by Rob Dogal
As I enter back into the seminary to start my second year of formation I am met with a bunch of familiar and unfamiliar faces. This is a sure sign that summer has come to an end and a new school year is upon us. As the first few days of orientation ends and classes begin, I can’t help but think back to all the new people I got to meet this summer.
As I enter back into the seminary to start my second year of formation I am met with a bunch of familiar and unfamiliar faces. This is a sure sign that summer has come to an end and a new school year is upon us. As the first few days of orientation ends and classes begin, I can’t help but think back to all the new people I got to meet this summer.
During the summer, I
had the opportunity to go with several groups from our diocese on two separate service
trips to West Virginia where we worked with Habitat for Humanity.
The Almost Heaven
Habitat for Humanity website sums up our experience in the simple phrase,
“Building houses, building hope.” Not
only did we help to build houses for people, but we also came together as a
diocese and a school. All of us, working together, formed a family that will last
long past the weeks we were there.
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| Habitat for Humanity volunteers from various Diocese of Scranton parishes |
It was a privilege for me to be asked to chaperone these trips; I have learned through both of these trips that our Church is truly alive and headed in the right direction! I know this because the teenagers volunteered a week of their summer to travel to West Virginia to help people they never met.
Three different parish
youth groups from around the diocese teamed together in West Virginia, living
and working together for a week. Initially, the teenagers who came on this trip
knew few people - some even came not knowing anybody at all. They went to an
area in West Virginia where cell phone service was limited-to-nonexistent. Yet,
instead of dwelling on the fact they had no phones, the teens started to talk
and play games outside as a group.
The three groups really
blended together quickly. Between living in the same bunks, working at various sites
throughout the week, and eating together at dinner, we all got to see and learn
from individuals who were once strangers to us. We bonded with those who were
from different and unfamiliar parts of the diocese. By the end of the week, we
had made friends from all over the diocese and nobody wanted to leave!
Luckily for myself, I
got to go back three weeks later with a group of students from Holy Cross High
School in Dunmore. Similar to the other group, these teenagers had a desire to
serve others and an obvious passion to learn more about building homes. The
group was also interested in learning more about the families who would soon live
in these homes as well.
We heard many stories
from the families whose homes we were building. We listened to some of their difficulties
and trials, as well as how grateful they were for our help. The students on
this service trip grew in their gratitude, being thankful for everything they
have back at their own homes.
The compassion, love,
and dedication that each person had for the entire week was commendable. They
came together as classmates for a week and left as a closer Holy Cross Family.
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| Seminarian Rob in West Virginia with students from Holy Cross HS |
It is often challenging to put these
trips and experiences into words without doing them proper justice. In the end, I am much better prepared to begin
this academic year at the seminary. I will begin with the high energy and support
I received from the many new faces and friends that I met this summer. After
meeting all these new people, I am encouraged not only to continue my studies
for the priesthood, but also in knowing that the future of the Church is bright!
So as all of us from these trips go our separate ways and prepare for the upcoming school year, let us never forget the great times we had in West Virginia on Habitat for Humanity. And for those who have never gone on this trip, I recommend being open to the possibility of going sometime in the future!
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Rob Dogal is beginning his Second Year of Pre-Theology Studies at Cathedral Seminary House of Formation in Douglaston, NY. Rob was able to participate in multiple service trips to West Virginia during his summer parish assignment at St. John Bosco Parish in Conyngham, PA. Along with serving as Director of Communications for Cathedral Seminary, Rob also participates in various intramural sports offered at the seminary. Learn more about Rob here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkzL1UM5Lqk&noredirect=1