Life at the Seminary

Yes… this caught me off guard. Two weeks ago the weather was pretty much like we’re used to it back home. A few warmer days, 15 degrees… and then, bam, suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of a snowy Edmonton! I have been told by the Edmontonians that this isn’t normal for them either. Winnipeg suffered from a real snow storm today. As for me, I have been enjoying the view out of my window today. There isn’t much to see except for some trees. But it just seemed like the Big Guy had turned around the snowglobe and all the snow flakes came down… such a pretty sight!

 In other news, several midterms are coming up, the first coming Thursday. Midterms are good. They cut the amount you have to study for in half pretty much. It also means that we are mid – term. In less than two months, the semester will be done and over with. A weird idea if you ask me.

Dear friends,

As I am writing, we are in the midst of a several day International Harp Contest taking place in Tel Aviv, Israel. This contest is one of the most prestigious in the world, if not the most prestigious. Contestants come from all over the world This year we have two Dutch entries (Remy van Kesteren and Marianne Smit) and one Canadian (Valérie Milot). My friend -and previous winner of the Tel Aviv contest- Gwyneth Wentink will also be playing as one of the gala guests. Enough exciting things to make me wish I could be in Israel right now!That said, I am eagerly looking for a harp for myself to play in Canada. It was a little too expensive to bring my own beautiful orchestra harp all the way from the Netherlands, so I am looking for a generous person here in Canada that would be able to lend me one for this year. I have tried all sorts of ways to find someone that might have a harp they are not using at the moment, but no luck so far. And if you don’t have one, please join me in praying to God to ask Him to provide for one!!

If you want to enjoy the harp and the atmosphere at the Tel Aviv contest for yourself, take a look at the beautiful clip. Gwyneth is also interviewed for a few seconds Enjoy!

Apart from “Life at the Seminary” posts, you might also find some more personal posts here on my blog, in which I express some personal thoughts on life in our Church or even life in general. Today, I’d like to make a small post on ‘pro life’. What we mean with pro life is that we don’t kill off our children because they come at inopportune times in our life or our elderly, because they feel they have become nothing but a burden (ie. what we call abortion or euthanasia).

Some of you might have followed the death and funeral of Mr. Ted Kennedy, a pro-abortion ‘catholic’ U.S. Senator. What does being a Catholic really mean anymore? Are we glad just to have a politician call himself that, or do we expect him to actually stand up for the tens of thousands of children that are being murdered each year? Can we be Catholic if all we do is work on social justice?

I heard of the death of Mr. Robert Schindler, Sr., last month, one of the leaders of the pro-life movement. He was buried in Philadelphia without the fanfare or accolades, without the cable news networks broadcast, no cardinals did attend it, and the President of the United States did not deliver the eulogy – thank God. Mr. Schindler, however, is promised a better send-off than that. God Himself will him speak to him words spoken to all the suffering righteous: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.”

Bob Schindler, unlike Mr. Kennedy, was not rich, did not enjoy the high social status and was ravaged by aggressive euthanasia activist lawyers who decided that his daughter was just not worthy of life because she was brain-damaged. He had to fight the son-in-law who, despite a father’s unconditional offer to care for his own daughter, rammed the euthanasia agenda home viciously, even triumphantly. I cannot begin to imagine the pain in his life.

In Canada, the battle against euthenasiais raging on as we speak. Parliament is about to vote on a law that might make the killing of the sick and elderly in our community a very real possiblity.  My bishop, His Grace, Mgr. James Weisgerber, has courageously sent out a message to all people of good will, in order to enlist your support (politically if you are in Canada, in prayer if you are anywhere else in the world) against this evil.

Why do people not have the right to end their own lives? In our society, we have lost the basic certainty in our hearts that every human being is 100% loved and wanted by God. Even if you don’t believe in God, many of you will agree that every human being is worthwhile. Jesus never asked whether someone was a sinner or a saint, wealthy or poor, healthy or ill, alive or dead. He came for everyone. We are all worth his life, EVERYTHING, in his eyes. For us, today, as disciples of Jesus (however weak and limited we may be), our duty is to be there for everyone. Many elderly or severely ill feel they are just a burden to their families and friends, reasoning: ‘why should they come out here for a pathetic excuse of a human being like myself? I cannot do anything here in this bed, and now I am just a burden to them as well.’ Their spiritual death is already a reality to themselves. So they reason: ‘why not actually die, instead of prolong the suffering for myself and especially others?’

If we could only reach out to all these souls, and let them experience how worthwhile they are, despite their condition, no one would have to think about euthanasia ever again. Maybe we can ask Bob Schindler, now in heaven with God, to intercede for us. I ask all of you to join me and countless Catholics across Canada to pray that the euthanasia bill does not pass!

As many of you know, I am now at a ‘new’ seminary. That is to say, I am in Edmonton in Canada and this is all quite new to me. What some of you might not know is that we are in transition. The seminary here was too small. In total, we’re 30 seminarians living here in Edmonton with another 10 on internship this year. Due to the construction of a ringway around Edmonton, the diocese was forced to sell the seminary and college (which now have been demolished) and build a new one. This year, we are only at a ‘temporary’ location. While everyone really got settled in their new digs, and we couldn’t ask for a better place, most guys that have been here longer to me are really looking forward to the new seminary that is being built as we speak.

I can’t help but say that I am getting more excited. For one, we had a lovely Gala Dinner, now over a week ago. With all respect for the Church in my native country (The Netherlands), I don’t think we would have been able to pull off what this diocese here pulled off pretty much on its own: a fundraiser for our new seminary. As seminarians, we were granted the opportunity to spend a wonderful evening with 900 supporters of the seminary, who raised over 7 million dollars in one evening for this new seminary. I would like to invite all of you to pray for this new project, as we will need over 8 million more dollars over the next five years.

The good news is, they are already building our new seminary. Yesterday, news reached us of how they are working on our new chapel already. This will be one of the greenest buildings in all of Edmonton, and with state of the art technology they have been continuously pouring the concrete walls of our new seminary. The amount of work, money and PRAYER that goes into this project is amazing. And as a seminarian (and future inhabitant of this new building) it is an exhilirating time!

For those that are interested in the end result, there is a picture on the St. Joseph Seminary page that changes into sketches of several parts of our new building. Check it out!

As promised, a little update on pastoral placements.

In seminary, there are four different kinds of formation. Spiritual, Human, Intellectual and Pastoral formation. This means that prayer, community life, study and pastoral work are part of our daily lives. While I’ve done some internships here and there, more or less on my own, it’s the first time – now that I have moved to my new seminary – that I received a pastoral placement in a seminary context. Praise the Lord

This year I will be working at *drum roll* St. James Catholic School. I went in last week with Sr. Anne Rajotte, of the Sisters of St. Joseph. She’s been working at the nearby parish for almost twenty years now, and for quite some time she has been visiting the school regularly to speak with the children about religion. We’re talking about an elementary school, so kids are anywhere between like 6 and 12 years old. It’s so awesome… I met with a few grades, and was introduced as a seminarian. We explained to them what it meant and they could ask me questions. It really does relativate stuff when the first question you are asked is “What is your favorite food?” 

Today I went in for the first time on my own. I will be helping out one afternoon a week in grade 5, and maybe I will continue to come in with the Sister or do some other work. I’m not going to get ahead of myself there. Today I helped a couple of kids with their math. A few kids just moved to Edmonton and this school, and they are really struggling with math. I just really want to help them get on the right track, as they deserve a good start in life, eh? What a sign of providence that I can use all the years I’ve taught math to high school students here…

At the same time I will be able to learn how to interact with children a lot younger than I am used to teach. The time in class was extremely cool, as all the kids seem to want to get to know you and share things with you. I could barey go back home in time for my next appointment they didn’t want me to leave. What a great gift! Hopefully in the future, I will be able to do some catechesis with them, but for now it is just my presence there that will be the first step in my apostolate. Please continue to pray for my work here, and especially for my time at St. James School!

I remember the first time I was in Winnipeg. I had just moved into the Oblates’ house and in the room next to mine lived the cousin of their provincial, Andrew. Andrew asked me the first or second day if I played hockey. So I said, “Sure thing! We used to play all the time at school.”

“Great,” he said, “You have any skates with you?” So I was thinking… skates? Does he mean rollerblades? Like in street hockey? So I told him, “no, they were sort of too large to bring over.” And he was like, “Too bad, cause there’s an rink right next to our house.” Only then it dawned on me that he was talking about ICE hockey.

Now, Holland claims a certain fame in the FIELD hockey world and it’s actually played by a lot of people (at least, I know a few dozen…) but I don’t know of anyone playing ice hockey. So, lesson to all my fellow foreigners, when a Canadian is talking about hockey, he’s definitely talking about ICE hockey.

That said, today I had my first taste. Of floor hockey. Which is basically indoor hockey without skates. It gives me some idea of how to handle a stick and I had an incredible time just playing, even though I have to learn pretty much everything from the start. After two hours of playing, I realize I might need a slightly longer stick, as my back’s pretty sore :> Other than that, it’s been an amazing night.

Every Monday and Wednesday there’s sports night for us seminarians and quite a few turn out, so it’s very enjoyable. And I might lose some of those extra pounds in the process!

More news on my pastoral placement for the year to follow soon, so check back

It’s been a while now and I have had some time to settle here at my new seminary. Today a bit more about life at the seminary here. What does a week look like?

Every day we show up at the chapel at 6:30 for morning prayer and H. Mass. We are 27 seminarians and have the pleasure to live with 5 priests on our formation team. Since our internship year comes after our second year of theology studies, it means that our diaconate year is spent back at the seminary. It’s a great joy to see your fellow deacon-seminarians here. They serve at the altar during Mass and at times preside over our morning prayer.

At 7:30 it’s time for breakfast. There are several excellent cooks working here who manage to sometimes even prepare something for breakfast, like a nice boiled egg or even pancakes.

Since the college we go to is a ways off, at 8:00 we drive down to the college to start classes at 8:30. Most guys are taking five three-hour classes (one every day) so we’re there until about 11:30 when we drive back home for lunch at 12:00.

Most of the afternoons and evenings are off, until 17:15 when we pray evening prayer together, after which supper follows. Then at 21:00 there is some time for adoration and night prayer.

Four times a semester there are human formation sessions on Monday afternoon.

Tuesday afternoon there is either a rector’s conference or music practice.

Thursday there is an hour of adoration (including evening prayer)

Friday there is a community meeting for practical things and a group meeting where we talk about a spiritual topic.

Monday and Wednesday there are optional sport nights. Yesterday about 12 guys came out to play Ultimate Frisbee. I’m already being inducted in the various sports here, by the way. Last week we went to an Eskimos game, and I have also decided to explore the joys of ice hockey while here and bought some equipment to that effect. God knows what is going to happen to me this year!!

In other good news: at the start of the year party, during the lottery, I won a $75 gift card for Joey Tomatoes. The first one from Holland to visit me is offered a free meal there

I also put some additional pictures online where you can see some of the neighborhood I live in. It’s really a nice place for walking, especially with the 25-or-so degree weather we’ve been having. Jealous yet? Good! Come to seminary!! :>

My first post from Canada. I seem to have arrived just well. Me and my two suitcases. The first week was spent in Winnipeg, meeting as many of my friends there as I could. Everyone seems to have survived well enough without me, but it felt good to meet up with these wonderful people, most of whom have seen many years in ministry already.

I spent my time in Winnipeg at my vocation’s director’s rectory. The people in the parish were very welcoming as I was introduced to them at several Masses during the week(end). I feel very much humbled by their warm reception and it was great to have many come up to me and talk to me in German. Most of them have come over here in the years after World War II, maybe with just two suitcases as well (although they probably took a lot longer to get here, instead of my measly 12 hours by plain).

After my first week in Winnipeg, trying to enjoy my last ‘vacation’ days as much as I could, another seminarian picked me up at 6am for the drive to Edmonton. Thirteen hours. And we were speeding, a little. But he drove us all the way there, across half of Manitoba, all of Saskatchewan and some of Alberta.

As I explained in the post below, the new seminary building is currently being constructed and we have taken up residence in a former nursing home. Everyone on the formation team, the staff and employees have really worked hard to make this place – a lot smaller than the old building, apparently – as nice and welcoming as possible. Those of you that are curious can look on my Photo Gallery where I have added some new pictures.

The last few days we have had some introduction days. It was so good to get to know the almost 30 guys that live here. Things about our daily schedule and the year programme are reviewed, and we’ve sorted out which community duties each of us will fulfill this year. I am going to help produce the seminary newsletter as well as help plan the community evenings. More about my schedule this year is to come…

We also drove out to the new location of the Newman Theological College, after which we all went out for ice cream. It’s been a fun couple of days in a very relaxed atmosphere as everyone is getting settled in. As for me, I have a few additional things to take care of, such as getting a Canadian driver’s license and car insurance for my new car! (Photos will follow one of these days as I keep you updated). I can’t ask you guys often enough to please keep me in your prayers. For you folks back in the Netherlands, be assured I think of you often and really feel united with you as I think of you in mine.

Dear friends,

it’s more or less a public secret that I had plans to go to Canada this coming academic year. I say, public secret, because I answered the ones that asked me about it truthfully, but I since things weren’t certain for a long time, I tried not to volunteer too much information to too many people.

In this post I’d like to give everyone a little background on my decision. In 2002-2003, while I was still a student of Communication Science, I spent half a year in Winnipeg, working on a Christian Communication Institute. I had a wonderful time there. Ever since those months there, I have wondered whether or not I should return. Before I began at the seminary in Den Bosch, in 2006, I had had several intense conversations with the vocations director for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg.

As the step of telling my mother of my desire to become a priest was already great enough, without the added burden of me going abroad, and because I was still very much investigating my own vocation, I decided to begin in the Netherlands, in what I judged to be the most sound and promising diocese of the country. I openly discussed this with my bishop, Mgr. Hurkmans, before I began my first year at my current seminary. He encouraged me to investigate my vocation in the first years of my stay there.

This I have tried to do to the best of my limited abilities. Those that have been following this blog for a while, know that I spent two months in Winnipeg and Camperville last summer as an intern. The past year, I have been working with my spiritual director to come to a decision. To be frank, the only thing I know is that if I do not go to Canada now, I might really regret it later on. I think God might have sent me there all those years ago for a reason. Now that I am still relatively young and have finished my philosophy degree, I feel the time is right to make this step.

I feel humbled by the fact that the Archdiocese of Winnipeg has agreed to sponsor my study of theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta. There I will have the pleasure of studying at Newman Theological College. All the while, I will continue my discernment over there. I can pray all I like while I’m here in the Netherlands, but I will probably never come to a decision if I have never seriously spent time in Canada.

This is a big step — well, obviously! — for me. I am leaving everything behind, most notably the people that I love. These include my family members, my brother seminarians, the priests in our diocese that I have gotten to know so well, my teachers, my friends, the brothers and sisters of St. John, fellow harpists and my students. I will miss all of you so very much. At the same time, I can only feel joy as I look ahead, because of the great challenge that awaits me: to try and give myself completely to the Lord. I ask you urgently to continue to pray for me  the coming year. Chances are, you will be in my prayers, too!

I have all but cleaned out my rooms at the seminary, and August 18 I am flying to Winnipeg, before beginning the new academic year on August 26. My blog will of course continue: I will continue to speak of my life at the seminary. May God bless you each and everyone!

“Dieu premier servi”       - Ste. Jeanne d’Arc

Since the start of this website, over a year ago, I meant to dedicate a part of it to my patron Saint, Joan of Arc. She’s been my guardian angel, in my life, towards my Christian life, and now towards my life as a priest. I love her so much, and I never hesitate to tell anyone about her, should you ask! This means that if you ever ask me, you might be stuck with me for the rest of the night. Or several nights

In any case, some of you have noticed a change in the Joan of Arc pages over the last couple of weeks. Around twenty visitors a day come here looking for more information about Joan of Arc. That is why I have worked hard these last few weeks to prepare several galleries of some of the images that I have collected over the years, to make them available to you with accurate references, as well as a detailed (although not overly extensive) overview of her life.

The first few pages have already been done, and the others will be finished shortly. I encourage anyone that is a bit curious about Joan to learn more about her. It has changed my life, and God willing, it might change yours! God bless, everybody!