Virtual Fraternity

REMEMBERING OUR YESTERDAYS

WILLIAM ALEX FRY ’22, DIOCESE OF DALLAS

ROMAN ECHOES 25TH YEAR

NAC FACTS

“In virtue of their common sacred ordination and mission, all priests are bound together in intimate brotherhood, which naturally and freely manifests itself in mutual aid, spiritual as well as material, pastoral as well as personal, in their meetings and in communion of life, of labor and charity” (Lumen Gentium, 28).

An important part of seminary life is fostering friendships and a spirit of brotherhood and fraternity that will continue long after one’s time at the College. Some examples of fraternal events include: Class Dinners or Fraternity Weekends, Diocesan/State Nights, and Tuesday Night Hall Prayer, just to name a few.

Alex Fry '22 (Dallas) hosts a "digital trivia night" for parishioners.

It is 7:00 p.m. in Dallas, Texas, as I log on to my computer and open Zoom. At 5:00 p.m. in San Diego, California, Guillermo has just finished dinner and is grabbing his phone. On the East Coast,

Alex sits down in his favorite recliner and unlocks his iPad. Across the country, my classmates and I are getting ready for our biweekly “virtual happy hour.” Like many people around the world this summer,

“getting together” looked a bit different than what we were used to.

In March, when the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly throughout Italy, many aspects of our lives as seminarians were brought to an abrupt halt. The first few brought to an abrupt halt. The first few months were characterized by a sense months were characterized by a sense of uncertainty and unforeseen change. of uncertainty and unforeseen change. Loss of routine and separation from our Loss of routine and separation from our community certainly stretched us and community certainly stretched us and afforded us an opportunity to grow in afforded us an opportunity to grow in faith in God’s providence. faith in God’s providence.

Back home, we settled into the “new Back home, we settled into the “new normal.” Remaining connected with normal.” Remaining connected with friends and family became a unique challenge. Stay-at-home orders, parish and school closures, and decreased physical contact strained our relationships and communities. Technology became one of the primary means to maintain a sense of fraternity and mutual support during these months at home. Through Zoom classes in our universities, virtual happy hours, and more frequent phone calls, we were able to maintain a semblance of normal life.

Despite technology’s limitations, it allowed us to stay connected during a difficult time in our world. Pastors and seminarians alike found an important link to the flock and each other. Even while fear spread throughout the country, virtues of creativity, perseverance, and companionship shone through the darkness.

As we return to our beloved College on the Janiculum Hill, perhaps we reunite with a new sense of gratitude for what we had before the pandemic: community, friendships, and our home in the Eternal City. n