Is Mundelein Still Fundelein?
Here’s a disturbing blog post from an alternative media type operating out of Chicago.
Apparently, the Diocese of Rockford has disassociated itself from Mundelein, due to homosexual activity among the seminarians. I had hoped that Mundelein had been turned around, is that not the case? Does anybody have an on-the-scene report?
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I was at Mundelein the year after Kicanas left. I was there for two years and left without rancor of my own accord because God and I worked out a different path for my vocation.
I never once heard a first hand account of any homosexual activity or propositioning. I am probably naive and assume now that there must have been some of this going on.
The activities in this rumor never once got in the way of my studies or my spiritual direction with the Mundelein factulty. I have only high praise for the work they did with me while I was there. Furthermore, homosexual activity or proposititioning did not seem to be affecting any of the fellas I was closest to while I was at Mundelein.
In addition, I found Mundelein quite orthodox and yet more open to questions that I needed to ask to understand God’s creation than any secular university I have ever attended (3 at last count). They also did a pretty reasonable job of taking a young man and straining the bad parts of today’s culture from him to really turn him into a man of God - no mean feat.
I’m sorry the Rockford diocese has discontinued their affiliation with Mundelein. I knew several Rockford (Rockheads) and most were good regular guys who will be missed. But I will also say that one of the least substantial seminarians I knew at Mundelein was from Rockford and he ended up getting ordained to diaconate before pulling the plug. I do pray that he was able to fulfill his vows.
To be honest, I think you are going to find fools and cads in every seminary. It just so happens that Mundelein is the largest in the country and thus appears to have a higher percentage of bad apples.
Kicanas I know little about, but from the little I saw of him before he left, he wasn’t my cup of tea. The rector following him - John Canary - was a good man to combine holiness, administration, and love for the institution.
Comment by Tim — July 30, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
I have heard nothing - zero, zilch - to indicate that this is how things went down with Rockford pulling their seminarians. This seems extremely dubious, because - as I’m sure you can imagine - all word travels fast in a seminary of approximately 200.
Normally I wouldn’t publicly comment on such a thing, but it seems necessary, given the gross misrepresentation of exactly why Rockford decided to pull their guys. So I’ll tell it as a Rockford guy told me: Rockford’s bishop didn’t approve of one of our mandatory programs, Clinical Pastoral Education, on the basis that his seminarians had had a difficult time in the predominately Protestant program. He believed that his seminarians should be allowed to complete an alternative hospital program and still qualify for the M.Div. When the seminary didn’t allow the substitution, he decided to send his guys to Kenrick. Many of us are angry at losing the Rockford guys, but the reason for this anger has nothing to do with homosexual activity.
Further, the “Fundelein” moniker was earned in an era where there was a blatant, active homosexual subculture at Mundelein. No such thing exists, in any fashion, now. Seminarians sometimes talk about those old days, in relation to how much things have changed. I have nothing but respect for the rector and seminary faculty, and I’m a fairly tough customer :-).
Comment by Josh Miller — July 30, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
Hmmm…interesting that they’ve chosen Kenrick, given certain struggles that have been had there. From all reports, the Josephinum seems to be far and away the best Catholic seminary in the midwest, though it is good to hear that Fundelein now exists only as a memory.
Comment by hierothee — July 30, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
Really, there’s a lot of parity in terms of major seminaries nowadays, as orthodoxy in teaching and formation has become the “gold standard” (and rightfully so) through which these things are judged. I have a number of friends spread throughout the country, and not a one of them has come back with a negative report on their respective institution. From what I hear out of Kenrick, I’d have no problem studying there tomorrow (Archbishop Burke did a great job there, and played an extremely active role in his seminary). And from what I hear about the Josh, it’s really no better than anyplace else (improving though it is, now that they’ve resolved faculty retention issues).
When I first started looking into seminary as an “outsider,” I’ll admit I was really nervous about such things. But having been in the system a few years now, I can say that while you’ll become aware of the occasional incident regarding sexual immorality, it is far from being a widespread issue, let alone an accepted one.
Comment by Josh Miller — July 30, 2008 @ 4:13 pm