STUDYING FOR THE PRIESTHOOD Seven of the diocese’s eight seminarians gather for a photo at the picnic at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. From left are (front) Michael Hendershott, Doug Owens, and Michael Poston and (back) Jorge Cano, Christopher Manning, Dustin Collins, and Adam Kane. Photo by Dan McWilliams

Few events are able to unite East Tennessee’s future priests, who are pursuing their call at different seminaries around the country, but the diocese’s annual picnic for priests, seminarians, and Chancery staff was one of two gatherings this summer that brought the young men together.

The picnic, held Aug. 7 and again hosted by St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, was the second of the two events. A few weeks before, seminarians and their families met at the home of Larry and Bernadette Schalk in Greenback for a day of fun that also had a vocation connection.

“[The seminarians are rarely] all together because they go to three different seminaries,” said Father Peter Iorio, diocesan vocation director and pastor of St. Joseph the Worker in Madisonville.

Seven of the eight diocesan seminarians came to the picnic at St. Thomas: Doug Owens, Jorge Cano, Dustin Collins, Michael Hendershott, Michael Poston, Adam Kane, and Christopher Manning. Michael Livingston was unable to attend.

Mr. Cano is farthest along in his studies among the seminarians as he heads into his Theology IV year at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, where Mr. Livingston is a Theology II student and Mr. Manning, a Pre-Theology II student. Mr. Owens is in his Theology II year, and Mr. Hendershott and Mr. Poston are College II seminarians, all at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary near Philadelphia.

Mr. Collins will join Mr. Kane, a Pre-Theology I student, at St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana. Mr. Kane is currently living at the diocese’s newly dedicated house of discernment at East Tennessee State University (Aug. 10 ETC).  more...