“I am not a genius; I am just curious. I ask many questions, and when the answer is simple, then God is answering.” – Albert Einstein
PORTER COUNTY – Among those young men experiencing fellowship, attending faith-building talks and generally enjoying the warm (and humid) summer days at the Diocese of Gary's Camp Lawrence, some pondered serious questions.
On Aug. 5, at the Quo Vadis sessions named after the Latin phrase that translates to “Where are you going?” a half dozen young men from teens to 24, walked the rolling hills of the camp praying the Rosary. They were led by diocesan seminarians as they gathered near Moss Lake to offer prayer intentions.
The overarching aim of the three-day Quo Vadis retreat was not to conduct question-and-answer sessions, but rather to support a process – the discernment journey of Catholics who each are at crossroads in their lives.
Director for the diocesan Office of Vocations, Father Nathaniel Edquist, pastor of Holy Family Parish, LaPorte, said the significance of the retreat name is two-fold.
“Maybe Jesus is asking men who are discerning the priesthood, ‘Where are you going?”, explained Father Edquist. “Also, it gives the discerners the opportunity to ask the Lord, ‘Where are you going, so I can follow you?’”
Father Edquist explained, “The early church legend is that as St. Peter was leaving Rome during the persecutions of Nero … Jesus was walking in the other direction toward Rome and Peter said to Jesus, ‘Quo vadis, Domine?’ Jesus said, ‘I’m going back to Rome to get crucified again.’ And Peter changed his route, deciding to return to his Roman ministry, which led to his eventual crucifixion, upside down.
After the Rosary walk, the seminarians and discerners paired up in teams to enter a round robin athletic competition featuring games of horse, bags, KanJam, Spikeball and an impromptu throwing contest. Fun and games are key components of the three-day Quo Vadis retreat as Father Edquist said it could help those inquiring to understand that seminarians and priests are also “fully human.”
“I would say I’m experiencing brotherhood that I don’t normally have at home and I don’t normally have especially (with) people around my age,” explained Isaac Heard, who is entering his senior year at Franciscan University of Steubenville. “I’m really enjoying learning from everybody around here because everyone has different gifts and talents that the Lord has blessed them with.”
The Crown Point native is a biology major looking into further education and experience to help carry him into a career as a dietician.
Heard, 24, said being fortified in knowledge of their faith is always a good thing as a lot of scenes in today’s world do not jibe with Christian values. “I kind of picked up the faith again when I was 19 or 20. God kind of picked me up out of my nonsense and said, ‘You’ve got to do something.’”
He added that the other young believers at the retreat have something powerful in common.
“I think this goes along with being Catholic; we all have the same goal: we want to reach heaven, we're all on different stages of discernment.”
Earlier, the young men sat in the air conditioned cafeteria hall for a discussion led by Father Edquist, who utilized The Wild Goose catechetical resources. Topics such as “Baptized with the Holy Spirit and Fire,” made some attendees think of cooling off by taking a dip in one of the camp’s lakes.
Before taking the dive, 2024 Andrean High School graduate and valedictorian John Clements spoke about his calling to the Camp Lawrence sessions. He explained that it was slightly unusual that he found himself on a discernment retreat. His participation in the National Eucharistic Congress from July 17-21 in Indianapolis was a launching point to the diocesan vocations office event.
“It was such a powerful time down in Indy with adoration at Lucas Oil Stadium and the procession downtown and the talks and different Catholic celebrities,” Clements said. “I was really inspired by everything I saw there.”
Clements soon consulted Father Roque Meraz, associate pastor of St. Paul, who was pleased to hear that the 18-year-old was considering a possible call to the priesthood. The Valparaiso priest asked him if he would think about attending the upcoming Quo Vadis retreat.
“Yes,” was Clements’ answer. “I got a couple days off work and here I am.”
Clements will prepare to travel to and move into his new college campus of Ave Maria University in Naples, Fla. At the university founded by Catholic entrepreneur Tom Monaghan, the school’s mottos are the titles of two of St. Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals “Ex corde Ecclesiae” and “Veritatis Splendor.”
The teen believes the answers to his initial vocational questions are found in him being a student where the role of faith and truth in the academic setting are lived. But the retreat put him in a posture to keep an open mind about his future endeavors.
“I wanted to use these couple of days just as reflection and I definitely won’t get a super clear answer for exactly what God is calling me to do, but I’m definitely giving some time to think about it,” Clements said.
Father Edquist suggested that everyday people in the pews, friends and family members should communicate with potential discerners, being complimentary of their holiness. Heard concurred, adding that the faithful don’t necessarily have to be the ones asking the questions, such as, “Have you ever thought of being a priest?”
“Letting young men and young women discern their own vocation by themselves (is good) – and if they ask questions, be ready to answer,” Heard said. “So, know your faith enough; you can share it with them.”
To support those responding to a priestly calling, the diocesan vocations office will host the annual Black Tie White Collar Gala on Sept. 20 at Avalon Manor Banquet Center in Merrillville. For more information about vocations office initiatives, contact Jo Anne Rosenow, vocations administrative assistant, at (219) 769-9292 ex. 221, or email her at jrosenow@dcgary.org, or visit garyvocations.com.
Caption: Seminarians and discerners pray the Rosary while enjoying a hike during the Quo Vadis retreat at Camp Lawrence in Porter County on Aug. 5. The three-day sessions named after the Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?" afforded the opportunity for young men considering a priestly vocation to interact with diocesan seminarians in prayer, catechesis and recreational activities. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)