Michael Vanek (left), a seminarian from the Archdiocese of Omaha, and a fellow seminarian participate in speech class at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo. A seminarian's class schedule includes such classes as Old Testament Theology, Reformation History, and Realism Philosophy.Photos by Lisa Schulte

By Lisa Schulte
The Catholic Voice

CONCEPTION, Mo. - The Rule of St. Benedict, written in the sixth century, is no stranger to the life of a seminarian today. Ora et labora, Latin for prayer and work, are still the watch words for the way seminarians and Benedictine monks at Conception Seminary College and Abbey live their lives.

While very different, 100 seminarians work in the community setting to achieve the same goal: to be a priest. Through this vigorous routine of prayer and work, these men hope one day to serve as diocesan priests throughout the country.

"I wanted to be a priest because of the love they have of God and for God," said Michael Vanek, a seminarian studying for the Archdiocese of Omaha at Conception Seminary College. "Love in the purest sense is in the priesthood," he said.

Ranging in age from teens who have just graduated from high school to middle age, these men eat together, pray together, study together, and live together.

This sense of community is one that Vanek, 19, appreciates. It was hard to get used to, however.

"Day in and day out, these guys are the only ones you see. Eventually, though, you start feeling like brothers and you know they'll help you out," said Vanek, who was recently elected vice president of the seminary by his fellow seminarians.

The 30-acre seminary campus is part of a 960-acre tract of land owned by Conception Abbey, which can be found in the secluded hills of rural Missouri. Established in 1886, this fully accredited four-year college is where these men study a pre-theology program. Last year, it was the largest college seminary for diocesan seminarians, according to Father Benedict Neenan, rector of the seminary.

The quiet campus houses seminarians of all nationalities from all over the country. Its red brick buildings are surrounded by country fields and an atmosphere where the songs of birds and the occasional car engine are the only sounds to be heard.

"I love the country," Vanek said. In fact, that's what he said he likes most about the campus.

"When I was told about Conception Seminary, and it being out in the country, I said, `That's where I want to go.'"

The seminary grounds are not much different than any other modern-day college campus. They house residence halls with dining rooms and classrooms, a library and gymnasium, as well as administration offices and a recreation center. In addition to a student chapel on campus, the Stations of the Cross are strategically scattered throughout the surrounding fields.

Vanek, in his second year at the seminary, said he is the happiest he has been in about four years.

"I've finally accepted God's will in my life," he said.

During his senior year at Schuyler Central High School, Vanek said he had a sudden nagging inside of him. It was telling him to be a priest, he said.

"It was just a strong gut feeling that wouldn't go away," according to Vanek, the son of Dave and Laura Vanek. "I wanted to be an architect, to get married and have kids - you know, normal people stuff - but I had an internal feeling that just tore at me."

In the fall of 2000, with his parents' support, he joined the seminarians who are studying at Conception Seminary College.

Vanek said his first year was tough.

"I still wanted my will, and thought that God's would coincide," he said.

The change that came about through prayer was internal, not external, he said.

A seminarian's spiritual life is nurtured by his daily routine, which revolves around prayer: morning prayer, evening prayer, Mass, individual prayer, Holy Hours and the sacraments.

Vanek's day begins at 7:30 a.m., when he and his fellow seminarians slowly make their way to the dimly lit dining hall for breakfast.

Just 30 minutes later, after swallowing his last bite of banana, Vanek and the other seminarians gather in the warm simple student chapel filled with rows of wooden chairs that face each other. It's here, in this room, where this community of men comes together to participate in prayer.

They recite the Liturgy of the Hours together. During these prayers, the men read psalms from the breviary in unison, saying verse after verse in a singsong fashion one side alternating verses with the other. The Lord's Prayer is said in Spanish at the end of the service.

Besides the Liturgy of the Hours and attending daily Mass,

Vanek said seminarians are encouraged to frequent the sacraments and make Holy Hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

This is something all Catholics are called to do, Vanek said.

"I don't look at these things as necessary to be a good priest or seminarian, but I see them necessary to be a good Catholic," he said.

There is an elegance in the tradition that is so much a part of the life of a seminarian. This can be seen in the reading of the vespers, especially on a feast day.

This solemn evening prayer service brings together seminarians, dressed in suits, brown-robed monks and guests of the abbey as they gather at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The basilica is the liturgical and spiritual center of the abbey and on this night, the Romanesque-style church is filled with the fragrance of incense, the sounds of a pipe organ and men's powerful singing voices.

The religious superior of the abbey, dressed in an ornate cope, or cloak, processes down the aisle behind rows of monks with two assistants at his side.

Prayers are said in a similar pattern as morning prayer, but instead, they are sung.

In addition to the ora or prayer life is the labora part of the life of a seminarian.

"It gets intense sometimes," said Vanek, referring to his rigorous class and study schedule that requires him to read almost 50 pages a night.

His classes include American Literature, Reformation History, Studio Art, Old Testament Theology, Public Speaking, and Realism, his philosophy class taught by Abbot Isaac True.

In addition to the regular class schedule, and because these men are studying for the priesthood, they receive special guidance and spiritual direction from the monks and priests who teach at the seminary.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, one period of the day is filled with a meeting, either in character formation or spiritual formation.

"Every aspect of your life is looked at and analyzed, and problems are seen and dealt with," Vanek said.

He meets with his spiritual director every other week, attends chaplain meetings for character formation, and every Thursday, goes to a formation conference where topics like the Eucharist and priestly celibacy are discussed.

"In the end, each individual seminarian is the main agent in his formation," said Father Neenan. "It's not something we, the faculty and religious, do for a seminarian. We provide the conditions to cultivate each one's vocation.

"And they rise to the occasion. They have a lot to be proud of," he said.

Vanek and the other seminarians primarily remain on the seminary grounds, except for weekends, when they are free to venture out, he said. There are gatherings at professors' houses, hunting trips, dinners out in neighboring towns and the occasional visit from a friend, he said.

This lifestyle comes with the territory, he added.

"The individual sacrifices are on a day-to-day basis," he said.

You can hear the intensity of his words as he lowers his voice and squints his blue eyes behind the wire-rimmed glasses.

"It's a sacrifice of self, of the entire mind, body and soul, your wants and your desires. You give them completely to God," he said. "When you live that kind of life, God takes care of it all."

If there is any advice he could give to someone thinking about the priesthood, Vanek said it would be to "give your life to God."

"I'd tell them to discern with deep prayer, to frequent the sacraments and to be patient," he said. "The patience is really important."

When Vanek looks back, he said he sees how God directed him to the seminary.

"There are so many major events that have happened to me in my life that show me I've made the right decision," he said. "I thought about going to the Air Force, but I'm diabetic, so I couldn't possibly have been in it. I also have bad knees and a bad back, so I couldn't have run in track."

Vanek said he knows he made the right decision when he entered the seminary. "I feel a peace throughout me and I love it."

The life of a seminarian is full, Father Neenan said.

"There are a lot of expectations and a lot of demands, but it is an opportunity for growth in the spiritual life and intellectual life and to gain close friends," he said. "It also provides the opportunity to find out about the Catholic faith and about how the Church functions."