Intercultural Experience Influences Formation
Fr. Zachary Smith
The following was published in The Mission Continues - Stories of Divine Word Alumni in 2021. At that time, Fr. Zachary Smith, SVD, was in his second year of the Overseas Training Program (also known as Cross-cultural Training Program) as part of his formation. Fr. Zachary was ordained on May 22, 2024.
Attending classes at the University of Pittsburgh exposed Zachary Smith to people from different places and backgrounds but he says the experience was like a multicultural living arrangement – students existed in the same space but had limited interactions.
It wasn’t until he entered Divine Word College that the young American felt invited to engage with his peers, helping him become more interculturally competent and globally aware.
“It also prepared me to live in another country and to more easily transition into a different culture and lifestyle,” he said.
Cultural celebrations like Mission Sunday were always a highlight of the DWC school year for Zachary because he says the events afforded students an opportunity to learn about diversity in a more relaxed setting.
Today, Zachary is in his second year of his Overseas Training Program (OTP) in Japan. He says his earlier aspirations of pursuing a medical degree with a focus on genetic research feels like a different life now.
Still, it wasn’t always easy. During his time at DWC, he occasionally struggled with patience and trust. In fact, those same issues still nag at him today sometimes but Zachary said he’s come to realize it’s important to trust yourself and the formation process.
“We do not know what God has planned for us and I think that it is easy to become discouraged, especially as the initial allure of religious life starts to vanish and both the joys and challenges become more visible,” he said.
The years that Zachary spent at DWC were his first experience with the Society of the Divine Word so he says there’s a long list of faculty members who helped shape him into the seminarian he is today. Frs. Bill Shea, SVD, Tim Lenchak, SVD, Ken Anich, SVD and Thang Hoang, SVD were especially influential. Listening to missionaries reflect on their own experiences of service helped Zachary confirm that he was pursuing the right path.
“I feel that I learned a lot about the SVDs from them, and beyond that, about the type of person I wish to become and who God is inviting me to become as well,” he said. “I feel that their presence in my life, combined with so many others, has helped me and continues to guide me in formation today.”
Once he completes his overseas training, Zachary hopes to return to Chicago and complete a dual-degree program with a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology.
“I feel that I am continuously challenged to find different ways to serve others and to be more conscious of those on the margins of society, who I was certainly aware of before joining the SVD, but not as engaged with,” he said.
