Last month, discerning young men arrived at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minn. for a Come and See weekend with Fr. Jared Holzhuter, director of vocations for the Diocese of Madison.
The minor seminary, Immaculate Heart of Mary, sits among the great river bluffs of the Mississippi on St. Mary’s University’s quaint, small campus, which was “impressive,” said Father Holzhuter.
For the high school students who attended the weekend, they were impressed by the campus setting, but more so, “They were impressed by how engaged the [current] seminarians were and how they went out of their way to spend time with them,” elaborated Father Holzhuter.
‘Full of life’
Each Come and See weekend the Diocese of Madison offers is a way for discerning men of high school age to “see seminary life, meet seminarians and ask them questions, see the campus, and form an image of what it would be like to be a seminarian,” said Father Holzhuter.
The days spent at the seminary included two types of activities: Fun social activities and quiet reflective time.
The young men played sports, watched a movie, went on a hike, and had group meals with the seminarians.
They also prayed Morning Prayer, participated in Mass, and went to Adoration.
Father Holzhuter said that, “Most of those who come are surprised by how normal the guys are, how much the seminary feels like a home, and that the seminarians are fun to be around and are very generous in their hospitality throughout the weekend.
“When people think of seminary, they have certain perceptions — people think that it’s just a bunch of gloomy, unhappy men chanting at the breakfast table. [These trips] are an opportunity to see seminary life.”
Father Holzhuter added that the students who participate in the Come and See weekends at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary see seminarians who “are free to be themselves,” while also being “free to be formed in the way of Christ”.
“They’re 20-something [year old] men, so [the seminary] shouldn’t be a somber place. It’s full of life.”
Two particularly impactful activities were a question and answer session and sitting in on a philosophy class, both of which helped humanize the experience and engage the attendees.
Parent perspective
For the parents of one attendee, the question and answer session made a lasting impact. The McBride Family said that when Fr. Robert S. Horihan, rector of Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, spoke, “He put the college seminary experience into a really great perspective.”
They said that Father Horihan made clear that, “By the end of your [son’s] time there, he will have discerned either in or out of the priesthood.
“[Father Horihan] added that he has never had a young man come back to him to say he has regretted his time in seminary. However, he has had wives come visit, who want to see the place that made their husbands become really great men.”
The McBrides approached the Come and See weekend at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary like a typical college visit.
They said, “Since we had gone on college visits with our two older children, we saw this as a great opportunity to see one of our son’s potential next steps after high school.”
Another point of the weekend that remained with the McBride family was hospitality.
They said, “The Madison seminarians were very gracious hosts and did a wonderful job informing us on how the formation process works. After a tour of the seminary and St. Mary’s University’s campus, we had the chance to sit down with the young men to hear their discernment stories. It was very heartwarming to hear the authenticity in each one of them and how Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary has played a special role in their formation.”
Father Holzhuter also highlighted authenticity and formation.
He said that there are more than 50 seminarians at Immaculate Heart of Mary, and while many come from “different areas of the country, they’re all brothers, and I think they feel that brotherhood come through as brothers in Christ.”
He continued, “One of our seminarians described it as: There’s 57 guys in the seminary, and every one of them, he could knock on the door and say, ‘Hey, do you have time to talk?’.
“They’re happy to be around each other, and when you walk through the halls, there’s life.”
For the visiting high school students attending the Come and See weekend, Father Holzhuter said, that “more than anything, I think the spirit of charity in the house stood out to them.
“It’s kind of an unstated thing but very, very present.”
The Diocese of Madison Office of Vocations plans Come and See weekends annually for discerning high school students. The weekends begin on a Saturday and end on the following Monday.
While these trips typically occur annually, Father Holzhuter mentioned there is potential for more trips throughout the year, if there’s enough interest to do so.
If a young man is discerning a religious vocation, a tangible next step is attending Quo Vadis, the high school men’s discernment group.
Quo Vadis meets next on Good Friday, March 29, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, located at 5101 Schofield St, Monona, WI 53716.
Attendees will have pizza with Father Holzhuter and current Madison seminarians, who will be in attendance for this month’s Quo Vadis.
For more information or to contact Father Holzhuter, visit madisonvocations.org/quo-vadis-club.