By Vincent Asselta
There are two questions I usually am asked when at home on break from the seminary: “How is seminary so far?” and “Are you happy there?”
The second I get these questions, a huge smile appears on my face. I go on to compare being at the seminary to living in a house with a dozen of your closest friends who all enjoy the same things as you. Often on weekends, which can be a little freer than the week, seminarians will spontaneously end up having a fire outside, going out to dinner or watching movies together. We often play sports, go to the gym, and study for tests side by side to build up this fraternity.
What builds up fraternity the most at the seminary, however, is the communal prayer. At every major part of the day, a seminarian is surrounded by his brothers as they pray together the Liturgy of the Hours. The seminarian’s first words of the day are words of praise, as we pray Morning Prayer and attend Mass. Then, throughout the day, prayer is constantly a part of our lives through our classes, our assignments and our meetings. Even that moment when we prepare to sleep, our last words of the day praise God and ask for His blessing over us for the night. While conversations between my brothers are not going on during Mass or these times of prayer, a deep connection of love and care for the men around you will become present as they unite their prayers and voices. As we all worship God together, our relationship is built up and becomes deeper with Christ as the true foundation.
From my own experience, I can testify that friendships between men in the seminary go much deeper than any other friendship. No matter how different two men in the seminary may be – their upbringing, culture, likes and dislikes – there is one connection between all of us: our love for Jesus Christ and longing to share in His priesthood. This fraternity is essential for a man in the seminary, and it is one of the most important factors in the formation of a future priest. When all the men in the seminary have the same goal, it is much easier to keep each other accountable and to motivate each other to love Christ deeper. This fraternity also builds up friendships between good and holy men that will last a lifetime. Friendships are healthy for everyone to have, as we are social creatures meant for this type of interaction.
Overall, we look forward to serving our own dioceses in the future, while still being connected to these times of growth and study. I am blessed to have these good friendships, and I look forward to experiencing the fruits of this fraternity now as a seminarian, and one day as a priest.
Vincent Asselta is second college at the College Seminary of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Andrew’s Hall, Seton Hall University, South Orange.
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