Tag Archives: cysc

OTET – Cara Corroto

Leave a reply

Name: Cara Corroto
Grade: 12th
School: Dublin Jerome High School
Parish: St. Brigid of Kildare

What service did you perform?
I served as a camp counselor for Catholic Youth Summer Camp (CYSC).

How did you get involved?
As a camper, I always looked to my counselors as role models and wanted to be in their position one day. I have been a part of CYSC for six years now

Why is this extraordinary?
CYSC is truly a place where you can discover God’s (extraordinary) love by “living the adventure.” As a counselor, I seek to help the campers become closer in their relationship with God and with one another. My work isn’t necessarily extraordinary, but it’s my words and actions through Christ that allow me to lead the campers to God.

How can others get involved?
Look on the CYSC Facebook page or their website for when counselor applications are available. It is usually at the beginning of the new year. 

What is the most rewarding thing about it?
The most rewarding thing about serving as a CYSC counselor is seeing how the Holy Spirit works through the campers all week and knowing that simply showing your love for them can make the difference in their lives.

Where are the Sems? – Jeremiah Guappone

Leave a reply

Name: Jeremiah Guappone
Hometown: Parish of St. Catherine of Siena, Columbus
Age: 24

How many years have you been at the Josephinum? 
I have spent two years at the Pontifical College Josephinum. In May of 2012 I graduated with a Bachelors of Philosophy (B Phl.). I will return in the fall for my first of four years of theology.

How did you know you wanted to be a priest?
I stated seriously discerning a call to the priesthood during my time as an undergraduate at Ohio Dominican University. During my time in college, I started to form a serious prayer life. It became apparent to me, that to find out the Lords will for my life, I would have to listen. Spending time in prayer, talking to priest, friends, and my mentor, I discovered that the Lord was calling me to enter the seminary.

What is your favorite thing about the Josephinum?
Well, I have a few. First, we have four chapels with the Blessed Sacrament reserved, where we can go pray any time of day or night. It is such a blessing to have the Lord so close. Additionally the fraternity/brotherhood, with my fellow seminarians is irreplaceable. It is so great to be surrounded by likeminded men, seeking the Lord together.

Where are you helping for your summer assignment?
I am assigned this summer to the Parish of St. Peter in Chillicothe. Additionally, I do some work for the Josephinum, the vocations office, and Catholic Youth Summer Camp.

Do you help with any masses or sacraments?
I serve at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass here daily at St. Peters. Additionally, I go with Fr. Hahn on sick calls for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick. I will also serve a few weddings here at the parish.

Do you help out with your parish’s youth group?
I am assisting with the St. Peter youth group, and actually organizing a retreat/lock-in for them. I also will be teaching at Vacation Bible Schoold.

What other things are you doing this summer?
Additionally this summer I am training for the Columbus Marathon this fall, which I will be running to support the Pregnancy Decision Health Centers of Columbus. I also spent one week as a counselor at Catholic Youth Summer Camp. Additionally, I am reading some books (we have a seminarian book club), learning Greek, spending time with friends, cooking, biking, and spending time in prayer as I prepare to enter theology this fall.

Where are the Seminarians? – Tom Gardner

Leave a reply

Name: Tom Gardner
Hometown: Bexley, Ohio
Age: 25

How many years have you been at the Josephinum? 
I have been there for 3 years.

How did you know you wanted to be a priest?
I first started to clearly hear the call to the priesthood when I was in college as a part of the group Saint Paul’s Outreach. It was as a member of this awesome group that I grew a lot in my faith and started praying going to Mass on a daily basis and attending Eucharistic adoration on a weekly basis as well. This helped my relationship with Jesus grow a lot and through that relationship I began to hear God calling me to the priesthood.

What is your favorite thing about the Josephinum?
My favorite thing about the Josephinum is that I get to learn from and observe awesome priests every day. They provide me with a great example of holiness to pursue with the grace of God.

Where are you helping for your summer assignment?
My summer assignment is at Saints Simon and Jude parish in West Jefferson, OH with Fr. Bob Kitsmiller

Do you help with any masses or sacraments?
I regularly get to serve and read at Mass at Saints Simon and Jude. I have also been privileged to go out with Father on several hospital visits and be there as he administers the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Also, it has been awesome to be able to help bring Holy Communion to the sick and home bound people of the parish. The strong faith of those who are in hard situations and unable to get to Mass has really been an inspiration to me. Even though their injuries and sicknesses are limiting and sometimes serious, they all trust in God’s plan for their lives! What an inspiration!

Do you help out with your parish’s youth group?
It has been fun working with the youth group here because my friend Brendan O’Rourke from college is the youth minister. I have been able to hang out with the young men and women of the parish at youth group several times this summer and actually got to attend several of their graduation partiesl. That was very fun. We are planning a Zoombezie Bay trip for later this summer.

What other things are you doing this summer?
I was recently very privileged to attend a trip to the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, OH with the parish. It was an awesome chance for prayer and we all cam away very spiritually refreshed. I would encourage anyone who has not been out for a day to gather together a group and go. It is a beautiful church and the Franciscan brothers who run the shrine are good and holy men. Also, I was very blessed to be a counselor at CYSC. It was a great week of fun high adventure activities like jet skiing, zip lining and paint balling. Through my time at CYSC I was also able to grow deeper in my relationship with the Holy Spirit, which is the theme of camp this summer. Still to come are two weekend trips to my friends’ weddings and a family vacation to the beach in August. I’m also very much looking forward to helping out at the end of the month with VBS at the parish.