“I began my journey with a blessed assurance that Seminary is where the Lord wanted me to be.”
Andy Erdman: The “The Journey Continues…
The journey in formation to the priesthood continues for Andy Erdman, a third-year seminarian from the DOB who is studying at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He began his journey with a blessed assurance that Seminary is where the Lord wanted him to be and what He wanted him to discern. By the Grace of God, Andy stated that “this assurance has only increased these last few years and the assurance gets more and more real the longer I am in formation.” The academics and studies have certainly advanced. Andy pointed out that a seminarian begins with philosophy but then expands to theology which includes the more practical elements of becoming a priest.
Seeing this progression makes him keenly aware of the journey he is on and the shape it is taking both in his spiritual and personal life. Andy said, “In one way, this is very daunting when I contemplate the needs of the Church and how best to bring Christ to the people. It is a burden that can only be shouldered with God’s grace and I am realizing this more and more each day. On the contrary, what a blessing it has been to receive this call. What comes with this calling, for me personally, is to more humbly receive and embrace the call.”
At this point in Andy’s journey, he has about five years of formation remaining. It is evident that he is truly enjoying his seminary experience where he is in community with approximately 45 other seminarians from around the world. Academics are quite rigorous with very accomplished professors actively challenging the seminarians daily!
As Andy prepares for the Catholic community needs in Western New York, he continues with his commitment to this path in hopes of returning and serving the good people in the Diocese of Buffalo. He knows that he would love to be a parish priest someday but, for the present, he is working on a licentiate in Sacred and Moral Theology with a concentration in Bioethics. He looks forward to possibly working in a hospital setting advising on medical ethics which is closely aligned with his undergraduate work at Canisius College, before being called to the priesthood.
Being such a young man himself, when asked how he would encourage young people who have fallen away from the Church today to come back, Andy said “I would encourage them to focus on Christ Himself who is a bright light shining in the darkness and trust in Him completely.” Even for those who have not been given the great gift of being raised in a faith-based home, Andy believes everyone has a deep longing for God. “We need to lead people” to the relationship Christ is calling us to. Once a person begins that relationship, each person will be drawn to Christ’s characteristics.
“Though they may be searching for something in the wrong places, they are searching for something beyond what they can see.” Andy stated, spirituality certainly seems to be on the rise with young people today. If asked how to be most encouraging to some of these young people, Andy said “I try to lead by example and not actively working on what I think is best for me but turning to Our Lord and asking him to show me what he wants for me. I encourage all to do the same – letting go of self and allowing Christ to lead to one’s purpose in life. That is where joy can be found for anyone.”