Entering religious life is often misunderstood as “the end of personal identity or ambition”. Seminarians Kagen Kieftenbeld and Noah Kungel begged to differ.
Kagen, entering his third year of seminary, is in his eighth season as a wildland firefighter. And fellow seminarian Noah, beginning his seventh year of formation, just wrapped his second summer with the fire crew.
For both seminarians, firefighting isn’t a break from formation; it’s an extension of it. Their experience echoes the perspective of Fr. Sylvain Casavant (Rector of St Joseph’s Seminary), who affirms that every moment in life carries the potential to form us more deeply in Christ:
“Every moment of a person’s life has a formative element to it. What we hear, what we see, what we touch all influence and form us in some way… Our seminarians’ experiences with firefighting are opportunities to be formed by their dedicated colleagues. Rubbing shoulders while working for the common good will challenge them, teach them humility, and bring mutual fortitude. Working and praying in the midst of it all, they will witness Christ’s presence — and return to the seminary enriched by that experience.”
For Noah, the call to fight wildfires was rooted in a lifelong love of nature and a desire to serve in community.
“Since I was a child, I’ve always loved being outdoors, especially in the mountains,” he said. The opportunity to work in the wilderness alongside fellow Catholics was a blessing; praying together daily helped center their busy, demanding days.
Noah sees a direct link to his priestly vocation: the need for community and shared grace: “Christ did not entrust his ministry to just one person. We are called to share the work together, relying on God’s grace and one another.”
Kagen echoed the importance of community and long-term commitment. Having spent six years in the Grande Prairie forest area, he’s built deep relationships that mirror the parish life of a diocesan priest. He says “Serving alongside others for years cultivates obedience and a love that’s about laying down your life for friends.”
As a Helitack Crew Leader for the last four summers, Kagen’s responsibility for his crew’s safety and fire strategy sharpens his decision-making skills, which he hopes will translate into shepherding souls effectively in his future parish minister.
Noah finds renewal in the hard manual labour. After months of rigorous intellectual work at seminary, working outdoors offers a physical and spiritual reset. His summers have reinforced the idea that serving God means using both body and soul — whether it’s through study or sweat. “often times when I am in the seminary, struggling away at the intellectual grind of rigorous studies, I long for the opportunity to just go outside, cut down a tree ” he said. “There’s something deeply good about sweating through a job and knowing it’s well done.”
Kagen Kieftenbeld echoed this theme, describing firefighting as his “summer ministry.” Out of the structured environment of seminary, his faith is tested in the ordinariness and intensity of life on the fireline. “It’s where the rubber hits the road,” he said. “Personally, I experience the prayer life of a lay man: attending to the sacraments as best as I can and experiencing the solitude of the Sacred Heart in a world and line of work that is, at times, hostile to the faith.” He finds solidarity with everyday Catholics striving to pray amidst pressure, and he leans into the spiritual discipline of ora et labora: prayer and work.
“I have been blessed to have met so many people on and off the fireline and share them the Good News–Jesus Christ is Lord and he loves you! .”