Seminarians reveal what called them to the priesthood

Although Tony Childs liked his job with the New York State Department of Health, "there was something gnawing at me that I just couldn't touch, that I just couldn't articulate," he told The Evangelist.

Today, after years of discernment, study and preparation, Mr. Childs, whose home parish is St. Catherine of Siena in Albany, is working toward his ordination as a priest in the Albany Diocese.

He was one of six seminarians who recently attended a retreat at Balsam Shade in Greenville. The retreat, led by Sister Kitty Hanley, CSJ, gave these men an opportunity to discuss spirituality and reflect upon where each finds himself along his faith journey.

Such a retreat is offered each summer for seminarians in the Albany Diocese to spend time together, and share insight and experiences as they pursue their vocation.

Something more

Although Todd Pym, who recently finished his first year at Theological College at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., enjoyed working with people with Down syndrome during his career, he wanted something more.

"I was happy, but I wasn't content, and that's when I learned the difference between the two words," he said.

Mr. Pym is spending the summer at St. Patrick's Church in Ravena, where he will get a feel for parish life; his home parish is St. Mary's in Oneonta.

At this stage in his preparation, Mr. Pym is using prayer and the advice of others to help him evaluate his strengths and weaknesses as he looks toward a future in ordained ministry. "I'm in the process of seeing who I am and trusting who I am," he said.

Call from God

Mark Cunningham, who was ordained a deacon on June 6, is in the fifth year of a six-year program in preparation for the priesthood. He was an English teacher at Watervliet High School for some 25 years; but when his fellow teachers wondered one night what path they would have chosen had they not become teachers, it occurred to him that the priesthood was calling him.

"The more you place yourself in God's hands, the safer you are," he said. "At the same time, it's a scary thing because you think you're in charge."

Both he and Mr. Childs began their pursuit of ordained ministry in earnest through "Called By Name," a vocational awareness program offered a few years ago. Mr. Cunningham has spent time in a variety of settings, including the seminary, parishes and a hospital for his clinical pastoral education, and he hasn't regretted his decision to become a seminarian one bit.

"It's just been indescribably joyful. I would never give back a day from the past five years," he said.

Dream come true

Meanwhile, John O'Kane is pursuing a dream that he has had for the past 20 years. A parishioner of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Queensbury, he had been working for the Warren-Washington County Association for Retarded Citizens when he realized that he wanted to become a priest, something he first considered in seventh grade.

After talking with loved ones about his plans, he decided to begin his journey and will begin taking classes Beckett Hall in Rochester. Although his hopes are high, he knows that preparing for the priesthood will take time and patience.

"You need to work at it, like anything else. I've always had the support of family and friends," he said.

Long journey

Thomas Babiuch arrived in the Albany Diocese from Poland three years ago. During that time, he has attended Ss. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Mich., and found the educational experience to his liking.

His brother, who had been in the seminary in Poland, advised Mr. Babiuch to study in the United States because the theology courses in their homeland seemed too rigid.

Mr. Childs, who attends St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, is spending the summer at St. Mary's parish in Glens Falls, where he is seeing firsthand what it's like to live in a rectory and work in a parish. Using an analogy, Mr. Childs described the experience as being the place where the flame is kept going, while the spark of his desire to enter the seminary was first ignited at his home parish, St. Catherine of Siena.

Since so much of their time is spent in the seminary or performing ministry, the retreat gives the seminarians or those considering the priesthood a chance to get reenergized and reacquainted -- or, in some cases, to meet for the first time.

"I always look forward to this because it is good for us to get together as a small representation of our Church community. We are our own family," he said.

No longer at sea

Paul Butler is heading to Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisc. After high school, he joined the Navy, where his desire to join the priesthood deepened. He spoke with some chaplains, who suggested that it would be a good idea, but he wanted to fulfill his commitment to the Navy before deciding upon another, life-long commitment.

A parishioner of St. Henry's Church in Averill Park, he believes his experience growing up in a large family helped him to learn compassion and deal with a wide range of emotions and situations from a very young age, skills that would benefit him in his priestly ministry.

As he works his way through preparation for the seminary and, ultimately, priesthood, Mr. Butler is learning the importance of self-awareness, self-questioning that are essential in determining whether this vocation is right for him.

"That openness to continuing in discernment is always there," he said.

(Seminarians from the Albany Diocese who were unable to attend the retreat include Patrick Winslow, who has completed his third year at Theological College at Catholic University; Hank Eichin, who is undergoing clinical pastoral education at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C.; and Peter Tkocz, who is undergoing clinical pastoral education at Albany Medical Center Hospital and will spend a year at Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany.)

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