St. Andrew Dinner helps young men learn about the priesthood
Young men from across the archdiocese listen on Dec. 28 to Father Michael Keucher, archdiocesan vocations director, speak about priestly vocations during the archdiocesan vocations office’s annual St. Andrew Dinner at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)
By Sean Gallagher
“There’s great power in the ‘yes’ of a young person.”
Those were the words of Father Michael Keucher, archdiocesan vocations director, in a homily during a Mass on Dec. 28 at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis.
Among his listeners that day were some 40 teenage boys and other young men in college from across central and southern Indiana taking part in the annual St. Andrew Dinner of the archdiocesan vocations office.
It is named after the Apostle Andrew, who is known for bringing his brother St. Peter to know Christ. For this event, priests and seminarians across the archdiocese invited young men they thought might have a priestly vocation.
“You are all here because an Andrew in your life—one of these priests or a seminarian—sees something in you and says, ‘He would make a really good priest,’ ” said Father Keucher in his homily. “Maybe your face is to be among our future priests.”
Marin Bonhomme, a home-schooled eighth grader who is a member of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Indianapolis, attended the event with his brother Reece, who is a junior at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis.
Both boys are altar servers and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion at St. Joan of Arc. Their pastor, Father Thomas Schliessmann, invited them to the event.
“It made me realize that we were noticed and appreciated,” Marin said of the invitation. “It was nice to see that he actually noticed that we cared, that we try hard and maybe are interested in the priesthood.”
During a dinner that followed the Mass, several archdiocesan priests shared with the participants what they’re thankful for in their priestly vocation.
“Some of them really liked giving sacraments,” Reece recalled. “Others liked one-on-one [interactions] with their parishioners, especially giving reconciliation. There were a lot of different reasons that the priests gave for why they do it.”
Chad Bonhomme, Marin and Reece’s father, was grateful that Father Schliessmann invited his sons. He recalled how, when he grew up in Vincennes, Ind., his faith became important to him through being an altar server at the invitation of his parish priest.
“I fell in love with it. I did weddings and funerals,” Chad said. “I even served some when I was home from college.
“I had a great relationship with my parish priest growing up. So, for Father Tom to take interest in the boys and invite them to this dinner in that special place means a lot to my wife and me.”
Ethan Kawaguchi, a member of St. Louis Parish in Batesville and a student at Marian University in Indianapolis, also attended the liturgy and St. Andrew Dinner.
A participant in other archdiocesan vocations events, Kawaguchi was 12 when his father died. He said coming to know Father Keucher and Father Joseph Moriarty, rector of Bishop Bruté, has been a blessing in his life.
“These two priests feel like they’re family to me and have only treated me like family,” Kawaguchi said. “To know a couple priests personally and have even more supporting us is very life-giving.”
He was glad to see so many other young men at the dinner.
“It is the duty of every Catholic man to consider priesthood,” said Kawaguchi. “It is the definition of a selfless act as you die to yourself just as a man dies to himself for his wife.”
Zachary Branham, a member of St. John the Apostle Parish in Bloomington and a student at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., also appreciated the event.
“It is always a good thing to see that many of my peers are also seeking a deeper relationship with Christ,” said Branham. “It is great that the priests and seminarians participate and support events like these. It really makes the priesthood appear more approachable.”
Like Marin and Reece, Justyn Anciso appreciated having his pastor, Father Todd Goodson of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood, invite him to the Mass and dinner.
“It was cool and an honor to be invited,” said Justyn, a senior at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. “It helped me see what others see God is doing in me.”
In comments made to The Criterion after the event, Father Keucher spoke about how much he enjoys seeing young men visit a seminary.
“Some look scared,” he said. “Some look excited. But I see on all their faces the image of men following an invitation from God to come and see.
“Coming to the seminary building, praying with and talking with priests, seminarians and other young men discerning makes a huge difference.”
Father Keucher began the St. Andrew Dinner in 2021 and has seen its attendance grow. Among the 39 who took part last month, 10 were college students, with the rest being teenagers in high school or middle school. The participants came from 12 archdiocesan parishes.
“I loved seeing the joy and love and fire in these young men,” said Father Keucher. “I can see why their pastors invited them. They love God and his Church.”
In the parting words of his homily, Father Keucher invited the young men at the St. Andrew Dinner to consider a priestly call in their lives.
“St. John Vianney said that every holy priest goes to heaven with thousands of souls behind him,” Father Keucher said. “At this Mass, I want you all to pray if maybe your face, maybe your heart was created for the priesthood.”
(For more information on a vocation to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, visit HearGodsCall.com.) †
