Seminarians strengthen bonds in ‘cloister’ during pandemic

On March 20, as Minnesota residents prepared to follow Gov. Tim Walz’s stay-at-home order to curb the spread of COVID-19, men studying for the priesthood at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul embarked on an opportunity: instead of returning home, they began a “cloister” at the seminary.

While many major seminaries in other parts of the country chose to send their seminarians home, Father Joseph Taphorn, seminary rector and vice president, met with his leadership team and decided to keep the facility open to its graduate-level seminarians. It would operate in a cloistered environment, with little direct contact with the outside world.

The decision took effect the weekend before spring break.

“It made the most sense to me because this is home,” Father Taphorn said. The vast majority of the seminarians live at the seminary, where they also worship and take classes.

“We might as well do it together (rather) than scatter to the four winds,” he said. “Let’s continue the work we were doing.”

Seminary leadership gave the men and their bishops a choice to stay or go home. “Rather than say ‘everybody has to do this,’ we phrased it like an invitation: If you would like to … ride out the storm together, this is what it will look like. And we’d love to have you stay together and be part of it,” Father Taphorn said.

One diocese asked its three seminarians to return home, and another seminarian from a second diocese also left. Four Pro Ecclesia Sancta brothers and deacons, as well as one other seminarian, already lived off-site.

The other 59 seminarians decided to stay. Twelve priests are also living at the seminary, including spiritual and formation directors and Father Taphorn.

There have been challenges under the unique circumstances, but it also has born great fruit and offered opportunities for growth, several seminarians said.

At first it seemed daunting to live so close with others, with no chance to break away by going to a restaurant or a movie, said Jason Lee of St. Boniface in Waukee, Iowa.

“But that also allows friendships to become closer,” Lee said. “A lot of guys play board games or go for walks together or bike rides, so it’s a great opportunity for fraternity and solidarity.”

Being able to take long bike rides has been “heaven,” Lee said.

The special fraternity developing among the seminarians will impact their future ministries, said Kyle Etzel of St. Hubert in Chanhassen. “Once we’re ordained and have the kinds of bonds that we’re developing in this sort of pressure cooker situation, I think it’s going to pay off. Fraternity within a seminary is something every seminarian hopes for and every rector is trying to accomplish.”

The faithful will benefit, too, Etzel said, when their priests know each other well and can have a good, holy, healthy fraternity. “I think that’s the single biggest thing that’s going to come out of this.”

Another fruit of the cloistered environment was a March 25 online video prepared for Pope Francis. Seven seminarians gathered in the chapel to sing and record “Ave Maria,” honoring the solemnity of the Annunciation. The video includes a message from transitional Deacon Tim Tran to the Holy Father dedicating their prayer to Pope Francis and his ministry, and to people around the world suffering, especially from the coronavirus pandemic, and unable to receive the sacraments at this time.

The cloister experience also has confronted the seminarians with an opportunity to take a hard look at their interior lives, said seminarian John Rumpza of Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul, referring to what C.S. Lewis called “a severe mercy.”

“It’s given me the opportunity to spend time with the Lord and show him those places … and actually bring healing, joy and peace,” he said. It’s difficult but powerful work, Rumpza said, and it has profoundly changed him.

Rumpza said it wasn’t difficult for him to decide to stay in cloister. “What will best serve my mission of being formed into a spiritual father and leader?” he asked. “To remain here in an environment of prayer, study and brotherhood? Or risk going somewhere else, where much would be uncertain?”

He values the support of his fellow seminarians, and formation and spiritual directors. “And we are immensely blessed to have the chapel in house,” he said.

The decision also did not require a lot of thought for Etzel, knowing he’d have access to the sacraments and be in the house with “brother seminarians.” Etzel said he called his mother and assured her of his love for her and the rest of the family, but he felt called to remain with Jesus and the Eucharist.

The fraternity and “being around 70 of my closest friends,” makes this easier, Etzel said, and technology keeps him connected with family.

Lee said he felt a bit anxious about being cloistered, but that ultimately, the decision wasn’t his. It was up to his bishop and the vocations director.

“They were asking us to stay … and if we had a good reason to come back home, I could take it up with them. So that took away the anxiety and a lot of the stress,” he said.

It also was a chance to practice obedience, he said.

The seminarians had high praise for Father Taphorn. “It’s been inspiring to watch him lead us,” Rumpza said, “with his characteristic sense of ease and openness, yet also with great strength and vision. He truly is the house father, and we are so grateful.”

Today, seminarians can access the chapel, a kitchen area and community room while practicing social distancing. They can leave the building for exercise, but no one from outside can come into the “cloister,” which draws on the idea of a monastery community whose members rarely, if ever, leave.

Classes are livestreamed or pre-recorded. “That’s been great,” Rumpza said. “When I didn’t quite catch something, I can simply rewind.” Online classes pose challenges, he said, but he is grateful to be able to continue his studies.

Class times vary, but the in-common schedule includes eucharistic adoration at 6:30 a.m., morning prayer at 7:15 a.m. followed by breakfast, Mass at 11:45 a.m. followed by lunch, an optional rosary at 4:30 p.m. and evening prayer at 5 p.m. followed by dinner.

A food service worker from the University of St. Thomas — where the seminarians normally eat their meals — wheels a large food cart just steps away from the university to the seminary three times a day, leaving it in the vestibule for someone to retrieve and disinfect. Wearing gloves, an assigned team lays out individual meals. Each seminarian takes a meal to a table where chairs are spaced widely apart, or to another room or the back patio.

They go to daily Mass in the seminary’s St. Mary’s Chapel, but tape is used to mark the distance seminarians need to sit apart. They receive the body of Christ at Mass and can go to confession behind a screen at a greater distance. Seminarians do not receive the precious blood, nor do they exchange the sign of peace.

Etzel said they do not take for granted the chance to attend Mass at a time public Masses are suspended, and to receive sacraments.

Being in cloister, Lee said, also provides more opportunities for prayer. “One thing this cloister has taught me is the importance of intercessory prayer for other people. We can’t go out and minister to people, but what we can do is bring all their prayers and petitions to the Lord at Mass.”

Each seminarian works with a “teaching parish” for four years. Assignments vary and usually involve on-site visits. Now they turn to virtual connections. Many seminarians give online lessons to members of their teaching parish, or teach classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Rumpza said.

Rumpza thought it would be difficult to connect in this format. “But I’ve been amazed to find that God is generous with his grace, making it every bit as fruitful — and in some cases, maybe even more so,” he said.

The seminarians know their life together like this won’t last forever. They are scheduled to leave for the summer May 23.

Etzel normally would be working in hospital ministry this summer, but because of coronavirus-related precautions at hospitals, plans have changed. Instead, he and other seminarians will be studying Spanish in online classes. Transitional deacons will be placed in parishes.

In cloister mode, Lee said, life is simplified. “Our schedule is simplified. Our food has become more simple. … We just have what we need. And that is good enough.”

In that simplicity, Lee said he sees how God provides for daily needs. “Everything comes from God. We’re not wanting. … It’s a very beautiful way to live.”