Connecting through a Common Call

 Today we visited a seminary down the road from where we’re staying. It is a place of study and formation for seminarians aspiring to become diocesan priests within the Neocatechumenal Way. The purpose of the visit was to foster connection and conversation between us, who are diverse but will wind up ministering in America, and the seminarians, who are also a diverse group of men but will minister in the Latin Patriarchate (diocese) of Jerusalem made up of Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.

        From the beginning of our time there, and throughout our tour and conversation, it was very evident that the theme of “connection” was important to the Rector, Fr. Francesco, and the seminarians there. A big part of their way of life was reverence and gratitude for the Jewish roots of Christianity: they feel connected to Judaism, especially here in the Holy Land.
        It was a blessing to have a tour of their facility and seminary. As members of the Neocatechumenal way, they focus on prayer, a mature faith, and living out the Baptismal call to the fullest. The biggest blessing was getting a chance to connect with them. Via some translators, we were able to get a feel for what it was like to be a seminarian living out the call of the Neocatechumenal Way in the specific context of the Holy Land.

        They shared with us their hopes of being able to spread the faith and evangelize within the charism of the Way. They also shared with us their challenges - most of them are foreigners, and even the ones from the area all agreed that being here in the Holy Land has its difficulties. While Mundelein Seminary and Redemptoris Mater Seminary are different, it was a great experience to connect on the common call of our Baptism and our call to the priesthood.