Encountering the warm and fraternal hospitality unique to TC seminarians and faculty, the 2023-2024 cohort of newcomers to Theological College appreciated a well-orchestrated orientation week that began with move-in to freshly appointed accommodations and individual room blessings by our resident deacons. The trajectory of the week covered all the realities that make up a life of formation under the four major dimensions of development for priest candidates – human, spiritual, academic and pastoral. These dimensions were served by each day’s theme: A Day for Welcome, for Spirituality, for Academics, for Community Life, for Recollection, and for Prayer.
Below, some new seminarians offer us their impressions and favorite memories of this introductory week. (Kudos to the orientation team for the scavenger hunt!)
Peter Nguyen (1-T, Ft. Worth):
Orientation week was a great way to get introduced not only to the Theological College community, but also to the greater Washington area. Everyone was very welcoming and glad to have new faces in the house. Dedicated times for prayer and breaks helped bring down the stress of moving to a new place.
One of my favorite experiences was exploring the DC area during the annual scavenger hunt, seeing these landmarks and monuments for the first time, and doing it with other new guys! Then (12,000 steps later), another incredible experience of the week was praying a Holy Hour every day in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament with the orientation team and the priests. It was very cool to see the fruit of Christ’s work in the lives of all these men, who are at different points in their journey.
Matthew Fichter (1-T, Washington):
My first impression from orientation is that TC is a very welcoming, generous, down-to-earth community and environment. It has been easy to fit in and make this my new home. I am also inspired by the staff and my seminarian brothers in their devotion and dedication to the task of priestly formation. This witness has energized me and given me a greater sense of excitement as we begin the new semester.
My favorite memory is the experience of the scavenger hunt and concluding lunch at The Dubliner. It was great to get out into the city for some lighthearted competition, exploring new areas and working together to strategize a plan of action.
Carl Baumann (1-PreT, Richmond):
Right off the bat, I was impressed by the organization of orientation. Deacon Dan Roberts and co-leader Jeff Ambreit put together a website to streamline the communication process, presenting the clear and simple on-boarding steps in one place – including all the information that the University would need from us to get started. Throughout the week, we had plenty of time to take breaks between sessions while following a straight-forward plan that covered all the bases. By the time Sunday Liturgy rolled around, when we were officially accepted into the community, I was excited to begin classes on Monday.
My favorite memory from orientation was the scavenger hunt around DC. We had to create a team strategy to get as many points as possible by taking photos with various people at key landmarks throughout the District, while gaining familiarity with the city and public transport system. I especially enjoyed one of the tasks: we got three points for each person wearing a red shirt whom we fit into a photo with us. We happened to be walking through a beach volleyball competition, and everyone was wearing a red shirt! We got a photo with about 10 people who were happy to meet us.
Cameron Huhlein (1-B, Birmingham):
Coming into orientation week, I was nervous to be in a new city, a new seminary, and to be surrounded by new people. But very early on, I found the community — particularly my brother seminarians — to be very welcoming and helpful. It is evident that the seminarians and priests here are serious about the Gospel and that they work to maintain an atmosphere of faithful fraternity and love of Christ.
My favorite part of orientation was the scavenger hunt; it was a great way to see lots of key areas and develop friendships with the other new seminarians. After the hunt, we shared a meal with the returning seminarians, which was another great introduction into the fraternity of Theological College.
Xavier Polisetty (1-T, Fort Worth):
During orientation, I loved the overview on spiritual formation that Father Bud and Father Jaime gave us. It was an important reminder of the centrality of Adoration in our everyday life. Their reflections on Adoration as a foundational part of our faith, from the story of creation to Father Olier’s spirituality to our liturgical life as a community, gave me a renewed energy and focus in my own personal prayer that I will be exploring throughout the year and beyond.
Orientation was well thought out, with each day focused on a particular aspect of life here at TC. We had plenty of opportunities to meet the other new and current seminarians. I also appreciated that it wasn’t too busy, with ample opportunities to rest and enjoy life (especially with the scavenger hunt), so that I could hit the ground running when classes actually started the following week.
