The dramatic World War II series, “Band of Brothers,” told the story of Easy Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101 Airborne Division. The story begins with them in 1942 at jump school, as they learn how to become paratroopers. The story follows them through many major operations in the European theater of the war, until the end of the war. The men in this company came from all sorts of different backgrounds. Some grew up in privilege, while others grew up on the streets. Throughout the war, they became a family. These men, who had little in common with the man next to him, grew close to one another and became a family. They became a family; a means of support during the horrible times they would experience during the war.
After the war ended, most of these men were happy to shed their uniforms and return to a life outside of the service. However, even though they went their separate ways, most of the men from Easy Company kept in touch. The bonds they had formed in combat would outlast the war and continue as each began their own journey in life. Just like some families gather together every couple years, these men would have reunions too. Here the survivors could come back together and share the memories of the war, as well as their own stories of the families they had started. As their families grew, so did their reunions. Their families did not just consist of blood relatives, but also the men they had served with.
I was looking for this brotherhood and experience of the world when I tried to enlist in the United States Army. But God had different plans for me. I ended up being medically disqualified from the Army, and I was a little disappointed. I thought I never was going to experience that brotherhood or camaraderie that the men of Easy Company had experienced. As I continued working and going to school this dream seemed to get farther and farther away.
I would finally find this brotherhood I was looking for in a surprising place: the seminary. I can honestly say that the seminary teaches you many things, but probably the most important thing I have learned was how to love others. Before this time, I can say the only brothers I had were my two actual older brothers. Since my time at the seminary, my family has grown from five people to over sixty. Just like the real “Band of Brothers,” the men you meet in the seminary come from all over the world and from different walks of life. As you get to know each other, often times you start to become friendly with the families of the other guys. You end up being “spiritually adopted” by other families, as well as some parishioners. Our families grow more and more with each year we spend at the seminary.
While we are not facing military combat, we still face different struggles and problems each day together. Nobody should go through the seminary thinking they are alone. If we are facing a problem, we can be sure that someone else has also faced it and overcame it. Our seminary provides us with many tools, and the men we are learning with will be a great help and aid in our journey towards Christ. Like any good family, we do disagree with each other at times, but we know we are able to rely on our brothers for the help and the support we need. Together, we grow in Christ’s love.
My time in the seminary has given me many gifts. One of the greatest gifts has been this brotherhood. In the seminary I have found that large family I wanted. Amazing things happen when we open our hearts to the Lord, and to our brothers. I have been blessed to become friends with different guys from around the world. My family does not only consist of white, American traditions, we now are familiar with the food and customs from Korea, the Philippines, Mexico, and other foreign places like North Jersey. While I haven’t had a chance to see all the different parts of the world, I have been able to get a glimpse of them through some of the men I live with. Our seminary is pretty diverse and different than the place where I grew up in, but I really feel at home when I am there.
Families come in all different shapes and sizes. No family is ever perfect and not everyone is raised in the same way. We each come from different traditions and backgrounds. There is one person that unites all of us: Jesus Christ. It is through His love that together we can grow to become the men God is calling us to be.
Father Adam Cichoski
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