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Tower Topics ~ Winter 2006 |
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Seminarians will roll up sleeves for ‘Operation Stewardship’There is an old saying that a priest’s hands are made for chalices not calluses.
“We are in a time that is decidedly anti-clericalism,” he says. “The idea that priests should receive special treatment is no longer accepted.” Priests of the 21st century will have to roll up their sleeves, he contends. “These are not the days of French cuffs and fine dining.” Father Samuel’s convictions prompted him to write the paper “Fostering Generosity at Conception Seminary College,” which was well-received at the March 2006 Board of Regents meeting. The first result has been the implementation of “Operation Stewardship.” Beyond their typical house duties and liturgical assignments, seminarians will now be assigned to work in teams of six. One team will maintain the JFK Recreation Center. One will help clean St. Maur Hall. Another will take out the trash. The teams will have to schedule their work, do the work, and decide what the consequences are for a team member who shirks his duties. Selected by the program’s director, Skip Shear, who also heads the Wellness Program, the teams are intentionally composed of a mix of class level and temperament. In other words, no circles of friends and no cliques. “Skip has done a very good job in making the selections,” Father Samuel says. “Our hope is that they will gain a sense of teamwork with people they haven’t chosen, not friends or classmates. And maybe if they’re hauling out trash they’ll gain a better appreciation for separating trash. If they are cleaning up, maybe they’ll become more aware about leaving a mess.” In addition to Operation Stewardship, representatives from the Diocese of Wichita, which is at the forefront of Catholic stewardship, will offer a workshop at Conception. Although they have conducted the workshops for other dioceses, this will be their first time at a seminary. In his paper for the Regents, Father Samuel wrote: “Our students are not excessively selfish and self-centered; in fact, quite the contrary is true. They often come to one another’s assistance regarding studies, friendship and finances and most gladly volunteer when help is needed . . . There is a lot of good will. But many students have often not yet established consistent habits of generosity and self-sacrifice, so contrary is the prevailing culture.” Perhaps if Father Samuel has his way, that old saying may be revised. “The hands that hold chalices should have plenty of calluses.” |
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Father Samuel Russell, Conception Seminary College’s dean of students, would like to keep it just that – old – as in outdated, as in no longer true.