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.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami released the following statement upon the announcement of Bishop Felipe Estevez as tenth bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine:

I congratulate Bishop Estevez on his appointment as the new Bishop of St. Augustine. He brings many gifts to Northeast Florida – as a priest, he has served as a pastor, spiritual director, seminary rector, and as a very effective preacher of retreats and missions in three languages: English, Spanish and French; as an auxiliary bishop, he has ably assisted my predecessor and now me in the governance of the See of Miami, especially providing wisdom and direction in the coordination of the rich expression of ecclesial groups and apostolic movements active in the Archdiocese.

St. Augustine, the city where the Servant of God, Padre Felix Varela, died in exile from his native Cuba, is not unknown to Bishop Estevez – he has had occasion to visit there many times; and not a few of the clergy of St. Augustine also know Bishop Estevez as a former rector and spiritual director of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.

While the People of God here in South Florida rejoice over Northeast Florida’s good fortune in having Bishop Estevez as their new shepherd, we will certainly miss him. Bishop Estevez has not only been a brother priest and bishop to me, he has, for more than 35 years, been and still is my good friend. I look forward to continue working with him as one of the six suffragan bishops of the Ecclesiastic Province of Miami.

Source: Archdiocese of Miami

When Archbishop Thomas Wenski took the reigns of the Archdiocese of Miami on June 1st of this year, all of us expected that some changes would be made in the administration. Well, we now have another piece that has been added to the puzzle of shifts. This morning, the Diocese of Orlando released the following statement:

Sr. Elizabeth Worley, SSJ | Source: Diocese of Orlando

Archbishop Thomas Wenski announced the appointment of Sr. Elizabeth Worley, SSJ as chancellor and chief operating officer for the Archdiocese of Miami. She has served as chancellor of administration and chief operating officer for the Diocese of Orlando since February 15, 2007. Very Reverend Richard Walsh, Diocese of Orlando Administrator, accepted Sr. Elizabeth Worley’s resignation, effective September 30.

In her position with the Diocese of Orlando, Sister Elizabeth served as the bishop’s chief administrative and business officer, assisting him on strategic business development and key planning issues, as well as offering recommendations on major business decisions.

“I am grateful to Sr. Elizabeth Worley for her service to our Diocese and its people during these last three and one-half years. Many have benefitted from her guidance and steadfast efforts,” said Father Richard Walsh. “I also appreciate her continued leadership role with the Sisters of St. Joseph.”

Sister Elizabeth Worley, S.S.J. holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami and a Master of Arts in Chemistry from Villanova University. She has a Bachelor of Science with a specialty in Chemistry from Barry University. She was awarded the Papal Cross by Pope John Paul II in recognition of a lifetime of faithful service to the Catholic Church. Sister Elizabeth Worley is a Sister of St. Joseph.

Well folks, here is the video from the Mass of Installation of the fourth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami, Thomas Gerard Wenski.

If you would prefer the video from the Archdiocese of Miami, please follow the following link: http://www.miamiarch.org/ip.asp?op=Article_10531171852608.

And, if anyone was interested, here is what the liturgical hammer looked like.

Archbishop Wenski during June 1st Mass of Installation

On the afternoon of June 1st, Archbishop Thomas Wenski took the reigns of the Archdiocese of Miami. Emerging from outside the Cathedral of St. Mary after  the customary three knocks on the front door, Archbishop Wenski processed into the cathedral of the archdiocese to applause from the congregation. The Mass, which began shortly after 2 o’clock, was aired live on EWTN, CatholicTV, and the Archdiocese of Miami website.

At the beginning of the Mass, Archbishop John C. Favalora welcomed those in attendance, including some 500 priests, 40+ bishops, a Prince of the Catholic Church (Sean Cardinal O’Malley), religious men and women, seminarians, and lay faithful. In his remarks, Archbishop Favalora stated: “Today we all welcome Archbishop Wenski back home.” Favalora shared, “I can attest Archbishop, God does provide.”