Mind, Spirit, and Body

"Extraordinary" donation of exercise equipment will encourage healthy conditioning in seminarians.

In his pastoral exhortation I Will Give You Shepherds, St. John Paul II says the formation of future priests should be holisticencompassing the whole person. He presents as the four pillars of formation the careful development of a seminarian's spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, and human qualities.

Part of human formation is caring for the body. Taking inspiration from the Holy Father, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops recommends in its document Program for Priestly Formation that [s]ufficent time for physical exercise and for leisure be built into the schedule of seminarians, and that a holistic approach to physical and psychological well-being . . . will enhance the spirituality of priests.

A balanced approach to seminarian development is one of the guiding principles of the Sacred Heart formation programand that includes balancing the intellectual and spiritual life with a focus on physical well-being. In fact, encouraging seminarians to be physically active has long been a part of Sacred Heart's formational philosophy. Archival photos from the 1920s and 1930s show the seminary already had football and basketball teams that competed with local schools. Other photos from this era show seminarians doing jumping jack calisthenics in the athletic field and playing lively games of intramural baseball.

The seminary has made two provisions recently that continue the tradition of encouraging physical conditioning among its resident seminarians. These are the construction last year of a quarter-mile running track that is getting much use by the seminarian community (see Running with the Angels and Fun, Fraternity, and Frosted Donuts), and the upgrading of the seminary's exercise equipment through the outstanding generosity of donors.

Sacred Heart's four exercise rooms were already reasonably well-furnished and thoroughly utilized by seminarians and resident priests alike. Racquetball courts, free weights, weight machines, aerobic equipment, and punching bags provide plenty of exercise opportunities for the men. Yet, some of the equipment was beginning to show its age.

Recently, though, a benefactor who asked to remain anonymous has donated exercise equipment to the seminary. It is all top-flight, state-of-the-art equipment, with an estimated fair market value of nearly $230,000.

The new equipment has just been installed and the outdated equipment replaced in all four rooms. The donor's gifting includes the delivery and installation of the equipment, toowhich increases the fair market value of his donation to over $237,000.

The priests and seminarians of Sacred Heart are overwhelmed by the extraordinary generosity of this gift, says Dean of Studies Fr. Timothy Laboe, who enjoys lifting weights and utilizing the aerobic equipment to keep in good physical shape. The exercise equipment is extensive, of the highest quality, and should satisfy the fitness needs at the seminary for years to come.

Of course, the goal for a priest-graduate of the seminary is not to look like Charles Atlas or Hulk Hogan when he leaves the seminary and begins his tenure in your parish. He will, however, know that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a sure way to improve his spirituality while also modeling an image of healthy conditioning to his parishioners.

Do you have ideas for donating in-kind property to the seminary? (In-kind meaning property other than cash, such as stocks, mutual funds, insurance policies, real estate [on a case-by-case basis] and the like.) Please contact Edmundo Reyes, director of institutional advancement, 313-596-7421, reyes.edmundo@aod.org, to learn more.