The future of our Church never sounded better.  It tasted great, too.

Saturday’s spaghetti dinner for St. John Vianney Seminary packed the house – physically and spiritually.  Over 800 people were served by 158 seminarians who also filled the hall with song.

The annual event is one of many ways our council supports priests.  Begun in 2005 by then-Grand Knight Mike Salvatore and his wife Kate, it grows each year.

Seminary students and faculty conversed with families.  But every half hour, a hush fell.

This is what people came for.

Choruses of Ave Maria and God Bless America enveloped the crowd.  Children sat transfixed.

Ringing applause was one show of gratitude for the aspiring priests.  Another was the $7,000 raised for their room and board.

SJV is a minor, or undergraduate, seminary.  Students pay tuition at the University of St. Thomas.  They must repay any debt before proceeding to major seminaries (including the St. Paul School of Divinity) and being ordained.

St. Thomas has an active KofC council.  Half of its members are seminarians.  One is Dan Sedlacek, Deputy Grand Knight, who told diners about their activities.

The night had one sad moment.  Rev. William Baer, SJV’s popular rector, announced his departure.  But his successor, Rev. Michael Becker, displayed great energy while singing with the students.  Father Becker is also a Knight.

Memories of this year’s event will not soon fade.  Perhaps after the food is digested, a few more vocations will be discovered too.

Mary, Mother of the Clergy, pray for us.  Pray for our priests, deacons and religious.  Obtain for us many more!

St. John Vianney seminarians served over 800 diners Saturday.

Many of the seminarians are also Knights.

Students organized three teams: cooking, serving, and cleanup.

 Father Paul Gitter and a few of the singing seminarians.

Seminary faculty Father John Acrea and incoming rector Father Michael Becker chat up diners from St. Helena parish.

Alexander French (standing) takes advice from Franciscan Fathers Bernie Zajdel, Bob St. Martin, and Tom Merrill.

Dan Sedlacek, a seminarian and Deputy Grand Knight of St. Thomas Council #11949.  With him are Father Michael Becker and other SJV Knights.