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Patrick Cullinan '20: Discerning the Call
Amy Barnard
Patrick Cullinan '20: Discerning the Call
Today we profile alum Patrick Cullinan '20 as part of our Five Under Twenty-Five series. Cullinan attended Minnehaha Academy from 2016-2020 and recently graduated with a Classical Languages degree from Fordham University.
Spot on the Map | I'm currently in Rome, Italy, where I was selected to be a Rome Fellow at the Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study.
Focal Point | While in Rome I will study the city and its culture, learn Italian, and gain teaching experience through Paideia's programs. I'll also be staying with a local family.
Diving Deeper | Prior to becoming a Rome Fellow, my many conversations with Fordham's population of priests and scholastics led me to pitch a documentary to Fordham's Center on Religion and Culture, which was gracious enough to fund the project through a Duffy Fellowship. The project was a collaboration with my friend Jay Doherty, and looks at Catholic men going through the process of discerning whether or not they are called to the priesthood.
Cullinan speaking during the screening of the documentary.
Personal Takeaway | One of the priests, Fr. Bavinger, said that "to be a discerning person, you have to be a praying person." Another, Fr. Nacciarone, elaborated on that idea: "Get to know Jesus, that's all. Just pray about the Gospels." I have taken this advice to heart. I want my decisions, especially my biggest decisions, to be guided by prayer and, as much as possible, by the God revealed in scripture.
Audience responding to the talk back at the screening of the documentary.
See it for Yourself | The documentary can be viewed at discerningthecall.com—our official website.
Fun Fact | I recently walked across Rome to visit every obelisk standing in the city. These obelisks were imported from Egypt in the time of the Roman Empire, and some were built in the time of Moses. Talk about history! It's easy to become inured to ancient things here. Oh that church is 1500 years old? Yesterday we saw one that was 1700 years old. But an obelisk which is over 3000 years old? That'll impress anyone.
The Vatican. Photo courtesy Leonhard Niederwimmer, at Pixabay.
Obelisks in Rome. Some such obelisks came from Egypt as far back 3,000 years ago, with crosses being added as late as the 1700's. Photos courtesy Canva.
Note: Patrick also wrote a handful of articles over at America Magazine. You can read his articles here.
- Alumni
- Distinctively Christian