Taking a Drink from a Firehose

Once I arrived at John Paul II, I was consistently reassured with the same metaphor, orientation week is like drinking water from a firehose. This expression really was reassuring, for the past eight months I was unfailingly reminded that Saint John Paul II Seminary is an amazing place. I never doubted these plaudits, but I was growing restless hearing about seminary. I wanted to be there, to dive in head first to seminary life. So naturally, I was reassured when I was told that the information given during orientation was akin to a firehose. The firehose proved effective, after just a couple of days there was a certain ease and familiarity that all the first-year seminarians shared around the house. This was most evident in the third-floor lounge which quickly became the epicenter for the propaedeutic fraternity. 

However, orientation week was much more than an informational firehose. The week offered structured time for prayer and liturgies. The faculty gave homilies and talks on a variety of topics such as; a devotion to the Blessed Mother, a relationship with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and an introduction to prayer. In addition to frequent prayer and inspiring talks, the week was also an opportunity to meet returning men and fellow first-year seminarians. We enjoyed meals together, played basketball and ultimate frisbee, as well as time to hang out and talk. 

The week was perfectly summed up with a retreat. All the seminarians journeyed together to Loyola retreat house, overlooking the Potomac River. This gave all the seminarians time to rest before the academic year and to recall why we’re all here in the first place. The weekend retreat provided us the time to deepen our relationship with Christ, play spikeball, football, soccer, mafia, and eat copious amounts of freshly baked cookies.

In retrospect, I am grateful for the firehose that orientation week was. Orientation week allowed me to dive in, embrace my new home, and trust that this is where the Lord wants me to be. It is because of orientation week that I feel at home with my brothers, and have a newfound confidence to be a seminarian at John Paul II. 

Mr. Darnell is a propadeutic year seminarian for the Diocese of Arlington