When a half foot of snow and sleet shook things up for seven diocesan seminarians staying in Alexandria last month, they rolled with the changes.
The diocesan vocations office arranged for first-year seminarians Tibor Baksy, Peter Bockrath, Brent Jenkins, Kieran Koch, Andrew Lee, Drew Niklason and Thomas Patchan to spend two weeks at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, their first extended stay at a parish rectory. During the first year of formation, or propaedeutic stage, the pastoral experience at the end of January emphasizes corporal works of mercy, getting to know the diocese and rectory life.
Diocesan Catholic Charities found service opportunities for the men, such as assisting at its St. Lucy Food Project pantry in Sterling, while they also served daily Mass at the basilica, prayed a daily holy hour and the Liturgy of the Hours.
The snowstorm provided a flurry of chances to serve, including shoveling snow and serving at Catholic Charities Christ House in Alexandria in place of homebound volunteers who could not traverse icy streets to serve the evening meal. The men staffed most of the weeknight dinners after the Jan. 24-25 snowfall. They took everything in stride.
“I loved being at the basilica and even the snowstorm was a beautiful gift from God,” said Bockrath. “The parishioners’ clear devotion, as well as their love for Jesus, the priests and the seminarians were magnified by the storm during our stay.”
He said the devotion of parishioners piling into the basilica for the Saturday vigil Mass before the storm left an impression. Koch described the overall experience as a “charity immersion.”
“At seminary, we are separated from our diocese we love so it was a real blessing to spend so much time in prayer and service with our parishes and charities,” Patchan said.
“One can see the radiance of God’s love and joy gleaming from all those we have encountered,” Niklason said, recalling his experiences distributing food and ministering to youths and the homebound. “(It was) a joy and love that can only be found from something rooted in the fullness of truth.”
Father Noah C. Morey, vocations director, thanked Father Edward C. Hathaway, rector, and the basilica staff and parishioners for hosting the seminarians.
