|
News & Events - Student Stories
FTE Fellows Reflections
Philip Cortese , FTE Fellow
Last spring, I received an e-mail from Raymond Clothier saying that I was nominated for a “selective fellowship”: the Fund for Theological Education Undergraduate Fellowship. After a dinner at Sal & Mookie’s to explain just what that mouthful of a title meant, I decided to accept the nomination and apply for the fellowship. Initially surprised that I was thought of, I was soon reminded of a key element in the discernment of vocation—the invitation by someone involved with the church to discern more deeply. After learning that I received the fellowship, I was thankful for this invitation as it gave me the opportunity to attend FTE’s Excellence in Ministry Conference. I was one of only 50 undergraduates this year to receive a fellowship, making Millsaps College the institution with the most FTE undergraduate fellows since 2002 with eleven.
The Conference was held from June 11-15 at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. It brought together the FTE Undergraduate fellows as well as Congregational and Ministry fellows who have already heard the call and are pursuing seminary studies. The entire week was devoted to reflection on vocation with a particular focus for undergraduates on what pursuing seminary study and ordination actually looks like. For me, the conference had many high points: a three-hour period of silent reflection; a workshop on Christian friendship; and most importantly, meeting other young people interested in ministry and open to sharing their experience. It was, however, not without its challenges as well. As a Roman Catholic in a decidedly more Protestant surrounding, I struggled not to feel like an outsider at times. In a recent article in the journal First Things, Joseph Bottum talks about intellectual community in religious life as “a culture of people who speak the same vocabulary, understand the same concepts, and study the same texts.” There was a distinct Protestant intellectual community of which I was not a part. To engage this intellectual community I encountered at the conference, I had to learn what UCC, PCUSA, and ELCA meant. I had to ask question and patiently listen to “common knowledge” explanations. Even the concept of seminary has a very different meaning for me than it did for many of the other participants. The collision of different intellectual communities meant that each of our perspectives was broadened.
The discernment of my vocation is within a Catholic context. Three of my closest friends from high school are in formation for the priesthood; two are interns at a Catholic camp in Georgia; one just left for two years of missionary work in Honduras while discerning the consecrated lay life; and several are already married and beginning families. In part, my decision to attend Millsaps was one which I knew would require me to think in new ways, particularly about faith. My experience with the FTE certainly opened me up to new ways of thought and I look forward to continue to discern my vocation with new friends.
Philip Cortese
2008 FTE Undergraduate Fellow
|
