Back to the Basics...

Yes, I am still alive. I finally have a chance to come up for air at least for a few moments. This last week was definitely one of the most challenging weeks I have had in seminary. It was challenging not only physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally as well. Suffice to say that I am still a little tired (seems to be a persistent state for most guys here) but should be able to rest some this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, we are hosting approximately thirty men ranging in age from seventeen to late thirties who are a part of what is called “Live-In Weekend.” This event allows prospective seminarians to come stay with us for three and a half days to see what life in the seminary is like. In visiting with the guys, I realized that there are a lot of basic things about seminary that people do not know. It was also good for me to realize that this same time last year I was in their shoes. This is about the time of year when I began to apply with my diocese to come to seminary. I hope to offer a more spiritual reflection about that tomorrow, but today want to tell you about some of the basics of seminary.

I am currently studying at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas. The seminary is located on the campus of the University of Dallas (UD). We are secluded enough from the campus that the regular students do not often come down “the hill” around the seminary but it is close enough that we can easily walk up “the hill” to our classes. We live, eat, sleep, and pray at the seminary and attend classes with lay students at UD. Our professors are very talented lay people who provide us with a classical Liberal Arts education. A few of our professors are Cistercian Monks from the nearby abbey. We also have the Southern Province Dominican Priory across the parking lot from us.

Holy Trinity is home to twenty-nine seminarians from seven dioceses including Little Rock, Lubbock, Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, Galveston-Houston (they are quick to remind us they are an Archdiocese…), and Victoria. Holy Trinity is what is a college seminary; meaning that the men studying here are working on a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Letters. There are other men, like myself, who have at least a bachelor’s degree and are taking our pre-requisite Philosophy and Theology classes before entering Theology Studies (Major Seminary). I am considered a part of the latter group and we are appropriately called Pre-Theologians or “Pre-Thees” for short. By university standards Pre-Theologians are considered non degree seeking graduate students. The college seminarians take fifteen credit hours each semester while Pre-Theologians take twelve. The younger guys like to point out that they have to take more classes then us. We then remind them that we have put in our time as evident by the degree(s) that hang on our wall.

Last semester I took some basic introductory courses to Theology and Philosophy. The course names were: Understanding the Bible, Philosophy and the Ethical Life, Philosophy of Man, and Elementary Latin I. It was quite the adjustment being back in college. I remember the feeling the first day walking to class with a backpack on my back. I thought to myself, “How in the world did you end up doing this all over again?” I had the same thought during finals week.

This semester seems to be more challenging. The courses are getting tougher and the demands on my time are increasing. I am taking Philosophy of Being (Metaphysics), Medieval Philosophy, Western Theological Traditions (Church History and teachings of the Early Church Fathers through Vatican II), and Elementary Latin II. Latin is not my favorite class but I am doing the best I can and think it is important for me to learn. Primarily, I am hoping that Latin will help me in learning Spanish this summer and the years to come.

A typical day for me means waking up at 5:15AM, showering, and then checking email and a few news websites each day. I look at the local news channel from back home and try to keep up with what is going on there. We begin Lauds (Morning Prayer) in community at 6:30AM followed by Mass. We then go to the Refectory (Dining Hall) for breakfast which for me is usually a bowl of Special K, a piece of wheat toast, and two cups of coffee. Between the hours of 8AM and 3PM we have classes at the University. It is like a typical college in that you are not in the same classes each day and you are not in class the entire time. During the day we also attend meetings like Music Class, Individual Music Instruction, Formation (one on one meeting with an advisor to talk about everything except matters related to Spiritual Direction and Confession), Spiritual Direction, Group Formation and others. At 5:15PM we gather back in the chapel for Vespers (Evening Prayer) followed by thirty minutes of silent meditation. We then go to the Refectory for dinner. Dinner is served family style at tables with groups of eight. Three seminarians serve as waiters for a week at a time and serve the entire meal and clear the tables. The waiters then have their meal once everyone has left. This is an attempt to get us to learn table manners, how to serve, and how to be served. Three other seminarians are also assigned to do dishes once the meal is over. It normally takes about 45 minutes to do the dishes and each of us does it about once a week.

After dinner, we are free to return to our rooms to study. Actually we are free to do whatever we want for the remainder of the evening but are encouraged to spend the time with our studies. It is also a time to wash clothes, iron clothes, call home, do spiritual reading etc. One night a week we also have a Practicum assignment. This year I am teaching RCIA at a local parish here in Irving. It is pleasant and rewarding work but it does put an added demand on our time and makes preparing for Friday Classes difficult.

Every Friday afternoon we have “Work Order.” For two hours the house in divided up into two groups. Half of the group is responsible for cleaning the inside of the seminary including bathrooms, vacuuming common rooms, dusting, cleaning the chapel, etc. The other half goes outside to maintain the grounds immediately surrounding the seminary. We do not have a janitorial staff or a landscaping crew as we do all the work ourselves. The time is meant to teach us how to keep up a house (later a rectory) and to take ownership in our house.

After Work Order we are free for the evening. Most of us guys will go out to eat and maybe see a movie. Saturdays are pretty much free for us to do whatever we need to do. There is a Mass here at the seminary but we are not required to go here. We are allowed to go to the Cistercian Abbey, the Traditional Latin Mass at a parish here in Dallas, or any other local parish. We are not allowed to go more than thirty minutes from the seminary at any time without permission from the Rector. Sunday mornings we gather at 8:30AM for Lauds. This is a formal event as we sing the prayers and are dressed in coat and tie. We then have Mass at 9:15AM and that Mass is open to the public. If you are ever up this way, please consider joining us for Mass. It is always great to see familiar faces. After Mass we have a social with our guests including donuts and coffee. The Seminarians and their guests then retire to the refectory for a formal brunch. After brunch, we are free the rest of the day. Most of the guys take a nap and then study for the rest of the day.

As you can see we do not have a lot of free time. During the fall we will have a Free Weekend once a month where we are allowed to go home or go out of town somewhere else. This semester we do not have any free weekends on the books and we are starting to feel the stress just three weeks in. When we do have free time, we like to play sports, watch television, talk, pray, or exercise. We do have a small weight room that has some basic equipment. The equipment is somewhat old and outdated but it is better than nothing. In fact, I asked the Rector about purchasing an elliptical machine for us to work out with. The Rector said that we just don’t have the money in the budget (I think the high quality ones that last are about 2K but to be honest I have not done any research). Perhaps in the future I will see if there is anyone willing to help out with this. In the meantime, there is a workout facility at the University that we are free to use.

I hope that I have given you a better idea of what life is like at the seminary. I am sure that there are still more questions. Please feel free to submit your questions as comments or email me. I am happy to answer then when time allows. As for now, I am off to Mass, then lunch, then I have dish duty. I humbly ask you to continue to keep me and my brothers in your prayers. We feel the prayers and rely on them often to help us to persevere. I hope to post again tomorrow. Until then, be assured of my prayers for you.

Pax Tecum,
Tom