October 11, 2000
Young men pursue vocation to priesthood
By Peter Droege
This year, 12 new seminarians entered formation through St. John Vianney Theological Seminary — six in the Spiritual Year of Formation at the John Paul II Center campus, and six in other formation programs. Nine additional seminarians are entering Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary at the JPII Center. A total of 75 seminarians are now preparing for the priesthood for the Church in northern Colorado. Articles about the men, and the various formation programs available for those interested in the priesthood will appear in upcoming issues of the Register. This week, the six men entering the Spiritual Year are profiled.Come to the silence.
With that invitation, six men are beginning a year of formation that will both immerse them in the rich spiritual traditions of the Church, and give them the opportunity to journey with the poor.
"It offers a time and place to step out of the noise and busyness of life and listen to where God is calling them in their lives," explained Father Christopher Hellstrom, director of the Spiritual Year of Formation.
How have the young men reacted to the invitation to spend a year immersed in prayer, the study of sacred texts and fellowship?
"They realize they probably will never have the chance to do it again," Father Hellstrom said. "Without exception, they have a positive attitude about being here and want to get the most out of it," he added.
Daily life for the seminarians includes praying the Divine Office, Mass, classes, spiritual reading, silent time and recreation. During the year they will read the entire Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, accounts of the lives of the saints, and other classic literature.
The Spiritual Year also includes an immersion program that will send them to live and work in poverty stricken communities in rural America and Mexico. The program concludes with a 30-day Ignatian Retreat.
"It is an intense program, but it also models Jesus's invitation to his apostles to come to an out-of-the-way place to rest and pray," Father Hellstrom explained.
With a solemn and scholarly bearing, Father Hellstrom conveys a love for the priesthood and approaches his work very seriously. The young priest is also known for his deadpan sense of humor.
In organizing the six men for a group photo for the Register, Father Hellstrom instructed them to turn in various directions until they caught on that he was simply testing their patience. They clearly enjoy his ability to introduce humor into daily life.
The six men are: Rick Hoines-Brumback, 23; John Muir, 22; Gary Selin, 35; Jason Stone, 26; Daniel Waldeck, 30; and Christopher Warner, 24.
When he was a student at the University of Northern Colorado, Hoines-Brumback met Father Greg Ames, pastor of St. Peter Parish in Greeley. Getting to know Father Ames played a significant role in his decision to pursue the priesthood.
"[Father Ames] showed me priests are `real' people," he told the Register. "As I am a relatively new to the faith, he helped me in my early formation, helping me along the way."
Muir was born in South Burlington, Vt., and began seriously considering the priesthood when he was a student at Regis University.
"When I was 19, a priest told me he thought I had a vocation," explained Muir. "The following three years unveiled countless signs and subtle hints that warmed my desire to follow the call.
"Witnessing the Jesuits in daily life for four years helped to mature my vocation, and to form in my mind what kind of priest I would like to become — God willing of course."
Selin was born in Bishop, Calif., and received his bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, and his master's degree in theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. His decision to study for the priesthood was shaped, in part, by devotion to the Blessed Mother.
"A pilgrimage to Fatima during high school, and the strong Catholic environment at Thomas Aquinas College inspired me to pursue a vocation to the priesthood," said Selin. "It was also many hours before the Blessed Sacrament, deep devotion to Our Lady and the good example and counsel of wise and holy priests," he added.
Stone, a parishioner at Spirit of Christ in Arvada, received his bachelor's degree in biology from Augustana College, in Rock Island, Ill.
"I have felt the calling to priesthood at several times during my life," Stone said. "However, I was never open to pursuing the priesthood until recently. After spending Lent praying for openness to God's will for my life, I received the answer to my prayers Easter morning at Mass, when I felt myself for the first time being strongly led to pursue the priesthood."
Waldeck received his bachelor's and master's in mechanical engineering at Kansas State before moving to Boulder, where he is a parishioner at Sacred Heart of Mary Parish.
"It's a tremendous blessing to have been granted a year of favor from the Lord to grow and develop a solid spiritual foundation," Waldeck said. "The men here are excellent, and I am proud to call them my brothers. I am also grateful to the people of the archdiocese for their support in making this possible," he added.
Warner, 24, has his bachelor of arts degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Now a parishioner at Our Lady of the Pines in Conifer, Warner was living in Europe at the time of World Youth Day in Denver.
"I flew over and traveled with a pilgrimage group from Steubenville to Denver," he explained. "It was the example of the Holy Father, as well as the example of the priests I was traveling with that first opened my heart and mind to pursue the priesthood," he added.
"I love Colorado and I am very impressed by the Archbishop and his mission for this archdiocese — to bring all things into one in Christ," he continued. "My family has been here since 1995, and entering St. John Vianney Seminary was a very natural thing for me," he added.
