When asked how they spent their summer vacation, 30 incoming high school seniors from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland can respond with two words: Tolle Lege. And most likely the highlight for teens in the second session was a visit from Bishop Nelson Perez.
Two groups of teens each spent a week at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe at the Tolle Lege Summer Institute. The program, created by Father Damian Ference in 2012, provides young Catholic men and women with an opportunity to learn more about their faith and its relevance in the modern world. They stay at the seminary throughout the week, sharing meals, prayer time, classes, conversation, field trips and socialization.
Tolle lege means “take up and read.” It is derived from St. Augustine, a fourth century bishop and philosopher, who told of the divine call he received to a conversion of life entirely to the service of God. St. Augustine heard the voice of a child telling him, “Tolle lege,” or, “Take up and read,” so he read St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Then he was baptized and committed himself to a life lived for God, becoming a priest, then a bishop and ultimately one of the most renowned Christian thinkers.
The 16 participants in the second session, which met the week of June 23, had the opportunity to eat dinner with the bishop on June 25 and to chat with him informally. Accompanying the group were three seminarians: Sean Neville, institute administrator, and Michael Garvin and Arthur Bodenschantz, institute directors. Father Jacob Bearer was chaplain for the second group. Father Mark Ott and Beth Rath of the seminary staff also were present.
After brief introductions, the bishop told the group, “What do you want to ask me? Ask anything.” And they did, taking turns as they sat around a large table in the seminarians’ dining room.
Program participants told the bishop they were hoping to improve their relationship with God, to spend time with like-minded teens and to learn things -- especially about their faith, theology and philosophy -- that students attending public high schools don’t get in their curriculum. One student said the program is helping her with discernment for the next steps after high school. Finding ways to put their faith into action was also mentioned by some.
A student asked Bishop Perez to share his personal experience with Catholic schools. The bishop said he attended a Catholic elementary school for a couple of years before completing his education in public schools.
When asked about his vocation and how he realized his call to the priesthood, the bishop said he’d always had a fascination for the liturgy and the Eucharist. “It mystified me. As a child, I wanted to be a priest, but I also wanted to be a firefighter, a doctor and other things.”
After college Bishop Perez said he got more serious about his vocation call and he aspired to be a Salesian priest and moved to Puerto Rico, where he taught religion and lived at the seminary. He compared the decision to his training as a diver. “At some point, you have to jump into the water,” he said.
“I decided to move to Puerto Rico because that province included Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba,” he said, explaining that he thought perhaps after ordination he could minister in Cuba, his parents’ homeland. However, the additional coursework he needed wasn’t available in Puerto Rico, so he was sent to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for further studies. There was a need for Spanish-speaking priests in the archdiocese, so he was recruited to stay.
After ordination 30 years ago, Bishop Perez served as a parish priest and pastor in the archdiocese until he received a call informing him that the Holy Father wanted him to serve as an auxiliary bishop in Rockville Centre, New York. That diocese was his home for five years until Pope Francis called him to be the bishop of Cleveland.
“I don’t regret or question my decision (to become a priest). There’s nothing in the world I’d rather do than this,” he told the teens.
“What advice would you give your younger self?” asked one student.
“Nurture your spiritual life, choose your friends wisely and remember that choices have consequences,” the bishop said.
Another asked about any profound experiences the bishop has had with the Eucharist.
“I spend a lot of time before the Eucharist. You can’t be in the presence of the sun and not be changed. It’s powerful. The Eucharist is like that. You can’t go before the Eucharist and not be changed. It’s a powerful presence and the more time you spend there, the better.”
Regarding his favorite philosophers, Bishop Perez said Pope emeritus Benedict is a favorite. “He’s like a contemporary Thomas Aquinas.
Then he turned the tables and asked the teens what stood out for them so far, during their Tolle Lege experience.
“The Son of God is the Word,” one student replied. Another said he was learning what it means to be a man in today’s world. “I’ve never had a support group to talk about that,” he added.
The bishop also talked about how in 500 years people may look at this time and say that radical subjectivism was our heresy. “Everything is about me. The truth is decided by me,” he said, adding that the Roe v Wade decision in 1973 to legalize abortion changed everything, paving the way for humans to make decisions they shouldn’t be making – things like when life begins and ends.
When asked about the greatest virtue of our time, the bishop answered, “the search. Young people searching for meaning. There’s almost a contemplative streak in young people. The fact that you’re here is a testament to a conviction that you have,” he added.
The bishop also was asked to name a blessing he sees in Cleveland and what he views as a challenge here.
“The deep faith of the people is a blessing. There are some strong ethnic roots here and faith kept many people anchored in their culture. That is a great blessing,” he said.
Regarding the challenge, he said trying to figure out how to reach what he calls the “nones,” or the unchurched. Parishes are beginning to find ways, but it’s a long process, he said.
The group also talked about the role of women and lay people in the Church. The bishop said they have a much greater role than most people realize.
“When I was a pastor, they kept the parish running. Sure, I signed checks, did the hiring, etc., but they (women and lay persons) did the organizing and ran programs,” he said, which freed him to deal with pastoral needs.
Students at Tolle Lege represent high schools from throughout the diocese, including St. Joseph Academy, St. Ignatius High School, Beaumont School, Archbishop Hoban High School and Notre Dame Cathedral Latin, as well as several public high schools. At least one student in the group is home-schooled.
Through an academic focus on philosophy and theology, which is balanced by spiritual and cultural components, the camp serves to instruct the hearts and minds of students who are preparing to enter their senior year of high school. The students are not only able to encounter theologians, philosophers and saints from the past, but they study them through the perspective of their Catholic faith and under the instruction of professors from Borromeo and Saint Mary seminaries. The intellectual purpose of the institute is balanced by the goal of increasing cultural awareness and providing participants with an appreciation for the cultural and Catholic sites and events of Greater Cleveland.
For more information on Tolle Lege, click HERE.