On Thursday, September 17, 2009, the seminary community welcomed Christopher West, who came to share a bit about John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. At the time of his visit, Mr. West had been receiving criticism of many people stating that his commentary on the JPII’s work had been misrepresented by the Theology of the Body Institute. However, the seminarians here can attest to the powerful ministry of Christopher West and the institute he founded. The day after his visit, Justin Cardinal Rigali (Archbishop of Philadelphia) and the Most Rev. Kevin Rhoades (then Bishop of Harrisburg) issued a joint statement in support of Christopher West. They wanted to “express strong support for the important work of the Theology of the Body Institute and, in particular, that of Christopher West.” They continued by saying: “We are convinced that John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is a treasure for the Church…yet its scholarly language needs to be ‘translated’ into more accessible categories…and we believe that Christopher West, the Institute’s popular lecturer and spokesman, has been give a particular charism to carry out this mission.”

On Thursday, September 24, 2009, the seminary was consecrated to Mary under the title of New Eve and Star of the Sea. Archbishop-Designate Thomas Wenski came down for the consecration celebration and to bless a new mosaic designed by Peter Dionne, seminarian for the Diocese of Orlando.

Monsignor Michael Carruthers, Rector/President of the seminary wrote this about the various titles of Mary that were chosen: “The title of Mary as the New Eve points to obedience.  What was lost by the disobedience of the first Adam and Eve at the tree in the garden is regained by the New Adam (Christ) and the New Eve at the tree of the Cross.” He continued: “The title of Mary as the Star of the Sea points to hope.  Often our journey of faith can become difficult.  The waves can rise and toss us about.  In the midst of that struggle, Mary stands as a star guiding us into the safe harbor of her Son.”

On Thursday, November 5, 2009, the seminary community began the 50th Anniversary weekend with an alumni gathering in the refectory. “A display of historic photos and artifacts, including the first seminary journal, was present.  The alumni were extremely excited to be back on campus, and the stories and memories were flying.  All eras of the past fifty years were represented.  For some of the alumni present, it was their first visit back since graduating.” The cocktail reception was the beginning of a very grace-filled weekend for all of the seminarians, especially for me.

The alumni reunion weekend continued with an Alumni Morning of Recollection. The alumni were invited to sit at the feet of the Lord, focusing on Him who calls us all together. The morning also included a panel sharing, where alumni and faculty members shared memories of the seminary. It was a very special opportunity for the seminarians because we were given the chance to listen to stories of the significance of this most holy place by priest alumni, married alumni, and faculty members. An intimate journey with the Lord is one that is filled with great hope, compassion, mercy, love, and healing.

Following the Morning of Recollection, the seminary community hosted the 50th Anniversary Solemn Vespers liturgy and the main banquet for the weekend. Over 300 people attended both events, illustrating the tremendous impact St. John Vianney College Seminary has had on the Catholic Church in Florida.

On Saturday, the most significant and grace-filled event of the reunion weekend took place with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

[W]ith roughly three hundred people filling the main nave of the chapel, fifty concelebrating priests, and four concelebrating bishops, Archbishop John C. Favalora celebrated the 50th Anniversary Mass of St. John Vianney College Seminary.  The procession entered to the sound of trumpets and timpani as the Schola Cantorum sang “Go Up to the Altar of God.”The Archbishop gave the homily, reminding all present that a big part of the seminary experience can be found in the stories told during the weekend, and the characters remembered.  He spoke of the importance of a college seminary and reminded all present, particularly his own priests, to support the work of the seminary with their prayers and their monetary contribution.  He announced his intention to ask all the priests of the Archdiocese of Miami to make a donation this year to the Seminary Trust in honor of the Golden Jubilee.

At the end of the Mass, Msgr. Michael Carruthers came forward to announce the recipient of the Cure d’Ars Award.  The Award is the seminary’s highest honor and is given each year to an individual or group that has supported and uplifted the ministry of priestly formation.  This year’s recipients are the Vincentian Fathers (Congregation of the Mission) of the Eastern Province, who staffed the seminary from 1959 until 1975.  Fr. Charles Krieg, a former faculty member, came forward to receive the award from the Archbishop.  In speaking, Fr. Krieg share that when he looks out at the crowd he does not see bishops, monsignors, priests, husband, fathers, but his “boys.”  He shared how proud he is of all of them.  He said that the Vincentian who had been assigned to St. John’s always considered it among the most important and special times in their lives, and he thanked the seminary for the honor bestowed upon the Vincentian Fathers.

After the Mass a stand-up reception took place in the refectory.  No one was in a rush to move on, and people stayed to savor every moment together.  The Archbishop announced that he was giving the seminarians a day off in honor of the Jubilee – news that was met with thunderous applause.

The 50th Anniversary weekend came to a close on Sunday, November 8, 2009 with a cookout outside the college building. “The weekend was one filled with many graces.  Our hopes for the weekend were very high. For months the seminary community was praying for the weekend, praying that it would be more than simply a party, praying that it would truly be an encounter with Christ and a vehicle of hope and healing.  Through God’s grace, the weekend exceeded our hopes.”

As you can see, this review of the year is already long enough and it only covers half of the year. As the seminary community comes to the close of another year with the celebration of Community Days, I will have a bit more time throughout the next couple of days to reflect on the year, counting all of the graces that have been granted by the Lord. More to come.

Pax.

PHOTO: (1) St. John Vianney College Seminary; (2) St. John Vianney College Seminary

SOURCE: St. John Vianney College Seminary

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.

PHOTOs SOURCE: St. John Vianney College Seminary

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!!

PHOTOs SOURCE: St. John Vianney College Seminary

]]> http://www.thomaspringle.com/2009/11/50th-morning-of-recollection/feed/ 0 http://www.thomaspringle.com/2009/11/50th-anniversary-update/ http://www.thomaspringle.com/2009/11/50th-anniversary-update/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:50:08 +0000 Tom Pringle http://www.thomaspringle.com/?p=423

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….

PHOTO SOURCE: Archdiocese of Miami

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.

PHOTO SOURCE: St. John Vianney College Seminary