Day 3: Feet On Ground in Uganda

We were picked up at the airport by Fr. Jude graduated from the university earlier this month with a teaching degree. The bishop immediately assigned him to the duty of training boys who graduated from a high school seminary prep school and will be attending the seminary next fall for three years of philosophy classes. Bishop Hanefeldt can only wish to pay the $500 per semester fee that they charge in Uganda for a seminarian which includes room and board. The retreat center he is training these seminarians at will be our home for the next week and a half. It feels like a Marriot compared to our accommodations 6 years ago. Africa doesn’t have a problem with men discerning and answering their vocational call. One of the wise seminarians told me that it is probably because Americans wait too long to consider it and to begin training. I agree that the seeds of our faith need to be planted in our youth and continually cultivated to keep our youth from heading down the wrong path. (Strong Catholic Schools and parishes are the answer to our vocational shortage.) I’ll finish with a beautiful story from Fr Jude’s youth. When he was about the age of 10 he wanted to begin attending seminary prep school. He interviewed and was accepted after finishing year five. But when they told him that their school begins at year five and required him to repeat it his parents wouldn’t let him attend. He cried because he wanted to be a priest so bad. Thanks be to God he was persistent and applied the next year for a high school seminary prep school when he was old enough. Fr Jude is the type of priest we need In our world. He is saintly. Adores the Eucharistic Jesus, has a strong devotion to Mary, lives a dedicated prayer life and sacrifices himself for his flock.