Hello, everybody.

I'm in NYC now (until August 6). I like the city. It would be better than the Detroit area, except that it is missing discgolf courses and more importantly my friends & family.

I'm in a Jesuit residence. I've got an air-conditioned room. It's quite satisfactory.
The community is nice. It consists of 22 long-time residents and 5-10 transient visitors. The vast majority of Jesuits I have met are funny, smart, nice old men. They tend to be liberal. Good company. Too old to become close friends, though. They just don't/can't do a lot of the things I'm interested in.

Of course, if I joined, I'd probably make friends my own age... such as the six other guys in the program (well, one is over thirty, but the rest are about my age). They are nice, smart, generally kind funny. One is athletic. We played some basketball and it was fun. The one guy was much better than the rest of us. I was 2nd best by far, which says a lot.

The food is really good. That must be pretty standard for Jesuit life.

The formation sounds really sweet.
-2 years Novitiate (task: be holy. studies on the Society & various other things. short apostolic experiences, such as teaching, parish work, ministry in soup kitchen, etc.). ends w/ first vows.
-2 years scholastic (philosophy studies. get a degree in this. maybe other degrees.)
-2 years regency (I think...starts to blend together in my memory here. these are long apostolic experiences - about 6-12 months instead of 2-3.)
-2 years theology studies (get a degree)
-2 more years regency, I think? (Including an experience where you must "depend very much on God." At some point in formation most Jesuits do a pilgrimage over land w/ no money - basically the walk & beg & such. OR they are sent to do ministry in a foreign country, where they don't know the language and it is very poor.)
-Ordination as a priest about 10 years after joining. Take vows again.
-Sometime later do "tertianship." This is another apostolic experience; another one to depend on God, maybe? Take final vows after this. Usually finished about 3-7+ years after ordination.


I've been having a lot of thoughts about my discernment lately. It's definitely... going somewhere. I'll post more on this later.

I am praying for you all! Please pray for me, too!


P.S. going to mass daily is freakin' awesome!