ST PATRICK’S EMINAR NIVER SITY PATRICIAN MAGAZINE

Seasons of a Seminarian: Joseph H. Kimvisitor of the new year who they wish to berich, happy and prestigious (don’t worry ifthefirst person who visited your door todayhis year St. Patrick’s Seminarywasn’tall three, we still have a couple& University will say farewell toweeksbeforethe New Year). Koreans braveJoseph Kim. A native to San Josethetraffic(imaginethe population of CAand a son of immigrant parents,inhalftheterritoryalltrying to go to theJoe graduated with an engineerotherside)toreturntotheir hometownsing degree from Cal Berkeley and shortlytovisitthegravesitesoftheir family andafter, in 2005, entered the Seminary. Thistowishtheirelderlyrelativesblessings onJune, Joe will be ordained a priest of thethenewyearintheformofaprostratingSan Jose Diocese and the first Koreanbow.InThailandthehonoringof olderAmerican priest ordained in ia.preparedforthemintheblisteringheat.Recently Joe gave a well-receivedhomily on the Lunar New Year titled “Our They in turn pour some of that water overFortune is in Honoring our Father.” In his their children as a sign of renewal andwell-wishes for the newhomily he shared hisyear. Tourists have takenreflections on the seathis to the next level andsons of priestly voca- “Our Fortune is in honoringeverybody gets soaked intion, from childhood, our Father”the Songkran Thai wateradulthood and old age. Readings: Numbers 6:22-27;festival.Now moving through a Ps 100; James 4:13-15;Whatever their tradiseason at St. Patrick’s, Luke 12:35-40tion, the peoples of thesewe know Joe will wasteno time continuing to offer himself in hon- Asian cultures have the profound belief thatoring our Father and others and his ‘zeal’ honoring their ancestors and living family has a direct impact on their fortunes.will shine throughout his seasons.Those who honor parents and ancestors willThere are 365.2425 days in a year. A be brought honor, blessing, happiness, orlittle less than a quarter of the world’s fu. Older relatives, especially parents, arepopulation count these days by the moon’s recognized as authentic givers of blessing,orbit around the earth using a system honor, fortune. What children do all yeardeveloped by the Chinese nearly five in many various forms of honor for parents,thousand years ago. For those born in they do in a formal, ceremonial and festive1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, and 1938 this is your way this one day a year.The Lunar New Year is a providentialyear, the year of the tiger. Depending onoccasionfor us who count the days ofwhat website you go to, your year may beyearbytheearth’s orbit around the suna good one. What you can depend on astorememberthat our fortune is alsowith all those Asian peoples who celebrateinextricablytiedwith the honoring ofthe Lunar New Year is that your fortune,ourfamily,principallythe head of ouryour luck, prosperity, happiness, blessingfamily,GodourFather.He is the God ofdepends on the honoring of ancestors,allfortuneofalltime,theauthentic giverparents and older relatives.ofallblessing,grace,charis,and hesed;The Chinese wish their elder relativeswho“shineshisfaceuponusandgives us“xi Nina kuai le” and the fortunes of theirhispeace”notbecausewedeserveit, noryear are headed in the right direction withbecausewehonorhim,butbecauseHe issome red envelopes. These red envelopesGod,aGoodGod.have the character ‘fu’ which translatesHow can we honor our Good Father?blessing, fortune or luck. In addition toWelookno further than the greatest gift oftheir new year wish, the Vietnamese spendourGod—HisSon, our Lord Jesus Christ.days tidying up their home awaiting the firstBy Amy Yamamura andSeminarian Joe KimT4st. pat rick ’ s semina ry & u ni v er sit yWe look to the Son on how to honor theFather. His life was consumed with zealfor the Father even unto death. In everysituation He looked not to do His willbut the will of the Father. His fortune,His destiny was the carrying out of thewill of His Father—the ultimate honoroffered in His self-sacrifice which is madepresent today on our altar. Jesus honoredthe Father through His faithful attendingto the will of the Father—that was Hisidentity as Son.We who are sons and daughters of Godthrough the Son, must honor our Fatherlest we deny our own identities. We whoaspire to be called ‘Father,’ who aspireto be configured to Christ in the way ofpriesthood, must in life be configured tothe Son in a more radical way. “This ismy body which will be given up for you”must not be merely words of consecrationin liturgy but must translate into a lifeoffered for others outside liturgy. Faithfulvigilance to the will of the Father throughthe offering of life for others is how the

Son honored the Father and that is howwe honor our Father. We ought to “be likeservants who await their master’s return”“ready to open immediately when He comesand knocks” even through the “second andthird watches” of the night.To live a life completely for othersday in day out, a life completely vigilantand attentive to the will of God is a seriouschallenge for sure, especially in theindividualist, consumerist culture we livein. This is the core challenge that I believethese years of seminary formation addresses.St Gregory of Nazianzus interprets thethree watches of the night that our Lordspeaks of in today’s passage as childhood,adulthood and old age. I would offer that apriestly vocation can be broken down alongthe same lines.In the childhood of a vocation, it is cuteto be a priest. It landed me first prize anda chocolate cake for dressing up like JohnPaul in kindergarten. As one Sulpicianpriest told me, seminarians are like littlepuppies, everybody loves them. This initialsupport and love from the faithful is necessary and a gift for a man who leaves so muchbehind to follow the voice of God within. Yetwith all this attention it is easy to focus onyourself—my vocation, my priesthood, mytime, my cake. It is easy to lose the atten- devotion to God and God’s people. Prieststiveness and faithful vigilance to the will of like a Fr. Larry Goode, who can manageGod that got us here in the first place.to run circles around us on the basketballIn the adulthood of the priestly court and be a beloved pastor in one of thevocation, one becomes more aware of the toughest neighborhoods in the country.real difficulties in the priestly life—the The old age of priesthood is when seekingmost serious being our own habits that to honor God through self-sacrifice for othlead us away from God. Yet the lure of ers consumes all our personal ambitions—childhood—of having everything our when human need is not a hindrance butway—is still very strong and the habit of rather an opportunity to love and honorturning to God in all things weak. It is our Good Father.through providential experiences like beingSt. Cyril of Alexandria said of thethrown in a hospital room of a gangster shot three watches, “Of the first watch, however,and unconscious with his family expecting [Christ] makes no mention, for childhoodconsolation, or appointments on pastoral is not punished by God, but obtains pardon;assignments that pop up in the middle of but the second and third age owe obediencemy personal time, that our weaknesses to God, and the leading of an honest lifemeet us square in the face and the only according to His will.” So wherever we areplace to turn is our Father. Adulthood in in this spectrum—whether childhood,the priesthood is the moment when we adulthood or old age—let us take seriousrealize that my vocation is not mine alone, the letter of James who exhorts us this day tomy priesthood is not mine alone, but rather waste no time in abandoning all presumption,the initiative of God and sustained by His all selfishness. Let us turn to the Son andpower. These challenges, many of which implore Him to teach us and give us theare beyond our control, help us to remain power to be obedient to the will of God andfaithfully vigilant to the will of God.offer ourselves for others. This is how the SonThe old age of a vocation is the ha- lived and honored the Father. This is howbitual act of turning to the Father in all we ought to live and honor our Father. Ourthings. It is easy to spot and beautiful to fortune, our destiny, our vocation depend onsee a priest who is single-hearted in his it, every single day of the year.Welcome New StudentsHonoluluMakana W.J. AionaOrangeBrandon L. DangRobin Y. JooJoseph JangNicolaus D. ThaiCharles M. TranNyeo Jae “Pius” YounOaklandGepaul A. CarpioGerald D. PedreraAlberto PerezMichael N. PhamPortlandEdwin L. SanchezSacramentoSteven L. IwayArnold P. ParungaoRonald V. TorresJose Alberto EnriquezMontereyJason SimasSan FranciscoRoger GustafsonAndrew GinterRoger G. GustafsonTony S. VallecilloSeattleBr. Wankie(Dean) MbuziStocktonH. Andres CarmonaYakimaHarold RamirezSan JoseMichael D. SyjuecoMichael E. GrayShawn X. Nguyenpat rici a n m aga zin e spring 20105

The Life of a Seminarian – Letters From the InsideIBy Seminarian Tony Vallecillobegan my seminary journey to priestlyordination at Mt. Angel Seminary inOregon in September 2005. The timehas flown by which proves a good signof how well things have gone so far.H A L F WAY ! ! !I am halfway done with my priesthoodformation: four and a half years down andfour and a half years to go. Praise God! Whata journey it has been! As always, thank youfor your stellar and invaluable support.Continually thanking God for all His Gracesin my life, this past fall I completed my firstsemester at St. Patrick’s Seminary in MenloPark, California, studying theology, and itwas a wild ride. My seminary experience/priesthood formation included healing,heresies, space pods, and boxing.1 As I get closer to priestly ordination Ibegin to go through the various stages/levels that lead to it. This semester, Iundergo the first level which is installation God can truly work in and change theiras lector which means, in the capacity of a lives. Church documents I have read onseminarian, I will be able to read Scripture preaching confirm that preaching is one ofat Mass, aside from the Gospels, which is the most important things a priest does.exclusively reserved for priests and deacons. In my second year of Theology study, 3 Discernment as to whether God callsI will be installed as an acolyte (being able me forward to the priesthood means beingto assist as a server at Mass). In my fourth open to whatever transpires. As I mentheological year, I willtioned before, the mostbe ordained a transiunexpected and rewardtional deacon (tran- the most unexpecteding things in seminarysitional in terms of and rewarding things inhave been the varioustransitioning to priest- seminary has been the various pastoral ministry experihood). A very positive pastoral ministry experiences ences I have had in teachsign of discernment is I have had in teaching anding and serving people.these levels bring ex- serving peopleThat continues this yearcitement for me ratheras my assigned pastoralthan any type of nervousness.ministry is being part of a team at a nearbyparish instructing people interested in2 Another big step forward to priesthood converting to the Catholic faith (calledoccurs this semester as I begin to Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults orformally study preaching. This area RCIA). However, the most powerfully inof priesthood particularly excites me as tense experience I have had in my four andone of my top goals is to be an excellent half years in seminary occurred this pastpreacher who conveys to people how October, and though it involved pastoralAdmissions ReportsEnrollment by Academic YearNew Students OnlyStudent Body by Age Group20100 – 21 3222009-201022 – 24262008-2009202002-200306101520253034.0Fourth Theo33.4Pastoral Year10322000-200132.3Third Theo14212001-20025535.1Second Theo950 – 60 3222003-200431.6First Theo2140 – 49242004-2005035 – 39282005-200624.9Pre-Theo II2830 – 34172006-2007Pre-Theo I925 – 29242007-2008Average Age by Class201035st. pat rick ’ s semina ry & u ni v er sit y15202530051034.21520253035

from God, but from themselves. I was shat- earth, not a part of our lives). My classestered by God’s Mercy as I saw these indi- this semester, in addition to Homiletics,viduals heal significantly and gain hope include the second part of Church historyall within 48 hours! Truly, praise God! If (Reformation to present), Moral Theologybeing a priest means being able to help (to prepare me to hear confessions), Synpeople heal and gain hope, then I want to optic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), andbe a priest.Christian Anthropology.4 By far my most rewarding class last se-ministry, I participated more as an observer. On my spiritual director’s advice, inmy capacity as a seminarian, I attended aRachel’s Vineyard weekend healing retreatfor women and men dealing with past abortion trauma. Through the course of thisamazing weekend, I witnessed God’s Gracein action through small/large group discussion, guided Scripture meditation, experiential healing techniques, these braveindividuals accepted not only forgivenessmester was Church History which focused everything from my past in the moston the beginnings of the Church to the surprising ways. My two deepest interests1300s. I became thoroughly engrossed in before I entered seminary were literaturethe drama of spreading the faith, conver- and movies. I suspected God would utilizesions, persecutions, acceptance and con- my knowledge of various gifted writersstant heresies that threaten to undermine such as Dickens, Melville, and Henryeverything. The teacher taught the subject James for my priesthood studies in terms offrom the perspective of “pastoral wisdom”: their writing styles and ideas; such as beenby knowing the history of the constantly the case. However, I thought Hollywoodevolving Tradition of the Faith, we under- movies would not fit into my education;stand not only the past, but it helps to illu- such is not turning out to be the case. Atminate the present so we can serve people God’s prompting I began this semester tobetter now, as the same issues perpetually take a look at some my favorite Hollywoodcome around (a good example is the Ar- classics from a priesthood homiletics /ian heresy which believed Jesus was notdivine and thus God is not with us on this continued .Ethnic Background ProfileSpring 2010Profile of Students Spring 2010Countryof OriginNonPerm Res/Residents U.S. Cit5 I am discovering that God will utilizeTotalCountryof OriginNonPerm Res/Residents U.S. CitTotalColombia404Poland101Costa Rica101Thailand101El Salvador202United 16521White19%Asian/Pacific Islander49%Hispanic28%Black Other2%2%pat rici a n m aga zin e spring 20107

The Life of a Seminarian –Letters From the Inside,continuedsermons perspective. I have found thattheir themes reflect many profound aspectsof the universal human condition. Perhapsthe most unusual example has been the1956 sci-fi/horror classic, The Invasion ofthe Body Snatchers. Despite the lurid title,this intense compact movie about spacepods from outer space taking over people’sbodies and disposing of their souls whilethey sleep speaks profoundly about thehorrors of dehumanization and the constantstruggle to maintain our humanity at costs.Thus God demonstrates that all aspects ofmy past can be used to His Glory.7 Finally, I discovered the physical andpsychological benefits of boxing of all things!In my last year at Mt. Angel Seminary, outof curiosity, I participated in a boxingmatch. The result was a TKO in the 2ndround and ringing ears, but I discoveredwhat a great workout boxing was. I hadnever been so exhausted in my life. Sohere at St. Patrick’s, I use the boxingequipment not in the ring, but to work out.Punching the punching bag for severalminutes provides not only excellent cardiobenefits but lets out much frustration, notthat yours truly, being such a peacefulspiritual child of God remotely has anyfrustrations! Thanks to John Paul Shea,now at Mundelein Seminary in Chicago, forintroducing me to the spelendors of boxingas exercise.So, as you can see, through God’sGrace it is all progressing forward positively. Thank you for your unceasing prayersand support.H A L F WAY ! ! !St. Patrick’s Alumni in the NewsIn 1982, when he was a young seminarian, Maryknoll Father RichardBauer’s first assignment was at a San Francisco hospital already overwhelmed by the newly recognized AIDS pandemic, that had even professional health care workers in a state of panic. It was seminariansand other Catholic volunteers who did much of the hands-on work withAIDS patients, Bauer reports, bringing them food trays, bathing and washingthem, and bringing what comfort they could. “It was Catholic pastoral carethat was needed then as it is now,” said the 51-year old missioner. “I am proudof the fact that today it’s the Catholic Church in East Africa that has beenin the forefront of AIDS education, as well as the treatment and care of thepeople infected. I think we’re making a difference.”Bauer has served in Africa since joining Maryknoll in 1996 — first as a priestassociate from Utah’s Salt Lake City Diocese before officially joining the missionsociety and taking his final oath in 2005. He headed pastoral services for peoplewith AIDS in the Dar-es-Salaam Archdiocese, Tanzania, before being transferredto Namibia, where the national bishops’ conference put him in charge of CatholicAIDS Action (CAA), the Church’s AIDS outreach ministry.Catholic AIDS Action, with 100 full-time employees and some 2,000 volunteers,provides help and support to 7,500 people living with AIDS and helps care for 17,500orphans whose parents have died from the disease. The program also providespreventive education to about 10,000 young Namibians every year.The rate of HIV infection is going down, especially among teenagers andyoung adults, Bauer says, noting that as of December 2008, the official figure forHIV prevalence was 17.8 percent, down from 22 percent six years ago.Increased testing and immediate treatment clearly play their part in slowingthe disease’s spread. But perhaps an even greater contribution comes from theintensive outreach CAA and its partners organize to educate Namibians, espec

seminarians from saint John, camarillo, saint John vianney, Denver and mount angel, Ore - gon is credited to saint patrick’s seminarian, Justin Weis. together with a dedicated group from saint patrick’s, we were able to secure housing for our guests as well as transpo