SPEAKER_03 0:07

Welcome to Beyond the Weekend, podcast with the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey. I'm Jay Agners, Communications Director for the Diocese. With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Bishop Kevin, how are you doing today?

SPEAKER_02 0:17

I'm all right, Jay. How you doing? Doing well. So where are we? We're here in Hewitt, in the beautiful part of our diocese in northern Passaic County, surrounded by the beauty of nature, and uh here at Camp at Shiloh Bible Camp, Shiloh Bible Camp here in Hewitt, uh, where we've hosted or we've had the Quo Vatis Vocation Day for the last number of years, Father Ed Rama, our vocation director. Father at least 14 years, because one of the people who's attending is the Quilvatis, but it's been in different places. It's it's been here in Shiloh for the last few years. Um Father Rama, our vocation director, and Father Charlana, our assistant vocation director, do a great job with a lot of help. We're grateful to our pastors and parish leaders and families who send their young men, uh high school young men to uh come here for the day, enjoy the beauty of nature and zip lining, I think, and uh uh different activities and yeah, um hiking and uh barbecue lunch from the uh KFC who always do a great job and we'll have mass outside a little bit later and um look forward to uh uh interviewing some of the young men attending and some of our seminarians.

SPEAKER_03 1:29

Um and so what's the point of the retreat? It's to help uh the the the youth.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Young men who are open open to God's call. Um, as I I think we'll hear from some of the young men, uh it's a guy in his parish or in a school, um, and he might be thinking, I could be calling him to be a priest, he said, Am I the only one? You know, uh, but when they come on a day like this, they see that there's plenty of guys there their age who are open to God's call, and then they meet seminarians who have taken that step either in college or after college to enter into the seminary, and uh um you know it makes it, I think, a real possibility for them. So uh and to be able to kind of get to know each other on a uh having some fun in an informal way, um, and to hear some talks from priests and seminarians.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

Um you'll be celebrating mass here shortly. Um so what what else is going on, Bishop? What is this about the uh the Yankees not uh doing too well there?

SPEAKER_02 2:23

What's the Well there I wouldn't say that uh they've had a rough streak the last couple of weeks, and I gotta give credit to the Mets and the Mets fans for uh You heard that, everyone. Beating the Yankees twice in the Subway series, rough, rough, rough. But at the end of June, got plenty of long season, and two more games in the Bronx team. Mets have to come to the Bronx, so we'll see how that goes, I think, at the end of July. But um, one game at a time, and uh so far so good for the Yankees this year. They're just uh in a rough patch at the moment.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

So and your summer's going well.

SPEAKER_02 2:52

It's been uh uh I'm looking forward to some R R in uh in the coming weeks. And now in a couple of weeks we'll also have the Eucharistic Congress in uh in Indianapolis, so really looking forward to that as well.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

All right, well, we're gonna go to the interviews. Uh so see you then. Great.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Here we are at Quo Vatis, our annual vocation retreat day here at Camp Shiloh, Bible Camp in Hewitt, on a beautiful day that God has given to us after a storm last night. And uh I'm very happy to welcome uh to the podcast Father Christoph Tischko. And I'm gonna ask some of our young men who are with us for the day to introduce themselves. Uh can you tell us your name and your parish?

SPEAKER_05 3:34

Uh I'm Rory. I go to uh Morristown and uh I go to Assumption at Morristown. And which school? Uh I go to Oratory uh in summit. In summit, right.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

And what year, sorry?

SPEAKER_05 3:45

Um, I'm going to be a junior this year.

SPEAKER_09 3:46

You're going to be a junior. Uh my name is Jacob. Um I go to Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas in the Pasaican. Uh I go to Pasaic Charter. Hi. Um about to go into my junior high school.

SPEAKER_04 4:00

My name is Juan. I also go to Our Lady of Fatima in Posaic. I go to the Pasaic Academy for Science and Engineering. And I'm also about to go into my I'm also going into my sophomore.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Thank you. Um Jacob and Juan, you were here at the Globatis Day last year, right? Um what was it like? What would what do you remember? What stands out?

SPEAKER_09 4:24

Um there is uh it's different. Um there was a lot of talks by different pre-seminarians. Um obviously spending some time with different people who want to discern their vocation. Um that was probably one thing that stood out to me.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

About I think 35 or so you guys here today, right? Um and uh what was it like for you one?

SPEAKER_04 4:48

Um well for the first time it was kinda it was at the f at first it w I didn't really understand what it really was. What am I doing here? Yeah. I was I was just like, oh, zip lining, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

Zip lining, yes, that's a big selling point. And it's I hear that zipline is broke this year, I think. Um I think, I'm not sure. But uh uh so that was an attraction. Then you got here and you experienced the day, and what do you remember? What stood out?

SPEAKER_04 5:15

Uh probably the outdoor mass, probably the first time I've been to an outdoor mass. And then also uh the confession times.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

And last year we were in the smog, right? The folk smoke from Canada, I think, was uh right. We went ahead and it was it was still a good day. Um and so um uh Rory, this is your first time. Yeah, this is my first time. Uh Monsignor Hart, your pastor, uh how did he invite you to come for the day?

SPEAKER_05 5:42

Well, I would just stop by his office and um he brought it up to me and he was like, hey, you should go on this trip. I think you should check it out. And it's the summer, so might as well just try it. It's not a bad spot to be, right? Yeah, no, the weather's great.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

Um a lot of uh activities, so chance for some fun activities. I think the Knights of Columbus are uh you remember the barbecue from last year? I think the food was pretty good, so and then uh uh activities outside and then outside mass again, I think, and uh and some and and some prayer time as well and the opportunity for confession. And Father Rama, our vocation director, along with Father Charlie Lana, the associate vocation director, I think, who might be on with us later. Um, they do a great job organizing the day. Do you know how many times Father Christoph has been on Kol Vatist? How many times, Father Christoph? This is number 14. 14 times since you were in middle school. Middle school, wow. And you grew up in what parish again? Uh Holy Rosary in Pisac. Holy Rosary and Passaic, Father Stefan Laster. And you were ordained? Uh a year and three days ago. A year and three days ago. Happy anniversary. Uh and how did you spend your first year as a priest? Uh back in school.

SPEAKER_06 6:50

So a little a little different, but it was uh still a really great blessing, and it was an absolute joy to be able to be a priest.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

And your uh seminary formation was in um well college level? Yes.

SPEAKER_06 7:03

So four years of college at uh St. Andrews College Seminary here in South Orange and then On the campus of Seton Hall?

SPEAKER_02 7:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 7:09

And then four years at the North American College in Rome.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

In Rome, right. Uh and so when the guys study in Rome, they get their license, right? In addition to their master's in theology. And uh what uh so they go back usually for a year after to complete that license. And where your course of study was Church history. Church history, so um you'll be helping Monsignor Kupke, right? Uh and Father Calabro, I think, also. Um uh and uh you just got an assignment.

SPEAKER_06 7:36

I did, yeah. So I'm happy to be starting in Morris Town this actually this upcoming Monday. Which parish? At Assumption. Assumption.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

And so you're meeting with the exact opposite. I'm meeting my first year's, which is great. Great, great, great. Um, and um we're here to uh did you guys hear about the phrase what do you know why we call it Covadis?

SPEAKER_05 7:58

Something in Latin.

SPEAKER_02 7:59

Something in Latin, right? It means um where you're going. And there's a story that um when the persecution of the church started um uh in Rome, I believe. Uh or um there's a story of Saint Peter um kind of running away from the uh persecution that was taking place in Rome, I believe, or in the Holy Land, Jerusalem. Uh and as he's leaving, Father Christoph may have a better uh interpretation of the story because it's a well-known story, uh, as he was leaving um to get away from the persecution, uh, he's going outside of the city, going away from the city, and coming towards him, he sees someone and he sees that it's Jesus. Um and I think Peter says to Jesus, Quovatis, where are you going? And Jesus says, I'm going to Rome to be crucified. Um so um is that the basic story, right? Uh so um, and then Peter realized that um he was called to uh be faithful to the to the name of the Lord and uh and take that responsibility that he had as leading the early church and eventually he would um be crucified in Rome. Uh his feast day is coming up with St. Paul uh on Saturday, June 29th, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Um uh Juan, you were on the vocation retreat we had, right? And uh just was there? In in Morristown, right? Yes, yes. Were you there also, Jacob? Yeah. What do you remember from the vocation retreat?

SPEAKER_04 10:10

Um probably that there were a lot of Mary statues everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

A lot of statues of Mary, our blessed mother, yes. Yeah, the retreat. Greatly appreciated. Sorry? It was greatly appreciated. Greatly appreciated, yes.

SPEAKER_09 10:22

Um probably the liturgy at the hours waking up early, you know, stopping in the middle of the day to pray.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Oh, that's probably the morning prayer, evening prayer, night prayer, right? And mass each day. Um Rory, uh have you ever been on a retreat?

SPEAKER_05 10:37

No, this is my first ever.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

How about uh an oratory? Do they have any retreat days?

SPEAKER_05 10:42

Yeah, they have retreat days. Um the one last year was also focused on faith. So um they took us up near um, I believe it was near Newark. And uh it was just a religious retreat. We like sat in deep thought and we tried um this like it was just bond as a class. Bond as a class. It was just a bond. Was it in the school building or someplace else? It was some someplace else. It was um I believe it was in a church, but I can't recall the name. Right. But um it was a faith-focused, like bonding retreat for our our grade. Good experience? It was a good experience, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

So hopefully you'll have something similar today with uh beautiful scenery and uh and uh opportunity for outside out outdoor activities. Um uh Juan and Jacob, you're both from the same parish, right? Our Lady of Fatima St. Nicholas in Passaic. Um Father Roland Zaribe, right, is the pastor? Yes. Are you involved in some of the parish activities? No, we're altar service. Big group of altar service there, right? Um and um when you're when you told your family you were going on a vocation retreat or coming back for another retreat day, how did they um how did they respond?

SPEAKER_09 11:53

Have fun. Have fun.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

No problems with it, right? They were happy you were going?

SPEAKER_04 11:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Good.

SPEAKER_04 12:01

Uh for me it was because I always tell whenever I have retreats, my mom somehow finds out before me. So she was like, Oh, you should go, and I'm like, yeah, that's the one we had last year. Uh my dad was like just surprised that it was this early in the morning.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

Oh yeah. Yeah. Did uh you guys get a ride here this morning? Yeah. Great, great. Um, and Father Christoph, what do you remember from all those years um from middle school, I guess, into the seminary coming here? Well, it wasn't always here, right? Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:31

This was this is much more recent, so um, yes, overall, the big big thing that stuck out to me was uh the talks that were given and the ability to speak to priests and seminarians that you know they're more normal than you would expect. That they're you're able to encounter them on like on like a casual more basis, you know, playing soccer with them, just hanging out and talking with them. And it's you know, it that it this is something, especially, you know, seminary priesthood is something that is open to everyone, that they have the like, you know, that these guys here have the opportunities. It's like, hey, seminary is an option, should definitely be an option because it's you know, I mean, I like to think that I just do everything I do everything I was doing beforehand, now just some added things that are just nothing but source of it.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

It was uh you weren't the only one thinking, you know, maybe God's calling me to be a priest. There are a lot of other guys who are open to the to the possibility. Um uh uh Juan and Jacob, you've met some seminarians last year and on the retreat. Um how was that experience?

SPEAKER_09 13:36

Um for me it was good. I got to meet other people. Uh like Father Christoph said that people might think that aren't like normal people, but they are. Um they were friendly, um, and they helped me a lot to learn more about my faith.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Great.

SPEAKER_04 13:53

For me it was kind of like an eye-opening experience because you know, as a child you just see them doing the mass and they look all serious and stuff. And when I go on retreats like these, they kind of show you the humanity that they have and how like relatable they can be.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

You saw the video I think that they're watching now, Fisher's Amen, right? We showed it on retreat. There's a guy who was uh a priest, he was had been a baseball player and an actor. Um he's a New Yorker and he says, regular guys, the Lord called regular guys, right? Uh so uh we don't always maybe realize that, but when you come on days like this, um have you had any sense of that already, Rory? Are you uh um have you met seminarians before?

SPEAKER_05 14:35

Oh yeah, yeah. Um as like Jacob said there, they're always very friendly and they um they always try to like they they always want to talk to you. Like they're like they um they like um if they're trying to uh maybe be your friend, it was may help you along the way.

SPEAKER_02 14:52

Uh and um I think you've had some seminarians and young priests uh come to uh Assumption over the years, right? Yeah, it was.

SPEAKER_05 14:59

There was many. Um there was uh I forget his name. Um Father John. Uh uh Deacon John. Deacon John. Uh he I believe he was from um Colombia. And um he was uh he was very friendly. I talked to him a lot. He was uh he helped me altar-serve, and um yeah, it was all very nice.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

And um as a seminarian to give a talk at a um uh to uh a group of young guys um i uh can help I think uh confirm your vocation that I can do this, right? Did you have some of that experience?

SPEAKER_06 15:38

Uh yeah, especially for me. I don't enjoy public speaking.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

So I mean That's great, you got into priesthood. No, I know exactly that. Um it's uh but you're getting used to it, right?

SPEAKER_06 15:48

You know, it's it's you really get to see it's like you're the Lord is really giving you the strength to do it, which is which is what I I really noticed during giving these talks. It's like sometimes you forget what you're gonna say, but yeah, you still end up saying something, and then somebody comes up to you afterwards and is like, hey, I was really moved by that, what you said. And it's you can really see the work of the Lord in this.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

You prepare, then you give it to the Holy Spirit, then you start speaking, and it's the rest of the Lord. Exactly. And you're about to give a talk in a little bit now, right? Um well, thank you very much uh for coming on the day and for sharing on the podcast, and hopefully you enjoy um uh a great day. And we thank Father Christoph for being with us. And uh we ask you that everyone listening and watching to pray for our young men and pray for an increase in vocations to priesthood and consecrated religious life. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

God bless. We're back at our Quo Vatis episode of uh Beyond the Beacon, uh second annual, I guess. Uh we're on site here at Shiloh Bible Camp in Hewitt, beautiful Hewitt, on this beautiful day. And we have a few more of our attendees, uh, and I'm gonna ask them to introduce introduce themselves, name and parish, and where you go to school.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

So I'm Zach Rizette. I go to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Bootin, um, and I go to school at Koinania Academy in Plainfield. Right.

SPEAKER_07 17:09

Uh I'm Stephen Howell. I go to St. Lawrence in Chester, and I just graduated from Westmore Swenham High School, and I will be attending Elon University in the fall.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

Great. Um, congratulations. Um how was graduation?

SPEAKER_07 17:23

It was hot, it was hot. It was but it was it was nice. Uh it's good to finally be done and ready to move on to the next part of my life. Do you have siblings? I do. I have a younger brother who's been here a few times. Oh, good. And I have a younger sister who's in middle school.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

Uh, you're the oldest? Yes, I'm the oldest. So exciting for your parents, I'm sure that you're graduating from the school.

SPEAKER_07 17:41

Very, very stressful, especially for the first time.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Zach, do you have siblings? I have an older sister, yeah. Older sister, yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

And we have uh Gabriel Nelson from Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway. I'm homeschooled.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

Homeschooled. And what grade? What year?

SPEAKER_01 17:56

Um, I'm a junior right now.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

Junior in high school, yes. You have siblings?

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Uh six.

SPEAKER_02 18:01

Six, wow. What number are you?

SPEAKER_01 18:03

Uh number two.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Number two, great. Uh you you gotta help mom and dad with some of the younger kids. Yeah. That's great. That's great.

SPEAKER_08 18:11

And I'm Eric Hossumbein, uh new seminarian for the diocese. I am my home parish is Notre Dame, Mont Carmel. And in the August, I'll be entering to St. Joseph's Seminary in Dudawood, New York.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

In the Propodudic year.

SPEAKER_08 18:24

In the Propaduki, it's the new formation year, discernment year for the di for the church.

SPEAKER_02 18:30

The church is um always trying to review what we do, and um the formation of men who uh are considering a call to the priesthood, especially when they formally enter a formation or seminary program, uh, is reviewed from time to time by the bishops of the country along with um the offices in Rome that have those responsibilities. And recently um uh it's been discerned that um men entering the seminary should have a year, um, almost like a you could call it a full retreat year or preparation year. Step away from the world. Propadic is a fancy, I think, Latin word for uh a year to get ready, right?

SPEAKER_08 19:08

Yeah, yeah. A year to step away, to really enter, to know where the Lord lives, spend that time with him a lot in the sacraments, spend a lot of time in community, and figure out is this a serious call, is this a real environment that I feel comfortable in in? So I'm very much looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

And a little less time with your phone and technology. They take it away, yes.

SPEAKER_08 19:27

Uh don't be once a week, one day a week. Take the whole week away. They get it back one day a week.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

Um And the reactions we've had the ProPeductic Year release program started last year. We didn't have a Patterson seminary, and from what I've heard, guys doing the ProPeduity Year said, wow, it was great.

SPEAKER_08 19:44

Oh, they loved it. I was speaking to one of them this week, actually, and they said, You don't won't even want your phone. You're getting your phone back on Saturdays, read these emails and finances, and you want to get back to the seminary. Uh so much looking forward to it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Jesus says we have to be in the world but not of the world, and that balance can be a challenge sometimes. Exactly. Um so uh Zach and Gabriel, um, you were here last year, right? Yep. Uh and Stephen, you've been here a few times before. How many times?

SPEAKER_07 20:11

Uh this will be my fourth Quilvadus.

SPEAKER_02 20:13

And uh what stands out from uh previous uh uh years and and coming on the Quilvatis Day?

SPEAKER_07 20:20

Um I think the one that the thing that stands out the most is the nature hike. I remember last year was the first time we did it. The first two years you didn't have it. I don't I don't know what for, but I remember that. The view was very nice. I think it was nice to have the rosary up there. You kind of get to see like the whole uh view of Passaic County. I'd I'd never seen something like that before. It was it's a it's a tough hike, but it's it's very nice to go up there.

unknown 20:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

Uh so that stood out from from last year. You guys uh were here last year. What stood out for you? Um where you you came in not knowing what to expect, right? Yeah. And what did you find out?

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Um everyone who runs it is super nice. Um I had a very good uh experience with the holy hour last year. Uh yeah, it's all very uh very well run.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Yeah. I mean it's a great time, you know, a lot of fun. Um great to be able to do sports, play games with, you know, meet new people. Um I think what really stuck out for me both last year and then this year was the um Fissures of Men, the grassroots film. I found I found that very powerful. It's really good.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

You just got to see it again this morning, right? Yeah. Uh what what about that um video uh uh strikes you the most?

SPEAKER_00 21:33

Um I really like the scene where the during the crash where the priest uh like is running down and uh help them. I thought I found that very powerful.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

The sacrament of the anointing of the sick and a moment when, as they say, preparing the soul to go home to God, right? Yeah, very powerful. Yeah. Um are you guys involved in your parishes? So um, well, I think we have four parishes represented, right? Uh um Zach, your parish?

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah, uh Our Lady of Mount Carmel. So I served there for like a year, um, and I help out with the youth group and as an altar server, right? Yep.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

Um, Father Daniel O'Malle, right, as a pastor. Yes, yes. And Stephen, are you involved in your parish?

SPEAKER_07 22:11

Yeah, so before COVID, I used to be an altar server. So, and then now I'm doing vacation Bible school in the summers, and from time to time, I think I've done the ministering of the Eucharist like once or twice. And I've done the reading of the the first two readings a few times as well.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

And Father Nick Boz is the parish and is the pastor, and Father Ain Father Angel, right? Is the on Hill, right, right. Um what's it been like since Seeing a new priest come to the parish. I think Father Angela is two there two years now, right?

SPEAKER_07 22:43

Yeah, it's been a few years. Um, Father Nick, the whole time I've been there, he's been the pastor, but in terms of having another priest with him, it's kind of it's been a few different ones. So it's it's nice. I don't know how long he'll stay, but I really I really like him. I think he he does a good job at what he does. Sometimes it's it's kind of hard because he has a very strong accent, it's kind of hard to understand it, but I think you you get used to it eventually.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

He's working at it, right? Yeah, he's working on it.

SPEAKER_07 23:10

We've we he's not the first priest that we've had in our country, right? It's come from another country.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

So and there's a Spanish-speaking community in the powers, right? Father Anna would be.

SPEAKER_07 23:21

Yeah, we have a very strong uh Spanish-speaking community. We have its own built-in mass on Sundays at 1230, and they have a lot of songs that are done with uh with the guitar that we don't have at the other. Enthusiasm, right? Very uh very enthusiastic. So it's I've been to it a few times, and it's it's very different from the traditional English-speaking mass that we have.

SPEAKER_02 23:43

Right, right. And Gabriel, what'd you parish again? Same Sacred Heart Rock with Father Pavel Bala, right? Are you involved? Do you help out?

SPEAKER_01 23:51

Um yeah, I alter serve, and uh my mom runs C C D so I uh I teach the the younger class, my little brother. It's a smaller CCD right now, so just my little brother and another kid. I teach the preschool class for um for faith formation.

SPEAKER_02 24:07

Are you guys familiar with Carlo Acudis?

SPEAKER_01 24:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

Um we'll be hearing more about him. He's gonna be, I think, the soon named a saint. Uh a great story. Um, but um he was so close to the Lord from very young, and his parents weren't uh practicing. I know your parents are practicing uh uh uh very faithfully. Um I've gotten to meet your mom and and your dad, and uh, but you made me think of Carlos because um uh his mom became a catechist to allow Carlo to be her assistant catechist, right? So um so it's nice when families are uh helping out in the parish together. And Eric, your parish?

SPEAKER_08 24:44

Notre name and Mark Carmel up in uh Cedar Knowles.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

Going through a little at the moment, yes.

SPEAKER_08 24:50

It's uh it's it's always tough, but the parish is going through well. We're very excited for the coming of Father Videl. We're very sad, obviously, for the leaving of Father Patty and Father Alex, but it's the nature of things, and we're excited that we're gone.

SPEAKER_02 25:05

Trying to keep serve the whole diocese.

SPEAKER_08 25:07

Exactly, yeah, yeah, and and we're taking it well.

SPEAKER_02 25:09

But uh, you know, Father Patty is coming to a well-deserved retirement. I think 52 years is a pretty good.

SPEAKER_08 25:14

52 years, yes, celebrations tonight.

SPEAKER_02 25:16

But he's gonna stay active in many ways.

SPEAKER_08 25:18

Oh, he will be. He very active in many ways, yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

Right. Uh and Father Alex will be um heading to the city of Patterson, St. Bonaventure's. Yep, it's gonna be Patterson Spanish. Right, yeah, right, right. Um being um on a Quo Vatis or a vocation event, um, you get the opportunity to meet um some guys like Eric who are entering the seminary or have been in the seminary for a few years. Um what's that like getting to know some of the guys who are taking that next step to enter formation and and um be in a seminary program?

SPEAKER_00 25:52

Um I'll go. It's it's really cool. Um and also like really helpful because you kind of get to see their journey and how you know God spoke to them and how He they kind of answered that call. So it's really cool and also like kind of reassuring. Um and they can kind of help you with any questions that you're having or feelings about the voting.

SPEAKER_02 26:13

And you see that they're ordinary regular guys, right? Yep. Right, right. Stephen was like this.

SPEAKER_07 26:17

Uh similar to that, it kind of feels like since they're your age, they're around your age, they're only a few years older. I think one of them is in the same graduating class as me. So it it kind of helps you see what your life would be like in their steps because they're they're your age and they're relatable to you. And you when you understand them on a personal level, you can kind of see how life is like in the seminary. So I think that that's very helpful to kind of see, to kind of get a good feeling of it instead of it being just an unknown mystery.

SPEAKER_02 26:49

Uh you're thinking that you're going to college. Um, do you know if Elon has a uh campus ministry program or if there's a Catholic um I believe so? I'd be surprised if they didn't. You'll be looking to find where you can go to Mass and how you can get involved and keep practicing your faith. Of course. Eric, that you've had that experience, right?

SPEAKER_08 27:07

Yes, I was very involved. I went to Virginia Tech, I studied engineering, I just graduated in May, and campus ministry was one of the best decisions I ever made. Highly, highly recommended. I'll talk about it probably later today. Um but you nourish the faith, you really meet a lot of people who are serious about it. Um it's just a great place, great environment. It's it's where you want to be.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

So you would encourage Stephen Right?

SPEAKER_08 27:28

I would encourage any young male, any young female, anyone who's entering, thinking about going to college, any any guy here. Uh wonderful experience. Most of them are very well run with their chaplains and all that. I would highly recommend anyone, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

Great, great. Gabriel, getting to know guys in the seminary, you've been able to do that a little bit?

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Um, yeah, here it's easy to um, I think here better than anywhere else, I'm able to feel the call to the priesthood better because you're surrounded by all these awesome guys who, like they said, you can relate to and are kind of uh closer to your age. So uh they're yeah, they're all very nice. And uh yeah, it makes me want to be a priest even more.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Great, great. And you have some fun today as well, right? You'll have some fun. Uh you mentioned the uh the the uh nature hike, right? Up to the high point and see the beautiful valley here surrounded. Um uh uh any other out outdoor activities that you enjoyed or you're looking forward to?

SPEAKER_07 28:26

Uh the the ultimate frisbee game at the end of camp. Oh, nice. And that's a nice one. I thought that's always fun.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

Uh the zip line's awesome. I did that like three times last year. It was awesome.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

It was fun, great. Yeah, definitely the ultimate frisbee.

SPEAKER_02 28:39

And Eric, this is your first time, right?

SPEAKER_08 28:41

This is actually my first covadis. Yeah, so it's different perspective that I'm coming in as a seminarian. Um, you know, I was I was very involved in campus ministry in college, so that's where I discerned. So now it's interesting, okay, what advice can I give to these young high schoolers, many of them going to college like Steven, and saying, you know, here's my recommendation, here's what I went through. I it's still kind of fresh in my memory. I'm only 22. Um, and just saying, you know, open your hearts, let the Lord enter in your hearts and maybe give them your life. You know, the journey is along ahead, and they're just starting it, and this is a beautiful time in their lives to figure out you know what they want in life, and it's just a beautiful journey. And it's great to see all the high schoolers and seminarians here so they can witness that life. And I just don't want to let them see what it's like. And just I'm an ordinary guy, and just like then from their towns, went to their high schools and all that. So it's wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 29:31

Thanks, thanks. Uh the with the previous guys in the we were thinking remembering the outdoor mass from last year, and we had the smoke from Canada. Do you remember last year? We had the smoke that was coming down from Canada. But we're about to um head out to Mass uh to um kind of get the day started as or continue the day and look forward to to the rest of the day. And the uh do you remember the KFC barbecue lunch? Uh was that that's just the highlight, right? Um well, thank you very much, guys. I appreciate you being on and um and and being here today and your openness to God's call. Um we're gonna ask everyone to pray for you and um we'll pray for um uh especially an increase in vocations, the priests of the Cot's Great Religious Land. Thanks very much. Thank you. Thanks. God bless you guys.