Seminarians share blessings, brotherhood, Badlands and bowling (photos included!)

Archdiocese of Omaha seminarians are counting their blessings after spending five days on retreat together.

During the retreat, held July 28 to Aug. 1, the seminarians traveled across South Dakota with Archbishop Michael G. McGovern and Fathers Scott Schilmoeller and Zachary Tucker from the archdiocese Vocations Office.

Just days later, on Aug. 3, they gathered for one last time this summer with each other – and with family and supporters – at the Seminarians Send-Off Picnic at St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish in Bellevue. At an 11 a.m. Mass that preceded the picnic, three seminarians declared their intent to continue on the path toward the priesthood during a Rite of Candidacy before Archbishop McGovern.

The three – Luke Capoun, Andrew Nigro and Kyle Wozniak – are entering a more advanced stage of formation called configuration, which typically entails the last four years of seminary life.

Also at the send-off, eight new seminarians were welcomed: Max Brown, Peter Ginn, Kade Wiese, Jack Van Moorleghem, Sam Wiegand, Michael Baumert, John Schroll and Andrew Mellinger. They will begin their propaeduetic year this fall, the first phase of formation.

During the South Dakota retreat, the seminarians got a break in between summer assignments and school-year formation. They had opportunities for worship, fun and games, relaxation and vocational guidance.

On the bus ride home, several reflected on the retreat. Seminarian Kyle Wozniak compiled some of those thoughts. The young men who commented are pictured as they spoke at the send-off picnic.

Below their reflections are photos from the retreat.

Kyle Snodgrass

“One of the great experiences that I had on the seminarian retreat was the very laid back atmosphere, and great community. Every day started with Adoration, Mass, and Liturgy of the Hours. But also getting to see God in His creation and landscape of western South Dakota.”

Luke Capoun

“My grace from the seminarian retreat was being able to hike and have unplanned moments of time with brothers who I don’t get to see all the time due to being at different seminaries. It’s a gift to share experiences and notice growth in each other.” 

Harrison Elhabbal

“I really loved spending time with my brothers during the seminarian retreat. I’ve also enjoyed taking quiet time to reflect on the summer during daily prayer or while fishing on the shore.”

Andrew Nigro

“It was a great blessing to be with Archbishop McGovern and to come to know each other more as well as to enjoy the company of my fellow seminarian brothers. I am thankful that we were able to pray together and begin the next year of formation with each other.”

Sam Wiegand

“The seminarian retreat was truly a gift, simply being able to admire the natural beauty in the presence of the real friendship with my fellow seminarian brothers. Being able to spend time with and get to know our shepherd, Archbishop McGovern, was a huge privilege and honor. Praying together also created a deeper bond between each other and the Lord.”

Alex Kennedy

“I enjoyed coming back together with all of my brothers to hang out and catch up for a week. My favorite part of the trip was the hikes we went on through the Badlands and around La Framboise Island. You can truly see how much God loves us just by taking the time to admire His intricate work in nature.”

Ethan Menning

“My grace for this trip was getting to intentionally chat and hang out with the other seminarians, especially after being in Rome for the spring semester and out in the rural area for the summer. Talking about the beauties of our vocational paths and our graces from the summer was like pouring gasoline on the already-stoked fiery desire for the priesthood! These trips always increase my hope for the future and gratitude for the fraternity we seminarians have.”

Michael Baumert

“My biggest grace of this week was growing to know and love all of the other seminarians, especially the other first-years! Our relationships grew in everything we did, including praying, swimming, hiking, driving, etc. I can’t wait to grow closer to God and each other after this year’s seminarian trip.”

Max Brown

“There were so many graces on this trip. The ones that really stuck out were playing games, eating meals together, and exploring the Badlands. Getting to know everyone was very special, hearing their vocation stories, and learning what to expect this year in seminary. I’m eager to grow closer to God and all of the fellow seminarians more.”

Andrew Melliger

“My grace for the week was spending time with the other seminarians, getting to know them better as we prayed, ate meals, played games, and spent time on the bus together. It was a great time, and I look forward to getting to know them more in the future.” 

Caleb Kosch

“My grace was being in the United States for a week after spending seven weeks in Mexico. It was a great gift to spend my first moments in the U.S. with friends and better getting to know new men.”

Thomas Matya

“A grace for me was hearing the vocation stories of the new men and getting to know them more throughout the week.” 

Jack Van Moorleghem

“As a new man, this retreat offered me the opportunity to meet with and hear the moving stories of my brother seminarians as well as our recently installed leader of the archdiocese, Archbishop McGovern. It was a blessing to build community, grow in prayer, and adventure outdoors in South Dakota with these faithful men of Christ.” 

Peter Ginn

“A grace for me this weekend was being able to prepare for my first year and get to know my seminarian brothers better.”

 Kade Wiese

“There were many graces that I received on this trip and one of them was being with all of my seminarian brothers! With Omaha sending all of us to five different places to study, it’s rare to have all of us in one place for an extended time. This past week was amazing to get to know everyone on a deeper level and see how the Lord has been working in their lives. As a new man, this week has given me a lot of hope and excitement for the new semester!”