Back to School at IHM

By REV. JASON KERN

The Diocese of Winona-Rochester is blessed to welcome seven new seminarians for this fall. They have already started their first year of formation at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. The first year of formation has the men start in July, when they are given the introduction to seminary formation and form an intentional community without launching into the academic semester for the first couple months. One of the weeks, we even took them up to the Boundary Waters for a camping adventure. Not only is this an opportunity for fun, but it intentionally challenges the men to get out of their comfort zones by both relying on others’ strengths and growing in friendship. Beyond this, it is a great way to detach from cell phones and technology, which is an emphasis of the first year. Both the vice rector at IHM, Fr. Marty Schaefer, and I went with the men so we could have Mass with our camping group each day. There is nothing like hearing loon calls and being out in the great wilderness or watching the sun set over the waters. It was a truly blessed time.

In the next month or two The Courier will feature the new seminarians and introduce you to them! New seminarian posters and prayer cards will be issued soon as well.

Bishop Barron has been in our diocese for over two years now. He has consistently made known his two priorities: evangelization and vocations. We need to continue to encourage the hearts of young men and women to consider how God is at work in their lives. We must encourage them to listen to God, who speaks to them in an intimate way and invites them to serve him and his Church. Our Catholic life is beautiful. We have a way of life that is full of grace, truth and beauty. It is attractive, and we do not have to be bashful about the faith. Rather, it becomes imperative that we help our young people discover this and experience the Church in this light.

If it wasn’t for an active youth group and going on mission trips and to World Youth Day as a young man, I don’t know if I would have had the wherewithal to keep growing in my faith by just going to Sunday Mass. It becomes vital that we help answer the questions of young people with truth, teach them to grow in relationship with God through prayer and beautiful liturgy, and give them a community where they feel encouraged to live out their faith in a secular culture. We must band together to do this as a diocese. We can work with those around us to create a culture where Catholic life is encouraged and cultivated. This is the pathway forward that can give all young people a chance to hear God call and to grow in their faith.

Rev. Jason Kern is the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester