Pastoral letter calls for new deacons in the Archdiocese of Vancouver

New document highlights the role of permanent deacons in the Church

Painting: St. Peter consecrates Lawrence of Rome as a deacon in a fresco from 1447-49 by Fra Angelico and Benozzo Gozzoli. St. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who was martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258 AD.

By Brent Mattson
The B.C. Catholic

VANCOUVER--Recently Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, announced a program to form permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Now the archbishop has released a pastoral letter (available on the Archiocese of Vancouver's website ) providing more detail.

"The permanent diaconate is meant to be a driving force for the Church's service toward the local Christian communities," he wrote in the letter, released Feb. 25.

"Because the deacon is a public and living icon of Christ the Servant within the Church, his ministry encourages all the baptized to commit themselves to service of the ecclesial community and the world," the archbishop said.

Quoting Pope John Paul II, Archbishop Miller wrote that the permanent deacon is a great gift of God to the Church.

The archbishop noted that the encouragement of recent Popes, as well as recommendations from the Archdiocesan Synod, Presbyteral Council, and Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, led him to the decision that it was time to call permanent deacons to serve the archdiocese.

"Increasingly we recognize that every baptized person has a calling to share the faith," he wrote.

Because men must be between the ages of 35 and 65 to enter the diaconate, the archbishop said they will bring experience from their secular careers and family lives that will help expand the presence of Church ministries in the various spheres of public life.

"Permanent deacons will add yet another dimension to our witness and service, while supporting the ministries that are already exercised in such fruitful ways," the archbishop wrote. "Deacons are ordained to proclaim the Gospel and preach the Word of God at the liturgy, as well as to be a herald of this Word to the faithful and the world."

Though they cannot celebrate Mass, deacons will have a liturgical role at Mass, as well as the ability to baptize, witness marriages, preside at funerals and burials, and conduct prayer services for the sick and dying.

The archbishop said that deacons are a sign of the Church's service to the world, and therefore must be dedicated to works of charity and justice.

"I will expect them to bring the poor to the Church and the Church to the poor, whether that poverty is material, spiritual, or cultural," he said.

New president/rector named for Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Ohio

From the Catholic Telegraph

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has appointed Father Benedict O’Cinnsealaigh the 35th president/rector of the Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary’s Seminary.

The new appointment, announced Feb. 14, takes effect July 1.

The archbishop also created the position of vice rector and appointed Father Anthony R. Brausch, an instructor of philosophy, to fill the post.

Archbishop Schnurr said he is asking Father O’Cinnsealaigh “to give special attention to recruiting more dioceses to send their seminarians here, while continuing the spiritual, human and liturgical formation of our seminarians and growing the Athenaeum’s role in the diocese as a center of education and training both for the work of the lay ecclesial ministry and for outreach and evangelization to teachers and families.”

“I want to reiterate my commitment to Mount St. Mary’s and the Athenaeum, and to the stated goal of this institution to become one of the premier institutions in the church in the United States for the education and formation of priests and laity,” he added.

Since 2004, Father O’Cinnsealaigh has served as director of seminary formation at the Athenaeum of Ohio’s Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, which is the third-oldest Catholic seminary in the United States.

Achbishop Schnurr thanked outgoing president/rector Father Edward P. Smith for his almost seven years of service, citing many accomplishments during his tenure at the helm of the Athenaeum and its seminary.

“I feel very fortunate to have served at Mount St. Mary’s with Father Smith for the last 11 years,” said Father O’Cinnsealaigh. “He has been very effective in his ministry here and has been a kind and insightful mentor. I hope I can build on his work as he has built on the good work of those who went before him.”

During Father Smith’s watch, the Athenaeum conducted the most successful capital campaign in its 181-year history, recently raising more than $19 million — some 21 percent above the goal of $15.75 million.

Father Smith never left the classroom during his tenure, continuing to teach seminarians, deacons and lay ministers.

Archbishop Schnurr noted that the final phase of the expansion of seminarian housing from 46 to 70 suites came under Father Smith’s leadership and positions Mount St. Mary’s Seminary for future growth at a time when vocations to the Catholic priesthood are critically needed.

“The Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary’s Seminary has given me so much. For 15 years of my life — four as a seminarian and 11 on the faculty — I have lived and worked with many wonderful people,” Father Smith said. “My vocation was formed here, and in the past years it has been strengthened by the zeal and commitment of our current students and faculty. . . . My life, my vocation, and my ministry are better for having been here.”

Father O’Cinnsealaigh, 47, is a native of Dublin, Ireland, who was ordained to the priesthood in 1993, the same year he came to the United States. He holds a degree in humanities from All Hallows College, Dublin; a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome; and a licentiate in sacred theology and a doctorate in sacred theology from the International Marian Research Institute, Dayton.

Prior to being assigned to the Athenaeum in 2000, Father O’Cinnsealaigh was assistant pastor of Holy Angels Parish, Sidney, while also serving as head of the religion department and campus minister at Lehman Catholic High School. He earlier served as assistant pastor at St. Albert the Great Parish, Kettering.

He became a U.S. citizen in 2004, the same year he was named “Teacher of the Year” at the seminary. In addition to his role as director of seminary formation, he also has served as director of permanent diaconate formation and as assistant professor of theology since 2000. He holds the recently created Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk Chair in Systematic Theology.

“I feel somewhat anxious about taking on this new ministry, but being surrounded by so many good, faithful, and competent collaborators is encouraging and also exciting. The archbishop has a dynamic vision for the Athenaeum and the seminary, and the next few years should prove to be exciting and hopefully fruitful for the church,” Father O’Cinnsealaigh said.

"Why This Life?"

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal Postulant Class of 2009

(l-r) Fr. Gabriel Bakkar, Vocation Director; Br. Pius Gagne; Mark Ames (California); Rusty Montgomery (Nebraska); Simeon Lewis (Vermont); Eric Pesce (Pennsylvania); Eric Chloupek (Nebraska); Adam Boyden (Ohio); Andrew Pasternack (Ohio); Anthony Redfield (Delaware); Brendan Laracy (Massachusetts); Br. Aloysius Mazzone; Fr. Luke Fletcher, Postulant Director

From the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal website:

Grace and peace to you!

On September 8th, the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, the friars and sisters gathered to receive and welcome our nine new postulant brothers. Earlier in the day, the sisters gathered to do the same for their six new sister candidates, who will become postulants in February. Thanks be to God for his grace and mercy at work in the lives of our new brothers and sisters! Thanks be to God for this abundant harvest of vocations for the Church. Thanks be to God for their simple “yes” because it was through one particular “yes” that the Creator of the universe took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

The men and women who join us each year are for us a real sign of God’s provision, mercy, and grace. This day is for us an opportunity to grow in a humble awareness of God’s blessings. The Lord increases our numbers, he multiplies our works, he gives us his joy, he anoints us with his Holy Spirit, he disciplines us as his sons and daughters, and he leaves us with his peace and joy even during the most difficult struggles – often with our own sinfulness.

Please pray that we learn more and more each day that it is only through God’s grace and mercy that he chooses to bless us as he does. Whatever good we do is not ours but is his alone. The Lord clearly has no problem using weak and rusty tools to carry out his work, because he certainly knows our faults, failures, and sinfulness. Let all the glory be his…please pray that we do not take any for ourselves!

Please pray for our nine new brothers who will now begin the six-month formation period prior to becoming friar novices, and the first stage of their lifelong formation period prior to becoming friar saints.

May Jesus and Mary reign in our hearts!

Ave Maria!

Br. Aloysius Marie Mazzone, CFR

St. Joseph Friary
Harlem, NY

Vatican to Prepare Document on Seminarians

From ZENIT

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 19, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican is aiming to prepare a "brief, forceful and very clear" document on the formation of seminarians as one of the elements to close the Year for Priests.

This was affirmed by Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, in an interview with L'Osservatore Romano today.

The archbishop explained that the preparation of the document over upcoming months will imply a meeting of the congregation's permanent commission, made up of members of various dicasteries who deal with the formation of future priests.

The congregation, the prelate added, wants to send a message to priests that they have been "chosen, [the priesthood] is an honor. Be happy to be a priest."

Archbishop Bruguès added that "a good number of the youth who apply to the formation centers in nations such as Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the United States have a very good professional formation, sometimes high level university education, but they lack general culture, and above all, a Christian culture."

The archbishop recommended compensating for this lack with a preparatory year at the beginning of seminary formation, such that the formation process itself is adapting to the profile of present generations.

The congregation oversees 2,700 seminaries, 1,200 Catholic universities and 250,000 Catholic schools around the world.

In these institutions, Archbishop Bruguès said, "we are developing a culture of excellence, putting special emphasis in the integral formation of the person, especially his spiritual dimension, which runs the risk of being forgotten in a secularized society."

The Rome Experience - A Summer Program for Diocesan Seminarians

The Rome Experience Blog

POPE BENEDICT XVI: "FORMATION OF PRIESTS IS A DELICATE MISSION"

VATICAN CITY, 6 JUN 2009 (VIS) - This morning the Pope received the rector, priests and seminarians of Rome's Pontifical French Seminary. The institution, having been run for 150 years by the Holy Ghost Fathers, is now to pass under the aegis of the Conference of Bishops of France.

Having given thanks to God "for the work accomplished by this institution, founded in 1853, where some 5,000 seminarians have been prepared for their future vocations", the Holy Father highlighted how "the task of forming priests is a delicate mission. ... Future priests require many aptitudes: human maturity, spiritual qualities, apostolic zeal and intellectual rigour", he said.

"Those whose duty it is to discern and form [seminarians] must remember that the hope they place in others is, first and foremost, a duty they themselves must shoulder".

Benedict XVI then went on to recall that the change of administration "coincides with the beginning of the Year for Priests", due to be inaugurated on 19 June. "This", he said, "is a grace for the new team of priest formators from the Conference of Bishops of France".

In closing his remarks, the Pope expressed the hope that "during the period they spend in Rome, the seminarians may familiarise themselves with the history of the Church, discovering the true dimensions of her catholicity and her living unity around Peter's Successor, and always maintaining love for the Church alive in their hearts".

Vocation Formation - Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY
PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Vatican City State, May 13, 1996

Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo President of the Pontifical Council for the Family
+ Most. Rev. Francisco Gil Hellín Secretary

1. Preparation for marriage, for married and family life, is of great importance for the good of the Church. In fact, the sacrament of Marriage has great value for the whole Christian community and, in the first place, for the spouses whose decision is such that it cannot be improvised or made hastily. In the past, this preparation could count on the support of society which recognized the values and benefits of marriage. Without any difficulties or doubts, the Church protected the sanctity of marriage with the awareness that this sacrament represented an ecclesial guarantee as the living cell of the People of God. At least in the communities that were truly evangelized, the Church's support was solid, unitary and compact. In general, separations and marriage failures were rare, and divorce was considered a social "plague" (cf. Gaudium et Spes = GS, 47).

Today, on the contrary, in many cases, we are witnessing an accentuated deterioration of the family and a certain corrosion of the values of marriage. In many nations, especially economically developed ones, the number of marriages has decreased. Marriage is usually contracted at a later age and the number of divorces and separations is increasing, even during the first years of married life. All this inevitably leads to a pastoral concern that comes up repeatedly: Are the persons contracting marriage really prepared for it? The problem of preparation for the sacrament of Marriage and the life that follows emerges as a great pastoral need, first for the sake of the spouses, for the whole Christian community and for society. Therefore, interest in, and initiatives for providing adequate and timely answers to preparation for the sacrament of Marriage are growing everywhere.

-

Read the rest of the document HERE.

"Dissenters from Catholic Teaching Not Being Fired Often Enough from Seminary Posts: Vatican Report"

From Life Site News
By Hilary White

ROME, January 16, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Vatican report on the moral and intellectual life of US seminaries, begun in 2005, has said that the main problems lie with professors who overtly or subtly dissent from Catholic moral teaching. Such professors, the report said, are not frequently enough fired from their positions.

“Quite often,” the report said, “the Visitation discovered one or more faculty members who, although not speaking openly against Church teaching, let the students understand - through hints, off-the-cuff remarks, etc. - their disapproval of some articles of Magisterial teaching.” The report next says that although procedures exist to fire such dissenting faculty, these “are not invoked as often as they should be.”

The Vatican report, signed by Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski, Prefect Congregation for Catholic Education, is the result of a Vatican-led investigation of American seminaries following the explosion of the clergy sex-abuse scandals in 2001. Although written in carefully diplomatic language typical of high level Vatican offices, the report uses unusually blunt terms, especially in its criticisms of seminaries run by religious orders, such as the Jesuits or Dominicans.

What the report calls a “lack of harmony” in the formation of priests “is almost always” due to educators “being less than faithful to the Magisterium of the Church.”

While most media, including Catholic News Service, a body of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, has reported that the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education has found the US seminaries to be in “overall good health,” the document notes that in “centres of formation for religious,” “ambiguities still exist” in the problem of acceptance of homosexual activity or inclinations. The report urges seminary educators and evaluators to continue to watch candidates for signs of homosexual tendencies and “underscores” the importance of the Vatican instruction that prohibits accepting as candidates men who suffer from long-term and deeply ingrained homosexual inclinations.

In the wake of the US clergy abuse scandals that broke into the public eye in 2001, the prevalence of homosexuals in the US priesthood was widely downplayed as a cause. Despite the publication of a report that found that over 80 per cent of the perpetrators were homosexuals and their victims adolescent males, not young children, Church officials and media alike continue to insist that the crisis is purely one of “priestly paedophilia.”

In its section on intellectual formation, the report noted, “In a few seminaries, and particularly in some schools of theology run by religious [orders], dissent is widespread” especially in the area of moral theology, which includes the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. “It is not rare in religious institutes to find basic tenets of Catholic moral doctrine being called into question.”

The report agrees in the main with many faithful Catholic writers and commentators such as George Weigel, a Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, who maintained that in addition to new policies that allowed homosexuals to be accepted as seminarians, it was more general infidelity to orthodox Catholic teaching, the “culture of dissent,” that was responsible for the sex abuse scandals.

Many Catholic commentators observed that the spike in abuse cases occurred at the time when seminaries, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council and the sexual and social revolutions of the 1960s and ‘70s, ceased screening candidates according to standards based on the traditional moral teachings of Catholicism.

The report also makes mention of the acquiescence in some seminaries, again particularly those run by religious orders, to pressure to accept the concept of women’s ordination. In its critique, the report said that seminaries are hampered by “mistaken” fears of offending those “who judge the reservation of the Sacrament of Holy Orders [priesthood] to men alone as discriminatory.”

The report indicates also the decline in many seminaries, widely reported anecdotally by priests and seminarians, of the traditional Catholic devotional life. The report called it “profoundly regrettable” that many seminaries do not include such practices as the Rosary as a normal part of the day to day life of students. “Some institutes even have an atmosphere that discourages traditional acts of Catholic piety - which begs the question as to whether the faculty's ideas of spirituality are consonant with Church teaching and tradition.”

“Unless a great many seminaries introduce regular recitation of the Rosary, novenas, litanies, Stations of the Cross, and so on, the seminarians will lack an education in the sacramentals and will be unprepared for ministry in the Church, which greatly treasures these practices.”

The report, on the other hand, praised the seminarians themselves, saying, “Almost without exception, the seminarians show authentic apostolic zeal and possess a ‘Catholic’ vision of Church life.”

To read the full text of the document:
http://www.usccb.org/cclv/final_report.pdf

"Apostolic visitation deems US seminaries generally healthy, notes numerous problems"

From Catholic World News

Jan. 15, 2009 (CWNews.com) - A Vatican investigation into American seminarians, undertaken in a response to the sex-abuse scandal, has given the institutions a passing grade but taken note of many difficulties.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has quietly posted on its web site the final report of the apostolic visitation of seminaries in the United States. Dated December 15, the report, issued by the prefect and secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, offers a generally positive assessment of US seminaries but notes numerous problems.

The apostolic visitation stemmed from an extraordinary April 2002 meeting between Roman curial prefects and cardinals and other leaders of the American hierarchy. Issued at the height of the clerical abuse scandal, the meeting’s final communique called for “a new and serious Apostolic Visitation of seminaries and other institutes of formation must be made without delay, with particular emphasis on the need for fidelity to the Church’s teaching, especially in the area of morality, and the need for a deeper study of the criteria of suitability of candidates to the priesthood.”

The visitation’s final report observes that “an Apostolic Visitation is a blunt instrument but by no means an infallible one,” providing only a brief snapshot of life in US seminaries. Intended to assist US bishops and major superiors in fulfilling their responsibilities related to seminaries, the report chronicles developments from 2002 to 2005, when the visitations, coordinated by Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, began. Visitations were conducted in 2005 and 2006.

The report then issued conclusions in several areas.

While concluding that “in the great majority of diocesan seminaries, the doctrine on the priesthood is well taught,” the report nonetheless noted in some seminaries, students have an “insufficient grasp” of Catholic teaching and the distinction between the common priesthood of the faithful and the hierarchal priesthood is blurred. Some religious institutes speak primarily of “ministry” rather than the priesthood in a “mistaken attempt” not to offend opponents of Catholic teaching on women’s ordination.

While praising bishops and major superiors for being “interested in and supportive of” seminaries, the report urged each bishop to make the seminary “the object of his most intense and assiduous pastoral care.” Although the majority of seminary rectors are “good and holy men,” not all are leaders who are “comfortable making difficult decisions.“ Rectors need to spend more time at the seminary, while frequent personnel changes among seminary faculty need to end. Praising “most diocesan seminaries” for the unity of their faculty with the magisterium, the report nonetheless noted the presence of some faculty members who dissent from magisterial teaching; such dissenters are “out of kilter with the rest of the faculty and with the seminarians themselves.”

“Quite often,” the visitors found faculty who mocked magisterial teaching without “speaking openly against Church teaching.”

“More widespread dissent” exists in other places, “particularly in institutes run by religious,” and in these places, “there can be no possibility of a unity in direction.” Dissenting superiors and faculty members, the report observed diplomatically, need to be removed.

The report also observed that the formation of laity “really ought to take place elsewhere” than at a seminary, which exists for the formation of candidates to the priesthood. If lay formation must take place there, laity should not “routinely be admitted” to certain areas.

Praising the criteria of admission of seminary candidates, the report nonetheless found grave deficiencies in seminary formation before the four years of theology formation. “Almost nowhere” has a propadeutic year before the two years of philosophical formation been implemented. While most college seminaries-- in which students receive philosophical formation-- are “good,” seminarians, before the four years of theology formation, are at times not formed with adequate oversight and are even not looked upon fully as seminarians. The report urged bishops to take a greater role in the acceptance or rejection of priestly formation candidates and noted that in some institutes, “lack of vocations has caused a lowering of standards,” with “possible wretched consequences.”

The report took special note of moral problems, primarily associated with homosexual behavior, in some US seminaries. While the situation has improved because of “better superiors (especially rectors),” there are “still some places-- usually centers of formation for religious-- where “ambiguity vis-à-vis homosexuality persists," the document said. Commenting on the report, the Congregation for Catholic Education urges American Church leaders to pay special attention to the 2005 document from the same dicastery on criteria for admission to seminaries-- a document which states homosexual men are not appropriate candidates for priestly training. The report on the Apostolic Visitation does not take into account the public statements from several American seminary officials who, in response to the 2005 directive, announced that they would continue to accept candidates with homosexual inclinations.

The report also noted many seminaries’ “laxity of discipline” over students’ off-campus activities-- a problem avoided by Neocatechumenal Way seminaries. In some seminaries, “formation advisers” and psychologists delve into seminarians’ spiritual lives, while ascetic rules are lacking.

The heart of seminary formation, the report continued, is prayer. “In the diocesan seminaries, the liturgical norms are generally obeyed, but this is not always the case” in religious institutes. Despite this general fidelity, some of the report‘s strongest criticisms come in the area of spiritual formation. “Regrettably, very few seminaries fix periods of time for prayer,” and “some seminaries” need to do more to introduce students to classical Catholic spirituality. The report exhorted seminaries to celebrate Mass, Lauds, and Vespers every day, including on weekends. “A great many seminaries” need to introduce seminarians to the Rosary, novenas, litanies, and Stations of the Cross-- otherwise, the seminarians “will be unprepared for ministry in the Church, which greatly treasures these practices.” The report also noted faculty members who criticize the discipline of clerical celibacy.

While praising the intellectual formation seminaries offer in philosophy and theology-- with some seminaries being “truly remarkable”-- the report condemned the practice of sending students to community colleges for their philosophy classes. Criticizing widespread weaknesses in the study of Mariology, patristics, and Latin, the report noted that “even in the best seminaries,” some faculty members dissent from Catholic teaching on moral theology and the ordination of women. Dissent is widespread at some seminaries, “particularly in some schools of theology run by religious.”

Offering strong general praise for seminaries’ pastoral formation programs, the report noted that in some places, bishops ordain men against the advice of rectors, while in “a few places,” the evaluation process was suspect-- with the non-ordained, and even non-Catholics, voting whether candidates should be ordained. “Such practices are to cease.”

The report’s generally positive conclusion noted that seminary formation has gradually improved since the 1990s-- “at least in diocesan seminaries”-- because of the appointment of “wise and faithful” rectors. The bottom line, according to the Apostolic Visitation: “The diocesan seminaries are, in general, healthy.”

Final Documents of the Apostolic Visitations to United States Seminaries and Houses of Formation

I'm not sure when these were posted, but I just discovered them this morning. The first link below is the letter to US Bishops from Cardinal O'Malley, Chairman of the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, about the final documents/report from the Congregation for Catholic Education on the 2005-2006 Apostolic Visitations to US Seminaries. The second link below is to the actual document posted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

If you are involved with vocations work, or if you are interested in the state of seminary formation in the United States, you really should take the time to read these documents.

Cardinal O'Malley's letter to US Bishops

Congregation for Catholic Education report on Apostolic Visitations to United States Seminaries

"Why does a young man consider the priesthood?" (46 Seminarians for a Diocese of only 121,000 Catholics!!!)

From The Catholic Advance - Newspaper of the Diocese of Wichita
By Fr. Michael Simone

He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) There is no doubt that forty-six seminarians are a sign that Catholic life is abundant in the diocese of Wichita. When you know them as well as I, you soon find that our seminarians are full of life, too.

What are these signs of life in the diocese? Where do seminarians come from? Why are our young men considering a call to the priesthood? Wouldn’t I like to know the answer?
All vocations are the result of a call from God. Yet, we must till the soil to allow our young children to hear that call. As the Director of Vocations, I believe forty-six seminarians are a direct result of the vibrant Catholic life in our diocese. There are three areas that should be highlighted to further understand where our seminarians come from.

Family Life

Recently in an airport restaurant a stranger invited me to sit for dinner because she had an empty chair at her table. In the midst of our conversation, this stranger said, “you must come from a really holy family.” To which I responded, “Not really. Our family lives our Catholic faith as if it is just normal.”

It is true. Catholic Faith was an ordinary part of life growing up in the Simone family. Just like brushing my teeth each morning and night, I was taught saying prayers before meals, before bed, and going to Mass regularly were a part of everyday living for everyone. As a young adult, I learned the gift my parents gave to me as I soon discovered that Christian living is not the norm in every family.

One of the surest routes to having vocations to the priesthood and the religious life is through the health of family life. The family is the domestic Church, and it is the most fertile ground for vocations. It is in the family where young men and women not only form their values and beliefs, but where they learn to pray, and where they learn to live their faith. In the home, our youth learn attitudes toward God, the Church, and priests and sisters. Where do seminarians come from? The first answer is God, the second is family life.

Parish Life

How could someone find a vocation separate from their local parish or a faith community? The blessing of having forty-six seminarians from our diocese comes as a direct result of the health of our parishes. Because of the cultivation of a stewardship way of life, especially in our parishes, it has a direct result of cultivating vocations in our diocese.

Faithful stewards enliven our parish communities. By encouraging everyone to participate and to sacrifice for the life of the community, stewardship teaches our youth they are part of a mission greater than themselves. A natural result of this way of living is youth who are disposed to listening to God’s call and responding in service and sacrifice. Where do vocations come from? The third answer is parish life.

Life through Education and Formation

Another source of vocations in our diocese is our vibrant Catholic schools, PSR programs, youth programs, and programs like Totus Tuus. Whenever I speak to someone from another diocese, I always brag – yes – brag, about our Catholic Schools. They are thriving. It is one reason we are a vibrant diocese. Although I am the product of public schools, I know that every dollar we spend on a Catholic education supports families who are passing on Christian values to their children. This investment helps young children to be formed in faith and to find their true vocation.
Many places in our diocese, it is still not possible to educate our children in our Catholic Schools. Our PSR programs, youth programs, and programs like Totus Tuus provide avenues for our children to be formed in their faith.

Raising and educating our children in the faith and imparting them with the saving truths of Jesus each day allows our children to be formed into active stewards who are a strong Christian witness. Where do seminarians come from? The third answer is the abundance of life found in the way we educate and form our children.

Where do they come from? Life!

Where do our seminarians come from? Ultimately they come from God, and from a faithful people who are committed to cultivating a Catholic Culture. Jesus came so that we might have life and have it abundantly (Jn 10:10).

In our diocese we are thankful that our families, our parishes, and our people are full of life. In the diocese of Wichita, we are blessed by so many things, and I believe this is why God blesses us with these forty-six men.

Hat tip to Fr. Schnippel

Priest and Seminarian Training - Extraordinary Form - 1962 Missale Romanum

CHICAGO, IL (DECEMBER 20, 2008) - Ever since Pope Benedict XVI issued Summorum Pontificum in 2007, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius in Chicago have been hard at work in educating priests how to offer the Extraordinary Form of the Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum.

Since many approach the Canons Regular to learn more about the Extraordinary Form, it is advantageous to offer group workshops for priests, deacons, seminarians, and for the lay faithful so that Catholics will better appreciate the celebration of the Classical Roman Rite..

Working in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Canons Regular received the blessing of Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, to carry out this work of formation.

The next workshop for Priests and Seminarians will be held from February 9 - 13 , 2009 at the Cardinal Stritch Retreat House on the campus of Chicago's Mundelein Seminary (P.O. Box 455 - 1000 E Maple Ave. Mundelein, IL 60060-0455). Visit the Stritch House online at www.stritchretreat.org.

This February training session will assist beginners in the celebration of Low Mass (Missa Lecta) and more advanced students in the celebration of the High Mass (Missa Cantata).

Registration Costs for Priests

Housing/Meals/Workshop-$500
or
Meals/Workshop-$350

Registration Costs for Seminarians

Housing/Meals/Workshop-$400
or
Meals/Workshop-$250

Questions about our training program, should be directed to:

Rev. Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C.
Canons Regular of St. John Cantius
825 N. Carpenter Street
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 243-7373

Those interested to learn the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Roman Rite (1962 Missale Romanum) will have a special opportunity over a period of five days to study the Traditional Latin Mass with the Canons Regular, as well as an opportunity to gain experience with the Traditional Roman Liturgy through hands-on demonstration, conferences and question/answer sessions.

Each day the Mass will be celebrated according to the 1962 Missale Romanum. Low Mass and High Mass will be celebrated at all workshops. At some workshops Solemn Mass and Pontifical Mass will be celebrated additionally.

Every workshop will provide:

* Instruction in the Rubrics of the 1962 Missale Romanum
* Instruction in the Low Mass (Missa Privata)
* Instruction in the High Mass (Missa Cantata)
* Instruction in the Gregorian Chant for the Priest
* Instruction in the Pronunciation of Ecclesiastical Latin

Questions about the registration process or about the facilities at the Cardinal Stritch Retreat House can be directed towards:

Deacon Richard Hudzik - Retreat House Director
Email: rhudzik@archchicago.org
Phone: 847.566.6060 & Fax: 847.566.6082

To download a registration form go to:
www.sanctamissa.org/workshops/for-priests/documents/REGISTRATIONFORM2-9-08.pdf

"Seminary program delivers ‘the best of both worlds’"

From the Long Island Catholic

By Pete Sheehan

Photo: Bishop William Murphy chats over dinner with college-level seminarians from the Rockville Centre Diocese during a visit to the Cathedral Seminary Residence Oct. 23. TLIC photo/Pete Sheehan

Douglaston — For college-age men considering a vocation to the priesthood, the Cathedral Semi-nary Residence here offers “the best of both worlds,” said Father Brian Barr, diocesan vocations director.

“They have a foot in both worlds,” Father Barr said of about 25 men from the Rockville Centre and Brooklyn dioceses who are living at Cathedral Residence while studying at St. John’s University or another local college. “They can have a normal college experience while beginning their formation for the priesthood. They can be with other guys who have that same goal,” said Father Barr, who is also director of campus ministry. Six men from the diocese are in the program here.
"This is one of our best-kept secrets,” said Msgr. Robert Thelen, rector of the Cathedral Seminary Residence. The residence is located at Immaculate Conception Center near the Nassau/Queens border, along with some of the offices of the Brooklyn Diocese.

At one time, the building housed Cathedral College, a college seminary which for years prepared undergraduates to be ready for advanced theology studies at a seminary in preparation for the priesthood.

The Douglaston program, which follows the guidelines developed by the Vatican and the U.S. bishops for seminary training, “helps college-age men discern their vocation — which might be to the priesthood — and prepares them for life in a major seminary,” usually the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, said Msgr. Robert Thelen, a former professor there and a former pastor. It offers the benefits of a college or minor seminary at a more modest cost.

“Most go to St. John’s, where we have a cooperative agreement — including reduced tuition — and take advantage of their wider course offerings and multiplicity of majors. A few go to Queensborough, Fordham, or St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue,” Msgr. Thelen said. They are required to take philosophy courses in preparation for major seminary studies.

“The four pillars of seminary preparation are academic, spiritual, pastoral, and human,” he explained. At the residence, they have daily Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, and holy hours. “Each of the men is required to have a spiritual director and meet with him regularly.” Spiritual directors also hold spiritual conferences for all the seminarians here.

The seminarians are required to engage in pastoral ministry, such as teaching religious education or visiting nursing homes. In addition, Msgr. Thelen conducts regular human development conferences on personal growth.

Bishop William Murphy visited the men in the program last week. “It is such a joy for me to be here with you again,” Bishop Murphy told the seminarians at Mass in the chapel. He chatted informally over dinner with the seminarians from Rockville Centre and spoke to the larger group following dinner.

Bishop Murphy was here earlier that week as well for “Operation Andrew,” an evening for young men interested in a priestly vocation.

“I felt the need to begin preparing for the priesthood now, not after I got out of college,” said James Renna, a senior at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, who entered Cathedral Residence in September. “I have the benefits of daily Mass, holy hours, and spiritual direction, but I can maintain my college experience at St. Joseph’s.”

Michael Bissex, a freshman at St. John’s and a parishioner of St. Matthew’s Church in Dix Hills, said that he likes the combination of going to classes at St. John’s while living with others who share an interest in the priesthood.

“You have the opportunity to attend classes, socialize and make friends with other students from St. John’s. At the same time, you keep the focus on your vocation by living here,” Bissex said.
“There is a real sense of unity, community and brotherhood,” said John Hargaden, a freshman at St. John’s and a parishioner of St. Margaret of Scotland Church, Selden. “A lot of us are in the same classes at St. John’s and can help each other out.”

In addition to the undergrads, there are several men who have already finished their bachelor’s degrees but lack a background in philosophy needed to begin major seminary studies. They are called “pre-theology” students.

James Shelton of St. Edward the Confessor Church, Syosset, who graduated from college in 2004 and managed a restaurant for three years, began the pre-theology program here in September. “My philosophy classes are here with members of the staff, but I take a Latin class at St. John’s.
“The guys here are first rate and the classes are great. They are challenging and bring me closer to God,” he said. “More people should know about this place.”

"Holy See to publish document on use of psychology in seminaries"

Vatican City, Oct 24, 2008 / 05:01 pm (CNA).- On October 30 the Congregation for Catholic Education will issue a new document entitled, “Orientations For The Use Of Psychological Competencies In The Admission And Formation Of Candidates To The Priesthood.”

The document will be presented by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the congregation, Msgr. Jean-Louis Brugues, the congregation’s secretary, and Father Carlos Bresciani, a psychologist and consulter.

It will be available in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese, and it will address the complex issue of the importance and the limits of psychology in the evaluation and formation of seminarians.

According to a Vatican official consulted by CNA, the document “is intended to propose clear criteria for establishing an adequate balance between recourse to psychology and spirituality, in order to avoid falling into both a psychology that ignores sin and grace, and a spirituality that overlooks factors related to the human mind and affectivity.”

"Priests urged to care for their bodies the way they care for souls"

From Catholic News Service
By Chaz Muth

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With studies confirming that a high percentage of U.S. clerics are overweight and lead inactive and nutritionally unhealthy lifestyles, several Catholic leaders in interviews with Catholic News Service said priests should focus on their bodies with the same care they give the souls of their parishioners.

"We should remind our priests to take the time for relaxation and physical exercise," said Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, himself a physically fit 69-year-old Catholic leader. "It's very important for their health and their ministry."

A 2001 national survey of more than 2,500 Christian religious leaders -- conducted by the pastoral leadership research project "Pulpit and Pew" based at Duke Divinity School in North Carolina -- said that 76 percent of Christian clergy were either overweight or obese, 15 percentage points higher than for the general U.S. population.

The "Pulpit and Pew" study was the largest of recent surveys conducted on the health of U.S. clergy of several Christian denominations, all reaching similar conclusions.

"I probably would agree with that finding, because I know a lot of overweight priests," said Father David Garcia, director of the Old Spanish Missions in San Antonio. "I'm determined not to ever become one."

The 58-year-old priest -- who combines a strict regimen of running, weight lifting and martial arts six days a week to maintain a body fat percentage of 13 on his 5-foot-7-inch, 148-pound frame -- believes his body is a gift from God and that it's his duty to be a good steward.

Though Father Garcia has been athletic since he was a child, he said that five years after his ordination he became the secretary to his archbishop and began attending high-profile social functions that came complete with servings of rich foods. Six months into the job at the age of 30, he noticed his pants had become pretty snug.

"I looked in the mirror and asked myself, 'Do you want to be a fat old man before your time?'" he said. "So I looked at my lifestyle, began to study nutrition, began to run ... and then diversified my workout program. It's been a big part of my priesthood. You're more aware of yourself, and the gift of life. When we let our bodies go, we really in a sense misuse or abuse the gift that God gave us."

Father Garcia said bishops need to do a better job promoting ongoing exercise routines and a healthy diet to their priests.

It's easy for clergy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle with a work schedule that has them on call 24 hours every day of the week and also to indulge in unhealthy foods provided at the numerous social functions and potluck dinners they are required to attend, said Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington.

"It is a problem and it needs to be addressed by the bishops in each diocese," said Father David L. Toups, a priest of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Fla., who is associate director for the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"As the bishops look at accountability of priests, that physical accountability has to be there, for their own well-being and the well-being of the people they tend to," he said. "It's about making sure their physical and spiritual needs are being met and about them being credible witnesses for God."

Some U.S. Catholic dioceses have established sports leagues and marathons designed for participation by priests and women religious, fashioned exercise centers in diocesan buildings and routinely encouraged seminarians to pay careful attention to the well-being of their bodies.

In general, younger priests lead healthier lifestyles than older clergy, said Father William M. Joensen, 48, of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, and a philosophy professor at Loras College in Dubuque, which has a small number of seminarians in its St. Pius X Seminary Program.

"You can attribute some of that to a generational philosophy which places physical fitness as a priority," said Father Joensen, himself an avid bicyclist who was spending part of June in Spain on a cycling trip.

"But, we also stress in priestly formation that it is important to avoid reverting to a sedentary lifestyle and to focus on staying active. This becomes an issue in their evaluations, when I work with them as a spiritual director," he said.

In the late 1990s the Archdiocese of Seattle offered priests rewards for participating in a wellness program designed by a local medical center as an incentive to adopt healthier lifestyles, complete with better nutrition and physical activity.

A few years ago several pastors of the Archdiocese of Baltimore volunteered to participate in an archdiocesan parish leadership analysis, and after an independent consultant interviewed parishioners of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Baltimore, she told the pastor of the parish -- Father James P. Kiesel -- concerns about his health had been overwhelmingly raised by his flock.

"It was a wake-up call for me," said Father Kiesel, 51. "I certainly was aware that I was out of shape, but hearing the concerns from the people around me drove home the point."

The pastor joined a gym, developed a workout program and within 18 months shed 40 pounds and gained more than muscle tone for his 6-foot-1-inch frame. He said he achieved stronger concentration skills for his ministry and a deeper connection with God.

Since parish priests have unusual work schedules tending to the spiritual needs of the faithful at Masses, funerals, weddings, hospital visits and individual consultations around the clock, many don't find the time for a regular exercise routine, Gibbs said.

"The problem with that kind of thinking is, it's a vicious cycle," Father Garcia said. "The more you give yourself permission not to take care of your body, the more your body deteriorates. Then you get sick more often and then you have less time for your ministry. Taking care of my body is as important as praying. If priests are too busy to pray, then we have a real problem."

It's crucial for priests to make the time commitment for routine physical activity and to stick to the schedule, even if it means other pastoral demands have to wait, he said.

"Don't give me the excuse that you don't have the time, because we can all fit this in our schedules," Father Garcia said. "Sometimes you have to tell people no, because you have another priority. I have to make time for my body, just like I need to make time for my mind and spirit."

Father Joseph G. Bochenek, the 63-year-old pastor of St. Brigid Church in the Canton section of Baltimore, found the best way for him to keep physically active and fit was to join an activity with members of his parish.

So, when an old friend asked him if he could use a building on his parish's campus to run an Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karate school five years ago, Father Bochenek gave him access to space rent free, joined the program and encouraged parishioners to enroll in the twice-weekly class.

"It's offered me discipline, balance, physical fitness and tranquility," he said. "For the group, it's offered us companionship in a wholesome and friendly atmosphere."

Because many diocesan priests live alone, it's easy for them to fall into the trap of eating junk food and spending their leisure time in a sedentary way, which is why group activities can be beneficial for priests, Father Joensen said.

"I tell seminarians that it's important to become involved in prayer groups, especially among other priests, where priests are looking out for each other," he said. "This way, you can lead more by example. I've been in my prayer group for the past 15 years. There are six of us in it and three of us cycle, several of us belong to fitness centers and one works with a personal trainer."

Physically fit priests also have more credibility when espousing the virtues of being a good steward of one's body to members of their congregation, Father Garcia said.

"We should practice what we preach and we have to remember we're leading by example," he said. "The bishop of a diocese can do the same for his priests. By himself taking care of his health, he can show them how to take care of their body and that it's important to keep life in balance with prayer, eating, exercise and stimulating the mind, and then doing the hard work."

Hat tip to Deacon Kandra

In Brindisi, Pope Benedict XVI Addresses Priests

From Vatican Radio

During his homily in Brindisi, Pope Benedict spoke of the two-fold Christian vocation to holiness and mission, which is present from the beginning of salvation history and given perfectly to the 12 disciples, whose calling by Jesus was the dramatic core of this Sunday’s Gospel.
In the afternoon, the Holy Father met with the priests of Brindisi-Ostuni in the Cathedral, church of St. John the Baptist.

Pope Benedict encouraged them to place themselves ever more completely in the service of the Gospel, saying, “Christ, to whom you have consecrated your lives, is with you! He is the one in whom we all believe, to him alone do we entrust our lives, it is he, whom we desire to proclaim to the world!

The Holy Father also congratulated the archdiocese on the newly-opened seminary, which today was officially named after Pope Benedict XVI.

The Pope said the seminary is a sign of the present and the future of the diocese, representing as it does the culmination of years of work, and at the same time, the guarantee that, because of the generous and patient work to be done in it, the Christian communities shall never be without shepherds of souls, teachers of faith, zealous guides and witnesses to Christ’s charity.

Pope Benedict went on to say the seminary is not only the place where new priests are formed: it is also a place for the continuing formation and education of young people and adults who desire to be of service to the cause of the Kingdom.

The accurate formation of seminarians and the continuing education of priests and other pastoral workers are of the first concern to the bishop, to whom God has entrusted the mission of guiding, as a wise pastor, the People of God who are here in this city.

"Latin Mass Workshop in Chicago a Success"

From Catholic Online

CHICAGO, IL (MAY 28, 2008) - Ever since Pope Benedict XVI issued Summorum Pontificum in 2007, Marytown and the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius have been hard at work to educate priests how to offer the Extraordinary Form of the Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum. Their multi-media website, http://www.sanctamissa.org/, is not yet one-year old, yet it has already given assistance to priests throughout the world learning to offer the usus antiquor.

Because many priests regularly approach the Canons Regular for personal training in the Extraordinary Form, it seemed advantageous to them to offer a formal group-training workshop for priests so that the requests of more clergy could be met. Working in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Canons Regular received the blessing of Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, to carry out this work of formation, so that the pastoral needs of Catholics today could be better addressed. His Eminence also suggested inviting seminarians to the workshop so that they would also be able to gain from this liturgical and pastoral formation experience.

With enthusiasm, priests and seminarians descended upon the campus of Mundelein Seminary on May 19, 2008, to attend a hands-on workshop on the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass of the Roman Rite held at the Cardinal Stritch Retreat House. For the next five days, these priests and seminarians, who hailed not only from the Archdiocese of Chicago, but from all over the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Lithuania, Italy, and the Philippines, would study the ceremony, ritual, rubrics of the Missal of Blessed John XXIII.

Each day the participants of the workshop had an opportunity to attend celebrations Prayers at the Foot of the Altar and Mundelien Seminaryof the Traditional Latin Mass, ranging from Missa Pontificalis to Missa Lecta. Hosted by the Conventual Franciscans, the Missa Pontificalis and Missa Solemnis were celebrated at Marytown. The celebration of the Missa Cantata was held three times during the week at the St. Mary Chapel of Mundelein Seminary. The participants were greeted with warm hospitality by our hosts at Marytown and Mundelein, and everyone enjoyed participating in the robust singing of the Gregorian chant ordinaries and responses.

During the workshop, the Most Rev. Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago (photo at left), presented a talk entitled The Spirituality of the Traditional Latin Mass, showing how the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Mass, held in equal honor, can enrich the Catholic faithful in parish life. Plunging into the spiritual depths of the Traditional Latin Mass, Bishop Perry inspired all to receive the Extraordinary Form as a gift from the Church, meant to nourish souls with the grace of God.

Rev. C. Frank Phillips, C.R., Pastor of St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, and Founder of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, gave a lecture entitled The Extraordinary Form in Parish Life Today, detailing ways in which the celebration of classical form of the Liturgy can be successfully integrated into parochial life and help provide Catholics of all ages with a deep appreciation of the heritage and tradition that is ours.

While the priests of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius instructed the priests in the celebration of Low Mass and High Mass, the brothers taught the seminarians in attendance how to serve at the altar. Additional tutorials were provided in the correct pronunciation of ecclesiastical Latin as well as in Gregorian chant.

The workshop filled the Cardinal Stritch House to its capacity and had a waiting list of priests who expressed a desire to attend. Due to the popularity and success of this workshop, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius are scheduling future training workshops for priests and seminarians at the Cardinal Stritch House.

The entire success of this workshop was entrusted to Our Blessed Mother, and each day the priests and seminarians begged her intercession as they continued to study the celebration of the Extraordinary Form, so that they might return to their parishes and serve the faithful attracted to the Sacred Liturgy celebrated according to the venerable traditions of our fathers.

Photos and more details can be found here: www.sanctamissa.org/en/workshop-article.html

Vatican Document on Barring Admission to Seminary, Religious Life and Holy Orders with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies

Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders - Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education

FSSP announces summer training programs in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

From Una Voce Carmel

DENTON, Nebraska - April 14, 2008 - The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, in collaboration with Una Voce International, is pleased to announce two additional summer training programs in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, including a comprehensive training course on Sung and Solemn Mass.

Two week long training courses will be offered in June 2008. The first on the ceremony of Low Mass from Monday June 16th through Friday June 20th; and the second on the ceremonies of Sung and Solemn Mass from Monday June 23rd through Friday June 27th.
Each workshop comprises five days of classroom sessions, a comprehensive demonstration and explanation of the rubrics, practical hands-on instruction, and includes a full set of training materials. Both workshops will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska.

Priests may attend just the Low Mass workshop for $300.00, or just the Sung Mass workshop for $250.00, or attend both for $500.00. These costs cover all meals, room and board at the seminary, classroom seminars, individual instruction, and a complete packet of training materials. Una Voce provides funding for those needing financial assistance. Contact Una Voce America, c/o Mr. Jason King, PO Box 1146, Bellevue, WA. 98009-1146.

Please visit http://www.fssptraining.org/ for more information and to download a Workshop Registration form. Note that spaces are limited and will be allocated on a “first come, first serve” basis.

About the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter:
Established in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is an international society of Catholic priests entrusted with the preservation and administration of the Catholic Church’s ancient Latin liturgical traditions. Over 120 seminarians are preparing for the priesthood in the Fraternity’s two seminaries in Bavaria, Germany and Denton, Nebraska.

Contact:
Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary
7880 West Denton Road
Denton, NE 68339 U.S.A.
(402) 797-7700

E-mail: seminary@fsspolgs. org