Day in the Life of a Seminarian
At JPII Newman, it is a joy to see young men in our community discern their Vocational calling to the priesthood. But what does their day to day look like when they leave Newman? We caught up with JPII Newman Alumni and current seminarian for the Archdiocese of Omaha, Michael Figura to learn more.
“Hey JPII Newman!
This is Michael Figura, Newman alum and seminarian for the Archdiocese of Omaha. Today I want to give you guys a snapshot of a day in the life of a seminarian!
I usually start the day around 5:30am to give myself a bit of time to wake up and get ready before our communal holy hour at 6:30am. We start the hour with exposition and morning prayer followed by about 45 minutes of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Though the early mornings can definitely be tough at times, it’s such a grace to start each day with the Lord!
After Holy hour it’s time for a quick breakfast before class. At St. John Vianney Seminary, our intellectual formation looks a bit like the academic life of a regular college student. We study on campus at the University of St. Thomas and take a variety of classes as part of the university’s liberal arts program. The focus of our study, however, is philosophy. We are blessed on our campus to be surrounded by an incredible faculty well-versed in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and of the wider western philosophical tradition. Some topics we explore include the nature of the human person, finding a basis for morality, giving an account of what knowledge is, proofs for the existence of God, etc. It’s honestly so interesting to see how thinkers from over a thousand years ago wrestled with the same questions that many people have today and to consider whether their answers hold true for us.
Beyond philosophy, we have the opportunity to study other things at the university and many seminarians opt to take classes in the department of Catholic Studies. Within Catholic Studies we can study the Catechism, Church history, teachings of the Saints, etc. I am currently enrolled in a class on Dante’s Divine Comedy which is super interesting!
I eat lunch on campus around 12:30 and then after I’m done with my last class the afternoon is free. I usually get some homework done and some afternoons I go on a run or spend some time just hanging out with other seminarians. In the warmer months my brother seminarians might convince me to play some ultimate frisbee, volleyball, or even wiffleball!
Our community comes back together at 5:00pm for evening prayer followed by mass. After mass, we grab dinner in smaller groups with one night each week reserved for a larger dinner in which the entire community is present.
After dinner, we have some focused quiet time reserved for studying. After study hours, silence is lifted, and the rest of the evening is free! During this time, I might play a board game, watch a show with some seminarians, do some reading, or continue working on things for class. At 9:30pm we begin silence for the night to give everyone plenty of time to get a full-night’s sleep!
That’s pretty much an average day in the life of a college seminarian!”