Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin (USA), OFFICE OF VOCATIONS

Seminarian abandons law books for law of love

By Patrick Slattery

Staff Writer

LA CROSSE – Jim Altman has left behind the practice of civil law in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to embark on studies that in five and a half years, by God’s will, will lead to his ordination as a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse.

Now a newly-arrived seminarian at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, he is preparing to serve in a new profession in a new land.

Altman, 44, hails from Saulte Ste. Marie, located on the far northeastern tip of the U.P., and directly across the waters from Canada. It’s a 10-hour drive to La Crosse, and a descent, by comparison, to banana belt country compared to his homeland.

Altman said the truths of Catholicism have always made sense to him, and he gives much credit to the nuns in Catholic schools for early instilling him with Catholic convictions.

Studying at Lake Superior State College, he first earned a business degree that led to jobs in accounting and banking. But early on in his working days, he recalls, he simply couldn’t get too intense about the goal of making a lot of money.

"People used to ask me why I was doing this work, because they knew I didn’t share their enthusiasm," he said.

Altman returned to school for three years to earn his law degree and returned to Chippewa County, Mich., to specialize in practice that dealt with family, juvenile and probate law issues.

The area’s economy in times past, he noted, was based on jobs at military bases, but these operations closed and created high unemployment levels. But a new "industry" of correctional facilities has taken over some of these sites, noted Altman. While these jobs are well paying, they also bring forth a plethora of social problems.

Catholic Church-related sex abuse scandals were high profile throughout 2002. But as a family law practitioner, Altman notes these relatively few cases are dwarfed in comparison to the frequency of sex abuse of minors occurring in family and shared household circles. Cases involving these sorts of incidents were common court case fare for him, and it was not uplifting to be involved in these kinds of troubles.

While giving some occasional consideration to the priesthood, Altman did not feel inspired to pursue a vocation.

Returning home one day from eucharistic adoration, though, Altman fielded an out-of-the-blue call from Father Joe Hirsch, vocation director for the La Crosse diocese. Someone in La Crosse who had met Altman briefly and was impressed by his faith convictions had passed on his name to Father Hirsch. The latter extended an invitation to Altman to visit and take a look-see. Altman liked what he saw, and returned home to close up his law practice and moved into Blessed Sacrament rectory Oct 1.

Here he found a parish full of engaged and committed Cath-olics. The big turnouts for the two daily Masses at 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. demonstrate the faith’s vitality here, he believes.

Altman adds that rectory life at Blessed Sacrament has been everything and more than he hoped it would be. In Father Robert Hundt and Father John Potaczek, he has found role models of the kind of priest he hopes to be: extremely hard working and tireless in a Christ-centered spirit of self-sacrifice, demonstrating as well full loyal to their bishop and pope.

The day ends at Blessed Sacrament with dinner served around 9 p.m. and extended conversation that follows oftentimes on weighty topics of faith and matters of substance.

Two other seminarians who hail from afar, Joseph Redfern from Australia and Jeremy Priest from Traverse City, Mich., also claim Blessed Sacrament as their adopted home when they return to the diocese from their seminary studies. Two more new seminarians also will be living here in 2003.

Like other new seminarians, Altman met privately with the bishop after being accepted by the diocese’s seminarian review board shortly after Christmas.

He intends to keep foremost in mind the four points made to him by Bishop Burke: 1. Always spent regular time before the Holy Eucharist in prayer. 2. Always pray to our Blessed Mother, our Queen of priests, and she will take care of you. 3. Maintain absolutely loyalty to the magisterium and the church. 4. Look upon celibacy not as a burden but a gift that gives you the freedom to serve God with an undivided heart.

In considering the possibilities of his priesthood, Altman would like to receive specialized training in canon law. That way, he said, someday he might fulfill the same duties as now undertaken by Father Hundt, who in addition to being Blessed Sacrament’s pastor, is also judicial vicar for the marriage tribunal.

Pubilished in the Catholic Times, January 21, 2003

2002-2004. Office of Vocations, Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin (USA). Questions and Comments? Contact The Administrator.