Tower Topics ~ Spring 2002

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Apostles in training: Program introduces seminarians to a 'life of service'

Every week Conception Seminary College students visit a prison, a psychiatric hospital, a food pantry and six nursing homes. They teach religious education in six parishes and coach Public Achievement teams at two schools. They clean up neighborhoods, wipe tables and listen. They serve food, push wheelchairs and read to children.

New students start out building Habitat for Humanity houses. But within a semester, Conception’s Apostolic Program is giving them a full-fledged introduction to hands-on ministry.

Viet To leads everyone in a pre-meal prayer.

On a typical Tuesday, senior Viet To, of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, ties on an apron, leads a room of hungry people in prayer and then becomes their servant. He and two other seminarians have driven the 45 miles to the Open Door Kitchen in St. Joseph, Mo., to bus tables, scrape plates and provide service with a smile to the hundreds of people who show up for a free lunch.

Viet To cleans up trays for diners at the Open Door Kitchen.

“The seminary isn’t just about books and prayer,” To said. “We take classes on Christian ethics and social justice, but this is a chance to go out and put that to practical use.”

Chris Riehl, a seminarian of the Diocese of Knoxville and one of three senior coordinators, said apostolics plays a vital role in helping a man decide if he is cut out for the lifestyle of a priest.

The heavy academic load of seminary provides the “head knowledge,” he said, “but without a reference in experience, it’s all really pointless.”

The program’s intent is simple, said its director, Father Sebastian Allgaier. “It’s an introduction to a life of service. If these men believe God is calling them to this life, they need to see that there are a multitude of ways they can serve, and it is important that they realize the challenges that are out there.”

Senior Bernie Starman of the Archdiocese of Omaha explains that if a student enrolls at Conception as a freshman or sophomore, by the time he graduates he will experience the full breadth of the program, which includes three areas of service: residential facilities (nursing homes and hospitals); social outreach (food banks, welfare offices, prisons); and Catholic education (youth religion classes, RCIA).

Brother Timothy Tran, CMC (left), and Tim Martinson visit with a fellow volunteer at Open Door Kitchen.

“Hospitals and nursing homes can make you nervous,” said Starman. “Prisons can be intimidating. Dealing with psychiatric patients can be scary. Teaching second-graders can be challenging.” But he notes that the program’s controlled environment offers a safe introduction to the grittier side of Christian service. “This is a good way for guys to understand what ministries they excel in and which ones they will have to work on.”

Vince Casper, a junior from the Diocese of Jefferson City, had heard horror stories about psychiatric hospitals, tales of people “flipping out,” so he admits he was nervous as he went through the orientation for his apostolic assignment at the Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center.

But the most he’s faced has been a little trash talking. The bulk of Casper’s visits have been spent on the hospital’s basketball court.

“They’re glad to see me come, because it’s somebody else to compete with,” he said. “They’ve got some guys who can run. They keep me on my toes.”

When he’s not hooping, Casper tries his best to satisfy the patients’ hunger for news from outside the hospital. “I’m just a fresh face, somebody they can hang out with,” he said. The conversations are more likely to center around hip-hop music and current events than religion.

“We usually steer clear of religion, unless they ask about it,” Casper said. “It can really be a touchy subject. And that’s not the purpose of apostolics any way. We’re not going out and promoting Catholicism. We’re just laying a foundation with a little experience.”

The secondary layer of the Apostolic Program is helping students cope with the emotional and spiritual challenges of the work they do. Facing poverty and illness, not to mention 30 giggling school children, can be taxing.

Jon Baxa prays with children at St. Peter's parish in Stanberry, Mo.

Although the program provides plenty of people for a student to talk to, it is deliberately kept somewhat informal, without extra meetings or scheduled one-on-one sessions.

Starman stressed that Conception’s program is only an introduction, not meant to be exhaustive. “There are four more years of practical pastoral ministry and classwork that we’ll all do if we pursue this,” he explained.

“Reflection happens,” he said. “It happens on the drive home. It happens around the dinner table, it happens in the individual rooms.” He noted that it’s not uncommon to hear someone complain about an upcoming apostolics visit, only to show up at supper that night enthused and eager to tell about the experience.

Most seminarians swear they get more out of their apostolic assignments than they give.

Chris Reising brainstorms with Public Achievement participants.

“This will help me in the future when I have to interact with kids,” said Chris Reising of the Diocese of Des Moines, who coaches children in a Public Achievement program at St. Gregory’s School in nearby Maryville. “Their view of the world is so different, but I’m learning to bridge that gap.”

Shelly Robertson, who directs St. Gregory’s Public Achievement, said bringing the seminarians into the school has been good for everyone. “This widens the circle of people the children come in contact with. They get to meet young men who share their values and who will challenge them.” She admitted that some of the kids aren’t easy to work with, “but these seminarians have a chance to really impact them at an important stage in their lives.” And from her observations, the seminarians are learning as much as the children.

Andrew Broom coaches students in St. Gregory's
School's Public Achievement Program.

“They are gaining insight into how other people work,” she said. “They are learning to listen, and they are gaining the skills of diplomacy, patience and encouragement.”

At King City Manor in King City, Mo., a visit from the seminarians in the late afternoon is something to be anticipated.

“They like to get me started on my war stories,” said resident Vernon Bonham, a veteran of World War II. “Or we’ll try to find something we have in common. We don’t talk much about rabbit hunting though.”

Resident Lois Peak calls them nice boys and promises that they are always well behaved. Crystal Potter adds, “We old people can’t get around like we used to, so it’s nice that they come to see us.”

At first, a seminarian might think the first day at a nursing home, or a prison, or a food bank, will be the most difficult. But, as Chris Riehl can attest, by semester’s end they find that it’s the last day that is hardest.

“It’s not easy saying goodbye.”

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