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What’s Inside 2 Letter from the Rector4 New Faces at SJV
8-10 Alumni Missionaries12-13 Alumni Ordained
2015-2016 Annual Report Enclosed
MENof theChurch
newsFall 2016Saint John Vianney
College SeminarySt. Paul, Minnesota
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Rector’sRector’sRector’s Update Update UpdateWitnesses of the Good News
Fr. Michael BeckerRector
The SJV seminarians and staff gather for the annual
group photo at the beginning of the academic year.onthecover
Update
Michael Becker
Just before He ascended to glory, the resurrected Jesus told the apostles, “You
will be my witnesses.” What a magnificent sight! How could they resist telling
everyone that the Son of God rose to heaven before their very eyes? How could
they catch their breath as they watched Jesus ascend into glory? Only 10 days
later at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would set the apostles on fire to preach the
mysteries of Jesus Christ to the ends of the known world.
The University of St. Thomas opened the school year with a Mass dedicated to
the Holy Spirit. In his homily, Archbishop Bernard Hebda invited all to seek the
presence of the Holy Spirit daily. President Dr. Julie Sullivan, whose words
always honor and edify others, invited the students to rely on the Holy Spirit for wisdom, knowledge and strength
in the coming year. I concur with their messages, and I proudly commend our college seminarians as they seek
and rely on the Holy Spirit. With a valiant evangelical spirit, they proclaim the Good News to their peers, the
poor, family members and friends. Each one of them has been moved by the Holy Spirit in an amazing way.
This includes freshman Edward Burke (Archdiocese of Anchorage). Every Sunday afternoon, Edward walks from
SJV to the Dorothy Day Center where he spends time with people on the street, gives away candy bars, gloves
and coins to those in need, and prays for their well-being.
This also includes Greg Alberts (Diocese of Joliet) who, for the second year in a row, is teaching religious
education at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in South St Paul. He instructs the Confirmation students on the
Gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as the Theology of the Body.
Another example of the Holy Spirit at work is evident in new seminarian Mathias Rotstein (Saint Paul and
Minneapolis). Mathias was first moved by the Holy Spirit at a skateboarding park, where he encountered SJV
alumnus Fr. Andrew Brinkman. The young priest took time to reach out to Mathias, whose heart opened to God
and is now on fire for the Lord.
I rejoice in my heart as I brag about the generosity of these SJV men and their brother seminarians. I am grateful
for their desire to touch the lives of others and bring hope and direction to searching souls. They are part of a
growing group of SJV alumni that desires to do the same.
Several recent SJV graduates are inspired by the Holy Spirit to do missionary work across the nation. (See pages
8-10) Each of them is an incredible example of the contagious Catholic spirit of evangelization at Saint John
Vianney College Seminary. Who could be silent about the Son of God, ascended to glory, whom they have come
to know through personal encounter?
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27 men are in the freshman class.
119 men from 20 dioceses are currently enrolled, making SJVone of the largest college seminaries in the United States.
35 SJV seminarians graduated in 2016; 23 continued on toward major seminary.
25 SJV alumni were ordained to the priesthood in 2016.
30 SJV seminarians will study in Rome in 2016-2017.
MEN IN CHRIST. MEN OF THE CHURCH. MEN FOR OTHERS.
The 2016-2017 Academic Year Begins
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New Faces at SJV
FR. ANDREW M. JASPERS, a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis since 2013, has been appointed a spiritual director at SJV. Fr. Jaspers was an active retreat master and parish mission preacher of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Midwest for five years before entering the seminary. He also taught Philosophy and Theology at Creighton University in Omaha from 2005-2008. He has served as associate pastor at St. John Neumann in Eagan and St. John the Baptist in New Brighton. In addition to his new role, he serves as associate pastor and teaches high school at the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul.
FR. JOHN WHITLOCK joined the SJV staff this fall as a full-time formator and spiritual director.His previous assignments included Parochial Vicar of Queen of the Miraculous Medal in Jackson, Michigan, and Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Michigan Center, Michigan.
“I was blessed to have many holy formators and spiritual directors during my time in seminary,” Whitlock said. “I hope to pass on what I have learned to the men at SJV as they discern God’s call in their lives.”
Prior to entering seminary, Fr. Whitlock earned a Masters in Accounting Science from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He worked as a Certified Public Accountant and auditor at a public accounting firm, as well as an internal auditor at a global shoe company.
Ordained in 2013 for the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, Fr. Whitlock will serve at SJV for the next four years.
FR. MARC PAVEGLIO, ordained for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 2014, has been assigned as a part-time spiritual directorat SJV. After beginning his ministry at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, he now serves as Parochial Vicar at Pax Christi Catholic Community in Eden Prairie.
“I was blessed with excellent spiritual direction during my own time of formation,” he said. “I hope to return that blessing to the men of SJV!”
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Summer Formation for PriestsOn social media and in print, you learn a lot about how SJV priests invest their time, talent, resources and prayer in our seminarians. What you do not see, however, is that the seminary invests the same in its priests.
When seminarians return to their home dioceses for the summer, some SJV priests head to the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF), located on the campus of Creighton University in Omaha. The IPF mission states that it was founded to “assist bishops in the spiritual formation of diocesan seminarians and priests.”
Fr. Jon Kelly, formator and spiritual director, was first introduced to IPF in 2007 when he participated in a 30-day silent retreat. It was a life-changing experience, and he is now involved as an instructor and spiritual director for the nine-week summer program. He has also participated in the IPF’s three-year training program for spiritual directors.
“Serving at IPF in the summer is spiritually renewing for me and also makes me a better director for the young men at SJV,” he said.
Formators and Spiritual Directors Fr. John Bauer, Fr. Steven Borello and Fr. Paul Gitter have also participated in IPF summer programs. Fr. Bauer has served as a spiritual director for the past six years; Fr. Borello served as a spiritual director and teaching assistant last year after completing his first year at SJV; and Fr. Gitter attended an IPF seminar, participated in a 30-day retreat, and spent a summer as a teaching assistant and sacristan.
Fr. Becker sees a return on the investment at the end of each summer program: “As a staff, we are stronger in the wisdom and expertise of spiritual direction and formation. We are also blessing the overall mission of the Church as we form seminarians from all over the country.”
In addition to the spiritual director training programs for priests, IPF offers a variety of summer programs and retreats for diocesan seminarians and seminary faculty. Inspired by the spirituality
of St. Ignatius of Loyola, IPF helps priests and seminarians fall in love and stay in love “so that their love for God decides everything.”
Fr. Kelly also recognizes a fraternal benefit of participating in IPF with priests and rectors across the United States: “As formators, we can share what is working to address today’s realities for our young men, and we discuss how to build an environment where our men fall more deeply in love with God.”
Photos courtesy of The Institute for Priestly Formation.
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Third Annual Mass and May Crowning Celebrates Our Blessed Mother
12th Annual Vianney Cup
Friends, family and benefactors gathered at the third annual Spring Mass and May Crowning on May 1. Praise filled the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel as the SJV community celebrated the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
While Mary is honored as the Mother of Jesus, Fr. Becker reminded those in attendance to think of her as a tremendous friend and advocate as well. A brunch with entertainment provided by seminarians concluded this special spring event.
The 4th AnnualSpring Mass and May Crowning
Sunday, May 7, 2017
The 13th AnnualVianney Cup
Monday, September 18, 2017Left to right: Fr. Michael Becker, Tom Tracy, Dennis Gould,
Mike McFadden, Matt Birk, Andy LeFevour, and Tizoc Rosales.
Celebrity golfers Brian Bonin (left) and Matt Birk trade an
autographed football and puck on the golf course.
A great time was had by all. Never have the words been as true as they were about the 12th Annual Vianney Cup held on September 19 at Midland Hills Country Club. A sold-out field of golfers enjoyed a beautiful day on the course. Celebrity golfers Matt Birk (Super Bowl Champ) and Brian Bonin (Hobey Baker Award Winner and former Gopher and NHL center) signed footballs and hockey pucks to those who beat their drives off the tee. Fantastic prizes were
given away, including tickets to the Ryder Cup. And golfers and dinner guests were treated to encouraging words by Archbishop Hebda, as well as moving seminarian testimonials and a beautiful song sung by the SJV seminarians. Funds raised at this event (which were the highest in Vianney Cup history) will provide essential formation today for tomorrow’s Catholic priests and leaders of the Church. We are grateful for the golfers, sponsors and all those who made it a great time for all.
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SJV alumni studying at The Pontifical North American College in Rome (left to right):
Tim Wratkowski (Saint Paul and Minneapolis), Nick Hagen (Saint Paul and Minneapolis),
Jordan Dosch (Bismarck),Joseph Scholten (Sioux Falls),
Daniel Eusterman (Denver), Aaron Becker (LaCrosse)
and John Baumgardner (Milwaukee).
On September 29, seven SJV alumni wereordained to the transitional diaconate at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. They were among a group of 30 seminarians from the Pontifical North American College ordained by Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston. The day before the Ordination Mass, the men met briefly with Pope Francis.
The beautiful Mass was celebrated under the grand “Seat of Peter” just below the Holy Spirit window of the Vatican. SJV alumni ordained included: Tim Wratkowski and Nicholas Hagen (Saint Paul and Minneapolis), Joseph Scholten (Sioux Falls), Jordan Dosch (Bismarck), Aaron Becker (La Crosse), Daniel Eusterman (Denver) and John Baumgardner (Milwaukee). Several SJV alumni participated in the liturgy as well: Nick Sentovich (Rockford) served as a lector, and Matthew Goldammer and Clayton Forner (Saint Paul and Minneapolis) and Tony Klein and Scott Miller (Sioux Falls) sang in the choir. Fr. Michael Becker and Fr. John Bauer concelebrated the Mass.
Transitional Deacons Ordained in the Heart of the Church
SJV alumni Tim Wratkowski is pictured front and center during the Ordination Mass in
St. Peter’s Basilica. Deacon Wratkowski is a seminarian at the Pontifical North American
College in Rome and is anticipating ordination to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint
Paul and Minneapolis in May 2017. Photo courtesy of Catholic News Service.
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missions
One of the eleven is Josh Billing who is currently serving with National Evangelization Teams, otherwise known as NET Ministries. What began as a team of 12 young adults in 1981 has grown into a group of 150 missionaries who travel across the United States. Applying to be a missionary for NET Ministries was natural for Billing who grew up in a home where “Netters” were always welcome to stay during training or retreats.
“Seeing 18-20 year-olds bring their faith into our home made a big difference in my life,” Billing said. “Because of my time at SJV, I have the confidence to do what the missionaries I looked up to could do.”
After a summer of training, Billing set off for Florida with a team of six men and six women to start their missionary work. They will be moving around the South, up the East Coast and into Michigan leading retreats for 7th-12th grade students. Billing will be challenging young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church.
Billing’s brother seminarian Nick Brown also made a commitment to missionary service, working specifically with college students as a member of
CommissionGREATTHE
After four years of formation, discernment and preparation, the SJV Class of 2016 joined animpressive list of alumni serving the Church,
their families, and communities as leaders in faith. Twenty-three continued on toward major seminary while others landed their first job or began graduate school.
Eleven recent graduates have committed the next chapter of their lives to missionary work. They may have discerned that they are called to the married life or that seminary awaits in the years ahead. But for now, they have each chosen to live out the Great Commission – to make disciples of all nations – and to share the love and joy of the Gospel they embraced while at SJV.
SJV alumnus Josh Billing (middle, front row) is pictured with his NET
Ministries team of missionaries.
missionsJosh Billing (second from left) is
pictured prior to graduation in 2016.
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FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students). Founded with just two campus missionaries in 1998, more than 550 FOCUS missionaries serve 125 campuses in the United States and Austria today.
The FOCUS mission - to know Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission – is what excites Nick Brown about the growing organization. “This is not just my calling,” said Brown. “All Christians are called to this. I’m just living it out on a college campus.”
Brown, along with seven SJV alumni, spent five weeks at Ave Maria University in Florida during the summer. “SJV prepared us well for this training and continued formation,” he added.
After enduring four Minnesota winters, Brown requested anassignment on a big campus in the South. But, always open to the Holy Spirit, Brown was assigned to St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, that “other” Catholic college just up the road from the University of St. Thomas.
Brown moved in August just as the Johnnies were coming back to campus. He and another FOCUS missionary share their Catholic faith with undergraduate students in prayer groups, one-on-one mentoring sessions, Bible studies and friendly games of volleyball. This is in addition to a daily schedule of prayer similar to that at SJV.
“I am still discerning my call to the priesthood or to married life,” he said. “But this year is all about falling more deeply in love with Jesus.”
Brown’s brother seminarian Todd Schmidt was given a warmer Southern assignment when FOCUS sent him to Auburn University in Alabama. While the campuses are vastly different, Schmidt and Brown are experiencing a world that longs for a deeper relationship with Christ.
Nick Brown (left) mentors a student at St. John’s University.
SJV alumnus Todd Schmidt gets on the turf before a football game at Auburn University.
In addition to Josh Billing, Nick Brown, Todd Schmidt and Zach Sandquist, the following SJV alumni are serving as FOCUS missionaries throughout the United States:
Joshua Fons (North Dakota State University)Andrew Decker (University of Florida)Corey Manning (South Dakota State University)Nathaniel Binversie (Franciscan University)Luke Miller (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
SJV also has a long history of missionary service with Saint Paul’s Outreach. Several alumni have worked as SPO missionaries on college campuses throughout the United States. Fr. Michael Becker was also an SPO missionary prior to entering the seminary.
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Schmidt also credits his formation at SJV to his success in missionary training: “SJV gave me the tools to lead and theability to share the vision with others.”
Fellow SJV classmate and missionary Zach Sandquist was assigned to Montclair State University, a public school with an enrollment of 20,000 students in New Jersey. Sandquist noted how the incredible formation he received at SJV helped him to hit the ground running as a campus missionary: “SJV taught me how to be a virtuous leader, how to be a true brother, how to pray and how to seek holiness.”
Taking a slightly different path as a missionary is Class of 2016 alumnus Jack Dingbaum. Originally from the Diocese of Joliet, Dingbaum felt called to serve the Brew City Catholic Missionary Project in Milwaukee. Like FOCUS, Brew City Catholic trains, forms and sends their missionaries to work specifically on college campuses within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Dingbaum lives and works with a team that serves the University of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. His days are filled with prayer and outreach on both campuses.
“As missionaries, we are back on campus to talk to people about Jesus, but we don’t have to take classes,” Dingbaum said. “It’s the best of both worlds!”
On a more serious note, Dingbaum names SJV as the reason he can confidently serve as a missionary. “I have a responsibility to share what I know with others,” he said. “It’s my turn to give back.”
Fr. Becker is very proud of these men serving as missionaries, saying: “I see it as a sign of life at SJV that men have this hunger to make Jesus Christ known and loved. We have made it our aim to inculcate a love for the New Evangelization at SJV, and these men are proof.”
Stay tuned in the years ahead for news of ordinations and amazing leadership from these alumni. In the meantime, keep them in your prayers as they live out the Great Commission as modern-day missionaries.
SJV alumnus Zach Sandquist (far right) is pictured with
members of his FOCUS team.
leadership
Jack Dingbaum (seated front, center) and fellow missionaries are ready to bring Christ to the Brew City.
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The Camino de Santiago, also known as the “Way of St. James,” is a popular and ancient pilgrimage route that sprawls across northern Spain and ends at the tomb of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Four SJV seminarians from the Diocese of Des Moines made the 500-mile trek from southwestern France to Spain this summer. Their journey took 33 days, with the group walking 12 to 18 miles each day.
SJV juniors Alex Kramer and Nick Smith joined seniors Reed Flood and Ben Baker, who were already in Europe for a semester of study in Rome. Kramer noted they were not alone in their big adventure: “From the first step to the last, God was with us and provided for us every step of the way.”
“The culmination of our Camino was found not in the physical realities and experiences we had but in the spiritual graces we received,” Kramer said.
Those graces sustained the men through the aches and pains of blisters and sunburns. The journey was filled with many memorable moments that deeply impacted the seminarians. “Through these experiences, I am convinced that God has an adventurous heart” said Baker. “He longs for us to rely on Him so that, as a good Father, He can provide for His beloved children.”
The seminarians concluded their European adventure with a visit to Fatima in Portugal, and then a stop at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. At the end of their summer adventures, Smith summed up their collective gratitude: “God, in His Providence, never abandoned us.”
Summer Pilgrims
Left to right: Alex Kramer, Reed Flood, Nick Smith and
Ben Baker proudly wave their diocesan flag along the Camino.
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Fr. Douglas KrebsBismarck
Fr. Mason FraleyDenver
Fr. Rob AdamsLexington
Fr. Christopher LankfordJoliet
Fr. Charles FriebohleDuluth
Fr. Garrett AhlersNew Ulm
Fr. Tobias LetakOmaha
Fr. Gabriel GreerWichita
Fr. Basilo Az CucOwensboro
Fr. Sean GrismerRockford
Fr. Shaun CieslikJoliet
Fr. Michael KearneyJoliet
Fr. Jegar (Patrick) FickelGrand Rapids
Saint John Vianney College Seminary
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Alumni Ordained 2016
Fr. J. Michael McClellanSt. Paul and Minneapolis
Fr. Daniel SedlacekLa Crosse
Fr. Kyle NetererLafayette-in-Indiana
Fr. Paul StrommerDuluth
Fr. Matthew NorthenscoldSt. Paul and Minneapolis
Fr. Scott ValentynGreen Bay
Fr. Douglas LiebschSt. Cloud
Fr. Matthew MageeDenver
Fr. Daniel SchumakerGrand Rapids
Fr. Keith WolfeJoliet
Fr. Eliot SchwerOmaha
Fr. Joseph ZabinskiSt. Paul and Minneapolis
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Our Spiritual Sons
Tizoc Rosales
SJV Alumni - We like to hear from you! Please contact Tizoc Rosales, Director of Development:(651) 962-6843 or [email protected]
Tizoc RosalesDirector of Development
Dear Friends,
It is with great enthusiasm that we share this issue of Vianney News with you. These articles highlight some of the exciting things occurring at SJV and with our alumni who are making an impact on the Church and the world!
By carrying out our mission to provide essential training today for tomorrow’s Catholic priests, we ensure that the formation and discernment of our future leaders is thorough and faithful. Whether an alumnus becomes a priest or a husband and father, his SJV formation guides him every day to be a man in Christ, a man of the Church, and a man for others. Please know of our gratitude for your prayerful and financial support as you partner with us to fulfill our mission.
Our daily interactions with these fine young men has a deep impact on those of us who are blessed to work at SJV. I recently received a call from the niece of Lois Eckstein who worked at SJV several years ago (see “In Memoriam” on page 15). She shared with me that her beloved aunt, who passed from this world into heaven, was most proud of her time supporting the work of the seminary. She also revealed Lois’ generous heart, saying, “My aunt didn't have much in terms of material possessions, but what money she had left, she willed to the seminary.”
I also learned that Lois did not have children of her own, and she would often refer to the SJV seminarians as “her boys.” I have to believe Lois would smile knowing that we current staff members, lay and ordained, feel the same way. In reality, the SJV seminarians are all of “our boys.” Yours, mine and ours; everyone who is a part of this great seminary.
I encourage you to read through these stories again and ask yourself: “What role is God calling me to play in the formation of my spiritual sons?” I also invite you to join me for Mass and a tour of your seminary. I promise it will joyfully bring to life the people and stories profiled in this newsletter.
May God bless you,
The priests, seminarians and staff congratulate SJV alumni Archbishop Blase Cupich (Class of 1971), who was appointed a Cardinal of the Church, and Bishop Paul Etienne (Class of 1986), who was appointed Archbishop of the Diocese of Anchorage. We are grateful for our faithful alumni!
Congratulations!
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Spotlight on AlumniGrowing up on a family farm in southern Minnesota, the Timmerman boys were raised in a faithfully Catholic family. But it was not until the second-oldest Timmerman attended World Youth Day in 1993 that he turned his life more seriously toward Christ. That is when, as a teenager, Craig Timmerman began to understand St. John Paul II’s message, “Do not be afraid!”
Timmerman was no longer afraid to be Catholic. He started actively participating in his faith, joined his high school youth group, and became a member of a youth council in the Diocese of New Ulm.
He tried to ignore a voice in his head calling him to the priesthood, but that voice would not go away. After he graduated from high school, he began his discernment process at SJV where, you can say, the rest is history.
“My years at SJV were four of the best years of my life,” Fr. Timmerman recalls fondly. “It is where I first learned to pray.”
And it is the habit of daily prayer that has sustained Fr. Timmerman since his ordination in 2005. He is a happy, holy pastor of four parishes, with two schools and active youth groups, and a pastor for the Sisters of Mary Morning Star, a contemplative religious order in Ghent, Minnesota. He also serves as the associate vocation director for the Diocese of New Ulm and provides spiritual direction to the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, another religious order of sisters in New Ulm.
While the reality of his various responsibilities could be overwhelming, he is joyfully sustained everyday by the Eucharist. With a smile that radiates a peace beyond all understanding, Fr. Timmerman shares the most valuable gift he received at SJV: “Celebrating the Mass is the most important thing I do every day.”
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Long-time SJV secretary Lois Eckstein passed away in May 2016. “SJV is grateful to Lois for her dedicated service and generous
gift upon her death,” said Fr. Becker. “May her soul and the souls of all the faithful
departed rest in peace.”
In MemoriamFR. PAUL SCHWERMER, CLASS OF 1977
MS. LOIS ECKSTEIN
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This fall, 15 SJV seminarians moved into their new residence in Rome, the Pontifical Irish College. Fr. John Bauer, formator and spiritual director from SJV, will also live in residence during the 2016-2017 academic year.
Situated between the Basilica of St. John Lateran and the Colosseum, the men will continue to pursue their academic formation at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (The Angelicum).
This formative experience will connect SJV seminarians with both the Irish seminarians and the international community of postgraduate priests who live at the College. It will also provide the men with an opportunity to experience the vitality of the universal Church and form intercultural friendships while pursuing their studies.
Fr. John Bauer and a group of SJV seminarians are pictured on the front steps of the Pontifical Irish College.
