Theology II Complete, Summer Assignment Begun!

 Theology II Complete, Summer Assignment Begun!
June 21, 2023

As my last update was shortly after Christmas, I will try to summarize the events of the previous six months as best as possible. 

During the Spring Semester of Theology II, I learned many things and continued to grow in deeper appreciation of the love God has for me, as well as an increased knowledge that God is the constant in my life, through all things. 

While the past semester offered it's own unique challenges, overall it was a very good semester that ended on some high notes. Perhaps one of the most difficult things of this semester was the departure of two of my good friends from Seminary formation. They are both doing great and their discernment was beautiful. It was a great pleasure to walk with them as they transitioned into their next phase of life. One of the most wonderful things about seminary formation is getting to see the great way God works in each one of our lives. He truly knows what is best for us and calls us to the right place and time. 

At Kenrick, when a man enters his fourth semester of theological studies, he is able to submit a proposal to write a Master's Thesis. In order to do this, my GPA had to go up slightly, so as we neared the end of the semester, the old anxieties about academics began to creep back in. As usually, God showed me that my anxiety was for nothing. Tests went well, my GPA went up, and I was able to submit a proposal to write the Thesis. My topic was approved and over this coming year, I will be researching and writing a Master's Thesis about Pope Francis' Encyclical Laudato Si and it's impact on modern agriculture. 

As some of you may know, I am living in Sioux City this summer at the Cathedral of the Epiphany. During the past three weeks, and in the coming five weeks, I am learning Spanish. This consists of five hours of class every day - three hours in person with a teacher, and two hours every afternoon online with a teacher in Mexico. While the number of Spanish speakers in our Diocese grows, it is becoming ever more important for our seminarians and our priests to know Spanish. This was not my first choice in a summer assignment, but I know that in the long run it will be beneficial. The classes are going well, but learning new languages has always been a great challenge for me. But I have great teachers and the parishioners at the Cathedral are very forgiving.

Please know of my prayers for all of you. As always, thank you all for the prayers and support over this past year. 

Peace and All Good,

Jake