Two diocesan seminarians spent 10 weeks of their summer break at the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF) at Creighton University, a Jesuit Catholic University in Omaha, Neb. Steve Thompson and Joel Robert Heine, both who are about to enter their second year of theology at Mundelein Seminary, were in intensive spiritual formation from May 29 through Aug. 4.

{mosimage}While at the institute, Thompson and Heine were among about 140 seminarians from all around the country who attended an eight-day silent retreat and classes on Christian Prayer and Virtue, Christian Spirituality and Sexuality, Spirituality of the Diocesan Priesthood, and Mystery of the Liturgy. "On Sundays we went out to visit parishes in Omaha," Thompson said.

In addition to completing courses, participants were also required to take part in different apostolic ministries in the area. For example, Thompson spent two hours a day, two days a week making Communion calls at Nebraska Medical Center. Meanwhile, Heine was assigned to work with troubled children who live at a large group home in Council Bluffs, Neb. "Going there was a challenge at first, but I found it to be a very good experience," Heine said.

{mosimage}"This year's attendance was the highest ever since the institute was opened, which I believe was about 10 years ago," Thompson said. "There were about 20 seminarians from Mundelein there this summer." Men who attend IPF have either completed a year of pre-theology or their first year of theology.

IPF is inspired by the biblical-evangelical spirituality of Ignatius Loyola, and the classes are mostly taught by diocesan priests who hail from dioceses across the United States, Thompson explained. "They take time off from their parishes to come to teach," he said. "A number of them have been doing this as long as IPF has been running."

Heine said over all he found his summer to be a very faith-filled time. "At IPF I was able to get in touch with the spiritual side of what the priesthood should be," he said. "I think it will help make me a better priest in the long run."

Thompson said he also appreciated how he too was able to grow spiritually this summer. "This was all very beneficial to me. What they stress in the seminary is more academic, but there everything is incorporated with spirituality," he concluded. "You know, I always had a sense that I was in the right place, but in Omaha it (IPF) really strengthened the call for me."