Meet the 2011-2012 class of seminarians for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.

By Scott Carter
4th Theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md.

The men in the Catholic Diocese of Wichita studying for the priesthood will encounter many changes when they return to school this fall.

The men who attend Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland will have a newly-renovated chapel as well as a number of new faculty members. Those at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, aside from having a new rector in charge of the seminary, will be living off-site in an old convent while the seminary building is remodeled. And the men at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri will welcome eight new Wichita seminarians to their group.

Despite all the changes, the daily routine will stay the same: pray, study and spend time with fellow seminarians. With daily Mass, a daily Holy Hour, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, going to class, exercising and finding time to study and sleep, seminary is a lot like going to college and holding a job at the same time. On top of that, there are formation meetings and spiritual direction sessions which help form the seminarians into good priests.

This can be quite an adjustment for those attending seminary for the first time. “Being required to go to everything every day was the big transition for me,” said Kyle Martens, a seminarian from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Wichita. “At Wichita State University I could choose what to go to, but at seminary every day is full.”

Twelve men will be making the leap to seminary for the first time. Most of them will be in college at Conception, studying philosophy along with other classes like math, English and history; those who graduated from college before seminary will take two years to focus on philosophy. Five seminarians graduated from college seminary last year and will begin their theology studies either at the Mount or at Kenrick, studying topics such as Church History, morality, spirituality, dogmatic theology and Canon Law. Those who are closer to ordination will also get to practice baptisms, homilies and hearing confessions.

Even with the busy schedule, it’s the friendship among the seminarians that shines out the most and helps the new men adjust. “We’re really blessed to have our Friday seminarian gatherings in the summer,” said Martens, “because it helps us get to know each other before school starts. We have so many seminarians that you don’t ever really feel alone.”