WASHINGTON – There is no distance, perhaps, that could prevent seminarians, men preparing to be ordained a priest one day, from traveling to defend the right to life.
“We’ll take off time, travel as far as we need to,” said Mark Jewett, a seminarian for the Diocese of Columbus. “It’s really important.”
Several seminarians from the Diocese of Columbus traveled to the nation’s capital last week to demonstrate their support at this year’s March for Life.
Jewett, who is in the propaedeutic, or first, stage of seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum, said he cares about marching for the individuals who cannot fight or speak for themselves. The right to life had an impact on Jewett and his vocation to the priesthood.
“It’s always been a very important part of me, and it’s brought me closer to my faith actually,” he said. “I went on the March for Life in high school, and I think it was a very powerful moment.”
Jewett encouraged others to pray for mothers and their babies.
“It’s really, really powerful to see so many witnesses to pro-life, to see all these young people here, and it’s very inspiring,” Jewett said. “It certainly helps to keep us going.”
Kevin Girardi, who is in his third year of theology at the Josephinum and will be ordained to the diaconate in March, also recognized the importance of young men, especially seminarians, showing their support for life.
“We want to be a witness to the fact that young men stand up and defend life,” he said. “Young men of every single age, every single culture defend life, and seminarians are at the forefront of that as future priests.”
Girardi said there must be a culture in which everyone loves life and recognizes the value of it. At the March for Life, he said, that is what seminarians are there for.
“Life is a gift and we want to give that gift of life to as many people as possible, so we’re here to help build that culture of life,” he said.
However, seminarians could not travel to places such as Washington and demonstrate support for life without the support of the faithful Catholics to make trips such as the March possible.
An opportunity to provide prayerful and financial assistance through the diocese’s “A Good and Growing Need” campaign to raise money for seminary formation, which costs $55,000 per year for each seminarian, is now available at https://www.columbuscatholicgiving.org/seminarian-support-fund. There will be a special collection at all parishes on the weekend of Feb. 24-25 and several seminarians will be speaking at parishes.
With increased interest in the priesthood – 16 men entered seminary in the past year – the diocese is calling on the laity to help support this “good and growing need” to meet immediate budgetary challenges.
Recalling Jesus Christ’s words in the Gospel of John, Girardi noted that life is from God.
“As someone that’s studying to be a priest, part of our vocation is to help people discover the beauty of life, to help people discover that God has given them life – John 10:10: ‘I’ve come that they might have life and have it to the full.’
“So, as a priest, that’s part of what we do is helping people to discover that great gift of life.”
Nick Love, who is in his first year of undergraduate pre-theology at the Josephinum, attended the March for Life for the first time this year. He wanted to join the many others who came to Washington.
“Our generation, I feel, is becoming more pro-life,” he said. “It’s very exciting to see thousands of people – young people – coming here to support this. So, I wanted to be a part of that for the first time.”
Love said it was great to witness the vibrance and excitement of everyone gathered for the March. He enjoyed being surrounded by many people praying and demonstrating their faith.
Love also felt it his “obligation,” he said, as a seminarian, to demonstrate his belief in the right to life and share that conviction with others.
“The right to life is more than abortion,” he said. “It’s contraceptives – all those things that people may not think about. Those prohibit life. So, I think that’s important to help show people that.”