“I was reminded of the beauty and strength that faith can provide. I am realizing how profoundly ministry connects me to people’s lives.”
– Frater Truc Tran, SCJ
The following is written by Frater Truc Tran, SCJ, a seminarian doing his pastoral year in South Dakota.
A pastoral year experience is often transformative, marking a journey of spiritual, personal, and professional growth for seminarians. I want to share a reflection that illustrates what one might experience after three months of pastoral work.
I have studied philosophy, theology, and the intricacies of the Church’s history, traditions, liturgy, and scripture in the seminary for several years. As I embarked on my pastoral year, I understood that it was time to leave the safety of the academic walls and embrace the reality of ministry in a local church/community. This year is dedicated to hands-on learning, living, and understanding what it truly means to serve as a shepherd to God’s people.
I had been assigned to St. Joseph Indian School, a vibrant institution located in the small town of Chamberlain, SD. Before the assignment, I had time to discern which location would fit my pastoral year. I discussed the location of my pastoral year with my formation director several times. I told him that I was open to any location, but I was still asked to give a first option. After a few weeks of prayer and reflection, I chose South Dakota. South Dakota was where I did summer ministry two years ago. I explained to my director that I wanted to learn more about Native American culture.
Arriving in South Dakota, I received the warmest welcome from our community, students, staff, and employees of St. Joseph Indian School. My first days were filled with excitement and nervousness as I looked through the staff directory, which included over 300 people! I wondered, “How can I get to know all of them in just one year?”
My mentor is Fr. Greg Schill, SCJ, the chaplain of the school and the spiritual director of St. Joseph’s development office. I also receive guidance from Dr. Richard Barton, the residential trainer for grades 1 to 6 at the school. He is a seasoned and kindhearted man known for his storytelling and deep love for the St. Joseph community. Fr. Greg’s warmth immediately put me at ease, and he emphasized that this pastoral year is an opportunity for me to learn, listen, and grow close to people in the community.
My days are filled with various tasks: assisting with daily Mass, training and leading the altar servers on Sundays, visiting students’ homes, participating in nearly all school events and religious classes after Sunday Mass to support the high school students, and writing weekly prayers for social media.
Initially, I was unsure as to how to connect with Native American kids, but I learned that my genuine approach made a significant difference. I am now building relationships with the people at the school, who sometimes open up to me about their joys and questions about faith. The experience is challenging; I listen as best as possible.
While my ministry primarily focuses on St. Joseph Indian School, I also spend some time in Lower Brule to support Dehonian Frs. Christianus Hendrik and Jean-Claude Mbassi and the pastoral team, including Dn. Steven McLaughlin and Sisters Yollie Nobabos and Clary Joy Palasan.
As the pastoral year progresses, I want to engage more deeply with the realities of ministry. I am dedicating more time to visiting students in their homes, offering prayers, and listening to their life stories to understand them better. These experiences help me connect Native American traditions and the Catholic Faith. However, such moments are not always easily accessible. I have struggled to find the right words to understand the relationship between religion and the Native American traditions. Yet, these challenges have revealed to me the grace found in a simple, compassionate presence. At such times, I was reminded of the beauty and strength that faith can provide. I am realizing how profoundly ministry connects me to people’s lives.
The pastoral year is filled with moments of discernment. I questioned whether I was called to this life. I have discovered that my role was not to have all the answers but to be a presence and a vessel of God’s love. Additionally, the pastoral year provides an excellent opportunity to explore Fr. Dehon’s spirituality deeply and discern my relationship with God in my vocation. Each day, my love for the people and God’s calling deepens. My heart expands to understand that ministry becomes more abundant when grounded in humility and compassion.
As my pastoral year progresses, I am eager and joyful about the next steps. I am coming to know the people of St. Joseph Indian School, sharing in their joys, griefs, and faith. I am developing close relationships with many who are both friends and spiritual guides.
These few months have taught me invaluable lessons: ministry is about meeting people where they are, compassion can be more potent than words, and faith flourishes through service. I realize that my journey is just beginning, but the experiences from this pastoral year provide me with a foundation that I can carry forward.
The pastoral year is a time of discovery, growth, and deepening faith. It is transforming my understanding of ministry and brings me closer to the essence of God’s calling.
I feel ready, as much as anyone can be, to serve God’s people, one day and one encounter at a time.
