Baptism of Noelle Joy Carter, the third
child of his executive assistant, Sarah.
Below: Phil Roeser and board member
Pat Kocourek catch up before a meeting
Underneath a thoughtfully managed organization built up by roles, meetings, and tasks, a mission-focused family is daily in pursuit of Heaven through their labors for Saint John Vianney College Seminary.
From recent college graduates to faithful decades-long employees, the SJV “family” represents a plethora of vocations including ordained priests, professed religious sisters, husbands, fathers, mothers, wives, singles, and (on occasion) staff children. “All of us are here to serve the Lord and work in the Vineyard, and the varied calls God has placed on our lives complement each other beautifully,” remarked Sarah Carter, executive assistant to the rector.
Geographically, the team represents a wide span. The formation staff priests hail from four different dioceses while the lay staff includes Macalester-Groveland locals to hour-long commuters. This familial microcosm of the universal Church is fitting as the seminarians (themselves representing 18 dioceses) have opportunities to spend two weeks on mission in Kolkata, India and study abroad for a semester in the Eternal City.
“It’s a humbling experience to do what small part I can to help these men discern,” explained Phil Roeser, director of development. Sr. Fabiola, PES, agreed as she shared the best part of spending an afternoon each week at SJV: “Knowing the Lord wants us to contribute a tiny bit to the formation of His future priests!” Indeed, each team member’s contributions to the mission are unique and invaluable.
Mike Roesch, director of business and operations, enjoys working with vocation directors in the admissions process and at Vianney Visits. “Given my title, people might assume I spend all my time working on the books or arranging building maintenance, but I do spend a lot of time with the seminarians too,” he said.
When the new men arrive at SJV on move-in day, Dede Leininger, event and hospitality specialist, is the first to feed them something and introduce herself. “I love when they come to my office to ask me ‘mom’ questions, and I can say, ‘You should probably go to urgent care with that,’” she said with a smile.
Below: Our joyful registration
crew at the Vianney
Cup Golf Tournament.
Jack Kelly, development officer, recently joined the team to help fund the mission of SJV. “We don’t call it fundraising,” he explained. “We’re here to help people do terrific things.”
A keen attentiveness to detail helps Sue Quam, finance assistant, track SJV’s resources and ensure bills are paid accurately and correctly. “It’s important to build good rapport with our vendors,” she shared.
The communications office keeps SJV connected with bishops, vocation directors, alumni, families, and benefactors. “For all the stories we tell each year about the Lord’s work at SJV, hundreds more beautifully unfold yet go unshared,” said Katie Angstman, marketing and communications manager. As St. John’s Gospel concludes, “. . . if every one of these should be written, not even the world itself, I think, could hold the books that would have to be written” (21:24).
While the operations team focuses on new student admissions and advancing the mission, the formation team is tirelessly undertaking the work of forming the next generation of holy priests and fathers. “People aren’t formed by programs or systems,” said Fr. Scott Nolan ‘09, spiritual director and formation advisor. “People form people.”
The seminarians regularly meet with their formation advisor and spiritual director to discuss matters of human formation (living an ordered human life, relational skills, academics, etc.) and spiritual formation (prayer and sacramental life), yet most of formation happens outside of these meetings. The formal meetings simply help guide what is happening in daily life. “All those simple interactions over the course of a day, week, month, and semester are how formation actually happens,” explained Fr. Nolan.
Fr. Paul Gitter, director of spiritual formation, has been at SJV part-time since 1996 and full-time since 2007. In his experience, the priest formators have an opportunity to live out their priestly fatherhood in a unique way at SJV. “No pastor lives 24 hours a day with his parishioners, yet we live 24 hours a day with the seminarians,” he noted. “It allows us to get to know them much better, and I think it gives them a better understanding of what the priesthood is about.”
The intense community life is bolstered by priestly fraternity among the formators. “It’s not a solitary project, unlike being assigned in a parish by myself,” said Fr. Nolan. “It’s a joy to work in a day-to-day way with priests who are peers.”
Another notable difference from parish ministry is the condensed scale of priestly ministry at SJV. “Between formation and spiritual direction, I have been entrusted with 30 men,” shared Fr. Jim Olofson ‘14, vice-rector. “While the number of people I directly serve pales in comparison with parish pastors, the depth of relationship I am privileged to have is a real gift. By serving these 30 men well, they will one day be sent out to serve many others in their own vocations.” This “multiplier effect” is an extension of God’s generosity, allowing the men formed at SJV to go forth and impact hundreds, if not thousands, of others in the future.
For the priests and seminarians in residence at the college seminary, it isn’t difficult to see how SJV is considered another home along the way to our eternal Home. Perhaps more telling is the sense of “home” and “family” shared even by members of the lay staff.
The centrality of the Eucharist in SJV’s building and shared faith is certainly foundational to this experience. “We’re all on the same page, both the work ethic and spiritual aspect,” explained Sue Quam.
Sr. Emy, PES, who assists in teaching the religious education practicum, humbly points to the Source of all blessings at SJV: “Every time we come to SJV, we first go to the chapel to pray for what we are going to do that day and for the Lord to be the one doing it!”
One of the things that most surprised Michael Malkowiak, development services specialist, upon starting at SJV one year ago was “how close knit the team is. We’re almost like a small family,” he noted. Accompanying one other through family weddings, funerals, births, illnesses, and everything in between, the team is devoted to honoring each member through the joys and sorrows of life’s varied seasons.
The occasional comings and goings of family members also contribute to the feeling of home. Feeling supported in her motherhood at work, Sarah Carter shared, “One seminarian told me how much he loved seeing my infant at SJV because he missed having little ones around.”
Despite the manifold blessings of a supportive group of colleagues, SJV’s tremendous team firmly ranks second among staff members’ favorite part of working at SJV. The resounding #1 answer is the men. “They bring a lot of energy and zeal, and their desire for the Lord is truly contagious,” Fr. Olofson explained. Fr. Jeff Norfolk, spiritual director and formation advisor, echoed his observations: “It is an incredible gift to see God’s work in the lives of the men in how they live as sons of our Heavenly Father and seminarians of the Church.”
It doesn’t take long for the glimmers of transformation and growth to become obvious to the people spending each day with the seminarians. “The mission of SJV is truly wonderful because of how these men grow in confidence,” Sue remarked. “They’re still a lot of fun [as the years go on], but you can tell a different reverence in how they carry themselves,” Dede added.
Mary Frame, student services and office support specialist, has been blessed to see many seminarians come through formation in her 18 years at SJV and return to visit years later as priests and vocation directors. “It’s a great honor getting to know the men and watching them grow and mature. And, of course, giving them a hard time,” she added.
The priest staff sees growth on even deeper levels. Fr. Colin Jones ‘14, Rome formation assistant, shared what a gift it is to see the transformation “from the day they arrive, which is for many of them the first time outside the U.S., to four months later, when they now feel comfortable living in and navigating a major European city.”
“Many of them enter right after high school graduation,” said Fr. Gitter. “First time away from home and starting the whole college experience. To see the tremendous amount of spiritual growth that takes place in four years is very rewarding.”
The work of a spiritual director and priest advisor can be challenging when helping foster this growth, but the joys and graces abound even more. “The best part of working at SJV is the opportunity to walk closely with the men and rejoice with them in the good work the Lord is bringing about in them,” expressed Fr. Clayton Forner ‘16, spiritual director and formation advisor.
Fr. Norfolk spoke graciously about his personal growth as a formator. “I am deeply grateful to God that through my work at SJV with the seminarians, the Lord has been very generous in working interiorly in me as well. He is making me into a new priest in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”
Dr. Chris Burke, director of counseling services, has also experienced development in his time at SJV. “It’s surprising how much my job requires me to think, act, and enjoy life like an undergraduate college student,” he laughed. “Learning from their humor, energy, and fresh perspective is not only enjoyable but wise.”
“It feels like home,” concluded Jack Kelly. “It looks effortless as you walk around, but there’s a lot of hard work, faith, and prayer that has gone into getting where we are now.”
The team at SJV looks forward to many more seasons of loving labor in Our Lord’s Vineyard as they continue forming Men in Christ, Men of the Church, and Men for Others.