Catching Up

Hello everyone!! It has been a few weeks since I last posted anything, so I wanted to keep you all up to speed on how life is going at the seminary. For the most part, things have been relatively quiet around here; not too many things happening out of the ordinary. Nonetheless,  here is a brief recap of the last few weeks:

On January 15th, the seminary community went on a Day of Recollection to assist us in switching gears from the Christmas Break and to prepare us for the upcoming academic semester. Our retreat master was Monsignor Thomas Caserta from the Diocese of Brooklyn (Pastor of the Shrine  Church of St. Bernadette). Msgr. Caserta spoke to us about the evangelical councils of obedience, chastity, and poverty. (Interesting side note: Diocesan priests do not take a vow of poverty; instead, diocesan priests take a promise to live in simplicity.) The Day of Recollection, which only lasted about 20 hours or so, was eye opening for me. It allowed me to really reflect on priestly service and the baptismal call of all. The mini-retreat gave me the opportunity to reflect on how the Lord is working in my life and how he continues to call me to serve His church, His people. (more…)

Happy Birthday, Micah!!!

A brief break from my usual posts to wish my nephew, Micah, a very happy and blessed 1st Birthday!!!

(I am just being a proud uncle. What else can I say…I love that little guy!!!)

Disaster in Haiti

Over the last few hours, the news of the massive, devastating earthquake in Haiti has had precedence on all of our thoughts and minds here at the seminary. The Church in Florida is so uniquely diverse that we have seminarians at St. John Vianney from 17 countries of birth and whom speak five first languages. Included in this group are three seminarians of Haitian descent, which makes the tragedy in Haiti hit close to home.

All morning, we have been watching the television and browsing the internet for any good news emerging from the region affected by the earthquake. However, the bad news continues to pour out of the poorest country in the western hemisphere. In regards to the Catholic Church in Haiti, the latest news has been even more devastating. The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince has maintained extensive losses to churches, schools, formation houses, etc. The most devastating and heart wrenching loss of churches, however, has to be that of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince , which received extensive damage. [In fact, when I saw these before and after pictures, I was completely dumbfounded.] The Port-au-Prince seminary also fell victim to the earthquake, collapsing with seminarians inside the building. The seminarians are still trapped beneath the rubble; they will especially be in my thoughts and prayers today.

Among the greatest loss to the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince is the Archbishop, Msgr. Joseph Serge Miot. The Archbishop’s body was located beneath the rubble of his collapsed residence.

As Catholics, it is important for us to remember the people of Haiti and their families located throughout the world in prayer today and throughout the upcoming weeks, months, and years. It is going to take a long time to overcome such a devastating disaster. If you would like to offer financial assistance to help the people of Haiti recover, here are some links that will take you to sites that will accept monetary donations.

• Catholic Relief Services
• The American Red Cross: You can also text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross charged to your phone bill.

The three Haitian seminarians we have at St. John Vianney have taught me one thing about the Haitian people–they will overcome this disaster, singing praises to God. In fact, the one thing that stood out the most to me while watching all the news reports  this morning was an observation from a reporter, Christine Webb, from one of Orlando’s news stations who happened to be in Haiti for a mission trip. She reported that “you could hear people singing through the night, praising God.”

National Vocation Awareness Week

A post I did for Whispers of the Spirit:

This week the Church in the United States celebrates National Vocation Awareness Week; a week that the Bishops have set aside in which all Catholics are asked to pray for an increase in vocations. Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston who is the current chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations said that, as Catholics, “it is our responsibility to encourage young people to be generous in their response as they discern the possibility of a call to service in the Church.”

As we begin this week, it is fitting that the Gospel reading from Mass this morning was on the call of the Apostles: Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Jesus asked all of them to leave everything they possessed behind to “Come after me.” Sometimes we don’t understand or we can’t clearly see where the Lord is calling us. In these instances, we must put all of our trust and hope in the Lord , asking Him to show us the path He wants us to follow that will best serve the church.

On other occasions, we clearly hear where the Lord wants us to go and we are fearful to respond to his call. In these times, it is important to remember the life of Mary, who, though filled with fear at the message of the angel declaring her to be to virgin Mother of God, answered with a yes. Let us not forget that, in Mary’s time, women who were not married and became pregnant were literally stoned to death. However, despite all of this uncertainty, Mary trusted that God would take care of her. (more…)

The Cold Hard Truth About the Semester

Sorry for the absence over the past couple of weeks. I took the opportunity over the Christmas Recess to really rest, relax and gear up for the new academic semester that began bright and early Monday morning. We woke up to a very chilly 41 degrees , which is down right freezing cold by Florida standards. Before I get into the experiences of the upcoming semester, I wanted to wish all of you a very happy and blessed New Year. But, this is not just a new year, it is also the start of a new decade. So Happy New Decade as well!!

This semester is going to be a little different from the Fall semester, mainly because we do not have any major events planned, except our bi-annual Vocations Awareness Weekend in March–I am already expecting to have another well attended weekend. I always look forward to hosting the countless young men who come to the seminary to discern God’s will for their lives for that brief period of two days. I never took the opportunity to come on one of the weekends even though I had been invited numerous times by people in my parish. So, if there is a young man out there from the Diocese of Orlando who is thinking about serving the church as a priest, please seriously consider contacting Fr. Miguel at the Vocations Office about coming down March 12-14, 2010. (more…)

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

Christmas Break is finally upon us!! On Saturday, December 12th, the seminarians drove away from the seminary and headed home to spend the Christmas season with their families and friends. I  was so thankful to be able to get home and immediately enter a brief period of hibernation. Finishing papers, studying for exams, and actually taking exams really wears you out. The break will not be all sleeping, however. I will be volunteering at the church office for a majority of my time home, something I absolutely love doing!!

For Christmas, I am serving at St. Charles for the 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve and Midnight Masses. I will also be playing my trombone with the choir at the 10:00 a.m. Christmas Mass. It is going to be an exciting time gathering family and friends together for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (more…)

UPDATE: Health Care Reform

As all of us are aware, the United States Congress has been debating the issue of reforming America’s health care system over the last few months. There is no question about it; there is much reform needed within the health care system. The first major hurdle for the debate came on November 7, 2009 when the Affordable Health Care for America Act was voted upon by the U.S. House of Representatives. However, before the vote was carried out an amendment was proposed by Representatives Bart Stupak (D-MI), Joseph Pitts (R-PA), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Marcy Kaptur (DOH), Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) that would ban the use of federal funds in abortions.

There has been some misunderstanding about what the Stupak Amendment actually does for the health care bill. To help Catholics (more…)

100th Post!!!!!

Good morning, everyone!! Sorry I have been out of the loop a little over the last few weeks. Things have really been hectic around the seminary with the celebration of the 50th Anniversary, the Fall Vocations Awareness Weekend, and now papers and approaching final exams. However, I did want to share some news with you about the site.

Today, I write the 100th post for the website!!! To tell you the truth, I expected to write the post earlier-in fact, I wrote something a couple of weeks ago and forgot to post it. Nonetheless, I would like to thank you all for constantly checking up on the progress of a young man trying to discern God’s will in his life. Seminary life is not always easy!! Everything I write on the site allows me to reflect on my seminary experience. For that, I thank you all tremendously!

Now, for the next few weeks:

• Vocations Awareness Weekend Article: There will be an article coming out in the Florida Catholic very soon that I wrote about our recent Vocations Awareness Weekend. I will have it up (with some interesting pictures) when it comes out so that you all can see what the weekend was all about.
• Review of the Semester: Sometime in the next few days, I will post a review of my third semester at St. John Vianney College Seminary so that all of you can share in the experiences of this very hectic, grace-filled semester.
• Evaluations, Finals, Gaudeamus, Christmas Break: All of these are coming up!!

Until next time, PAX!

New Diocesan Vicar General

A short break from my usual posts to offer congratulations to Very Reverend Gregory Parkes, Chancellor of the Diocese of Orlando and Parochial Administrator of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration, Florida, who was named the Vicar General for the Diocese of Orlando last week. Below is the announcement from the Diocese of Orlando website.

Bishop Thomas Wenski is pleased to announce the appointment of Very Reverend Gregory Parkes, J.C.L. as Vicar General of the Diocese of Orlando. Father Parkes assumed this role on November 1. He serves along with Monsignor Patrick Caverly who has served as Vicar General of the Diocese of Orlando since 1992. Father Parkes will continue to serve as Diocesan Chancellor of Canonical Affairs and Parochial Administrator of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration.

A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general has executive power over the whole Diocese regarding administrative matters, except those matters the Bishop has reserved for himself.

Father Parkes was ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 1999 by Bishop Norbert Dorsey. He attended the North American College in Rome from 1996 – 2000 where he earned a Licentiate Degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University. After returning to the Diocese of Orlando, Father Parkes was assigned as Parochial Vicar of Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando where he served from 2000 – 2004. In addition, he was appointed Defender of the Bond and served in the Marriage Tribunal during this same period. In December 2004, Bishop Thomas Wenski appointed him Chancellor of the diocese. Father Parkes was appointed Parochial Administrator of the newly formed Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration in March 2005.

Father Parkes serves as a member of the Diocesan Finance Committee, Priest Placement Board, Presbyteral Council, Incardination Committee, College of Consultors, and is on the Board of Trustees of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He has two brothers, Very Reverend Stephen Parkes who is Parochial Administrator of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Oviedo, and Christopher Parkes who is married and lives in Maryland.

Remembering Our Veterans

Some 91 years ago, the First World War ended with an armistice between the Allied Powers and Germany on November 11, 1918. As a result of the armistice, the United Stated Congress decided to commemorate the day as a national holiday – Armistice Day. The holiday was meant not only to commemorate the reemergence of peace throughout the world but also as a way for the people of the United States to remember those who had fought for our freedom by serving in the armed forces during the “Great War.”

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”  — President Woodrow Wilson

The concept of Armistice Day was changed in 1954 after many veterans organizations asked that the holiday be changed so that Americans could remember all those individuals who had served our country. Here is an excerpt from President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s proclamation of the First Veterans Day.

Eisenhower's Veterans Day Proclamation

“I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shored, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain. I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day.”

Today, as our country fights a seemingly never ending War on Terror, let us remember the sacrifices of our military men and women who are defending our freedom and the freedom of all. Take time today to be remember them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Also, take time today to promote peace in everything that you do so that the efforts of our military men and women are not in vain.

On a personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to remember my grandfather, Eugene W. Pringle who served our country in the Air Force. My grandfather, who died a couple of years ago, was always so proud of serving his country. In fact, the pride he had in his country inspired his children to join the military – my father, Terry, served in the Air Force and my uncle, Mel, in the Navy. Many of the uncles on my mother’s side of the family also served in the military: my uncle Tommy served in the Navy and my uncle Freddy served in the Marines. Thank you all for being willing to sacrifice everything in defense of our country’s freedom.

50th Anniversary Update: Mass

On Saturday, the St. John Vianney College Seminary community came together with alumni, family, and friends to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Chapel of St. Raphael for the 50th Anniversary. Archbishop John C. Favalora, Archbishop of Miami, was the main celebrant of the Mass. The mass was concelebrated by Bishops Thomas Wenski (Orlando), John Noonan (Auxiliary of Miami), Felipe Estévez (Auxiliary of Miami), Agustin Román (Ret. Auxiliary of Miami) and Bishop-elect Fernando Isern (Pueblo) along with priest alumni.

All of the seminarians had a responsibility throughout the weekend. My responsibility was with the Schola, which sang at all of the liturgical celebrations throughout the weekend. The music that was chosen for the Mass covered each generation of the seminary, which hopefully brought back some enjoyable memories for the alumni that were present. Below is a list of the songs that were sung for the celebration of the Eucharist: (I will try to get the audio from the Mass when it is completed.)

• Go Up to the Altar of God composed by James J. Chepponis
• Kyrie from the Mass for John Carroll composed by Jan Michael Joncas
• Psalm 40: Here am I composed by Marty Haugen
• Celtic Alleluia composed by Christopher Walker
• Trilingual Intercessions composed by Donald Osuna
• Desde la Aurora hasta el Ocaso composed by Juan J. Sosa/words by Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy, D.D.
• Mass Parts: Festival Eucharist composed by Richard Proulx
• Agnus Dei from the Chant Mass
• God’s Justice composed by Robert Vallee (alumni and current member of the faculty of SJVCS)
• Amen. El Cuerpo de Cristo composed by John Schiavone
• Sacrum Convivium
• Go Forth and Preach the Gospel arranged by James Chepponis

From a current seminarian’s point of view, having the opportunity to share in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary Mass during my time at the seminary is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. Looking up to the altar during the consecration, I saw two bishops and a bishop-elect who had graduated from this place. Noticing this made me realize that we, the current generation of seminarians, are the future of the Church, which is terrifying and yet humbling. We all bring our own weaknesses with us as we begin the long road of discernment. However, the Lord has called each of us, despite those weaknesses, to follow in the footsteps of the Apostles, the martyrs, saints, and millions of Christians who have gone before us. We have all received the message of our Lord, Jesus Christ and it is our duty to go forth and preach the gospel to all nations and all peoples.

After the jump, more photos. (more…)

50th Anniversary Update: Morning of Recollection

Msgr. Michael Carruthers

The 50th Anniversary celebrations are well underway. Last evening, a small portion of the alumni gathered in the Holy Apostles Refectory for a Cocktail Reception/Gathering where they were given an opportunity to reflect on their time here at St. John Vianney College Seminary with some of their old classmates. There were three former seminarians there that attended the seminary during its high school days in 1959. (For those of you who did not know, the seminary used to be four years of high school and two years of college, which changed in the late 1970s when the Archdiocese of Miami took over control of the day-to-day operations of the seminary.)

This morning, the “welcoming” festivities continued with a Morning of Recollection. Monsignor Michael Carruthers, Rector/President of St. John Vianney reflected on the role of the minor seminary during Mid-day Prayer in St. Raphael’s Chapel. Msgr. Carruthers stated that the role of the minor seminary is to help young men who are discerning the Priesthood of Jesus Christ to “develop a deep, intimate relationship with our Lord.”

Dr. Charles Cox

After mid-day prayer, Monsignor Terrance Hogan, Rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Miami led a  panel reflection/sharing session with a Priest alumni, a lay alumni, and a faculty member. Monsignor Pablo Navarro shared with those present about how St. John Vianney helped him shape his priestly ministry. Bill Horton, a former seminarian who graduated from SJVCS, spoke about how the education he received at the seminary helped him to show God’s love to others in his workplace. He is currently in his fourth year of preparation for the Permanent Diaconate and will be ordained a Deacon in the very near future. Dr. Charles Cox, the longest serving faculty member of the seminary, spoke about how St. John Vianney has impacted his life by saying that he has been “honored to serve her majesty, holy Mother Church.”

More celebrations will be experienced later on this evening. More pictures to come!!

50th Anniversary Update

A very good morning to all of you! Tomorrow, the festivities for the celebration of St. John Vianney College Seminary’s 50th Anniversary begin. Judging by the number of people who have already RSVP’d, we are looking at having a packed house for the next few days. Our Rector/President, Msgr. Michael Carruthers spoke with us the other night about this being an opportunity for the alumni who are returning to experience the healing touch of Jesus Christ. The alumni will be touched by everything we throughout the duration of their visit. May the Holy Spirit guide us throughout the events.

Preparations are still underway for the tremendously joyous celebrations that will take place from Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon. All of the seminarians have been recruited to help out in some capacity. I will be singing with the awesome guys in Schola for the major liturgical events of the reunion. I will also be giving tours on Friday afternoon; that reminds me, I have to get some interesting facts to tell them. (Thanks to Timbo for the awesome idea!!) But, before all of this begins, I have to keep up with school work and…clean my room.

There will be pictures posted every night after the festivities have ended for the day, so be sure to check out the blog a lot over the next few days. After the 50th we have Vocations Awareness Weekend, so there will be many posts over the next couple of weeks. You will all be on the roller coaster ride with me.

May God bless all of you!! Bye for now….

50th Anniversary Week

Hello all! Later on this week, the St. John Vianney College Seminary community welcomes home the alumni for the 50th Anniversary celebration. The celebrations have the potential of becoming grace-filled for all who take part; not just the seminarians currently studying here, but for the returning alumni, some of whom have not seen this place since the early 1960s. Our hope is that the Holy Spirit will take this opportunity to reach out to all of us, allowing us to be filled with the tremendous love of our Lord.

Here is a brief list of the activities that are planned for the week:

Thursday, November 5th

6:30 p.m.A welcome reception will take place in the refectory for those already in-town. It will be a short chance (6:30 – 7:30 p.m.) to meet each other and plan ways to share with each other during free times. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvre’s will be served. A list of local restaurants will also be available.

Friday, November 6th

10:00 a.m. A morning of recollection will take place in the Chapel of St. Raphael. Included in the morning’s events will be testimonies by priest alumni, lay alumni and faculty. Among those scheduled to speak are Msgr. Pablo Navarro, Mr. Bill Horton, and Dr. Charlie Cox. Lunch will be available in the refectory, and other building will be open for tours.

5:00 p.m. Schola Practice. Yes, you read it correctly. All alumni interested in joining the current seminary schola for a meditation piece during the Friday Vespers (Fr. Buckley’s “Behold How Good It Is”) and the 50th Anniversary Mass can gather for practice. The piece for the mass will be Fr. Buckley’s O Sacrum Convivium.

6:30 p.m. Solemn Evening Prayer will take place in the Chapel of St. Raphael to begin the evening’s festivities.

7:00 p.m. The 50th Anniversary Banquet will commence with cocktails on the patio area outside the refectory. At 8:00 p.m. we will be seated for dinner. Chief Freddie Maas will be the evening’s Master of Ceremony.

Saturday, November 7th

10:00 a.m. Schola Practice

11:00 a.m. The 50th Anniversary Mass will be celebrated in the Chapel of St. Raphael, with Archbishop John C. Favalora as the principal celebrant. All active priest alumni are welcome to concelebrate (please bring albs). The mass will be followed by a stand-up reception in the refectory and its surrounding patio.

5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer will be celebrated in the Chapel of St. Raphael with those still in town. After that we will move to the refectory for a casual evening of Gaudeamus-like entertainment. Alumni are invited to sing and share. Heavy hors d’oeuvre’s will be available as well as guides to nearby restaurants.

Sunday, November 8th

10:00 a.m. Solemn Morning Prayer will be celebrated in the Chapel of St. Raphael. A Mass for healing, which will include the sacrament of the anointing of the sick will follow immediately. Active priest alumni are welcome to concelebrate (please bring albs) and deacons are welcome to vest (please bring alb and green stole).

11:30 a.m. The weekend will close with a relaxed family cook-out outside the community room of the college building.

Health Care Reform

Over the past several months, the hot button issue of health care reform has been on the front pages of newspapers and covering our television screens. As Congress begins to proceed with discussing the particular health care reform bills, the Bishops’ conference has asked ALL parishes and dioceses throughout the United States to stand up for our belief in the dignity of human life.

This week, the Bishops started a nationwide campaign to have Catholics throughout the United States send letters to their Congressmen and Senators. (more…)