Aspirant
The
A Publication of The Labouré Society
Fostering Priestly and Religious Vocations Through Student Loan Resolution
Spring 2012, Volume 7, Issue 2
In This Issue
* P.1: Why a Society?
* P.2 & 3: Aspirant Life
* P.4: Friend Viewpoints:
Why Join The Society?
What Does it Mean to
Be a Friend?
Our Aspirants to priesthood and religious life are bringing all of themselves to the service of God’s Church and his people.
Why a Society?
From the Founder
When I began thinking about our organization almost a decade ago, I realized that there was
a variety of names we could choose. We reflected on what we were and who we would be: a
foundation, a fund, a collective, a party? It became clear to me that what we wanted to be
was something more –the word ‘society’ seemed to fit just right.
The greatest asset in any society is found in its people: their faith, ingenuity, generosity, care,
commitment, ethics, and work. Our ‘Aspirants’ and our ‘Friends’ share these values along
with their own particular areas of interest, experience, and expertise (see inside).
Together, as part of The Labouré Society, we create and maintain relationships across the
nation with individuals, families, parishes, and partner organizations that share our value of
the priesthood and religious vocations. In this newsletter, we desire for you to get to know our current Aspirants
and help build the culture of vocations. I believe each of these vocations is a miracle and an answer to our prayers.
From the variety of their responses to the serious and sometimes silly questions we’ve proposed, I hope you can
see the true beauty of their gifts. God has chosen from among us, people just like us, people with their own
experiences and eccentricities that are called to serve all in the body of Christ.
Our Aspirants to priesthood and religious life are bringing all of themselves to the service of God’s Church and
his people. So, go ahead, get to know them and strengthen The Society. May we all work to build a culture of
vocations, live generously, and pray fervently.
Lastly, your insight as a part of The Labouré Society is a great gift to us. Please mail, email, or call with what you
like, what we can do better, and what we could start to do. We are committed to growing our Society through
quarterly newsletters, support opportunities, social media, personal calls and letters, and most foundationally daily
prayer. We all know of someone who should know of The Labouré Society. Please share our newsletter with them!
~ Cy Laurent, Founder and Executive Director
Aspiran
The Aspirant
A Publication of
The Labouré Society
Alberta Barnes
Q. What do you cherish most about being
Catholic?
Alberta and friend on pilgrimage at
Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome
Aberta: How honored we are to be able to enter the
court of the King when we participate in the Sacred
Liturgy! Truly in the Mass we stand at a privileged
place: at the intersection of Heaven and Earth. Our
Lord is made really and truly present in the Blessed
Sacrament during Mass, and how can I cherish
anything more than this? I cling to His Presence in
the Blessed Sacrament; this is my rock, my refuge,
and my great joy.
Samantha Bastian
Q. What’s your favourite work of Catholic fiction?
Sam: My (current) favorite work of Catholic fiction is The Ball and the Cross by G.K. Chesterton. I’m always
amazed every time I read anything by Chesterton, but this allegorical novella is hilarious even as it takes on
very serious issues. A lot of the nonsense in the modern world had its beginnings in Chesterton’s time, and
it’s very prophetic. That said, when a story begins with “Professor Lucifer” flying a ship through London and
dropping a hermit on St. Paul’s cathedral, you will never look at the Faith the same way again!
Kathryn Clemmer & Edward Turner
Q. What do you wish non-Catholics knew about Catholics?
Katie: The Catholic faith is rooted in love. Celebrating the Mass, praying the
rosary, and going to confession all draw us closer to the heart of Christ. The
Church calls us to fall in love with our Lord and let Him transform our lives.
If we let His love into our lives, we can share His love in every word and deed.
As humans, we must strive to perfect our love for God and for our neighbor.
In order to do so, we must unite ourselves with the perfect, all loving example,
Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church provides the flock with beautiful traditions
and practices that help us form ourselves in love. Love gives us life.
Ned: I wish that non-Catholics realized that all of our “rules” aren’t restrictive
Katie with her community preparing
or inspired by a desire to control people’s lives. In fact all of our rules are just
for religious education classes
the Church’s wise insights on how to live a happy life. Everyone accepts
without second thought a hundred rules for good physical health, so it
shouldn’t be so surprising that we follow rules for something much more important, good spiritual health.
Isabel Galvan
Q. What is the most meaningful passage in your vocation journey and why?
Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?” Matthew 16:24-26
Isabel: These words fully describe the life I had before I decided to follow Jesus. Being in the film industry, I
was very much attached to the world. I was only searching for happiness and fulfillment in the things that last
for a breath and are gone. There was emptiness in all until I read Jesus’ words. They really struck me and I
realized how much I depended on myself. No wonder nothing fulfilled me! But now, thanks to His grace, I
realize how the only way to obtain true joy and true life is to lose my life for His sake, to lay down my life for
Him, for He is Truth and Love and nothing else matters but Him.
2
ant Life
David Gockowski
Q. What are the best/worst things to do in Discernment?
David: John. H. Newman stopped short of completing his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine and wrote: Time is
short, Death is certain, Eternity is long. This is the principle of Discernment…remember that your discernment is not for this life
only but has eternal consequences. At the same time Discernment is never to be done on your own, as if your life was some puzzle to
be solved but always in an ecclesial context, out of deep prayer and trust in Jesus and his Church!
Donald Garcia
Q. What’s the wackiest job you’ve ever had?
How did it prepare you for your new vocation?
Don: The wackiest job I ever had was Bartender at a local restaurant, all food
service jobs are kind of wacky but this restaurant was especially so. When I
met the regulars for the first time I knew it was going to be strange trip, with
nick names like cowboy Tom, chicken thumb Bill, “my life s*cks John and
Captain Fuzz and the fireman. For the first few weeks I felt like jumping over
bar and slapping some sense in these men (this was in my early twenties when
I could jump over bars) but as time went on I grew in
patience and learned that with a smile and compassion good things happen.
Tom stopped living off his parents and now works as polisher, Bill made peace
with his wife and they moved to Maine, John quit drinking lost a lot weight
and made a success out of his business and Fuzz and fireman retired – I still
see them during Oktoberfest once in a while. As for me I took those lessons
of patience and compassion to school and became a registered nurse and now
to my entrance as a religious.
Don and family at RCIA, Easter, 2012
Marc Paveglio
Q. Who’s your favourite contemporary Catholic and why?
Marc: Fr. Luigi Giussani, who passed away in 2005, revolutionized the way I know and love Christ. An Italian priest who began the
ecclesial movement Communion and Liberation, Fr. Giussani was constantly awed by the mystery of the incarnation. The absolute,
the divine, the omnipotent, took on flesh and became like us in all things but sin. This means that all of my most profound desires –
for communion, happiness, truth, beauty, to live the fullness of humanity – are found in Christ and through his own humanity. Fr.
Giussani has my gratitude for this realization of God’s mystery.
Mahilia Roache
Q. What is the hardest thing you’ve experienced?
How did it change you?
Mali: The hardest thing I’ve experienced is unemployment. It was the single biggest
event that began my reversion to faith and trust in God. Despite my modest career goals,
I presumed that my life was entirely defined by my efforts. I was devastated by my
non-accomplishments and fell prey to the secular idea that I am what I do. What defined
me when I wasn’t doing anything? Eventually, I surrendered to God and discerned my true
mission. It was a somber time but I survived by grace. God became my strength and I
renewed my relationship with Him.
Mahilia and friends at
Hatian relief benefit
3
The Aspirant
A Publication of
The Labouré Society
Mission Statement
The Labouré Society exists to provide
financial assistance and spiritual
support to individuals who must
resolve student loans in order to
pursue their vocation to priesthood
and/or religious life in the
Catholic Church.
Board of Directors
Mr. George Zirnhelt, President
Mr. Timothy Bastian, Vice President
Mr. Gary Davis, Secretary
Mr. Chad Crow
Br. Christopher Johnson, SJ
Mr. Frank Moore
Mr. Casey Regan
Spiritual Advisor
Bishop Lee Piché, Auxiliary of the
Archdiocese of Saint Paul and
Minneapolis
Staff
Mr. Cy D. Laurent
Founder & Executive Director
Ms. Julie L. Heil
Administrator & Aspirant Contact
Mr. Michael Stevens
Donations & Database Manager
Friend Viewpoints:
Why Join The Society?
We first learned about The Labouré’ Society about a year
ago from a Catholic radio station interview with Founder
Cy Laurent. Its mission is a compelling, riveting story
that immediately grabbed our hearts. With two daughters
attending Catholic colleges, we had immediate empathy
with the plight of Society Aspirants’ student debt obstacle
to their religious vocation.
Frank and family
We’ve lived in almost every region of the US and have
witnessed the pain in parishes from a shortage of U.S. priests and religious. Supporting religious vocations has
always been important to our family. For The Labouré Society to address the shortage of religious vocations by
assisting student debt resolution is an outstanding, sharply focused mission with clear benefits – short term and
eternal.
After watching the videos of the Aspirants and meeting several, we have enthusiastically donated to The Labouré
Society. We are financially and emotionally committed to The Labouré Society. Our family invites you to donate
to this most worthy and growing cause!
Frank was elected to the Board of Directors in early 2012 after serving as an active program volunteer and Aspirant
mentor in 2011. Frank is a business unit director with Land O’ Lakes and holds an MBA from Harvard Business
School. He lives with his wife Nancy and two daughters (above) in Saint Louis. Frank learned about The Labouré
Society when he heard an interview with founder Cy Laurent on Catholic Radio. Having grown up on a farm, Cy’s
analogy of ‘Harvesting vocations in their time’ spurred Frank to action on behalf of our mission.
What Does it Mean to Be a Friend?
To be a Friend of The Labouré Society is to:
Be a part of a vibrant, national, faith-filled, community and ardently desire to see every qualified discerner to the
priesthood and religious life able to enter formation. We invite you to active Friendship with your time, talent,
and treasure!
Time: Pray for our Aspirants and fellow Friends of The Society.
Talent: Be an ambassador for our work. Share the blessings and invite
others to join The Labouré Society.
Treasure: Financially support our Mission and deliver vocations to
priesthood and religious life.
The Labouré Society, Inc. 501(c)3
651.452.1160 • 1365 Corporate Center Curve, Suite 104, Eagan, MN 55121
www.LaboureSociety.org