Vocations Blog
Quo Vadis?
Where are you going?
Educating as a Son of Moreau
Photo provided by the Holy Cross Office of Vocations Since the end of my time in initial formation and during the first few years of perpetual vows...
Take, Lord, Receive: Remembering Fr. Ken Molinaro, C.S.C.
Photo of Fr. Ken Molinaro, C.S.C., provided by Fr. David Smith, C.S.C. This is a lecture given by Fr. Gil Stoy, C.S.C., to his students in SSIP...
A Life A-part
Photo of Fr. Aaron celebrating Mass in the St. Stephen side chapel in the Major Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy Of all the...
A Work of Resurrection
Photo: Fr. David Murray, C.S.C., after his Ordination to the priesthood, with former ACE housemates and fellow teachers. This week is Catholic...
From A to B, Not A to Z
By disposition, I tend to prefer well-thought out, meticulously formulated plans for any new project or endeavor that I seek to undertake. Whether...
It’s All About Trust
Photo from the Office of Vocations: Pikes Peak Discernment Retreat I’m using only personal and anecdotal evidence here, but I daresay that...
A Strange Commitment
Photo provided by Brother Jimmy Henke, C.S.C. I really appreciate opportunities like starting a new year or beginning Lent which invite me to take a...
A Season to Rest, Recreate, Behold, and Hope
I have heard two sentiments most commonly spoken of about the season of Advent. First, that people love this season. Second, that Advent feels too...
But You, Go and Proclaim the Kingdom of God
Photo of Br. Jimmy Henke C.S.C. and students provided by King's College “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of...
Celebrating Each Other’s Vocation
Photo of King's College Vocation Awareness event provided by Fr. Brogan (far left) The presence of Holy Cross in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where...
When You Feel Like You Don’t Belong
As a Rector at Notre Dame, the number of students I encounter who self-identify as victims of imposter syndrome seem to be increasing. They think...
When the Way Isn’t Clear: Hiking, the Christian Life, and Discernment
I love to hike, and I was fortunate to do that quite a lot during my novitiate year in Colorado. There are tons of beautiful trails near the Holy...
Discernment 101
COR pilgrimage to the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal. Photo provided by Fr. Andrew Fritz: COR pilgrimage to the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal...
Where Can One Go To Hear God’s Voice?
Photo provided by Rev. Zachary Rathke, far left, with Holy Cross men in formation. A reflection on discernment. When it comes to discernment,...
Our Lady of Sorrows
Photo credit: Michelangelo's Pietà, St. Peter's Basilica, wikipedia commons The Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows Homily given by Deacon T.J. Groden,...
A Son of Pope Leo
Photo Credit: “Pope Leo XIV first Regina Caeli Prayer In St. Peter's Square after his Election” by Catholic Church England and Wales, CC BY-NC-ND...
This Place, These Brothers
Photo provided by Br. Jimmy “We grow close to one another as brothers by living together in community. If we do not love the brothers whom we see,...
Planting Seeds and Bearing Fruit in Community
Pictured: Fr. Frank Murphy, C.S.C., and Fr. Brogan Ryan, C.S.C. Photo provided by Fr. Brogan Ryan, C.S.C. When I was at the Holy Cross Novitiate, I...
Centered on Christ: Walking with Fr. Moreau in Vocations Ministry
Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame A few months ago, a friend asked me what aspect of Father Moreau’s life I think best applies to my...
Seeking Out The “Lost Sheep”
Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame I serve as the rector of Knott Hall, a men's residence dorm at the University of Notre Dame, and I...
Brotherhood in Holy Cross – It’s No Act!
Photo provided by Andrew Copp, C.S.C. When I began formation with Holy Cross five years ago, I was excited about many aspects of community life that...
A Good Father in a Foreign Land
Photo provided by the Vocations Office. I prepared during the last 100 days before my ordination in 2020 by consecrating myself to God through the...
Lessons from the Children
Photo provided by Rev. Noah M. Junge, C.S.C. This past year I have had the joy of being at Holy Cross Parish in South Bend. There’s something pretty...
Days Full of Grace: Sacramental Life in a Parish
Photo provided by Rev. Brian D. Kennedy, C.S.C. As a Holy Cross priest, my greatest privilege and deepest joy is offering the sacraments for the...
Growth Begins When You Get Uncomfortable
Photo provided by Brother James R. Henke, C.S.C. Sometimes it can take many years before we see the fruit of our labors as ministers in God’s...
Welcome to our Joy!
Photo provided by Rev. Brogan C. Ryan, C.S.C. “Our experience in Holy Cross is demanding. It is joyful as well. And so it should give us a life to...
I Handed On To You What I Myself Received
“Anyone who loves God in the depths of his heart has already been loved by God. In fact, the measure of a man’s love for God depends upon how deeply...
Time Marches Forward
Photo provided by the Vocations Office. Every August, new students pour in with a mixture of thrill and anxiety characteristic of newcomers leaving...
We Are Porters of the Heart
Photo provided by Rev. Andrew D. Fritz, C.S.C. Saint Brother André Bessette, the first saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the patron saint...
Slow, Gentle, and Steady Flow of God’s Grace
Photo provided by Rev. Zachary W. Rathke, C.S.C. I vividly remember a homily I gave at St. Ignatius Martyr Parish in Austin, Texas, during my deacon...
Gratitude in the Form of 1000 Balloons
Photo provided by Brother James Henke, C.S.C. During my time in formation to be a Holy Cross brother, one of the priests I frequently went to for...
All Are in the Mission
Photo provided by Rev. Brogan Ryan, C.S.C. Retreats are an important part of our religious life. Our Constitutions call us to make time to draw...
Pass Through the Gate
Photo provided by the Vocations Office. One of my favorite stories is about Fr. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., who is currently the Director of Campus...
I Have Been with You Wherever You’ve Been
Photo provided by the Office of Apostolic Mission and Charism. On January 11-12, Andre House of Hospitality celebrated its 40th Anniversary of...
Waiting…
I hate waiting in lines. I’m the kind of person who will settle for a salad bar in the dining hall when the...
Homecomings and Communities of the Coming Kingdom
The Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross speak of our feasts giving us occasions as a religious family to pray and celebrate together....
Leave Everything and Follow Him
The story of the rich man, which we read as the Gospel at Mass for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is one of the foundational Scriptural texts for...
Witness to Hope
Before he became a groundbreaking philosopher and theologian, before he became a key figure in the fall of communism, and before he was chosen as...
People Join People: Finding the Right Fit for Your Vocation
After meeting with all the freshmen in Knott Hall where I’m the rector, I asked why they came to Notre Dame. There were a range of responses, but...
The Arrow of Perfect Love: Saint Teresa of Ávila
“On the other is a man disengaged from all the senses, superior to all inclinations of degraded nature, one who lives amid flames but is not burned,...
Undercover Angels: Ministry at André House
For the past couple months I have been regularly ministering to the guests, volunteers, and staff of André House of Hospitality in addition to my...
Consecrated Temples: The Vows of a Holy Cross Religious
A little over a month ago, five Holy Cross religious professed their final vows, perpetually consecrating themselves to God through the vows of...
Stonehill College: A Holy Cross Mission Statement
This semester, Stonehill College, where I serve on the faculty, is rolling out a new First-Year Writing requirement. While we had previously...
Called to be a Saint: A Holy Cross Reflection on St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Once during lunch on a silent retreat, I thought of a character named “The Big Flower.” The Big Flower is like St. Thérèse “The Little Flower,” but...
Ora et Labora and the Washing of Feet
“When we serve Him faithfully, it is our work that rouses us to prayer. The abundance of His gifts, dismay over our ingratitude and the crying needs...
The Five Pillars of Formation: The Moreau Seminary Renovation
As someone who has walked the halls of the old Moreau Seminary and eagerly anticipates the transition to the new facility, I am thrilled to share...
Using Improv to Introduce Spirituality: Campus Ministry at King’s College
Of the many components of training for our Resident Assistants at King’s College, perhaps the most formative and impactful session was brought to...
Our Academic Apostolate: Scholarship, Teaching, Service
I write this post as six other Holy Cross priests and I conclude our second annual “Writing Camp.” Two of us are junior faculty at Holy Cross...
Ministry in the Ebb of Summer
“Some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” Matthew 13:8 In the ebb and flow of life as a campus minister,...
Education in the Halls: Moreau’s Vision Realized
As a men’s residence hall rector, I start over each August with a new staff and about 1/3 new residents. It’s a little like coaching a football...
Our Vows: Becoming More like Christ
Jesus speaks these words to Peter at the very end of the Gospel of John, after Peter tells Jesus three times that he loves him: “‘Amen, amen, I say...