First Apostolate Assignment

By: Albert Camburn II
Seminarian, Pre-Theology I

Albert Camburn II (center left - with other first year men)

Nearing the end of my first year at St. Charles Seminary, I can think of so many wonderful aspects of life here, the beautiful liturgies, the rich community life and the gift of learning about the faith, but what really stands out is the immensely rewarding experience of having spent each Thursday at my apostolate parish of Holy Infancy in Bethlehem.


Leaving early in the morning, my partner Kevin Lonergan and I would spend the morning at Holy Infancy grade school, where I would teach religion to Kindergarten through Fifth grade. There may be nothing in the world more gratifying than seeing a class full of children light up when you enter the room. Honestly, the smiles on their faces and the welcoming joy in those kids deeply touched my heart and I hope to never forget them. If I am lucky some of what I taught them will remain as they grow and help them to be closer to our Lord.

In the afternoons we would go out with one of two Poor Sisters of St. Joseph, Madre Rosa or Hermana Adelina, and go to the hospital or to the home of someone in need. We would either read the next Sunday’s gospel and reflect on it or recite the rosary, both in Spanish, and though I do not speak Spanish the sisters were able translators. Again, while I thought I was bringing something to them, it was the remarkable faith of people in great suffering that showed me what a Catholic can and should be. I can hardly express how humbling and enriching this experience was and cannot thank the sisters enough.

After dinner with Msgr. Biseck, I would assist with the Youth Group while Kevin taught CCD. Again, to see such strong faith in the hearts of teens struggling to live holy lives in an environment of great temptation and sin did so much to inspire me that I can only hope I had some of the impact on them that they had on me. Overall, the whole staff and parishioners of Holy Infancy were simply fantastic in how they welcomed us and nurtured our vocations.

It is with the ardent hope of being able to serve devoted Catholics one day as a priest, that I am able to find the motivation to study and submit myself to the formation process. By the great gift of Thursdays at Holy Infancy Parish I was given an abundance of such motivation and I can’t thank them enough.