Written by Scott Hastings

On the afternoon of Sunday, 25 February, Kenrick-Glennon once again held its spring open house. This year, open house fell on the same weekend as the annual forty hours Eucharistic devotion, which offered visitors an opportunity to stop in for a brief visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the middle of their tour. Though the weather was foreboding, a good number of guests came through the seminary to get a glimpse of what life is like within the privacy of the house. Students and faculty created displays in the refectory to accompany refreshments and any questions the guests had about all aspects of seminary life and formation. While many guests made their first visit to the seminary on the 25th, many guests who have a habit of praying for individual seminarians by name came to see how “their men” were fairing this year at Kenrick-Glennon.

The open house concluded by opening up the house to the priests of the Archdiocese. After the general open house, priests and seminarians came together to pray solemn vespers, presided over by Archbishop Burke. During his homily, the Archbishop explained the essential connection between the spirituality of the seminarian and priest and the Blessed Sacrament. The evening concluded with dinner in the refectory.

Most days, Kenrick-Glennon does not have too many visitors. The seminary is generally quiet and rhythmical, keeping the same schedule week after week. On days such as open house, it is refreshing for those who live at the seminary to see excited and curious guests, eager to see how we live and share our hospitality.

Scott Hastings is a Third-Year Theology Seminarian from Omaha, Nebraska.