Dear Friends of SJV:
Greetings in Christ! The men returned from a grace filled holy week back in their respective dioceses, and had a few days for travel, rest and family. With only two weeks left in the semester, they are ready to be done!
Today we will celebrate our May Crowning Mass and with the entire Church, consecrate the month of May to our mother Mary. Of course our minds and hearts are turned towards Rome, with heightened expectation at the upcoming conclave. This month we hear from two of our men soon to be ordained priests – Deacon Adam Urban and Deacon Jacob Chavez. The gym continues to progress on time for a Christmas completion.
Know of our continued gratitude for your prayers and support. And that we pray for you all at the altar each day.
Fr. John
Old Ties on the Brink of Priesthood
It’s no secret that seminary often fosters deep and lasting friendships among men. Years of shared classrooms, communal living, and countless formative experiences naturally create strong bonds. What’s far less common, however, is for two men to share a history of friendship long before entering seminary. Yet, that is precisely the story for Deacon Kade Megaffin and me.
Kade and I were part of the same small graduating class of 53 students at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in Hays, Kansas. After high school, we both attended Fort Hays State University, where our friendship and our faith deepened. We became roommates during college, but at that time, neither of us had priesthood on our minds.
Kade entered seminary immediately after graduating, while I spent several years working for the Diocese of Dodge City before discerning my own call to priesthood. Though we pursued our vocations at different times, for different dioceses, and even in different seminaries, God’s providence has beautifully brought our journeys back together in Denver.
On May 31, we will be ordained priests together at the Cathedral in Salina, Kansas. It is a great joy to share this moment with someone who has been a close friend for so many years. Thank you for your prayers and support along the way!
Deacon Adam Urban
Seminarian, Diocese of Salina
Pour Out All We Have
“Why would you waste your life like that?” was a question that I received from a fallen away Catholic friend during my second year of seminary. I was unsure of what to say besides “Anything given to God is not wasted.” However, I began to reflect upon that question, and a couple thoughts came to mind. Firstly, generally it seems that the world sees something as “valuable” if it means personal gain. Secondly, Mark 14:3-9 gives a clear answer to this question. When a woman anointed Jesus’ feet with costly oil (pure nard), it was the one who kept his eyes on worldly things that became disgruntled. But Christ replies “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”
Wasting our lives on Christ is no worldly gain. We sacrifice riches, marriage, and our will by promising poverty, chastity, and obedience. And yet we gain treasure in heaven, are called father, and live on divine providence. Through poverty we can become wise teachers for “in his riches man lacks wisdom” (Psalm 49). We govern our bodies through chastity that we might govern well the people of God. We submit our will to God that by being sanctified by His will, we might sanctify others.
A man gains nothing if he were to lose his soul by giving it to the world. What more is there to gain by wasting our lives on Christ? Therefore, let us do a beautiful thing to Christ and pour out on him all that we have.
Deacon Jacob Chavez
Seminarian, Diocese of Phoenix
