Seminarian delves into parish life

Earlier in the summer, seminarian Rendell Torres stood on a cliff in Vermont, slightly nervous about jumping into the quarry lake below. Behind him, Catholic teenagers hollered their encouragement.

"Well, I've taken a leap before," he thought, remembering his decision to enter the diocesan priesthood. "Why not live it out?"

He jumped.

Mr. Torres, a native of Los Angeles who discerned a vocation to the priesthood after a career as an acoustical engineer and college professor, currently attends Pope John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts. As part of their formation for the priesthood, seminarians from the Albany Diocese spend summers serving at churches around the Diocese, gaining practical experience in addition to their academic and theological training.

Down-to-earth

This summer, Mr. Torres' placement brought him to St. Mary's Church in Granville, where he worked with Rev. Thomas Zelker, pastor. The seminarian learned that "the Church is so much more than I imagined. I was able to participate in so many new ministries I hadn't seen before....The Church is really down-to-earth."

Mr. Torres was immediately welcomed by parishioners and the community -- and impressed by how active they were.

"When I first got there, I was a little intimidated, because there were so many activities that the priest is directly involved in," he noted. "I prayed a lot about it, and that's what always calms me down -- realizing that in our ministry it's not really we who do Christ's work; we let Him do His work in us, and through us."

His summer placement included fulfillment of a "learning agreement" seminarians make at Pope John XXIII, which asks them to gain experience with all aspects of parish life during their formation.

Activated

In Granville, Mr. Torres' days were packed with activities that brought him a better understanding of himself and of a priest's role in the community: He ran a Confirmation retreat for teenagers and accompanied them to activities including swimming, rafting, soccer games and tours of Fort Ticonderoga. He took communion to shut-ins and accompanied Father Zelker on his hectic, three-church weekend Mass schedule, which also includes Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Granville and a parish in Vermont.

The seminarian also helped out at community feasts for the poor, played cello at liturgies, preached at daily Mass, spoke to youth at an ecumenical high school baccalaureate prayer service, caught his first bass at a parish picnic, taught altar servers the ropes, instructed people converting to the Catholic faith, and counseled parishioners in crisis.

The most important thing he did, however, was simply getting to know people. During summer placements, "you see that there is an incredible variety of people, more than I can ever imagine," he said. "There are many different experiences in terms of education, experience, how they became acquainted with the Catholic Church."

As a priest, "so much of your work is relational, and sometimes people just want someone to listen to them, to pray with them. Relationship penetrates everything you do. You think of Christ loving everyone, and you trying to bring Christ with you to everyone you meet."

Triumvirate

Among the lessons he brought to St. Mary's was a message from his seminary's director of spiritual formation: that "presence, availability, and compassion" are an important part of a priest's life.

"These are things you practice in the life itself," explained Mr. Torres. "That's what Father Tom has embodied at St. Mary's, and I've been able to practice and develop that. This summer has reinforced the human formation [seminarians receive]: Am I a good listener? How do I relate to people? Do I manage time well, or do I get bogged down in details? Our human weaknesses are things we have to work on for our whole lives. It's good to have this close, healthy self-examination."

Mr. Torres also discovered a new interest in visiting and bringing communion to the elderly and homebound. He noted that, while not the "most glamorous" portion of a priest's duties, it's an important one.

"Doing the communion calls made me realize recently that the second Joyful Mystery [of the Rosary] really rings true for me: the Visitation. I try to be like Mary, bringing Christ to the homebound and being there with them. Some people want Christ in the Eucharist and they can't even leave their rooms. I was humbled. I realized that sometimes I take for granted what I can do: my youth, my health and the time I have left. The elderly and the sick have just as much human dignity and are just as important. Doing communion calls helped me to believe more than before that life is precious from conception until death."

Smiley face

There are practical lessons, as well. In the seminary, "you practice being clear and having good diction, but Father Tom tells me to 'smile, too,'" explained Mr. Torres.

His experience at St. Mary's has further convinced Mr. Torres of his vocation. As a future priest entering ministry at a time of change and restructuring in the Diocese, he is glad to have experience working in an area that went through changes itself, including the merger of All Saints parish in Granville with the now-remaining parishes.

"Father Tom often says to me, 'This may not be perfect, but we do our best.' And that's all we can do," Mr. Torres noted. "I don't know how each cluster will work out, but what I am seeing is that as a priest, we have to be faithful and serve the people.

"I really feel blessed by my experiences and the people I've met since I moved to Albany. I am so thankful for the parishioners and priests and everyone along the way, and all the prayers. I am more at peace now than I've ever felt in my life."

(8/10/06) [[In-content Ad]]