Come and See Weekend Offers Glimpse of Seminary

They came together on an early March weekend with one eye on the present while casting a discerning eye on the future.

Fourteen  young men from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, recently gathered for a Come and See weekend at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict.

Come and See weekends are designed to give men interested in learning more about the priesthood a hands-on look at life as a seminarian, said Father Joshua Johnson, vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

The weekend is open to high school and college students as well as older men. They spend from Friday night through lunch Sunday participating in prayer, study, worship and fellowship with the seminarians, priests, monks and other men who might be discerning the priesthood.

They also have the opportunity to sit in class with the seminarians while being exposed to every facet of seminary life. Activities also include conferences on seminary life and discernment, as well as Mass, eucharastic adoration and confession.

A Vocations Prayer

Compassionate Heart of Jesus, graciously listen to our prayers. Give us generous hearts to respond to your call in our lives. Lift up these courageous men  Deacon Danny Roussell, Deacon Taylor Sanford, Joseph Bergan, James Vu, Austin Young, Albert Blount, Joseph Bresower, Joshua Zelden and Deacon David Dawson  willing to follow after your heart as priests. Help parents and teachers to share the faith and to encourage young people to explore religious vocations. Guide all people, Lord in your ways of compassion, truth and peace, that we may find happiness in fulfilling our vocation. Amen.

Retreatants have the opportunity to ask questions, have concerns addressed and private time to spend in prayer with God. 

Traditionally retreatants will sleep at the seminary but because of COVID-19 restrictions, during the March 4-7  weekend the 14 men slept at nearby Camp Abbey.

“One of the gifts of spending time at the seminary for the Come and See weekend is found in the friendships that the young men form with other guys in their community who feel called to discern if the priesthood is their path to becoming a saint,” Father Johnson said.

Four “Come and See” weekends are scheduled annually, two at St. Joseph and two at Notre Dame Graduate School of Theology in New Orleans. There is no cost and meals and beds are provided but pillow, towels and personal items must be brought. 
Anyone interested in visiting the seminary to discover if God is calling an individual to be a priest is encouraged to reach out to Father Johnson at the vocation’s office so a dialogue about discernment can begin. 

For more information, call 225-336-8778 or email vocations@diobr.org.