By A.M. Kelley
Catholic Herald

Seminarians look forward to Christmas break

SUPERIOR -- Parishioners are urged to pray for vocations but are, at best, vaguely aware of the 12 seminarians sponsored by the Diocese of Superior. The men are like most students: They look forward to Christmas vacations and lead very busy and varied lives.

The youngest is Adam Laski, 19, a graduate of Rice Lake High School and a first-year student at St. John Vianney in St. Paul, Minn. He finds comfort in cards and letters from his mom and friends back home in Haugen, and in campus walks by the Mississippi River.

"Everybody gets a little homesick every now and then," he said. "It's nice to hear from people at home."

The seminarians have schedules packed with study, personal ministries, visits to parishes, and like students -- whether in secular or religious universities --- often live on shoestring budgets or as one of them put it: "We don't get paid much as students."

In June, the St. Louis, Mo., native, Don Kania, will be ordained a transitional deacon. He studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis., and said cards from school children and e-mails from members of the diocese help keep him focused.

"The love, support and kindness É helps me persevere," he said. "Prayer is the most important thing."

Besides the spiritual and emotional support, the thoughtfulness of many in the diocese helps the seminarians with practical matters.

"The Knights of Columbus have been so generous," Kania said. "Car payments are a worry. There are books to buy and you want to go out from time to time and see a movie."

Another expense he tries to meet is a membership at a health and fitness center.

"You've got to have a balanced life -- a social life," he said.

Kania's parents are deceased but the 46-year-old has a sister in Beaver Dam, Wis., and he will be with her on Christmas. He has also scheduled a weeklong retreat and visits to parishes in Chetek, Rib Lake, Lac du Flambeau and Sheldon.

"The people are wonderful," he said. "I want to get to know them."

In turn, Kania has made it easier for diocesan residents to get to know the seminarians. He designed and maintains a page on the diocese's official Web site with bios of all 12 men. To access this information go to www.catholicdos.org then click on the "quick link" named "vocations."

Ed Anderson expects to finish his studies at Sacred Heart in May and be ordained a priest in June.

He depends on his savings from a career as an industrial program manager to make ends meet. When sponsoring a seminarian, the diocese generally covers tuition, room and board, and health insurance. At 54, Anderson is one of the oldest in the program, and because of his work history is less stressed financially.

"Some of the older guys have savings or military pensions," he said. "The younger guys have a difficult time. They don't have anything built up."

Anderson is now working on an essay on American Indian theology and his final semester will include a preaching practicum at parishes in the Milwaukee area.

Over Christmas break he'll stay at the St. Joseph rectory in Osceola and help Fr. Tom Thompson at a TEC retreat.

A second-year theology seminarian at Illinois' Mundelein Seminary, Aaron Kalmon will spend the holiday on his family's Medford farm where a sleigh ride is a Christmas tradition.

"It's really (just) a wagon pulled behind a tractor," he said.

He will also sing for the Christmas Eve Mass with one of his mentors, Fr. Dennis Meulemans.

Unlike the men who hail from outside of the diocese, the 25-year-old Kalmon is a familiar face in his home parish and even at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior.

"I try to get up there at least once a year for Mass," he said, "and to get to know everyone."

He appreciates the cards, prayers and financial assistance from the Knights, the Catholic Order of Foresters, the Conference of Catholic Women and individuals.

"It's great that people are willing to support us," he said.

After his Dec. 7 graduation from Sacred Heart, transitional Deacon Mike McLain, 57, will be assigned to St. Anne Parish in Somerset but plans to join his son and daughter in Milwaukee for Christmas.

McLain, a widower and former salesman and insurance agent, has been candid about how challenging the philosophical and sacramental studies have been.

"Hopefully (I) can impart some of this knowledge," he said.

To a person, the seminarians all mention how much it means to receive words of encouragement from parishioners as they study -- from people they already know and people they hope to meet some day.

"Even if it's just a postcard telling me what's going on in their lives," McLain said. "They're friendships over the miles. We grow to know each other better. Those are the people I'll serve and I hope they'll be at (my) ordination."

He has appreciated not only the correspondence but the donations as well.

"The diocese pays for our education and room and board," he said, "but we visit parishes and this is not covered."

Seminarian Patrick McConnell also covers a lot of miles and with skyrocketing gas prices his fuel bills are not insignificant.

"I drive a lot," McConnell said. "I'm involved in ministries." And a "big part of my prayers is 'Lord, take care of my finances.'"

The 23-year-old pre-theology student at Mundelein said the support he gets from parishioners and a Knights chapter in Bruce is "pretty amazing."

McConnell is from Merrill and will spend Christmas with family. If he can get in some ice fishing that wouldn't disappoint him. And then it's on to the Green Bay Diocese where he'll help throw a New Years Eve party at a homeless shelter and then go on a Catholic Youth Expedition -- a three-day winter camping trip on Chambers Island near Door County.

Chris Kemp was raised in St. Paul, Minn., where his father still lives, and then moved to Spooner. Before being accepted as a seminarian in the diocese, Kemp managed his family's restaurant and bar and worked as a carpenter. He was able to sell some property and invested the money to help him through the years of study required for the priesthood.

"I get prayers and support from the parishes all the time and the Knights," he said.

He hopes to spend Christmas with a brother in Tacoma, Wash., before returning to Sacred Heart as a first-year theology student. Kemp is 47 years old.

Bill Brenna, will go home to Minnesota -- St. Paul -- for Christmas. His father passed away just a month ago and his mother needs his help.

Brenna is 59 years old. He retired in 2003 after years on active duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Army, as a reservist, and then with a career as a federal civilian employee. He has never lived in the Superior Diocese, which makes correspondence from parishioners ever more meaningful.

"They connect me to people in the diocese," he said. "It's important to me. I won't come in cold. I'll know some people."

He will be ordained into the transitional diaconate this June.

Perry Koeppen, 26, who will share that ordination ceremony, left for an 11-week pilgrimage to Israel on Nov. 28.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," the Amery native said.

Last summer he and fellow seminarian Kalmon studied in Mexico for a challenging six weeks.

His work at Mundelein can be "stressful," he said. "Those little cards mean the world to me."

Seminarian Gene Murphy received a sweet packet of letters from diocesan school children.

"I love these correspondences and have plastered the door to my room with them," he said. "One kid hopes that I'll be a 'pasture' someday."

At 62, he's the eldest of the 12. He studies at Sacred Heart and will spend Christmas in Tucson with his son, Bryan, who "works and plays golf." Then it will be on to a "peace and justice" retreat in a downtown Milwaukee residential center to learn firsthand the needs of the poor and disadvantaged.

"We will attend lectures by people who've devoted their lives to serving the poor," he said. "And serve in food kitchens and clothing distribution centers."

Murphy was born in the Bronx, N. Y., but calls Wisconsin the "center of the universe -- I was supposed to be born here." He has a background in finance, as a stockbroker, and in banking and insurance and has 2 1/2 years left in his studies.

Ladysmith is Dan Golat's hometown. He's 25 and has a bachelor of science degree in mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He'll spend Christmas with his mother, younger brother and an uncle in Rice Lake and enjoy the break from Mundelein where he's in his second year of pre-theology studies.

David Neuschwander, a University of Wisconsin-Stout graduate, is now studying at St. John Vianney. He'll be 20 on Dec. 17 and right after celebrating Christmas with his family in Hudson he's going to Rome for an 8-day pilgrimage. Next year he will study there for a semester.

Many in the diocese have written to him and Neuschwander said these developing relationships are important.

"We're going to school but we're not going to be students forever," he said. "It's a joy to get letters. They keep us grounded in reality."

He also hears from different Knights councils and CCW groups, which "throw some money in there. That really means a lot É and it helps."

All are different personalities in different stages of priestly formation, yet Anderson had no trouble summing up the official seminarian Christmas "wish list" to the people of the diocese: "Please tell them to keep praying for us."

Send a Christmas message or encouragement to the diocese's seminarians

The 12 seminarians sponsored by the Superior Diocese are hardworking students and study at three different institutions. Letters of encouragement and assurances of prayers and care packages are appreciated at any time and can be sent to them at the following addresses:

Gene Murphy, Bill Brenna, Ed Anderson, Chris Kemp and Don Kania:
Sacred Heart School of Theology
P.O. Box 429
Hales Corners, WI 53130

Mike McLain graduates from Sacred Heart on Dec. 7 and until his ordination in June will take up residence and work at:
St. Anne Parish
P.O. Box 9
Somerset, WI 54025

Perry Koeppen, Aaron Kalmon, Dan Golat and Patrick McConnell:
University of St. Mary of the Lake
Mundelein Seminary
1000 E. Maple Ave.
Mundelein, IL 60060

David Neuschwander and Adam Laski:
St. John Vianney Seminary
2115 Summit Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2007