Well everyone, the last couple of days have been, to say the least, quite interesting for this seminarian who tries to keep all of you informed on the important news affecting the Catholic Church in the United States. My only hope for this site is that it can reach someone and develop in them a deep love for the Church, a love that, for me, grows more intensely every day.

Yesterday, with my Bishop appointed as the Archbishop of Miami, I have not even truly begun to think about the implications this has for my own Diocese of Orlando. We will be vacant beginning June 1, 2010 and we could be vacant for some time. With the diocese in the midst of a $150 million capital campaign project to fund the outcome of the first ever diocesan synod that was called by Bishop Wenski back in 2004-2005, my prayer is that the Holy Father will send us a new ordinary as soon as possible.

I have also not even begun to think of the implications the appointment of the Most Rev. Thomas G. Wenski as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Miami has for the Province of Miami (Catholic Church of Florida). Archbishop-elect will have a good fifteen to sixteen years at the helm here in Florida. With his qualifications and his enduring work for the poor and less-fortunate, Wenski has now been given a platform to bring a message to the whole of the United States. Let me tell you, that message needs to be heard now more than ever.

Please keep Archbishop-Designate Wenski, Archbishop Favalora, the future Bishop of Orlando (whoever that may be), the people of the Archdiocese of Miami, and the people of the Diocese of Orlando (clergy, consecrated religious, and laity) in your prayers over the next few weeks.

Time for a little breather. Final exams are next week and I haven’t started studying for them yet and, well, academics reign supreme over the next few days. Do not expect to see a post until the beginning of May, folks.

Thank you for reading! Peace to all of you!

PHOTO: cartoonworks.net

Good evening, everyone! This year in the seminary has been the most challenging one of all and, as fast as the year has gone, the year is not yet completed. There is still much work to do–finishing final papers, finishing up projects, and studying for final exams. So, over the next couple of weeks, I am going to take a break from posts on the blog to focus on the most important things–prayer and academics.

As the seminarians journey throughout the end of this year, please continue to pray for us. We need it now more than ever. I hope everyone is having a blessed Easter thus far. Remember to keep your eyes focused on Christ. And, unless anything big happens with the Catholic Church in the US, do not expect to see a blog post until the end of April. Peace and blessings to all of you!

The weekend is upon us…and a weekend of work it will be for me. This weekend is the last here on campus before all of the seminarians depart for their home dioceses to celebrate Holy Week.

The seminarians from the Diocese of Orlando will be serving at the Chrism Mass on Wednesday, March 31. As usual, the Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. Bishop Wenski has invited all of the faithful from the Diocese of Orlando to attend. It is always a beautiful experience to witness the priests renew their vows and their commitment to serving the people of God.

After the Chrism Mass, we will all be switching gears for the celebration of the Easter Triduum. Over the last several days, I have been reminded of the few remaining days of Lent; and, well, “[our] redemption is at hand.” (Luke 21:28) We only have a few days left to reexamine ourselves to see if we are truly living our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Thank goodness He is patient.

The seminarians all return to the seminary on April 5th, which leaves a mere four weeks in the academic year. Holy Week is the last occasion we have for a little bit of rest; every chance I get, I will be spending time simply relaxing and focusing on the immensity of the message of Easter.

This morning, on the Feast of St. Joseph, the seminary community welcomed the fifth rector of St. John Vianney College Seminary, Bishop Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of St. Petersburg. It has been a very difficult past eight months for Bishop Lynch who has undergone numerous surgeries and experienced many complications with his recovery. While the bishop has lost quite a bit of weight, he is finally beginning to return to full ministry. I might add that he really does look great!!!

During this morning’s Mass, Bishop Lynch spoke to the seminarians, reminding us to follow the example of St. Joseph. On this, the feast of the foster father of Jesus, Bishop Lynch told us to live by Joseph’s example, giving us three points to focus on. The first point was to have a fidelity to faith, to be willing to listen to the voice of the Lord and have faith that he will protect, guide, and strengthen us. Secondly, we should all have the courage to take risks–the bishop reminded us that Joseph had to take the risk to take Mary and Jesus into Egypt to protect them from Herod. Finally, we should all have humility to put others before ourselves, not simply seeking what is best for ourselves but, rather, for the good of all.

Please continue to pray for Bishop Lynch as he continues his recovery. Please also remember to pray for Bishop John Ricard (Pensacola-Tallahassee) who is recovering from a December stroke.

Happy Feast of St. Joseph to all of you!! May the words of Pius IX be a reminder to all of us of Joseph’s mission: “All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate thee, O patriarch St. Joseph!”

PHOTO SOURCE: For His Friends: Thoughts and Reflections by Bishop Robert Lynch

Another Vocations Awareness Weekend has come and gone and this time around the bar was definitely raised by the guests. Out of the 70 young men who attended the weekend, all of them gave their hearts to really consider the discernment of the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

On Friday evening, the guests arrived to the seminary. At about 11:00 p.m. we all gathered in the main chapel for a welcoming/blessing ceremony with a modified version of Night Prayer. Saturday was packed with all kinds of different activities. On Saturday morning, the guests watched a very…interesting movie created by the Dean of Students/Vice Rector of the seminary. Following the movie presentation, the guests listened to several seminarians describe the four pillars of formation as prescribed by the Program of Priestly Formation (PPF). The seminarians added a personal touch to the pillars to make them more real for the guests.

On Saturday evening, several seminarians were asked to lead small group sessions where the guests could ask any questions about seminary life, the process of discernment in our own lives, etc. During the small group sessions, I experienced the willingness of these young men to open their hearts. Compared to the last VAW in November, the conversation that took place in these small groups was much deeper and more geared towards discernment.