Summer help for St. Thomas More

Seminarian ‘shadowing’ pastor for two months

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BROOKINGS – The road to ordination as a Catholic priest is a long one: eight years, four in a minor seminary, four in a major seminary. Also along the way comes summer months of on-the-job training, sometimes at a pastoral setting in a Catholic parish.

Christopher “Chris” Tibbetts, 21 and a native of Sioux Falls, is undergoing his first such assignment this June and July under the tutelage of the Rev. Terry Anderson, pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Brookings.

“I just basically shadow the priest,” Tibbetts said. “I go wherever he goes, sit in on meetings, help with sacraments, visit nursing homes. I’ve been looking forward to this summer assignment, to get an idea of what a priest actually does, to see what it’s like to run a parish. I get to know families.”

Tibbetts has completed three years at St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. In fall he begins his senior year; in spring 2019 he will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and Catholic studies.

Then comes assignment by the bishop of the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese to a major seminary for four years, with ordination to the transitional deaconate at the end of three years and to the priesthood upon graduation. 

“It could be St. Louis (Kenrick-Glennon Seminary), could be Rome (Pontifical North American College), could be St. Paul (St. Paul Seminary),” Tibbetts said of those future four years.  “I’m leaning to St. Louis.”

Tibbetts, one of eight children (an older sister is a Franciscan nun), said his call to the priesthood started when he was “very young.” Faith was very important to his family. They went to daily Mass and his parents had priests into their home once a month for dinner.

“So I got to see priests all the time, not just at Mass,” he explained. “They were my heroes growing up, because they had everything that I aspired to be. They were always smiling, they helped people, they were just able to love people and be in a spot to help others through their struggles in life. Their life fulfilled a lot of my desires.”

Contact John Kubal at jkubal@brookingsregister.com.

Register photo: Seminarian Chris Tibbetts distributes the Eucharist during Mass on Tuesday afternoon at St. Thomas More Catholic Church.