GREETINGS FROM SEMINARY Thomas Crowley
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reetings from St. Paul, Minnesota! My name is Thomas Crowley and I am one of three seminarians from our parish currently attending St. John Vianney College Seminary. On behalf of myself, Mason Abbot, and Brandon Amburn, I want to personally thank you all for your prayers and support. The prayers of a parish are truly a powerful force and we need your prayers as we strive to do the Lord’s will. Many people ask: what is seminary like? On a typical weekday, we pray a holy hour and Lauds (Morning Prayer) before the Blessed Sacrament beginning at 6:30 am. Then it’s off to classes at the University of St. Thomas between 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, followed by Evening Prayer and Mass at 5:00 pm. The schedule varies slightly, but a daily holy hour, mass, and morning and evening prayer are foundational to the life of the seminary. Our schedule throughout the week also includes regular meetings with the men on our building floor, spiritual conferences, dedicated hours of study, fraternity and recreation, and much more. We also take time to have fun, whether playing ultimate frisbee, football, a board or card games, watching movies, singing...I could go on and on. As
Our chapel is the true home of every man here, and from that place of intimacy with Jesus flows everything else. This allows us to truly love each other as brothers and helps us build each other up in holiness. Brandon said to me recently, there is a surprising and incredible diversity of men in the seminary: basically any type of personality you can think of is represented. Even with the incredible diversity of people, the seminary helps us develop a strong sense of brotherhood. Mason calls it a “beautiful genuineness,” and we all agree that this incredible brotherhood exists because Jesus Christ himself is at the center. One of my favorite parts of seminary is the abiding presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Our chapel is the true home of every man here, and from that place of intimacy with Jesus flows everything else. This allows us to truly love each other as brothers and helps us build each other up in holiness. One of our priests often tells us that the seminary is like a “spiritual greenhouse,” designed to facilitate our growth. Seminary has helped me grow in greater reliance on Christ. As one who struggles with pride, it’s been tough learning that I
