The Next Generation of the C.S.C
Notre Dame alumni continue to join the ranks of the Congregation of Holy Cross. We reached out to three young priests and three seminarians and asked them all the same question: What experience at Notre Dame inspired, informed, or shaped your vocation?
Kevin McKenzie, C.S.C., '12
First-Year Temporarily Professed Congregation of Holy Cross Seminarian at Moreau Seminary
"My vocation became apparent to me while an undergraduate at Notre Dame. I came to see that God was calling me to dedicate my life to Him and to others by joining the great Holy Cross Priests I encountered at Notre Dame. My time in Keough Hall helped shape my vocation by providing the community and support I needed to mature in my discernment and to understand the values that are important for me to embody as a man for others. It helped me to see who I wanted to be and who God was calling me to be."
John Whittaker, C.S.C., '13
First-Year Temporarily Professed Congregation of Holy Cross Seminarian at Moreau Seminary
"Being an undergraduate seminarian here at Notre Dame inspired and directed me to pursue religious life in the Congregation of Holy Cross. The many priests, brothers, and friends I encoun-tered here at Our Lady's University contributed greatly to my vocation. At such an amazing university that has fostered many vocations to service of the Catholic Church, I pray that this tradition only grows and deepens."
Stephen Lusch '09 M.S.A.
Congregation of Holy Cross Postulant at Moreau Seminary
"I went through RCIA and was confirmed at the Basilica while I was a graduate student at Notre Dame. Thus my life as a Catholic is inextricably linked to Notre Dame. Holy Cross priests and seminarians helped with the RCIA program, and I saw the joy that their ministry brought to themselves and others. It was their example that really made me start thinking about my vocation."
Rev. Matthew Kuczora, C.S.C., '05, '11 M.Div.
Visiting Scholar at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and In-residence Priest at St. Edward's Hall
"Notre Dame allowed and encouraged me to develop a life of service. Through ND programs teaching in New York City as an undergrad or as a graduate student working with orphans in Honduras and India, I learned how much need exists in the world. In my dorm and in the classroom, while I was at Notre Dame I met Holy Cross priests and brothers who God used to show me a beautiful way of life lived in community that changes the world through teaching, work among the poor, and a life of sacramental ministry."
Rev. Brian Ching, C.S.C., '07, '12 M.Div.
Parochial Vicar, St. Joseph Catholic Church, South Bend, IN
"It was really my encounters with the Holy Cross priests and brothers on campus that formed and shaped my vocation. The way they lived their vows and their ministry helped me understand that being a Holy Cross Priest is something I could do and that I wanted to do. Their continued witness continues to inspire me to live my life as a Holy Cross priest with fidelity and zeal."
Rev. Pat Reidy, C.S.C., '08, '13 M.Div.
Rector of Keough Hall
As a student at the University of Notre Dame, I encountered wonderful priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross — first in my residence hall (Sorin College), then in my classes (Political Science and Theology), and finally overseas (Jinja, Uganda). Their joy was contagious; their zeal, overwhelming. When they invited me to 'come and see' during my senior year, I couldn't resist. I've never looked back."