The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock
Emmanuel Torres discovered just how deeply misconceptions about a seminarian’s life run when on a recent trip his family nervously asked about any new restrictions.
“They thought all I listened to was Christian music and I was like, ‘No, I still listen to all kinds of music,’” Torres, a member of Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock, said. “We’re not praying all the time, we’re not kneeling all day long.”
Many people picture seminarians as overtly pious, unapproachably holy, almost glowing compared to people around them. To the contrary, seminarians say, one could sit next to you at a coffee shop or the movies or shake your hand during the sign of peace and nothing would suggest he was anything but another college kid sweating his finals and missing his family.
“There’s a misconception that we’re something other than just normal people,” said Jerry Wilkerson, a member of St. Jude Church in Jacksonville. “People ask us things like, ‘Well, do you eat?’ ‘Are you allowed to go to movies?’”
For the record, the men living at the diocese’s House of Formation on the grounds of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock do, in fact, go to movies. They play video games, hit the gym and joke with one another. They go to class, occasionally sleep late, do assigned chores and, at times, get on each other’s nerves. They pray for you and for each other. And yes, they eat. A lot.
But for everything that’s normal and routine about them, other things stand out. Polite and welcoming to a fault, the seminarians show a single-mindedness to God’s call that’s admirable to the point of intimidating.
“This is not a job we are training for, it is a responsibility,” Wilkerson said. “The expectation is to be an adult. If you can’t manage things here, how are you going to manage the needs of a parish? The people of the diocese are paying for our education and the least we can do is show respect for ourselves and not waste what’s being invested.”
That investment includes educational costs — last year, roughly $32,000 each for 35 seminarians. Nowhere is the diocese’s commitment to vocations more visible than the 6,000-square-foot, $1.6 million House of Formation, dedicated last year.
With a large sun-lit chapel by the front door, it’s not exactly a dorm but not that different from the suite-style residences many universities now offer. It’s not Animal House by a long shot, but a tangible spirit of brotherhood permeates daily life.
“Msgr. (Scott) Friend stresses fraternity all the time,” Wilkerson said. “Sometime there’s a misunderstanding or someone has a bad day. I can’t imagine a living situation where that never happens. But I can honestly say I’ve never had a problem here.”
Everywhere they go in the diocese, these brothers in Christ are treated like adopted sons. People shake their hands, feed them, offer prayers. Catholic schoolchildren from across the state send them what can only be called fan mail.
“That’s awesome,” Torres said. “These kids ask us how we’re doing and draw pictures for us. That’s neat. People say they’ve put their hope in us. They expect a lot from us, but it’s not pressure. It’s a responsibility.”
Guided by Msgr. Friend, prefect Msgr. Richard Oswald and vice prefect Father Ruben Quinteros, the nine seminarians’ and discerners’ weekdays start with morning prayers at 7:15 a.m. and end with adoration, evening prayers and Mass starting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday evening is the exception; that night is reserved for public ministry, such as helping with a parish youth group. Saturday features morning prayers and Mass at 9 a.m. and Sunday Mass is attended at the parish of their choice.
The rest of the time is spent in class and homework, be it online, tutoring or courses at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. In the simplest terms, the educational component of becoming a priest includes earning an undergraduate degree, then attending seminary. It’s the religious equivalent of completing graduate school and under ideal circumstances takes eight years to complete.
Invariably, complications happen. A man may have started another course of study before hearing the call to vocation or started the process in another diocese, at another school or under the tutelage of a religious order. Country of origin can be a factor, as some seminarians in Little Rock knew no English when they arrived. (Conversely, Anglo seminarians are also required to learn Spanish.) Each wrinkle lends complexity to, and potentially extends, the process.
Even under the best circumstances, there are no guarantees. While some, like Wilkerson, champ at the bit to get to seminary few follow God’s call without wavering, however momentarily, over the whole idea of a vocation. Some, like Torres, take longer to move from discerner to seminarian. All rely heavily on prayer to steady their steps.
“I pray for God to make me a humble priest,” he said. “That’s the kind of priest I want to be. I want to be with the people and walk with them in faith.”
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