The difference a good Archbishop can make

Tim Townsend, "Burke's efforts lead to biggest Catholic ordination class in decades" (St. Louis Dispatch, May 18, 2008): The student body at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, which includes the undergraduate Cardinal Glennon College and graduate-level Kenrick Theological Seminary, is now 112 students, the largest enrollment in two decades and a 50 percent increase over last year. This past Saturday, nine seminarians were ordained as priests in the St. Louis Archdiocese -- the largest St. Louis ordination class in 25 years and one of the largest in the U.S. This is as many ordinations as St. Louis has had in the past three years combined.

The man behind this upsurge is Archbishop Raymond Burke, who decided vocations would be a high priority since he arrived in St. Louis in 2004. Last year, the archdiocese announced plans to expand the seminary. The archdiocese officially attributes its recent success with vocations to the Holy Spirit. But anyone who looks beneath these significant changes will not be able to ignore the singular Archbishop Burke. For instance, how many archbishops take this much personal interest in their seminarians and their vocations?

Once or twice a year, each student at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary will drop by Archbishop Raymond Burke's residence in the Central West End at 4:30 p.m. From there, they set off down Lindell Avenue and into Forest Park.

"The walks," as the seminarians call them, are opportunities for young men to have heart-to-hearts with a man who regularly meets with the pope, a heady prospect for a young priest-in-training. The conversations are usually casual, and the seminarians get to see a more personal, human side of Burke — like when he gets a little skittish around off-leash dogs.

Kenrick officials organize the walks using time sheets. When the sheets are posted, there's a rush to sign on.

"It's like when you throw pellets at the Japanese fish at the Botanical Gardens," said seminarian Edward Nemeth, 26. "Guys falling over each other to get their names on the list."