My name is Dennis Trickey and I am a seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, and a freshman at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary. I love the faith formation, daily Mass, Adoration six times a week, and the brotherhood of the men who also live at this place I now call home. 

    I am an only child from Pierron, Illinois which is about 40 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri. I attended public grade school, but my family and I decided it would be best for me to attend Catholic high school. After touring a few, I decided to enroll at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Breese, Illinois about 20 minutes from my hometown. I decided on Mater Dei because of its mission of fostering faith. I wanted to deepen my relationship with God and yearned for a Catholic centered education. It also happens to be the same school that my mom and several other family members attended. I later found out that the principal and my dad grew up next door to each other. I remember thinking it felt like home when I walked through the doors to tour Mater Dei. 

    During my four years, I continued to grow in my relationship with God. I was moved by the faith community. Many of the teachers lived their faith and attended a daily prayer service before school. One showed us Dynamic Catholic videos during Advent and Lent, and I looked forward to seeing these spiritual and moving videos. The Theology teachers did a fantastic job in helping us not only learn but live and share our Catholic faith.  

    All students at Mater Dei are required to go on a class retreat every year. The retreats were influential in helping students live their faith more deeply. Students are also required to complete service hours every quarter to embed a sense of service. Each year, the seniors complete a three-week service project. I had the fortunate opportunity to serve at St Vincent de Paul Parish in St. Louis. I prepared meals for the homeless, unpacked deliveries and did other work around the facility. This experience gave me a new perspective for the homeless that I wouldn’t have experienced at another school. By helping those less fortunate, I grew to love my neighbors even more. 

    Another opportunity I had during my senior year was to teach third grade religion at St. Rose Parish in St. Rose, Illinois. This was a great experience, which helped me to grow deeper in my faith. I had a great teaching partner who also aided in my spiritual growth. 

    In high school, I decided to go on a personal retreat one summer. This retreat was life-changing for me spiritually. I encountered a powerful experience which got me thinking about entering the seminary. After lots of prayers and rosaries, I felt God was calling me to the seminary life. Once I knew this was my calling, I had discussions with my family and parish priest. When I told my Theology teachers at Mater Dei, the news spread quickly. I initially thought that I would be made fun of, but remembered I was attending a Catholic school, so I confirmed that I wanted to go into the seminary. Everyone has been supportive of my decision to strengthen my relationship with Christ.

    I enjoyed my four years at Mater Dei. It assisted in altering my life in a way that helped me to follow God’s Will for me. Faithful teachers and the atmosphere of Catholicism helps to form students into becoming followers of Jesus Christ. I love Catholic schools!