By Matthew Ockinga, Diocese of Yakima
Water contains a fluid spirituality. Catholics use it for baptism. Priests bless it. Jesus walked on it. There is something sacred about any body of water, and when such an entity is called St. Mary’s Lake, that seems to elevate the water’s sanctity.
Water contains a fluid spirituality. Catholics use it for baptism. Priests bless it. Jesus walked on it. There is something sacred about any body of water, and when such an entity is called St. Mary’s Lake, that seems to elevate the water’s sanctity.
“I think the lake is one of the biggest draws and one of the greatest blessings we have on campus,” said Deacon Robbie Cotta from the Archdiocese of Atlanta. “It usually puts me in a position interiorly of gratitude, just enjoying creation in its simplicity and its goodness.”
In many ways, St. Mary’s Lake is the defining asset of a campus full of distinct beauty and aesthetic delights. A springfed lake, it covers approximately 106 acres and ranges in depth from a few feet to as much as 18 feet. Originally dubbed Mud Lake due to its swampy nature, it became a popular point of recreation before Mundelein Seminary existed. Businessman Arthur Sheldon purchased the property and changed the name to Lake Eara. When George Cardinal Mundelein purchased the property from Sheldon in 1920, he renamed the water to honor Our Lady. With myriad academic, pastoral and spiritual duties on their plates, seminarians consider the lake’s waters a refuge of recreation and prayer.
For fishers of men looking to be fishers of fish, the lake provides many catch-and release candidates. Besides largemouth bass, St. Mary’s Lake houses catfish, bluegill, crappie, sun fish and, to the chagrin of many, common carp and grass carp.
Cotta recalls his first semester of second theology being especially grueling with classes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on certain days. After class, he found physical and spiritual renewal in casting.
“Sometimes, I have to check myself to remind myself that fishing doesn’t take the place of prayer time,” Cotta said, laughing. “But I think there is a spiritual aspect to it; sometimes the bite will slow down … I can just sit down and pray and do a Rosary.”
In addition to anglers, paddlers of different strokes glide on the lake’s waters. The boat house that sits on the east edge of the lake shelters various vessels, including canoes, rowboats, a sailboat, a pontoon boat and kayaks. Two such kayaks belong to John De Palma, a third-year theologian studying for the Archdiocese of Seattle. De Palma worked as a physical therapist for many years and fell in love with competitive kayaking in Cashmere and Wenatchee, Washington. In 2003, he moved to Gainesville, Georgia, to pursue his kayaking career. He owned a home on Lake Lanier, where he trained as the thought of the priesthood entered his heart.
“A lot of my discernment occurred in a kayak, either peaceful quiet mornings or really vigorous, hard training sessions,” he said. “That’s where I was able to chew on things, process things, so it was largely between the adoration chapel and the lake that I discerned to enter seminary.”
After his board interviews for Mundelein, De Palma walked around the lake and felt a sense of peace. While honing his kayaking technique, he simultaneously views the lake as an aquatic chapel where prayer and paddle meet.
“For most of my life, getting off of land and being in the water puts me in a different perspective of life that often helps me to let go of those worries that I carry when I’m walking,” he said. “Here in seminary, being on the water helps me to see life from a different perspective in a way that is very freeing and allows me to come back to my studies and my prayer with a different perspective.”
Other seminarians simply enjoy the lake’s beauty and complete Holy Hours and rosaries on the three-mile walking path around its perimeter. Some even use it as a setting for homily preparation. Water contains a fluid spirituality, and the seminarians of Mundelein find St. Mary’s Lake to be life-giving waters.
This article originally ran in the Fall 2020/Winter 2021 issue of the seminarian-produced BRIDGE magazine. The full magazine can be viewed here.
