A window into Old College
To the outside observer, the tiny house on the shore of St. Mary’s Lake might seem mysterious at first glance. But for the eight young men who are discerning religious life with the Congregation of Holy Cross, “Old College” is a place of incomparable formation and camaraderie as they prepare to dedicate their lives to God’s call. The Rover sat down with three seminarians currently undergoing formation to learn more about their life and community.
A typical morning begins at 6:45 a.m. with morning prayer and adoration, all before classes. Since Old Collegians are still college students, they are given time throughout the day to study, spend time with friends, and participate in extracurricular activities. Yet, at the end of each day, the Old Collegians pray Vespers—beginning and ending each day in prayer.
Sophomore Jonathan Rink told the Rover about spiritual opportunities outside of communal and individual prayer, saying that Old Collegians have weekly “formation conferences … which are a time to learn about spirituality, Holy Cross, what it means to be a priest or a brother.” Additionally, he explained that seminarians have spiritual direction with a personal chaplain once a month, both to discuss spiritual and discernment progress, and to learn from a mentor who knows what it’s like to follow God’s call to religious life.
When asked about what drew him to Old College, Rink shared the story of his “informal visit,” an opportunity for young men considering seminary to spend a weekend in Old College and experience the prayer schedule and lifestyle of the community.
Rink told the Rover, “Right away, I just got a sense that the guys had such a strong brotherhood, and they incorporated me into it. I remember sitting downstairs on the couch just watching golf. The guys are just chatting, telling jokes, and incorporating me into the conversation.” He continued, “It just felt like a very good group of guys all pursuing holiness, who wake up at six in the morning to go pray, but then go play football after school and go on random adventures. They also all knew my name and wanted to get to know me and make me feel at home while I was there. That’s when I just had an overall feeling that I could definitely do this, I can see myself living this way.”
Rink emphasized that joining Old College is not agreeing “to be ordained a priest tomorrow,” but rather an opportunity to listen to God’s call. He said, “Sometimes, people assume that guys in the seminary only want to be priests, but every guy who lives in Old College will tell you that being a father would be amazing. We need wonderful Catholic fathers, but we also need strong priests and religious. It never hurts to pray about it and genuinely be open, because God wants the best for us. If you have a desire or call, follow.”
Sophomore William Buyske echoed a similar sentiment, describing his discernment with Old College as “listening to the Lord and realizing that He’s asking us to take a step, and we take this step to a place where we can live in community.”
He continued, “We get an introductory experience to religious life, but we’re given the opportunity to grow as men and as brothers in such a way that’s not only going to benefit us as religious, but benefit us as husbands or fathers down the road, if that’s what the Lord has in store for us.” Buyske added, “It’s formation as a person, for Christian adulthood in general. I love that I have the privilege of growing alongside the men in the community as we listen for what the Lord is calling us to do.”
Far from being an overly strict environment, laughter seems to fill the lives of Old Collegians, who know not to take themselves too seriously. Buyske told the Rover about the seminarians’ recent paintball outing, saying, “We showed up, and it’s a bunch of 12- and 13-year-olds. These kids are geared up, and we’re just in hoodies and jeans. We get out there and just immediately start getting smoked by these middle schoolers. And there’s a point where we looked around, and everybody’s just painted, white and pink and all these different colors, and just started laughing at each other. It was a moment of communal humility; it’s a moment we still talk about to remind ourselves that we might be able to have great philosophical conversations, but we did, one time, get smoked in paintball by 12-year-olds.”
The eight young men living in Old College represent a wide array of interests and talents. While each seminarian must complete a philosophy major as a part of the Congregation’s requirements, Junior Nicholas Tarini told the Rover that Old Collegians are free to add other majors, pursuing interests like theology, psychology, neuroscience, biochemistry, finance, or even music.
Though its members’ ambitions may be expansive, Old College is also known for its small cohort and close quarters, conditions which would seem to pose a constraint on the community. When asked about Old College’s physical and communal size, Tarini expressed the positive benefits of the living arrangement, saying, “Having a small space forces everyone to be together. When you step outside of your room, the whole house is right there. … That provides a lot of good opportunities for conversations, messing around, and just kind of getting everyone together.”
He continued, “Having eight of us is also helpful. It’s a big enough group that we know everyone well without [room] for smaller subgroups within the larger group. We’re able to know each other on a very deep level.”
To the many men in formation, then, Old College is not simply a place of rigid vocational compliance, but one of discernment and of listening. Composed of young men who strive every day to love God, it is a family built on prayer, scholarship and, perhaps most importantly, community.
As Tarini explained in a concluding comment, “We’re very different in a lot of ways, and just like I think most families are, that helps provide more of a reassurance that not everyone’s perfect. We all have our own unique traits and qualities that add up to a very unique group, and that, in itself, is very comforting to know.”
Young men interested in learning more about Old College can contact the Director of the Office of Vocations, Fr. Drew Clary, C.S.C., at dclary@holycrossusa.org.
Matthew Mrosla is a sophomore studying Philosophy, Theology, and the Program of Liberal Studies. When he’s not pondering the shared essence of a duck and a fish, you can find him floating somewhere between Thomism and Augustinianism. Contact him at mmrosla@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Old College Instagram
Subscribe to the Irish Rover here.
Donate to the Irish Rover here.
