|
Back to Table of Contents
Alumni ordinations rise again
Summer means baseball and ordinations.
Fortunately, Conception Seminary College is having a better year than the Kansas City Royals. But then again, who isn’t.
This year’s class of 17 alumni ordinations is the largest in more than three decades, surpassing last year’s record of 15 and up from seven in 2002.
Part of the equation has been an increase in enrollment over the past decade, but Father Benedict Neenan, president-rector, gives credit where credit is due.
Father Bernard Starman (kneeling) was ordained to the priesthood by
Archbishop Eldon Curtiss of Omaha. Starman was one of 17 alumni
ordained this summer.
Photo courtesy of Omaha Catholic Voice.
“The seminarians are serious about their vocations and the faculties at theologates are doing a good job of helping them understand and persevere in those vocations.”
He also noted that the national trend in recent years has been toward older seminarians and more international seminarians, suggesting that many of them come to the seminary more sure of their direction.
The trend has left its mark on this year’s class of ordained. Of the 17 alumni ordained this summer, eight were born outside the United States, and nine are over 30 years old.
However, Father Benedict reports that overall, Conception is bucking the trend with younger enrollment. “While we welcome the maturity of the older men who come to us, the younger seminarians bring a great deal of vitality to the seminary. It is true that the younger men are often less sure of their vocation and may discover it is not to the priesthood, but those who persevere show the benefit of a thorough formation in the thinking and culture of the Church and a long life of zealous service to their diocese.”
Father Benedict calls the plethora of ordinations a great blessing for Conception, and thus at least one representative of the seminary is at each one. On the weekend of June 2 alone, six monks left Conception to attend 12 ordinations.
“We see the ordained as the fruit of our labor,” he said. “It brings a great deal of satisfaction to me and to all of us to celebrate with them.”
Currently 77 alumni are in theology schools, and statistics show that 75 percent of CSC graduates end up being ordained to the priesthood.
Alumni ordained to the priesthood this summer include: Emilio Sosa and Ruben Covos for the Diocese of San Angelo; Matt Wertin for the Diocese of Pueblo; Anthony Dickerson for the Diocese of Knoxville, Phil Vaske for the Diocese of Cheyenne; Bernie Starman and An Duy Phan for the Archdiocese of Omaha; Steven Rogers for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph; Joseph Toan Vu, Charles Pham, Michael Pham, Gregory Tran and Paul Van Nuyen for the Congregation of Mother Co-redemptrix; Pablo Hernandez for the Archdiocese of Lousiville; Chris Reising for the Diocese of Des Moines; Anthony Ouellette for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas; and Joseph Shetler for the Diocese of Jefferson City.
Fourteen alumni were ordained as transitional deacons this year and are expected to be ordained as priests next year.
We welcome your comments:
communications@conception.edu
www.conceptionabbey.org
Back to Table of Contents
|
