Seminarians hit the streets to promote academies

Seminarian Martin Rodriguez, a junior at Marian College in Indianapolis and a resident of the Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary, prays on Aug. 15 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the grounds of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Rodriguez helped organize an effort over the summer where eight seminarians and members of the Nigerian-based Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy went door to door in the neighborhoods surrounding the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies to encourage families there to enroll their children in the schools.

By Sean Gallagher

There are ministries that are so large or vital to the archdiocese that all faith communities in central and southern Indiana band together to support them.

One such shared ministry is the formation of the archdiocese’s future priests.

There are other home mission ministries that serve people that are often at the margins of society, people that Christ calls us to serve with love and compassion.

Children in such situations have many challenges before them to create a good life for themselves and to become good citizens in the broader community.

The six center-city schools in Indianapolis that make up the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies—Central Catholic School, Holy Angels School, Holy Cross Central School, St. Andrew & St. Rita Catholic Academy, St. Anthony School and St. Philip Neri School—reach out to such children.

The men and women who staff these schools work hard to provide these students with an education that fills them with knowledge and helps them mature.

The Legacy for Our Mission: For Our Children and the Future Campaign is an important way for Catholics across the archdiocese to give their support to these ministries.

This July, eight archdiocesan seminarians went door to door in neighborhoods around the academies and encouraged families that live in the areas to consider enrolling their children in these schools.

They were accompanied by three members of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, a religious order based in Nigeria that has a growing presence in the archdiocese.

The idea for bringing the seminarians and the academies together came from Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein.

He approached seminarian Martin Rodriguez, a member of St. Mary Parish in Indianapolis who is a junior at the Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary and takes classes at Marian College, about coordinating the project.

“I asked him to do so because he is bilingual and has leadership abilities,” Archbishop Buechlein said. “He agreed to do so, reluctantly I’m sure, but he did a very good job.”

Rodriguez recently spoke with The Criterion about his experience.

“It was an adventure because this had never been done before,” said Rodriguez. “For me, it was a very good experience because you saw people right in their houses.”

The seminarians and religious went into a lot of homes. According to Connie Zittnan, director of the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies, the group visited more than 1,800 families.

“They definitely got their exercise this summer,” she said.

Zittnan said the visits did more than keep the seminarians in shape. They also helped increase the academies’ enrollment.

She said enrollment at the six schools is up more than 150 students than at this time last year.

“I’m sure that we would not be there if it wasn’t for this [effort],” Zittnan said.

When the seminarians visited the families, they discussed the tuition assistance the archdiocese is able to offer students.

“Many of the families did not realize this,” Zittnan said. “And so they have verbalized that when they’ve come to register.”

Archbishop Buechlein noted that the door-to-door ministry also benefited the seminarians.

“Catholic education and faith formation are part of our archdiocesan mission. So is our care for the poor,” he said. “Hands-on experience can help our seminarians understand this aspect of our ministry.

“As a matter of fact, as I listen to them talk about the door-to-door experience, it became an opportunity for evangelization. It was challenging for the guys, but they tell me they would do it again.”

Father Eric Johnson, archdiocesan vocations director, said the summer ministry was a good way for the seminarians to get to know the archdiocese at street level.

“Our guys are studying in a variety of seminaries. They’re scattered all over the place,” Father Johnson said. “The summers are one of the times when seminarians get involved in the various aspects of the ministries of the archdiocese. I see that as one way that they enter into sharing the Good News in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.”

There are lots of things that go into a seminarian’s several years of priestly formation. But Rodriguez said he was involved in something important when he visited families who live near the academies.

“I think that Catholic schools offer a very good education,” he said. “And the schools are anchors for these neighborhoods.

“If we promote them and we help all those children have a better education, then, later in life, they will be better citizens and, who knows, maybe good priests as well.” †