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Dear Friends,

“‘Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you’... Then many said, ‘This saying is hard, who can accept it?’... Many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” (John 6:53, 60, 66) What Jesus taught was hard to grasp, not only because our minds need faith to surpass their finite limits, but because Jesus’ words were almost too good to be true. Even when, at the Last Supper, they saw it done, they must have been no less astounded: That he should be with us — body, blood, soul, and divinity — under the simple appearances of bread and wine!

The Eucharist is not mere symbol. It is sacramental sign, making real what it signifies. It is Jesus’ sacrifice re-presented, and as sacrifice demands priesthood, instituted by Jesus in his apostles (CCC 1577) and continued in the sacrament of Holy Orders. In Orders the priest is not merely assigned a new activity; he is changed in his very being. He is a priest not only in what he does, but in what he is. At the altar he represents — “stands in for” — Jesus Christ. Through the priest’s hands and prayers — the sacramental words and deeds — the Holy Spirit descends to transform bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. Jesus’ words come true. He dwells with us. He is our food. We have his life within.

Christ is the Redeemer, willing to lay down his life for us, willing to offer his body and blood in sacrifice for sin and to continue that offering in love for our nourishment. The words and deeds of Jesus leave no doubt of our essential need for the Eucharist, and so too for the priesthood that brings it into existence.

In this issue, we focus on three great efforts in our Archdiocese to help young men in their priestly formation: St. John Vianney Seminary and The Saint Paul Seminary. I am most grateful to all who participate in this necessary work. Please keep them in your prayers as together we strive to live in the love of Christ and his Church.

With blessings and good wishes, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn, D.D.
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Saint John Vianney College Seminary: Providing a Foundation of Formation

Father Bill Baer, Rector of Saint John Vianney Seminary, is enthusiastic about his goal for SJV: “To be nothing less than the finest college seminary in the United States.” Describing the 73 undergraduate seminarians (now 142 in 2007), Baer said, “These men are profoundly rooted in Christ. They love the Church. They are willing to pour out their lives for their bride, which is the Church.”

While young men don’t need to be certain about their call to the priesthood to attend SJV, they must make a commitment to study, “taking enough courses to minor in philosophy, though are free to choose any major offered at St. Thomas,” explained Baer. “We require a sincere intention to seek God’s will for their lives and we expect the men to actively participate in the program,” Baer said.

By living in community, studying, praying, and serving others, these young men begin to discern if they are called to the priesthood. In addition, each works with a spiritual director on their interior life, including confession, and a formation director on the observable qualities of life, such as daily disciplines and Christian virtues.

“There is a great range of certitude about a possible priestly vocation among the men here. This is to be expected at such an early stage of discernment,” Baer said. “The greatest challenge is to convince young men that they don’t have to be sure about priesthood to give college seminary a try,” he added.

Senior John Floeder described his decision at attend Saint John Vianney as “the best decision that I’ve ever made. I’ve been able to grow spiritually and grow just as a man—more than any other place.” When asked about any surprises at SJV, Floeder said, “I’ve been surprised at how tough the spiritual life is. It’s tough to get up every day and go before the Lord—to not drift in my thoughts...to get ride of selfishness and pride.” He said, “My room is neat and my homework is done on time—that’s easy. But the interior work is hard.”

One third of the men who go through SJV become ordained priests. “We are working to increase the numbers of Vianney men that go on to The Saint Paul Seminary,” explained Baer. “Our own Archdiocesan seminarians continue across the street, but we are working to convince more of our other 23 sponsoring bishops to send their seminarians to The Saint Paul Seminary upon graduation from Vianney. Bishop Campbell and I are looking to strengthen that tie,” he added.

Father Baer is encouraged by the faith and dedication of his seminarians: “This ‘Millennium Generation’ is not a rebellious or slacker generation...Pope John Paul II is a hero to these men. They see him as a father figure for their priestly vocation,” said Baer. These men are “open, enthusiastic, focused and goal-oriented,” he continued. “Last semester, 97% of the seminarians earned a 3.0 or better in their coursework.”

“We need to get the word out,” emphasized Baer. “The biggest challenge is that people don’t know Saint John Vianney College Seminary is flourishing right in the middle of our Archdiocese. Six out of the eight men who will be ordained for our Archdiocese this year are Vianney graduates.

“There could be and should be hundreds of men here,” Baer said. “There is not a better way to prepare for the future as a dedicated Catholic man. It’s a good basic formation for whatever specific vocation might be ahead.” Baer finished with a smile, “Saint John Vianney is the Church’s secret weapon to get quality built into future leadership.”

Note: The Annual Catholic Appeal funds the room and board for the 34 seminarians from our Archdiocese, which is $272,000.

This article first appeared in the Archbishop’s Update, Spring 2003.

The Saint Paul Seminary: Forming Priests for the Future

Rector Bishop Campbell’s vision for The Saint Paul Seminary is simple and straightforward: “To become a premier institution for the training and encouragement of future priests.”

When asked about the strengths of the seminary, Bishop Campbell doesn’t hesitate: “Among the strengths are certainly the seminarians themselves. They are enthusiastic and committed.” These 62 men have “an excitement for priestly ministry, a love of the Eucharist and prayer, a strong awareness of how God’s grace can work in their lives and a desire to serve,” he added. The love for Christ, the Eucharist, the priesthood and service emerges naturally from conversations with current seminarians.

An excitement for priestly ministry

I look forward to “being a leader in the sacramental life of the Church—Mass, Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation,” said Deacon Bryan Pedersen, Theology IV. “I have found that in receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I unburden myself and experience in a concrete way the mercy of God in my life.” Pedersen added, “Being involved in people’s lives in a unique way at the depth of their being is an awesome responsibility—very humbling.”

“You realize that one is never worthy to be a priest—to do the things a priest does,” said Ralph Talbot, Theology III, “and yet, despite our unworthiness and our sinfulness, God does in fact, call us to be priests.”

A love of the Eucharist and prayer

“The Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation have really attracted me in my journey,” said Hoang Nguyen, Theology III. “We have a small chapel at the seminary with the Eucharist present. It’s wonderful to have that.” Plus, “at the seminary we have more time to pray. I get to know who I am and deepen my relationship with Jesus.”

“The greatest desire I have as a priest is to participate in the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation—I know how grace-filled those encounters can be,” Talbot said.

A strong awareness of how God’s grace can work in their lives

Deacon Mark Wehmann, Theology IV, shared how he’s experienced God’s grace—coping with his dyslexia by using lecture notes and study groups. “Reading can be difficult for me, but I’ve learned to work around it,” said Wehmann. “I’ve enjoyed the people—learning who the human person is in the eyes of faith,” he added. “The dignity of the human person is the basis for everything.”

Timothy Yanta, Theology II mentioned how a trip to Europe years ago was instrumental in his journey to the seminary. “I was sitting in a cathedral when it struck me—‘I really know so little about my Catholic faith!’ I had invested hours in pharmaceutical training and fishing, but thought, ‘How much time have I spent understanding this faith I practice?’...It was a real eye opener.”

A desire to serve

“Most people have a desire to serve others,” said Wehmann, “but as my faith has grown, my desire to serve God has deepened. How I serve Him is to serve His people.”

“I hope to be a vessel for the mercy of God to flow through my own actions so others see Jesus Christ and become closer to God,” said Pedersen.

To serve as a priest “is a total gift of self. To act in the image of Christ is a tremendous gift and responsibility,” said Yanta.

Supporting our seminarians

When asked how we can support them, each of the seminarians answered, “Prayer. Pray for everyone in the priesthood and religious life. We can’t do it on our own,” said Talbot.

In addition to prayer, Wehmann cited: “Strong families. When I see a couple live out their vocation well and live the Christian message, it encourages me. If marriage and family life fail, the witness of a celibate priest makes no sense.”

Finally Pedersen pointed out the need for young men to acquire key virtues: “We need to remember that we’ve been shaped by this hedonistic culture. Pray that the candidates for priesthood are able to acquire the virtues necessary to minister in the 21st century,” Pedersen said. “Radical consumerism, commercial materialism, sexual excess and sensual overload threaten to destroy the very fabric of our society. We need the virtues to overcome the spirit of the age.”

Campbell is heartened by the faith and dedication he witnesses in the lives around him: “The commitment of our seminarians is a source of great hope for the Church.” One leaves The Saint Paul Seminary encouraged that our Church’s future is in very good hands.

Note: The Archdiocese pays, with the assistance of Annual Catholic Appeal funds, the $22,000 tuition, room and board fees for each of its seminarians studying at The Saint Paul Seminary. This accounts for approximately 60% of the actual cost of their education. The balance of the seminary’s budget is met by its own fundraising efforts and earnings from its endowment.