Journey Program Vocations, Prayer Life, and Discernment During COVID-19

Host Jack Socha remotely records an episode of Connecting the Diocese with Fr. Nate Kuhn, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of La Crosse, and three men in the Journey Program: Kyle (24, from West Salem, studied psychology at Princeton and served at UW–Madison), Matthew Szymanski (50, former Chicago-area police officer), and Alex Radtke (from the Wausau area). Fr. Kuhn explains the Journey Program and Regency, and the men share when they first felt a “tug” toward priesthood, how they learned about the program, and encouragement to seek guidance and discern without fear. They discuss starting a prayer life through adoration and viewing prayer as relationship with a real God, describe program life and recreation, recount a COVID outbreak in their house and Zoom access to Mass and adoration, note helping with diocesan TV Masses, and share next steps as they head to seminary.

00:00 Show Intro

00:29 Meet Father Nate

01:03 Journey and Regency

02:58 Meet the Discerners

06:31 First Tug from God

11:39 Encouragement to Discern

13:50 How They Found Journey

15:55 What the Year Is Like

18:29 Reactions and Support

20:30 Break and Magazine Spot

22:49 Starting a Prayer Life

28:32 Journey During COVID

30:33 Mass During Quarantine

31:35 Peru Orphanage Parallel

32:11 Masks Vaccines And Support

34:17 Diocesan Center Stories

34:45 Basement Chapel Tour

36:42 Love One Another Message

39:50 Seminarian Life And Fun

41:52 Music And TV Mass Help

46:10 Next Steps In Formation

51:38 Advice And Farewell

55:42 Final COVID Update Song