Dear Friends of SJV:
Where did September go? It has been an exciting and joyful first month here at St. John Vianney. We christened our new bocce court with a highly competitive tournament; we celebrated our 25th anniversary with friends and family; we had a fraternity weekend which had guys all over the Rocky Mountains; and lastly, we instituted new lectors and acolytes over our parents weekend. The ministries of lector and acolyte are the last stages a man passes through before being ordained to the diaconate, and then the following year, to the priesthood.
This month, I am thrilled to introduce you to Dave Napierkowski and his harrowing story of summiting Mt. Rainier this August. It is one of the finest alpineering accomplishments in the history of our seminary. And I was honored that my old ice axe (the one I summited Rainier with twenty years prior), went to the top with them. Fr. Adam Bradshaw, formator at the seminary, will round out the newsletter with more on the 25th anniversary party I mentioned above.
Many thanks for the extraordinary generosity you show our men through your prayers and financial support. Know of our gratitude for your benefaction and that you remain daily in our prayers.
Fr. John
Mount Rainier
“Of all the fire mountains which, like beacons, once blazed along the Pacific Coast, Mount Rainier is the noblest.”
John Muir, 1901
When that “fire mountain” finally broke through the hazy conditions and dense foliage, waves of excitement came over us. We spent months preparing for this expedition; now the lonesome peak was finally in sight. The goal of the visit was simple: reach the summit.
The idea for this trip came to us in late spring. We knew we would have about two weeks off after our summer assignments—a perfect window for an adventure. So, after pitching many possibilities, Cody and I settled on Mt. Rainier. It was an affordable trip that presented new experiences and physical challenges. There’s no better combination. After recruiting our fellow Denver seminarian Cooper to join us, the planning began.
Preliminary research quickly reminded me that, despite the similarity in peak elevation, climbing Rainier is quite different from bagging a Colorado 14er. Unlike our local summits, Rainier is a heavily glaciated volcano. Indeed, fields of ice cling to this mountain year-round, making cramp-ons, ropes, and ice axes necessities. Moreover, the hike begins at around 5,400 feet and ends at 14,410. In terms of elevation gain, it is like climbing Mt. Elbert twice.
We started our climb from Paradise Visitor Center on August 8 and reached Camp Muir, a refuge area about halfway up the mountain, early that afternoon. There, we refueled and got our gear in order for the summit attempt. To ensure safe temperatures and to avoid bottlenecking with other groups, we left for the summit at 11:00 p.m. Five and a half hours later, on August 9, we reached the top.
While it was exhilarating to accomplish our goal, the summit was not the highlight. The most impactful part of the trip was the deepened sense of brotherhood that arose from the shared challenge. As I reflect upon this experience, an image from the expedition comes to mind. Throughout the climb, we were tethered to one another’s harnesses. In the unlikely event that one of us fell on the route, the rope would allow for a rescue. The scene of all of us tied together, ascending to the heights, symbolizes for me the power of fraternity. It is emblematic of the fact that, whether on mountains, in seminary, or in our future priesthoods, we’ll go further if we go in communion.
We’d like to give special thanks to Fr. John Nepil, Casey Van Pelt, and especially Laine Hogue, our unofficial guide, for their support throughout this trip.
David Napierkowski
Seminarian Archdiocese of Denver
25 Years of SJV
On September 5 and 6 this year we had back-to-back celebrations here at the seminary which brought such joy to our community. On September 6 we celebrated our annual Alumni Day where priests who were seminarians at SJV return and take part in adoration, concelebrating the Holy Mass, and join the seminarians for lunch. As both a formator at SJV and an alumnus it has been really special over these years to take part in this day since I get to welcome my priest brothers to my new home, but also give thanks to God for the formation I received from the seminary.
The next day, on Friday, September 6, we had a one-of-a-kind event with the 25th anniversary celebration of SJV. We had so many of our priest brothers join us, along with numerous families and friends. I can’t remember a time where I saw Christ the King chapel so full! I had the extra privilege of coordinating the liturgical celebration for this day and was extremely proud of everyone who helped make the solemn Mass as beautiful as it was, it certainly was the fruit of the work of many. It is always a blessing to work behind the scenes, making sure everything is where it needs to be, but afterwards partake in concelebrating the offering of the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with my brother priests, previous formators, priests I was in seminary with, along with the offering of the faithful.
Rev. Adam Bradshaw
Formation Advisor