A gentle whisper

CDC bears fruit

Testimony of a Past Student, Brendan Jenke

I remember thinking about two weeks into my seminary training.  “How on earth did I manage to come to be here?”  It was a choice.  It was a ‘fiat’ to an invitation from God, and the time at CDC was an important part of my life that prepared me for responding to this call.  My choice to become a student at CDC has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I grew so much from the community life, the prayer and classes.  The pilgrimages were the highlight for me. There I was kneeling in front of Bishop Pompallier’s remains in the tiny church at Motiti. He epitomized for me that first group of Marists; leaving all behind, struggling with a new language (in fact, two!), trying to come to terms with Maori culture. They were so willing to serve a strange people, all for the sake of hearing and following Christ’s call. It was there I heard my call to mission.  It is incredible how much we all grew.  It was a real witness to how much God wants to pour His infinite love into each one of us.  The year at CDC was a foundation ‘rock’ for my faith, a rock on which I was able to make a confident ‘yes’ to the next adventure of my life as a seminarian.

Brendan reverencing Bishop Pompallier's remains

What the College gave me most was an environment of ‘stillness’.  The world is fast moving, noisy and busy, God was asking me to “Be Still.”  At CDC I was able to be still, not just for an hour, or a day, but for 9 months!  It is incredible what God will reveal and whisper to you when you give Him your time.  He has something to say to everyone.