer Day

2009-04-02T12:45:00.001-06:00

As part of World Day of Prayer for Vocations, His Holiness has released a letter for the day. He has given the letter the name of Faith in the Divine Initiative – the Human Response. In this letter, he urges us to pray for vocations, and that those responding take part in the plan of love and salvation God has for everyone. He encourages prayers and efforts to strengthen families. In contemplating the Eucharist, he reiterates that we can see how our faith in what God has done can lead us to respond. Priests perpetuate this salvific mystery, and every Mass nourishes the faithful and priest to make a response in faith.

Congratulations to Bishop LeVoir

2008-09-15T22:48:00.001-05:00

This day was a great day for the Diocese of New Ulm, as we received our fourth Bishop, ordained in our See City. It was a wonderful day of celebration and joy, and the Holy Spirit was strongly present.

May God Bless Bishop Levoir for his 'Yes' to the Holy Father's call to accept the episcopacy. May he be given the grace and strength to lead us for years to come!

New Resources

2008-08-23T15:37:00.001-05:00

We are adding to our resources made available to download from my other blog (FrTodd.blogspot.com). Please see our rooster of seminarians, as well as the list of young women discerning religious life. Also available is the newest prayer folder to print off. This lists a priest or pastoral administrator as well as a seminarian for every day for the next 6 months. Note that it should be printed off on 8.5 x 14 Paper and folded in half. It can be folded again and fits well into your Liturgy of the Hours book (hint, hint).

Yet Another Seminarian

2008-08-23T15:36:00.003-05:00

We are pleased to publicly announce that we have accepted another young man as candidates for the seminary. Samuel Wagner will be in pre-Theology at St. Paul Seminary. He is from Sleepy Eye. This brings our total seminarians to 10! May God bless us with more!

Prayers for Butch Hendrickson

2008-08-23T15:36:00.001-05:00

We are asking for your prayers for one of seminarians, Butch Hendrickson. He had an accident water tubing last week and broke his nose. In the surgery to correct it, they discovered that he has also fractured his skull onto his sinus cavity. He will need further surgery, and additional time to heal and recover.

Bishop-Elect LeVoir's Ordination

2008-07-29T11:49:00.001-05:00

I have received notification (though not official yet) that Bishop-Elect LeVoir's ordination is set for September 15, 2008 in New Ulm. More details will follow.

A new Bishop for New Ulm!!!

2008-07-14T21:27:00.001-05:00

After a 14 month wait, Rome has responded and given us a Bishop: Bishop-elect John LeVoir from the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis. The post in Italian can be found at the Vatican News Service, though it can be found at Whispers in the Loggia. The Diocese of New Ulm is already awake with the news: Statement by Bishop-elect by Monsignor Grams Statement by Bishop-elect
While I do not know Bishop-elect LeVoir personally, his reputation for being a wise pastor and a holy man is well-established. He is a published author on the thought of Pope John Paul II.

Welcome Bishop-elect LeVoir! Thank you for saying yes!

Here is the Official Press Release:

Pope names Minneapolis Native Reverend John M. LeVoir
as Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm
New Ulm, MN - Pope Benedict XVI has named Rev. John M. LeVoir, 62, as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, MN. The announcement was made in Washington, July 14, by Msgr. Martin Krebs, charge d'affaires of the Apostolic nunciature to the Holy See. Bishop-designate LeVoir succeeds Archbishop John C. Nienstedt, third bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, who was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on April 24, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. Archbishop Nienstedt remained Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of New Ulm until December 13, 2007 and on May 2, 2008 succeeded Archbishop Harry J. Flynn as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Msgr. Douglas L. Grams has served as Diocesan Administrator since December. John M. LeVoir was born February 7, 1946 to Marvin A. and Mary A. LeVoir in Minneapolis, MN. He has two brothers and one sister. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1968 from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul; a Bachelor of Science in Business degree in accounting in 1971 from the University of Minnesota, becoming a certified public accountant in 1973; a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1974 from the University of Minnesota; and a Master of Arts degree in theology in 1981 from the St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, MN. Prior to his ordination, he was employed from 1971-1976 as a public accountant for several firms and also as an instructor of accounting at the University of Minnesota. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on May 30, 1981 by Archbishop John R. Roach at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Following ordination, he served as Associate Pastor of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony from 1981-1992; Pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity in South St. Paul from 1992-2004 Pastor of the Church of St. Augustine in South St. Paul from 2000-2004. Since 2004, he has served as Pastor of the Church of St. Michael and the Church of St. Mary in Stillwater.

His publications include: Covenant of Love: Pope John Paul II on Sexuality, Marriage and the Family; Faith for Today: Pope John Paul II’s Catechetical Teachings; and Image of God Religion Series - theological consultant and author. The Diocese of New Ulm is comprised of 15 counties in southern Minnesota, a total of 9,863 square miles. The total population is 285,338 with a Catholic population of 68,087.
On July 14, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop-designate John M. LeVoir as the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota. A date for Bishop-designate John M. LeVoir’s episcopal ordination and installation has not been set.

Summer 2008 Assignments

2008-06-13T14:43:00.001-05:00

We are pleased to announce the assignments of our Seminarians. Matt Wiering will be returning Stateside from the North American College for some family time and for 6 weeks of parish assignment in the Wabasso/Wanda/Seaforth/Lucan Area Faith community of the Light of the World (where I am pastor). Aaron Johanneck will be staying in Europe to help with a pilgrimade and for language studies. Both Matt and Aaron wiill be returning to North American College in Rome for Theo. III and Theo. II, respectively. Zach Peterson: He is in a Clinical Pastoral Experience (CPE) at St. Mary's Hosptial in Duluth. Jacob Niemand is in a parish assignment in the Divine Mercy Area Faith Community in Sleepy Eye/Leavenworth/Comfrey. Both will be returning to St. Meinrad's, Zach in Theo. III and Jacob in Theo. II. 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 Junior year. Paul Blaschko is working at the 10-week Summer Program offered through the Institute of Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha NE. Butch Hendrickson is at home working in his carpentry shop.
Please keep them in prayers.

More Seminarians

2008-06-13T14:20:00.001-05:00

We are pleased to publicly announce that we have accepted two more fine young men as candidates for the seminary, both for St. John Vianney Seminary on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. Garrett Ahlers is from Marshall, MN. Andrew Illikman is from New Ulm, MN. Both will be freshmen.

We are also in process with another applicant for another program.

Please keep these men in your prayers.

Those that are counting will realize that pending the acceptance of this third candidate, we will have ten in formation, with five starting with us since July last year. Yes, that means that we will double our numbers... now only if you can get 10 candidates next year...

New Seminarians

2008-02-23T12:00:00.002-06:00

We are pleased to belatedly announce the acceptance of 2 new seminarians, both of whom are transfers to St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. They are Paul Blaschko and Butch Hendrickson. They have been invited to become 'authors' for this blog, as well as the other 5 seminarians from our Diocese. Please continue to pray for all of their discernment!

Message From Aaron Johanneck

2007-09-05T15:01:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-23T11:58:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-11T08:44:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-05T18:33:00.001-05:00

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

2007-04-24T18:21:00.001-05:00

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

2007-04-24T18:18:00.001-05:00

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

2007-04-19T20:42:00.000-05:00

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

2007-04-15T20:56:00.000-05:00

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

2007-04-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-04-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

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.