God’s calling. It’s time to answer.
A seminarian walks into a brewery and … speaks at a Spirituality Tap-in! Agent Scott Croskey’s Spirituality Tap-in event in February featured guest speaker seminarian Eric Kaufman of the Diocese of Toledo, who spoke about becoming a seminarian and the importance of listening to God’s call.
In fact, the entire trajectory of Eric’s life changed once he did. Eric described the anxiety he felt throughout his discernment. He still has moments of doubt, but he chose to stop fighting the call. Now he only has two more years of study left to complete at The Athenaeum of Ohio’s Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati.
Most people are unaware of the extensive process that is becoming a seminarian, but sparking raw conversations on the reality and importance of vocations is the first step. Acknowledging the struggles some seminarians might have along with the rewards that come with the vocational journey may spark a flame for a young man, especially if he’s discerning religious life.
Meeting Eric and hearing his story put into perspective the real-life struggle seminarians could being going through. For any young man reading this and thinking that the call to priesthood might be for them, take this story as a sign! The world can never have enough priests.
Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) is happy to be a steppingstone in Eric’s journey. Not only will he speak to adults at future Spirituality Tap-ins, but Scott has recruited him into our Adopt a Seminarian program, which enables a COF agent to partner with classes at Catholic schools to support one or more diocesan seminarians during the school year.
COF believes this connection will create greater understanding of the crucial role seminarians and priests have in society.
Article by Kim Johnson