Quo Vadis Days provides guidance, support

Father Jerome Krug took a place among a massive circle of men, some priests, some seminarians and some deacons, but mostly – discerners.

Fifty-four discerners.

When the archdiocese held its Quo Vadis Days, a four-day retreat for men considering the priesthood on the site of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Camp, 54 men ranging in age from 15 to 27 arrived for a quest of discovery on how the Lord was perhaps calling them into service.

“Fifty-four, that is powerful,” said Father Krug, who along with Fathers John Paul Lewis and James Wickersham, led the retreat, which produced the most discerners in the program’s history.

Quo Vadis Days serve as a first point of contact for men who are generally deep in early discernment. Over four days, those discerning young men are treated to a series of talks on the different aspects of the priesthood and what that looks like. The talks, the backbone of the retreat, are followed by small-group discussions, before the seminarians lead workshops on prayer and how to deepen prayer.

The days also involve Mass, liturgy of the hours and two hours of silence each day. And there’s also time for fun, with the men engaging in sports and outdoor activities.

“What I love about it,” Father Krug said, “is you see a real Christian community developed during that time. What’s interesting is you have these teenage boys, who are not known for their maturity, acting like Christian men and gentlemen.”

The priests, deacons and seminarians are there for support, to answer questions and dive deeper into the discernment process if needed.

For seminarian Dominick Denney, now in his second year of formation at Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, Quo Vadis Days played a key role in his decision to move forward toward a life in the priesthood.

“I was given a deeper sense of where I find a place to truly be home, which is ultimately with Jesus and his people,” Denney said. “I grew up in an Air Force family, so we moved every two to four years to a new assignment. I realized early on that I did not have solid roots in one place, and that was something my young heart ardently desired.”

After his father retired from the Air Force, the family moved to Enid and made Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church their home parish. At the encouragement of Father Joseph Irwin, Denney attended Quo Vadis Days twice as a high school student. Shortly after the second retreat, he applied for seminary and was accepted.
Now Denney is helping others discern.

“Looking back at on the times I went to Quo Vadis as a retreatant, I received a considerable amount of guidance from the seminarians,” he said. “And that is something I love to give back to the other young men, who are asking the same question I was asking: ‘Jesus, are you calling me to be your priest?’”

Gathering in the circle presents an important final opportunity before dismissing from the retreat. Once arranged, everyone shares what was most impactful for them.

Father Krug didn’t share his private thoughts, but the number – 54 men – certainly resonated and prompted hope for the future.

“Being competitive,” he said, “if we can find 54 young men, then we can find 100.”

John Helsley is editor of the Sooner Catholic.