I have really been out of the loop in terms of blogging over the last few days…well, weeks. Life has a way of interfering in the things we want to do in order to accomplish the things we need to do. Over the last couple of weeks, things have been more than a little hectic with school work, family life, and my participation in various groups within the parish.

First things first, I guess I should be thankful I am still alive after dealing with project deadlines, homework assignments, and tests for school. This semester has been the busiest of my entire life–and I am only taking three classes, one of the smallest class loads I have ever taken. For some reason, I wanted to give myself an extra challenge and decided to register for two research classes. One of them is an online course, which was the biggest mistake I have made to date. Trying to teach yourself how to conduct research is not the easiest thing in the world and

Special congratulations to the St. John Vianney College Seminary Class of 2011!!

Chapel of St. Raphael, SJVCS

Last evening, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, the Very Rev. Roberto Garza (Rector/President), faculty and staff, fellow seminarians, and guests celebrated the graduation of 22 men from SJVCS in Miami. The graduation ceremonies represent the culmination of the initial step on the journey to the priesthood for these young…well, mostly young men. Depending on their educational achievements prior to entering seminary, these men have spent anywhere between two and four years attempting to comprehend the vast and exciting world of philosophy. (If you couldn’t tell, I’m being sarcastic.) The reception of their degrees last night, however, signifies that they are now ready to move on to the study of theology.

As most of you know, I studied philosophy at St. John Vianney College Seminary for two years. Though I decided to leave at the end of the last academic year, these graduates–my former classmates–have remained in my prayers as they have continued their journey towards the priesthood. Each of them have their own unique personalities and bring many gifts to the Church. I am looking forward to the day when they are, God willing, ordained priests. They are an excellent group of guys who have a deep desire to serve the Church and our Lord.

To the graduates: I am very thankful for the opportunity to have walked with you on this journey. No matter what the Lord calls us to in life, we will always be connected by a common bond: we once shared in a unique journey of faith that led us to develop a deep and personal relationship with God.

Congrats, fellas! Please know that you all continue to be in my prayers and I ask that you please keep me in yours. We continue to be brothers in Christ.

Side note: If you’re interested in finding out more on the Chapel of St. Raphael on the property of the seminary, here is an old newspaper article from Miami: http://library.stu.edu/ulma/va/3005/1966/01-21-1966.pdf [This is a PDF!] . It’s pretty interesting, you should check it out.

Saint Charles Borromeo | Credit: SQPN

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo, patron saint of seminarians and catechists [he also happens to be my FAVORITE saint]. However, this is no ordinary feast day for Charles; today marks the 400th anniversary of his canonization by Pope Paul V.

Saint Charles Borromeo was born on October 2, 1534 in the Castle of Arona to Giberto Borromeo and Margaret de Medici. When Charles was 12 years old, he received the tonsure and was sent to study at the archabbey of SS. Gratian and Felinus in Milan.

In 1559, Charles’ uncle, Cardinal Gian-Angelo de Medici, was elected in conclave as Pope Pius IV. During the early stages of the Pontificate of Pius IV, Charles was named the Vatican Secretary of State, Archbishop of Milan, and Protector of the orders of St. Francis, the Carmelites, the Knights of Malta, and the Knights of the Holy Cross of Christ.

In 1562, Charles played an instrumental role in convincing Pius IV to have the Council of Trent reconvened because of the great need for reform in the Church. When the Council ended in 1563, the Reformer, as he would come to be known, oversaw the compilation of the Catechism, the missal, and the breviary. In 1556, Charles finally moved back to Milan, taking the helm of the Archdiocese, and overseeing many drastic reforms. These reforms made the Archdiocese of Milan a model for the rest of the Church.

Courtesy: University of Central Florida

Whew! It’s amazing how quickly the summer passed us by. And, let me tell you, what a summer it has been.

Many of you know that I decided to leave the seminary this summer and have been following my progress with starting anew on Twitter and/or Facebook. That decision ultimately led me to transfer to the University of Central Florida, which has been an interesting task. The last couple of months have been spent making sure all needed documents were signed, sealed and delivered to the university. After all of that, I am looking forward to finally getting started.

Tomorrow will officially mark the beginning of the Fall 2010 semester. I have only registered for four classes so I should have ample time to continue blogging, etc. My classes for this semester are: Civic Engagement, Public Administration in American Society, Administration of Public Policy and Interdisciplinary Leadership in Public Affairs.

Many people have told me that the reason I went to the seminary was to find my singing voice; I can actually see some truth into that. Even before entering the formal discernment process, I was an active member in my parish’s adult choir but that usually entailed providing inaudible backup singing. However, on Good Friday of this past year I was given the opportunity to cantor for the first time. From that point on, I came to the realization that maybe that was the next step in my ministry to the Church.

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.