Seminarian has chance of lifetime

By Linda Linonis

The student from Hermitage, Pa., attends St. Mark Seminary in Erie, Pa.

ERIE, Pa. — By the grace of God, Sean Kerins of Hermitage, Pa., experienced what he described as a “once-in-a-lifetime” event. He assisted Pope Benedict XVI during a Mass at 10 a.m. Jan. 1, New Year’s Day, in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy.

Kerins said he was part of a group led by Bishop Donald W. Trautman of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. The pilgrimage took place Dec. 29-Jan. 8.

Kerins. a graduate of Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, is a first-year seminarian at St. Mark Seminary and freshman history major at Gannon University. He is a son of Kathy and Bill Kerins of Hermitage.

Kerins said the pilgrimage involved 15 priests and 18 seminarians from the diocese. The group toured Vatican City, other churches and museums during their stay in Rome from Dec. 29-Jan. 2.

“The day before [Dec. 31] we had a practice of what we would do,” Kerins said. “We were given assignments at random and mine was holding the microphone.”

Though he did not have any conversation with Pope Benedict, just being that close to the head of the Catholic church was an experience and honor that Kerins said he would treasure.

“It was a prayful time,” Kerins said of the trip, which was taken in conjunction with the Year of Priests proclaimed by Pope Benedict. Though Kerins said he had been abroad previously, this trip was meaningful because of its spiritual aspect.

Pope Benedict announced the Year for Priests beginning with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 19, 2009. The year will conclude in Rome with an international gathering of priests with the Holy Father from June 9-11. The pope named St. John Vianney as the universal patron of priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of the Cur d’Ars, that is, priest of d’Ars, a village near Lyons in France.

From Jan. 3-8, the group spent time in France and went to d’Ars. Kerins said it was timely that the group visited this small town where St. John Vianney lived. On Oct. 3, 1874, Pius IX proclaimed Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney as venerable by Pius IX and on Jan. 8, 1905, he was enrolled among the blessed. Pope Pius X proposed him as a model to clergy. In 1925, Pope Pius XI canonized him. His feast is Aug. 4; he died on that date in 1859.

As for his own vocation, Kerins described it “as a call from God.”

“Over time, I felt I had been called,” he said.

When he told his parents and family, no one was surprised at his announcement.

Kerins acknowledged “there will be challenges” because the Catholic Church is experiencing a shortage of priests and most active priests have multiple assignments. “I’ll take it one day at a time,” Kerins said.

Kerins said he will be ordained in 2017 or 2018. Until then, he will study to be a priest, eventually earning a master’s degree in theology. When the time comes, the bishop will make his assignment. For now, Kerins said he is focusing on “being closer to Christ.”

And when he becomes a priest, he said he said he saw “helping people” as a priority.