Seminary decisions

Stephen asked if I had a desire to go to St. Vincent's seminary rather than the Mount. Although the people and the program at St. Vincent's are fantastic, I feel drawn toward the Mount for multiple reasons:

1. Obedience. Bishop Rhoades asked me to apply to the Mount; that's a good enough reason for me! He thought it would be the best fit, and he should know because he used to be the Rector. I have heard that, during the seminary review board, the applicant will sometimes be asked which seminary he prefers. I mentioned that I was familiar with both of them, but I was not explicitly asked to choose one over the other. Even if I had to, I would have chosen the Mount.
   
2. Location. Mount St. Mary's is just a few miles south of Gettysburg, meaning it's only minutes away from the diocese. And it takes less than an hour to drive to Harrisburg. This will make it much easier to be involved in events within the diocese. It will also be much easier to visit my family and friends (except for the Pittsburgh crew; sorry guys!)
3. Size. With 150 seminarians, the Mount is like the Penn State of seminaries. How can you not love that. Generally, the larger an institution is the more resources and opportunities it has. Now if only I could get JoePa and the team to come down... then I'd be set.

There are probably a few more reasons I could enumerate (the Grotto, the chapel, racquetball [can you believe St. Vincent's has zero courts?!]), but these are the main ones. After visiting both, I just feel more at home at the Mount. If I were sent to St. Vincent's I would still be ecstatic, because I know the Lord will send me where I need to go. Last weekend the sems there had absolutely no complaints. They were very eager to extol the formation program and the relaxed atmosphere.

Let us keep all the seminarians in our prayers!