April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
How a seminarian spends the summer
How a seminarian spends the summer
"You never know what it's going to be like," he remarked. "Every day is like a little adventure."
As each summer approaches, seminarians from the Albany Diocese meet with Rev. Anthony Ligato, diocesan vicar for vocations, and parish officials to decide where they would best fit. Mr. Eads explained that they like to have seminarians serve at a variety of parishes during their formation in order to experience rural, suburban and urban locations.
On the day The Evangelist visited, St. Stanislaus was gearing up for its annual parish festival July 8-10, featuring live music, food and vendors. The parish's strong Polish community isn't unfamiliar to the young seminarian; his grandparents are Polish, so he's enjoyed traditional foods at family celebrations.
On a more typical day, "it's usually pretty quiet" at St. Stanislaus, said Mr. Eads.
That's a big change from his first summer assignment last year at Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany, an inner-city parish with a food pantry and thrift shop.
Mr. Eads, a parishioner of Corpus Christi Church in Round Lake, still has about three years of seminary studies before he takes his priestly vows. At Blessed Sacrament, he was able to get a better idea of what day-to-day life after ordination will be like; now, he's the first seminarian ever to be assigned to St. Stanislaus parish for the summer.
One of the things the 23-year-old has started at St. Stanislaus is a Friday holy hour. He opens the church -- sometimes accompanied by Rev. Robert DeMartinis, pastor -- for prayer, reflection and time to say the Rosary.
"If the priest is there, we'll do benediction," he added.
The seminarian's other duties include visiting parishioners in the local hospital and nursing home once a week to bring them communion. "I'm always humbled by other people's holiness and generosity," he said.
Coursework in the seminary can be frustrating. "You start to feel like this has nothing to do with being a parish priest," Mr. Eads said of the focus on details like the best way to celebrate Mass.
A summer assignment, he noted, "gives you a good idea about what it's like to be in a parish. It reminds me that we're here to save souls."
Mr. Eads said he admires how Father DeMartinis leads St. Stanislaus parish, noting that Deacon Michael Ryba does financial administration for all the Amsterdam-area parishes, freeing up the pastor for more ministry with the people.
Mr. Eads lives in the rectory with Father DeMartinis. "It's just me and him in this giant house," said the seminarian, noting that two usually watch TV together in the evening.
They also work together most days, said Mr. Eads, noting that Father DeMartinis is good about divvying up responsibilities: "He'll hand off the book to me and say, 'You say that prayer; I'll say this prayer.'"
Praying with the people is one of the seminarian's favorite duties. On one recent morning, he made two home visits to older gentlemen so they could receive communion.
"It seems like everyone used to be an altar server," Mr. Eads joked, noting that everyone he meets has a story about growing up Catholic.
Richard Karabin, a parishioner of St. Stanislaus, is 99 years old and homebound. Delighted that the seminarian came to his house, Mr. Karabin made sure to ask Mr. Eads to visit often.
"I'm going to be sitting in the front row when this guy says his first Mass," Mr. Karabin told The Evangelist, beaming. "You think you'll be able to stand me again if I invite you over?" he asked Mr. Eads.
The 99-year-old was excited about Mr. Eads' youth. The seminarian said he gets comments about his age a lot, but isn't offended: "The older guys who just got ordained joke that I'm 17."
Mr. Eads does notice a difference when he's among non-seminary friends who also attend Ave Maria University in Florida. Their student loans and preliminary career plans are a stressor in their lives, but the future priest said that, for himself, "it feels good to have a plan. It feels like it's what I'm supposed to be doing."
Mr. Eads had thought of becoming a priest throughout his teen years. His family and community supported him.
"People get excited when they see a seminarian around," he said. At St. Stanislaus, "people are bringing me food all the time."
When parishioners or other people ask what they should call him, he just says, "Kyle."
"Father [DeMartinis] likes to mess with me and call me 'Father,'" the seminarian said, musing that he'll have to get used to that eventually.
He's still amazed at being on this path.
"There's a whole lot of people around here who are way holier than I am," he remarked. "It's really humbling."[[In-content Ad]]
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