Conception Seminary College welcomes 99 Encounter retreatants

 “We’re just a bunch of normal guys,” said Shane Kiethermes of Loose Creek, Mo. about the 99 young men who attended the fall Encounter With God’s Call discernment weekend at Conception Seminary College November 11-13, 2017.

Shane is a senior at Helias High School in Jefferson City, Mo. and saw the weekend as an opportunity to deepen his discernment of the priesthood and decide whether God is calling him to enter the seminary.

“I think what I enjoyed the most was the time we have spent in prayer and meeting guys from other dioceses who are also considering the priesthood. It’s helped a lot in my consideration of whether or not to enter seminary after high school.”

Encounter With God’s Call is an opportunity for young men interested in the priesthood to discover what life in the seminary is like. The weekend began on Saturday afternoon with tours of campus as the participants from over 13 dioceses across the Midwest arrived. Saturday evening, the Encounter participants joined the seminarians for Evening Prayer and the conclusion of 24-hours of Eucharistic Adoration held in preparation for the weekend and the Encounter participants.

Other activities of the weekend included presentations given by the seminarians on life in the seminary and discerning God’s call as well as social activities, sports, and opportunities for both communal and private prayer.

This year’s large number of participants further illustrates a trend seen nationwide of an increase in interest in religious vocations among young people according to a recent article from the National Catholic Register.

“This weekend is evidence that many young people are responding to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to consider the priesthood. You just have to look around at these guys and listen to them to know that they are passionate about serving Christ and discerning their vocation,” said Charles Peirano, senior at Conception Seminary College.

The weekend concluded with Encounter participants attending classes with seminarians on Monday. The spring Encounter With God’s Call weekend is scheduled April 14-16, 2018 and you can find out more at www.ewgc.org.