SEMINARIANS PLAN “FESTIVAL OF PRAISE” AT SAINT PAUL SEMINARY

PITTSBURGH — Four seminarians are planning a “Festival of Praise” for Monday June 29 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Saint Paul Seminary, 2900 Noblestown Road, in Pittsburgh’s Oakwood neighborhood, near Crafton/Green Tree. The quartet of seminarians includes Levi Hartle, Mike Ackerman, Carl Stuvek and Eric Campbell.

“We’re inviting high school, college and other young adults—teens, 20s, 30s,” Hartle said, “as well as priests of the diocese. It will be different from other vocations events like the ‘Evening with the Bishop’ because we will have not only presentations, food and fellowship. We will also have Confessions, Eucharistic Adoration, and contemporary music to accompany praise and worship. We’re hoping to get a large gathering of young people and get them excited about their faith.”

The celebration is also different from other events because the seminarians themselves are the main sponsors and planners of the evening. These particular seminarians also have been involved in contemporary music programs in their own parishes for a number of years, as well as attending similar festivals at Franciscan University in Steubenville and at Saint Vincent in Latrobe. Those experiences fostered their desire to sponsor a festival at the seminary.

Ackerman observed that the Year of Saint Paul with Eucharistic Adoration in all the parishes of the diocese had been very successful, so this seemed to be a good way to build on that. “A Festival of Praise is an opportunity to give glory to God in a variety of ways. The Festival itself will contain contemporary music and song, an opportunity for silent meditation and prayer, a litany for vocations, and a reflection from Bishop Zubik. The event is really meant to energize all who attend, but especially the youth of the diocese. We want them to take what they have received, the message of hope and the excitement, back to their parishes. Our hope is to foster vocations to the priesthood and to religious life and give the youth an opportunity to see how God calls all kinds of people to serve Him,” he added.

“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for awhile, and Bishop Zubik has been pretty interested in it,” Stuvek said. “A few of us who have backgrounds as musicians have been exposed to praise and worship before. It has been extremely impactful in my spiritual life, and it’s something I’d like to share with everyone. In this particular event, the focus is going to be on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, especially through song.”

“I think the biggest benefit of the festival is allowing the youth of the diocese to see and be with the leadership of the church,” Hartle added. In addition to the teens, young adults and priests that have been invited, the seminarians also have asked directors from all the religious orders to attend. “It will be mutually edifying, a great way to bring the diocese together.”