Guillermo Caballero |
Dear parishioners,
It's been a while since my last note to you. Things are going well here in seminary. Classes are going well. My core courses this semester are “Paul in early Christianity,” “Liturgical Theology,” “Medieval Church History,” and “Sacramental Theology.” One of the classes I like the most is history. When writing this note I thought of history as “putting a puzzle together.” I also like Paul's class. It is our first approach to the New Testament from a theological level.
I am the coordinator of the Spanish choir. It is a hard but rewarding task. Here in the seminary we have Mass in Spanish every week. Something that I would like to remark is the fact that there are more seminarians in the choir who speak English as first language than people who speak Spanish as first language. We have very talented people in the group and this also makes it a challenge for me to keep it up.
I attended an adult retreat a few days ago and it was rewarding. It was a "branch" of a youth retreat called “Source and Summit” which takes place in Evansville, IN. I also met people involved in the Charismatic Renewal here in the area. It is an active community. I really enjoy this spirituality that God offers to all of us in His Church.
I am planning to go for Easter to the village. I might get to see you and talk to you. In case you would like to contact me, my email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please keep my fellow seminarians and I in your prayers.
May God bless you all.
In Christ,
Guillermo Caballero
April, 2011
Dear Parishioners:
It is a pleasure writing to you about my vocation and life in the seminary.
First, I would like to let you know that all seminaries work in a different way and have different schedules. I have a fixed schedule for every week.
Here at St. Meinrad seminary, our first communal event is Morning Prayer at 8 am; then class until 11:15 am. We celebrate Mass at 11:30 am followed with lunch. My classes are in the morning on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday is “Ministry Day.” All seminarians go to a specific place to minister the people of God. My ministry is to visit St. John the Baptist parish in Newburg, IN which is one hour from the seminary. I go there with two other seminarians. Our only assignment is to “observe”. That's it! We interview some members of the staff and ask them questions about their responsibilities and their lives. This is especially beneficial for me as I am from another country (Colombia). This experience allows me to see problems or possible problems and participate in solutions.
I have to take two (2) years of philosophy and four (4) of theology. This semester I am taking Latin II, Philosophy of Nature and Man, medieval philosophy and Christian Maturity. Last semester, I took Latin I, Creed on history and theology, Logical analysis and ancient philosophy. Philosophy has been a good challenge because it is not easy. I have learned a lot. I like it.
On Saturday, I have a chance to go to a town called, Jasper, where I can have a nice meal and/or watch a movie. Since it is 45 to 50 minutes away, I do not go there often. On Sunday, we have Morning Prayer, Mass, a “family-style” lunch, Evening Prayer and night prayer. Eucharistic Exposition is offered on Tuesday, Thursday from 4 pm to 5 pm and on Sunday, from 7 pm to 8 pm.
I thank God for my vocation and look forward, with God's assistance and your support, to becoming a Priest.
Please keep me and my fellow seminarians in your prayers.
May God bless you and your love ones.
Sincerely,
Jose Guillermo Caballero Andrade.