Flocknote

June 2024

In this email we bring you our continuing monthly series of blogs written by our seminarians. We hope you find their writings spiritually uplifting and educational.

Fr. Andy Syberg becomes third Rector of

Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary

On May 31, 2024, Fr. Andy Syberg became the third Rector at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary. We are grateful to Fr. Joe Moriarty for his many years of dedicated service to our seminary. We wish him well on his upcoming sabbatical before taking a parish assignment in January 2025.

Joining Fr. Andy on staff at Bruté will be Fr. Peter Marshall as Vice Rector and

Fr. Ryan McCarthy as the Spiritual Director. We are excited to have these holy men join our staff and see the impact they will have on our seminarians.

Fr. Andy with a group of seminarians during a trip to Italy in May.

Propaedeutic year reflection

Thomas Bundy carrying the cross at the conclusion of Mass

My name is Thomas Bundy, and I am a propaedeutic-year student for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. I wanted to look back and provide insights as to how I have been molded through this propaedeutic year. Before diving in, I think it would be helpful to define what the propaedeutic year is, as this is a new addition to the Bruté seminarian experience. Essentially, the propaedeutic year is your first year of seminary which aims to form the individual more intentionally in the areas of human and spiritual formation. This means a reduced class load and an intentional focus on a tight-knit community focused on prayer.

Reflecting upon my human formation, I can confidently say that I have found my closest friends here at seminary, especially in my fellow propaedeutic brothers. Having the Lord as the foundation of a solid friendship makes such a great difference in how you are able to relate to another person. I can truly love my brothers in the fullest way, as I want my brothers to grow closer to the Lord and they reciprocate that desire. Truly iron does sharpen iron. These brothers are people with whom I can be myself without fear of rejection and overall, just have a great time. I have already seen how these strong relationships in seminary have helped me in interacting with other people outside of the seminary and how my friends have aided me in gaining a love for souls.

Spiritually, this has been the best year of my life, and the most connected I’ve felt to the Lord. At first, the amount of free time during the year felt a bit daunting, but I am so grateful that we had it, because this free time has allowed my prayer life to flourish. Creating a routine of retreating into the arms of the Lord—and at the end of the year, his Blessed Mother—has transformed my life. Through constant visits to the Lord in adoration, daily reception of our Eucharistic Lord, a prayer routine, and through many other avenues, Jesus has made his presence, love, and friendship with me abundantly clear.

I can gladly say through the work of my formators and the Lord in my life, this year as a propaedeutic seminarian has produced much fruit. I can’t wait to grow in my love for the Lord and see where God calls me in the future.

Thomas Bundy is a Bruté seminarian studying for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and a member of the Class of 2027.

Learn about Thomas

Seeing the fruits of priestly discernment at Bruté

Fr. Sam Rosko gives a blessing to Archbishop Charles Thompson.

Thanks to your support of Bruté, Fr. Samuel Rosko '20 was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on June 1, 2024. This is one of nine priest ordinations of Bruté alumni occurring this spring, all of whom will be featured in our November printed newsletter.

Bruté alum ordained as a transitional deacon

Liam Hosty '20, was ordained as a transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on April 27 by Archbishop Charles Thompson.

Shop the Bruté store

Do you want some Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary branded clothing? Thanks to Catholic Concepts, parent company of Sock Religious, you can now shop the Bruté store. Click here to visit the store and purchase your Bruté gear today.

Why choose the Catholic Community Foundation?

Selecting where to invest your charitable giving is an important decision. For many donors, it is important for them to align their giving with their Catholic values. Our mission is faith-driven and at the service of Christ and His church. Investing with the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF) strengthens all Catholic parishes, schools and ministries who benefit now, and for future generations. Pooling collective resources, CCF benefits the larger Catholic community and those we serve, financially strengthening the Body of Christ by working together and utilizing the power of investment for good.

CCF exclusively benefits Catholic ministries with an emphasis on local, Archdiocesan needs.
With a large investment pool of $242 million, CCF can provide greater interest returns and lower fees.
A large portion of the administrative fee goes back into the Catholic community through a matching gift program.
And most important, we follow the US Catholic Bishops’ ethical investment policy which promotes responsible investing aligned with Catholic teaching. You can rest assured that your investment is thoroughly reviewed to align with the values of the Catholic Church.

If you are interested in more information about creating an endowment or donor-advised fund, please contact CCF at 317-236-1482 or ccf@archindy.org.

Bishop Simon Bruté Giving Society save the date

Your gift of $1,000 or more will recognize you as a member of the Bishop Simon Bruté Giving Society. Members will receive special gifts and experiences. At each level, all previous level benefits are included.

Bishop Chartrand Circle with gifts of $1,000 - $2,499 will receive a Bruté Prayer Journal.
Cardinal Ritter Circle with gifts of $2,500 - $4,999 will be invited to Sunday Mass in May 2025 at the seminary followed by donuts and coffee.
Archbishop O’Meara Circle with gifts of $5,000 to $9,999 will be invited to Evening Prayer and Mass in March 2025 with the seminarians followed by a light dinner at the seminary.
Archbishop Buechlein Circle with gifts of $10,000 and above will be invited to the spring semester opening Mass on January 5, 2025 at the seminary with Archbishop Thompson followed by a light breakfast.