Out of the Sanctuary
During the winter term, seminarians get
training from the St. Paul Street Evangeliza-
tion local center (streetevangelization.com).
In the classroom through playacting, the
seminarians learn the techniques of effec-
tive person-to-person witnessing. Then it is
real life application time.
Father Vandenakker assigns teams of
two or three men to local college cam-
puses—Wayne State, Henry Ford, and U
of M-Dearborn—to staff an information
table under the sponsorship of the college’s
Catholic Newman Center. “How can we
pray for you?” is a typical way of entry as
they try to connect with students who are
strolling through the student union. The
seminarians offer students rosaries and ba-
sic information about the Catholic Faith.
“Many of the seminarians say this is the
most intimidating thing they have done,”
Father Vandenakker says. “It stretches them
out of their comfort zones.”
Laughs Father, “As one seminarian said to
me once: ‘I had not experienced this much
rejection since the senior prom!’ Nonethe-
less, they become more skilled at presenting
the gospel message in a focused way. They get
out of the safe sanctuary of the seminary and
into the marketplace of competing ideas.”
Second-year theologian Adam Nowak of
the Archdiocese of Detroit says that practic-
ing street evangelization has built up his
confidence.
“Evangelizing on a college campus can be
quite intimidating at times, but as I have
“Over time, I realized these differences
that separated were, in many ways, superfi-
cial; that the human condition is the same
everywhere.”
Alex recalls one frightful instance when
teenage boy, sullen at first, suddenly opened
up about having reoccurring dreams of be-
ing “claimed” by demonic beings. This
opening allowed Alex to lead the boy into
prayers of deliverance and repentance, and
the boy accepted Jesus into his life.
“The Holy Spirit was present in a pow-
erful way that day. I can rest assured that
the Lord will direct his steps because that
young man now belongs to Christ.”
As part of their field education training, Adam Nowak,
left, and Marcus Schonnop offer prayer, rosaries, and
spiritual literature to Wayne State University students.
become more comfortable with it, the Lord
has made me bolder. I have prayed with
many people from all faith backgrounds
and spoken with people who do not prac-
tice any faith at all.
“It has been a real joy to share the love of
Christ with others!”
Closer to the Suffering
Prior to completing the two field educa-
tion courses in the new evangelization as
second-year theologians, the Theology 1
men take Clinical Field Education, which
trains them in the pastoral care of the suffer-
ing. This curriculum involves tending to the
spiritual needs of the sick, aged, and dying
in a hospital, nursing home, or hospice set-
ting. The seminarians learn how to talk and
pray with people, bring Holy Communion to
them if requested, and learn about the Sacra-
ment of the Anointing of the Sick.
Detroit seminarian Jahaunn McKenzie
(Theology 1) has worked for the past two
semesters at St. John Macomb-Warren Hos-
pital in Warren and Beaumont Hospital in
Dearborn. He says that hospital ministry
“has been a great learning experience” for
him and his brother seminarians.
“I have come in contact with so many dif-
ferent types of people from diverse cultural
and ethnic backgrounds. Yet, there is a
communality that they all share as sick and
suffering persons in the hospital, primarily
wanting to leave the hospital!
“Some patients I have encountered are
believers while others are not, and some
need encouragement—while others have
encouraged me.”
Jahaunn says that hospital ministry has
showed him that, as a future priest, he must
“come closer to Christ by coming closer to
those who are sick and suffering.” He cites
Pope Francis as “a model of this very witness.”
Opened Eyes, Hearts
As the new Field Education courses
show, Sacred Heart continues to evolve its
academic curriculum to form future priests
who are modeled after the compassionate
example of the Good Shepherd. They are
being trained to meet the spiritual needs of
a modern parish—while developing the self-
confidence to be a presence of living faith
in a post-Christian culture.
“What the seminary is doing is very cre-
ative,’ Father Vandenakker says, “and the
seminarians have responded to it very well.”
He says that having seminarians working in
the field as new evangelists has “opened
their eyes and opened their hearts” to
the “drama of the human condition and
the need everyone has for redemption in
Christ.” At the same time, F ather cautions
the men against pride, since “God is the
primary agent of the new evangelization.”
As such, success in the field does not de-
pend on simply having an outgoing type-A
personality, he says, only a willingness to
step out in faith.
“You just have to be a fool for Christ.”
shms.edu
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