Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Father Bill Baer, Rector of St John Vianney Seminary (and Friend); Internet UTube Star

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SJV Seminary: Become More of Who You Are!

Work Hard, Pray Hard, Play Hard!

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Hat Tip to Fr. Dwight Longenecker, American Papist and Abbey Roads. I was really late on this one!


A wonderful vocations video done by the men of the archdiocesan St John Vianney Seminary at the University of St Thomas. Thanks to Archbishop Harry Flynn, soon to retire next month, for getting things in order over there!

The video is wonderful. Part I (Added April 2) More views and comments from Seminarians

Part II (Added April 1)




Here's a better view of Father Baer whose agent wasn't very good at negotiating his screen appearances.



Make copies for your pastor, Vocations Director

or

for young men thinking of becoming a priest

and/or a father





8 comments:

Fr. Andrew said...

"Men for Christ, Men of the Church, Men for Others." That was his motto back in the day (F00-S02). I must say my Father Baer impression still kills.

Fr. Andrew said...

And did you notice them praying outside the Highland Abortion Mill?

Unknown said...

That's pretty dang fast commenting, Father. That post was only up for 30 minutes or so.

"Men for Christ, Men of the Church, Men for Others!" I love that emphasis. I first met Father Baer when the UofMN was putting on the "Pope and the Witch" play. He assured me that he would have eight of his seminarians there to assist with the protest. As I rounded the corner, what did I see but 60 or more SJV men, in formation, cassocked and surpliced, in a zero degree temperature, lustily singing great hymns and irritating the living bejesus out of the play attendees as they walked towards the theater.

I gathered on the edge of their group and soon found myself singing along, dredging up from memory the words to fine old hymns from my old St Gregory's Hymnal that I used between the first and eighth grades. Probably the second or third, actually.

Before I knew it I realized that I wasn't as "tone deaf" as I had thought and upon meeting the director of the St Raphael's (Crystal) choir, I found that he was forming a Gregorian Chant Schola and I was accepted. And I am still hanging in there. That is a real miracle.

We appear once a month at St Anthony of Padua parish in NE Mpls on the First Saturdays at their Marian Masses. We just practice a bit during the summer months.

We're about five in number and would love to double our size. New members eagerly accepted. Contact me.

I have breakfast once a month or so, also on Saturdays, with Father Baer and some other men where we just talk about "stuff." He's a lovely man!

Unknown said...

I'm going to have to look at that video again for the Highland Park PP demonstration. That's quite close to where I live land I was there for the annual Good Friday demonstration.

Fr. Andrew said...

About 3 min. in of hte 2nd video for HPark.

Fast commenting=procrastinating!

Cathy_of_Alex said...

Father Baer has the best agent there is: The Lord.

I pray this video leads to even more vocations.

Anonymous said...

Ray,
I was there with the SJV seminarians at that prayer protest, as I am friends with many of them and they said I could come along. It was a cold night, but well worth coming out there to gather together to prayerfully defend the Church.
Many of the men of SJV are good friends of mine, and if it weren't for three of them, I may never have stopped running from the Lord's call to the priesthood, although our Lord is calling them to the diocesan priesthood, and I have since discerned a call to be a priest of a religious order.
The men of SJV have taught me so much, and I will certainly seek to follow their example in my own vocation (at this point, as either a Jesuit or Holy Cross Father)
In Christ,
Michael

+ Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam +

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing that, Michael. And may God Bless You and your vocation!