Widowers who are seminarians meet regularly to support one another

Published: 2005-01-31

HALES CORNERS, Wis. (CNS) -- Every month, a group of widowers gets together for a social outing such as a baseball game or a trip out of town. They say the monthly gatherings help them remember their wives and to support each other in their new lives -- as seminarians preparing for the priesthood. Known informally as the Sacred Heart School of Theology's widowers' club, the group consists of 15 men from around the country who attend Sacred Heart's national seminary. The Hales Corners seminary, operated by the Priests of the Sacred Heart, specializes in second-career vocations. Unlike their traditional counterparts who go from college to the seminary, these men, ranging in age from 50 to 71, have raised families and spent most of their lives employed in various professions. These seminarians say they wouldn't be preparing for ordination if it were not for the women who nurtured and loved them for so many years. They also believe their family experiences will assist in their ministry.

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