Upon becoming a Seton Teaching Fellow, one of the initial opportunities is to adopt a life of simplicity, which can look different for each community. To increase solidarity with those we serve, some commit to only shopping locally, limiting excursions to restaurants, or even just going to mass at the neighborhood church. While it looks different for every community, the Cohort 11 men’s community in Texas took a unique step towards greater simplicity: each of the three men traded in their smartphone for a “dumb phone.”
These three men, Tomas Cruz of New Jersey, Michael Pecha of California, and Spencer Favaloro of Louisiana, all embraced the simplicity (and sacrifice) of leaving behind the distraction of a smartphone while on mission. Together, they are able to support each other in their desire for holiness and discipline.
“For me, living a life of simplicity as a missionary means growing more detached from worldly things in order to make room for God . While behaviorally that may mean limiting the amount of purchases I make, or limiting my wardrobe, or using a dumb phone, doing those things are supposed to make us recognize our reliance on God,” says Michael. “By living more simply, I can learn how reliant I truly am on God to help and provide for me.”
Relationships built on Christ
This relationship with God is at the core of what drew these men to Seton Teaching Fellows . They each experienced a personal interaction that helped them see the beauty of Seton’s mission and how it could bring them closer to God.
“I heard about Seton from STF alumnus Jack Morgan who visited my university. He and I had met before at a friend’s wedding,” says Spencer. “After reconnecting, he told me about Seton, and what drew me in was the opportunity to serve on mission and meet other like-minded Catholics.”
Like Spencer, Michael heard about the opportunity over coffee at school. “What really drew me was the adventure and opportunity to serve with other Catholics in education,” says Michael, who is completing the STF mission year before he heads to Creighton University medical school.
Similarly, Tomas also heard about Seton Teaching Fellows from a former fellow visiting his campus. He was drawn in by the need in students for a masculine presence and the desire to receive holistic formation.
While on mission, the community has helped each other grow in many ways—both in a life of simplicity and brotherhood.
“No one is truly like anyone else, and so it’s really beautiful to see how Christ is here to unite us when there would be absolutely no reason for us to know each other outside of being fellows,” says Tomas. “We have been great influences to each other and have peer pressured each other into greater holiness and commitment to pursuing life with Christ both in the present and for our future.”
“No one is truly like anyone else, and so it’s really beautiful to see how Christ is here to unite us when there would be absolutely no reason for us to know each other outside of being fellows,”
Tomas cruz
Getting a Dumbphone
Even community living can help develop a life of simplicity. With only one shower and bathroom to share while all living on the same schedule, fellows have to learn to share resources with patience. By making small sacrifices, they grow in discipline and make space for the other.
Flip phones, though, mark a larger divergence from the norms of society. For Michael, the change happened shortly before his fellow year.
“I started using my dumb phone last January because my iPhone broke and I got a light phone for free due to being part of a club at the University of Dallas. I figured I would just save the money and switch over as I had had that desire for a long time. The transition was honestly very easy as I did not have social media and I used my computer to save my photos. Quite a few of my friends had dumb phones already, so I knew what to expect going in,” says Michael.
The fruits of this lifestyle change have been manifold. “I became a lot less reliant on technology in my day to day life. I began reading more, talking with people more as I could no longer turn to my phone to doom-scroll if I was out and about. Also, I was able to focus a lot better in class and picked up some more hobbies.”
The switch obviously involves some challenges—especially the lack of Spotify and a GPS. Michael has come up with solutions to solve these issues. “I got a GPS for my car which works pretty well, but not being able to listen to a lot of music during workouts or car trips has been really difficult,” says Michael. “I just listen to a lot of radio.”
Despite these challenges, the men hope that the fruits of their sacrifices will continue to grow in their careers and vocations beyond life on mission.
“I can see a lot of fruit occurring in medical school as I begin my studies and especially within a future marriage as I would develop my relationship with my wife and children,” Michael adds.
Ultimately, this move towards a simpler life is preparation for the greater challenges of Christian life. According to Michael, “By preparing myself now, I can be better prepared for whatever challenges may occur.”
