Listening forGod’s call Bishop White Seminary is blessed with a spacious new home and plenty of seminarians to fill it
Father Kenny St. Hilaire, Bishop White spiritual director, above left, talks with seminarian Kyle Manglona. At right, Colin Pickett directs choir members Dale Tuckerman, Manglona, Kyle Ratuiste and Andrew Regalado. Below right, seminarian Eleazar Diaz at prayer.
On the Web: a slide show and thoughts from two Bishop White seminarians — www.gonzaga.edu/GQlinks.
Story by Marny Lombard Photos by Zack Berlat (’10) and Jennifer Raudebaugh
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his fall, the handsome new facility of the Bishop White Seminary is humming with prayer, joy and the work of 20 seminarians discerning God’s call. That makes the new building full to capacity and represents more young men exploring their faith at Bishop White than any time in the last 10 or 20 years, said Father Darrin Connall, rector of the seminary. The abundance of vocations extends to the Diocese of Spokane, which recently placed newly ordained priests in positions that have gone unfilled for years. “We really have no openings in the diocese right now,” said Bishop William Skylstad of the Spokane diocese. “Given that we are a relatively small diocese, we have a very strong presence.
WINTER 2010 – 14
There is a great deal of pride in the local church, and we are in many ways quite diverse in the diocese – with parishes on three Indian reservations, in small, rural communities and Spokane; and of course with Gonzaga University and the strong Catholic health-care presence in the region.” Is this abundance a momentary blip, set against a national trend of decreasing vocations in the Church? Or a wave built upon the strength of Gonzaga University and Bishop White Seminary? Time and God will tell. Fr. Connall believes that it is God’s wish to provide sufficient vocations for the diocese. Experience suggests that these numbers wax and wane due to a combination of factors. A strong partnership developed over half a century between the seminary and the University
is one factor that remains unchanged. “When Father Spitzer was president, we talked and collaborated with him,” Fr. Connall said. “He really hoped we would have a prominent feature of the new complex be the chapel on the corner of Addison and Sharp, anchoring the main entrance of Gonzaga. From the outside, what the chapel says to the community is ‘This is what we value as a community.’ ” Funds for the $5.1 million construction were raised through donors within the diocese. And indeed, the seminary’s chapel does rise from the former site of the Huetter Mansion (previous home to Bishop White and now located east of Addison). Fr. Connall helped design the chapel so that hearts and prayers might rise toward the Holy Father. Natural light filters in through clerestory windows; traffic noise from Sharp Avenue does not penetrate the walls. It is a prayerful place, powerful in its simplicity. “Watching the building go up coincided with a sudden increase in my spirituality,” said Collin Pickett, junior. “I was taking a great class on the liturgy with Fr. Michael Woods, reading several books on mental prayer, attending daily Mass. And