VAW This Weekend

This upcoming weekend, the seminary community will welcome 72 guests from all seven dioceses of Florida to the spring version of Vocation Awareness Weekend. The seminarians have all been busy the last few days getting everything prepared to make the weekend as prayerful and inspiring for the guests.

As one of the seminarians responsible for music throughout each week, I, along with the other “music guys,” have been tasked with getting the music ready for all of the liturgies. We have quite a few liturgies to plan for; here is a bit of a breakdown of the schedule for VAW.

Friday Night the seminarians will welcome the guests with a social in the Bishop Noonan Community Room. Following the arrival of the guests, we will all gather in the main chapel for an adjusted form of Night Prayer, with a formal welcoming and blessing ceremony.

Saturday is action packed with the guests being introduced to the “Pillars of Priestly Formation” with a video made by Fr. Alvarez. (That should be interesting to say the least.) To begin the day, we will all gather in the chapel for Morning Prayer. Later in the morning, after the video and seminarian panel, we will all gather in the chapel for Mass. The afternoon on Saturday is meant to be enjoyable; we usually set aside time for all of us to get some recreation, whether that be playing basketball, soccer, football…you get the point. Following the time for sports, we will gather in the chapel for Evening Prayer. (more…)

On Retreat…

A good afternoon to everyone!! Yesterday afternoon, my fellow seminarians and I returned to St. John Vianney College Seminary after a much needed mid-semester break. Though the break was shorter than our normal breaks, it was very relaxing, allowing me to catch up on some rest. During the break, most of my time was spent with family and friends including two very awesome priests!! However, my prayer life was also enriched over the break–the dust is beginning to settle and I am able to see how the Lord has been working in my life over the last few months.

This afternoon at 5 p.m., the seminary community begins our annual silent retreat. So, from 5 o’clock this evening until Sunday afternoon, I will be free from the distractions of cell phones, computers, etc. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to this retreat; I am kind of wondering how the Lord is going to work. Please keep me and all the seminarians in your prayers, that the Lord will grant us all humility to receive and recognize the movements of the Spirit in our lives. As always, you all will remain in my prayers.

Pax.

Spring VAW Coming Up

It’s almost that time of year when the seminary community welcomes another group visitors for our Spring Vocations Awareness Weekend. For all those in the State of Florida who are interested in attending the weekend, please contact the Office of Vocations in your Diocese. The numbers are located below.

Diocese of Orlando:

Archdiocese of Miami: 305-762-1137

Diocese of St. Petersburg: 727-345-3452

Diocese of Palm Beach: 561-775-9552

Diocese of Venice: 941-484-9543

Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee: 850-435-3552

Diocese of St. Augustine: 904-262-3200, ext. 101

***Note: If you are the bulletin editor at a parish in the Diocese of Orlando, please email me (tom@thomaspringle.com) for additional bulletin inserts promoting Vocations Awareness Weekend.***

Fides et Ratio

On Friday, February 5, 2010, St. John Vianney College Seminary hosted the 11th Annual Fides et Ratio Conference. The main speaker for this year’s conference was the United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Dr. Miguel H. Diaz. Ambassador Diaz studied as a Pre-Theology seminarian for the Archdiocese of Miami back in the day. It was nice to see how the Ambassador’s faith has been shaped by this remarkable, holy place. The purpose of Ambassador Diaz’s speech was to highlight the growing relationship between the United States and the Vatican, especially in the areas where the two countries are working together for the common good of all peoples.

To begin his first speech on U.S. soil, the ambassador spoke of his role in the United States government, which is to be a “bridge-builder of issues between the United States and the Vatican.” The ambassador noted two challenges that his office deals with: 1) global tensions that are the result of increasing pluralism, and 2) interests between the United States and the Vatican for the sake of the common good.

Ambassador Diaz mentioned that human identity is still a major issue as a result of the drastic changes in cultural dynamics in countries across the globe, which he attributed to “human migrations.” This struggle to define the human identity has made difference–whether those be based on culture, ethnicity, or gender–a threat to the world family. We have become increasingly fearful of the other before we have thought about becoming friends. However, we cannot allow this to continue because the “actualization of person” happens when we are in communion with others. Therefore, developing relationships with others is “not a choice” because we meet God in the other. (more…)

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…)

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…)

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!

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.

Mid-Semester Break Recap

Hello all!! On Friday evening, my time in Orlando for mid-semester break came to a close as I returned to the seminary to begin the second quarter. The break was not as restful as I had hoped it would be, but it was a good break nonetheless. It included volunteering at the parish office for a brief amount of time, vocations talks, and visits to old friends and family.

The first day I was home, I traveled up to St. Augustine to join in on the festivities for Sr. Kathleen Power’s 50th Anniversary as a Sister of St. Joseph. (For the last couple of years, Sr. Kathleen has been serving as Assistant Vocations Director for the Diocese of Orlando.) During the Jubilee Mass, I was given the opportunity to serve with two seminarians from the Diocese of St. Augustine as well as two other seminarians from the Diocese of Orlando. What a beautiful Mass it was!! Fr. Miguel, our Vocations Director, concelebrated at the Mass and gave the homily, recalling how the Sisters of St. Joseph have a played a pivotal role in the formation of countless young Catholics throughout the State of Florida–myself included.

On Monday of the break, I spent the majority of the day at St. Charles, helping around the office. Every chance I get, I try to do as much as I can for the parish that raised me; it is my way of saying thank you. While I was there, I got to spend some time with the parish staff and share with them a little bit of my journey this year at St. John Vianney. (more…)

Mid-Semester Exam Week

Hello all! I apologize for the low number of posts for the last couple of weeks. Academics always have a priority, especially this week with mid-semester exams. Now, to make matters worse, I have some kind of virus that will keep me out of the classroom until tomorrow night. But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I will be home next week for mid-semester break. See most of y’all then!!

Bye for now….

Vocations Awareness Weekend Coming

The first Vocations Awareness Weekend at St. John Vianney College Seminary for the 2009-2010 academic year will be held from November 13th to the 15th. For anyone from the Diocese of Orlando interested in coming on this weekend, please call the Office of Vocations at 407-246-4875.

The Weeks Ahead

Two weeks ago, the seminarians had a week packed with all kinds of exciting events, including a visit from Christopher West for a Theology of the Body conference, as well as visits from our bishops for Board of Trustees meetings. We also participated in a Day of Recollection,which was very well received by yours truly–I was able to rest with the Lord with no worries about papers, tests, etc. This past week, the seminary community celebrated the first major event in its 50th Anniversary year with the dedication of a new mosaic to Mary, Star of the Sea and the consecration of the seminary to Mary. What an exciting couple of weeks!! Thankfully, the next couple of weeks are going to be a little more ordinary.

Throughout this week, most of us here will be working on papers that are due in the very near future. We will also be studying for our mid-term exams, which are coming up next week (October 5th-9th). However, then we all have something to look forward to; mid-semester break is the week of October 12th. For me, break will be spent catching up on some much needed rest and spending time with family in Orlando. I am mostly looking forward to getting to see my nephew crawl around the house.

Off to the chapel for Morning Prayer and Mass. Bye for now….