NAC Magazine: Fall-Winter 1996

Fall/Winter 1996 Enrollment rises from 128 to 148

Student Body Largest since 1987 The class of 2000, the first class of the new millennium, was warmly welcomed by the College community in August.

The 39 "new men" bring total enrollment to 148, the largest since 1987. There were 128 men enrolled one year ago.

The new class also brings (or brings back) (Arch)diocesan representation in the College from Boise, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Davenport, Harrisburg, Helena, Lansing, Memphis, Norwich, Ogdensburg, Orlando, Providence, Rochester, Salt Lake City, Stockton, and Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.

Three men who are part of the class of 1999, transferred from other seminaries. With these three, the College welcomed "new men": Luke Ballman (Atlanta), Daniel Barnett (Spokane), Victor Blazovich (Spokane), Grattan Brown (Memphis), Thomas Connolly (Spokane), Jason Crossen (Davenport), Joel Cycenas (St. Paul-Minneapolis), Michael Dodd (Tulsa) and James Faman (Pittsburgh).

Also, Francisco Flores (Boise), Dennis Garcia (Santa Fe), Joseph Giroux (Ogdensburg), William Hambleton (Salt Lake City), John Kimes (Eparchy Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles), Ron Kunkel (Chicago), Thomas LaHood (Washington), Derek Lappe (Seattle), Raymond LaVoie (Harrisburg) and Jeffery Loseke (Omaha).

Also, Michael Lynam (Pittsburgh), Timothy MacDonald (Lansing), Patrick Martin (Tulsa), Robert Moses (Orlando), Gerard O'Connor (Fall River), Gregory Parkes (Orlando), William Rice (Erie), Ralph Segura (Bridgeport), Jose Sema (Stockton), David Shoemaker (Mobile), Lawrence Shrader (Washington) and Bryce Sibley (Lafayette).

Also Thomas Sinnott (Scranton), John Sistare (Providence), Kristian Teater (St. Louis), Scott Traynor (Sioux Falls), Alejandro Valladares (Mobile), Daniel Whalen (Pittsburgh), Robert White (Norwich) and Jeffrey Wilbom (Denver).

With these new men, the North American College continues its long tradition of wel- coming seminarians from the United States and Canada to, in the words of Pope Pius XII, "imbibe the sacred wisdom of Holy Mother Church at its very source and to be nourished at the very heart of the Catholic world. . ." (Apostolic Letter to the American Hierarchy, Feb. 18, 1948).

Thomas LaHood 2000, Archdiocese of Washington Last Updated on 23/01/97

Rector's Corner One of our 39 new students remarked to me the other day, "Sure is a lot going on around here!" You bet there is! The North American College is alive, growing and full of promise- and much of that is due to you, the good benefactors who have become a part of our hope.

We are so grateful for your recent extraordinarily generous gifts. Joseph Corso, Sr., and his son, Joseph Jr., just pledged an increment to their original benefaction of $250,000, allowing us to complete the auditorium; The Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas kept up their beautiful tradition of annual subsidies to the College, and we used the latter to help repay the loan we took for the kitchen renovation; The generosity of the Dan Murphy Foundation and our alumni have allowed us to install a completely new telephone system at the seminary and the graduate house; At Bishop Donald Wuerl's prompting, the Diocese of Pittsburgh has pledged $ 100,000 to construct a guest apartment in honor of John Cardinal Wright; Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua has given funds to buy much-needed furniture for the Cardinal Cooke Suite; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Syms from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have provided for the renovation of the lounge and coffee room at the Casa Santa Maria; Benefactors from the Diocese of St. Petersburg, led by Bishop Robert Lynch, Gregory Jewell, Leon Toups, and Charles Behr, are raising money to give the College a new van for the seminarians' apostolic endeavors, a new computer room with new computers and printers and an exercise room for the students; And Mrs. Michael Leo Looney from Washington, D. C. has arranged for a face-lift in the Red Room along with her four-year scholarship.

I could go on and on, but trust you see what I mean when I observe that our benefactors are the reason that "there is a lot going on around here!"

However, keep in mind that all of this physical, external renewal only exists to allow us to have the space, facility and tools to carry out our one and only task: priestly formation! That's why you all invest your interest, prayer, and treasure in the North American College--for you love the Church and know she needs good, holy, happy, well-prepared priests!

This year our seminarians and priests were able to participate in the celebrations commemorating the golden jubilee of the ordination of a man who so exemplifies what priesthood is all about, Pope John Paul II. For 137 years we've been forming priests, and will keep doing so because of your generosity!

Thank you!

Last Updated on 23/01/97

New seminarians welcomed in New York and Rome

Warm welcomes, helping hands, a view of St. Peters Basilica and the pealing of chapel bells were the sights and sounds which greeted the new students at North American College in August.

Actually, our official welcome began before we ever left American soil as a group of spirited and dedicated Knights of Columbus representatives from the New York metropolitan area and several NAC seminariansand deacons greeted us at New York's Kennedy Airport in preparation for our flight to Rome. We received a warm welcome, words of encouragement and advice and enjoyed a lunch buffet provided by the Knights.

We were greeted at Leonardo Da Vinci Airport with more warm welcomes from Msgr. Timothy Dolan, Rector, and the 1996 NAC orientation committee, which provided assistance and helping hands with luggage transfer and customs.

One of the most memorable moments of the trip occurred as the bus passed via della Conciliazione, the street which leads directly into St. Peter's Square. As the bus turned the comer, climbed the Janiculum Hill and entered the gates of the North American College, we began to hear the peel of bells coming from the chapel ... welcoming us to our new home.

Appropriately, our first act as new students at the College was to enter the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception to give thanks in prayer for our safe journey to Rome.

Gregory Parkes '99 Diocese of Orlando Last Updated on 23/01/97

NAC students have summer apostolates in Europe, Africa After completing the first year of priestly formation, NAC seminarians spend a summer in Europe or The Third World --- studying and participating in apostolic work.

Following are brief reports on some of the seminarian's experiences this past summer:

Calcutta When thinking about Calcutta, India, the first word that usually comes to mind is poverty. Calcutta, however, can be a city of joy.

Serving Jesus in the "distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor" is more than just a catch-phrase; it's a way of life, a giving of self, and, a grace-filled privilege.

The work of the Missionaries of Charity is centered on the Eucharist. A typical day in Calcutta begins at the Motherhouse at 5:50 am with Holy Mass and morning prayers. After a light breakfast, volunteers work at one of several hospices. In the evening, all return to the Motherhouse for a Holy Hour with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, communal recitation of the Rosary and Benediction.

Fellow seminarian Robert Harris, Diocese of Atlanta, and I spent most of our summer working at Nirmal

Hriday, which means "Immaculate Heart" in the local Bengali tongue. It is Mother Teresa's first home for dying destitutes. Generally referred to as "Kalighat" because of its proximity to the famed Hindu temple to the goddess Kali, it is in one of the most congested areas of the city.

On first entering Kalighat, one's senses are battered by the sight of emaciated bodies, the smells of disease and antiseptic and the sounds of people in pain. Patients are brought to Kalighat to die. Despite these initial impressions, the presence of the joyful Missionaries of Charity creates an atmosphere of love and comfort that strips awav the apprehension.

The work can be challenging. On my second day, I found myself holding a man while nurses cleaned live maggots out of a gaping wound in his leg. On subsequent days I bathed, fed, carried, comforted and loved men whose bodies had been ravaged by malnutrition and disease.

I helped carry men into Kalighat from the streets and I carried their dead bodies out of Kalighat to be either cremated or buried, depending upon their religion. And I did everything with happiness that can only be explained as a grace from God. Since my return, people have asked whether my experience has changed my life. It has.

The extent of the poverty, disease and malnutrition that I witnessed in Calcutta cannot be found in the United States. This summer I was given the opportunity to do something about it.

This summer I learned first hand what Jesus meant when He said, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Mt. 25:40) Christopher Nalty '99 Archdiocese of New Orleans Last Updated on 23/01/97

Ukraine

NAC Students in Ukraine with some of their Hosts

Four seminarians from the North American College were invited to Ukraine for the Lviv Theological Academy Intensive English camp this past summer.

The camp consisted of 150 students, faculty members and seminarians at the Academy and the Ukrainian Catholic Seminary at Rudnow. The staff, gathered from Ukraine, Canada, the United States and Rome, included NAC seminarians Brad Jones, Diocese of Charlotte; Tony Generose, Diocese of Scranton, and Keith Streifel, Diocese of Bismark.

NAC Seminarian Brad Jones, left, with a Ukranian student

The site was a camp in the Carpathian mountains, where each morning began with the Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom in English - the bare-bones version - which lasts about an hour. The seminarians taught English through a variety of topics ranging from studies of St. John's Gospel, vocabulary related to the Church and practical English grammar. There also were work shops on topics such as evangelization, Franciscan spirituality and history, counseling and its relationship to church ministry.

It was necessary for students need to learn English in order to be able to read theology since little is available in Ukrainian because of the Soviet Govemment's repression of both the Catholic Church and the Ukrainian language for more than 50 years.

Through this summer apostolate, the seminarians from NAC were able to contribute to the rebirth of the Catholic faith in Ukraine by preparing its young leaders for the New Evangelization and the new millennium.

Keith Streifel, '99, Diocese of Bismarck Last Updated on 24/01/97

Tanzania

Participating in the hospitality of Tanzania wer, from the left, NAC students Mark Vander Steeg, Fr. Steve Brown, '74, and James Csaszar.

The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers took the Good News to the Serengeti in the 1970's. This past summer, Brian Doyle, Archdiocese of Indianapolis; Mark Vander Steeg, Diocese of Des Moines, and I spent more than a month in the parish of St. Francis in Mugumu, Tanzania.

While the parish church building is in Mugumu proper, the area of the parish covers more than 6,000 square miles and includes more than thirty established outstations. The priests take turns making the slow

journeys to the outstations during the week to teach and celebrate Mass.

We were privileged to arrive during a poignantly festive time-as Fr. Steve Brown (NAC, '74,) was finishing his five year commitment as an Associate Maryknoll Missionary to the people of Mugumu.

This provided us with a full and wonderful glance into some of the young Christian communities of really rural Africa.

Each village threw a party for their pastor. During these festivals and our time in Africa, two characteristics did not go unnoticed: the vigor they put into hospitality and the fervor they have for their liturgies.

The people we met were perfect hosts of Christian charity. They greeted us, took us into their small homes make of mud and straw and gave us seats of honor. Special food was prepared for these festivals; goats and chickens were slaughtered for the occasion. Their charitable actions spoke loudly and set an example to be matched by those who received their Christian embrace.

It was a grace-filled time to see the face of Christ in people with a background and culture very different from our own-- and very comforting to be with these wonderful new brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jamie Csaszar '99 Dioscese of Columbus Last Updated on 24/01/97

Mass at Tomb of St. Peter, gelato excursions were part of Seminary's two-week orientation program

A Mass at the Baptistry of St. John Lateran was part of this year's orientation program.

Planning for orientation begins in February with the then first-year class working on the pre-arrival materials sent to the "new men". Virtually everyone in the class becomes involved in some way--by either working on the preorientation planning or serving on the committee itself.

The most important part of the preparation involves prayer for the new men and the success of the orientation program. Before our first year class departed for the summer, each of the orientation team members was given the names of two or three new men to remember in his daily intercessions.

When the orientation team returned to the College in mid-August, we actively prepared for the imminent arrival of the new men. The anticipation for their arrival built and, on the eve of their flight to Rome, the orientation team gathered for a holy hour. Later that same night, we celebrated with a traditional toast on the roof to honor the new men and our own transition from "new men" to "veterans."

The two weeks of orientation began with the ringing of the bells as the new men filed out of the bus through the gauntlet of applauding students and staff and into the main chapel for an opening prayer service.

NAC's Rector, Msgr. Timothy Dolan, faculty and staff were on hand to welcome the College's incoming class.

This year's program was full of many of the usual activities, such as joining the Holy Father for the Angelus at Castelgondolfo (in the pouring rain,) Mass at the altar of the Tomb of St. Peter, small group "excursions" at night in Rome for the gelato and cena, beach day, mass and cena at the Casa Santa Maria and the welcoming banquet.

New this year was a mass at the baptistry of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, led by the Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton, Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis. We also expanded the range of tours offered within Rome during orientation and made a pilgrimage to St. Augustine's to venerate St. Monica on her feast day.

With the new phone system at the NAC, new men were also introduced to the various e-mail and internet options in Rome. The orientation program culminated with a weekend pilgrimage to Assisi.

Working on Orientation '96 helped us grow closer as a class and put the previous year into perspective.

We began to appreciate even more fully that we were part of an ongoing, living tradition of all the NAC seminarians and priests who preceded us and those who will come in the future.

Bob McClory, '99 Archdiocese of Detroit Last Updated on 24/01/97

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Fund raising successful Spring pilgrimage to Rome Kitchen Fund tops $150,000 Vatican tour information available from NAC

A pilgrimage to Assisi and the Holy Land is part of NAC's Sabbatical in Rome Program - an intensive three-month activity held twice annually for American priests ... to study preaching, teaching, liturgy and renew themselves for future priestly life.

Fund raising successful NAC Rector Timothy Dolan attended three major U.S. fund raising events in November: in Palm Beach, where NAC was introduced to the community by Bishop J. Keith Symons; in Tampa, where Bishop Robert Lynch sponsored a dinner, and in Washington D.C. at an event host- ed by Ambassador and Mrs. Thomas Melady at the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Biggest immediate success was in Tampa where almost $270,000 was raised for computers, printers and peripherals in a program headed by Messrs. Greg Jewell, Charlie Behr and Leon Toups, whose son, David, is a NAC student.

Spring pilgrimage to Rome NAC's U.S. Development Office will sponsor a very special pilgrimage to Rome from April 5-12, 1997.

Included will be participation in the renowned Rector's Dinner, a black tie event which is considered one of Rome's leading social events of the Spring. John Cardinal O'Connor will be honored at the April 10 dinner for his ongoing support of the College. Contact NAC (toll free) at 1-888- NAC AT NJ for more information.

Kitchen Fund tops $150,000 NAC friends and alumni have thus far contributed more than $150,000 to help renovate and refurbish the kitchen in the seminary. The "kitchen" project became a priority earlier this year when minor gas leaks were discovered.

Vatican tour information available from NAC Individuals and families from the United States who desire to visit the Vatican while in Rome are invited to contact NAC's office in Princeton, NJ, for information about tours, tickets and usual times for public appearances by Pope Paul II. Tickets for "audiences" with the Pope, when available, can be obtained in Rome at the U.S.A. Visitors' Office. Deacon Patrick Kennedy, NAC's Director of Development in Princeton. can be reached at 609-219-1350.

Last Updated on 24/01/97

Letter from the Editor

Coming to grips with the

implications of hospitality

Past and current NAC Newsletter editors Rob Jascot, left, and Matthew Carr.

Day after day we welcome bishops, priests, seminarians, friends, parents, family members and even those who just simply show up with a name --- our name --- expecting to find a friendly face in a strange land.

It is one of the great traditions of the College --- this mission of hospitality --- to offer a home away from home not only for the seminarians, faculty and graduate study priests, but also a wann welcome, a good meal and a comfortable bed to hundreds of visitors each year.

We all learn during our time in Rome that being a host is not always easy - and it requires a sacrifice.

Guests need instructions, directions, assistance, guidance and advice. They depend on our knowledge and care to insure that their visit to Rome is pleasant... and worth while.

But sometimes the tables are turned - like during this past summer - when we were the ones visiting new cities or countries, working on an apostolate or studying a foreign language.

The summer apostolates, so integral and memorable a part of the uni@ program of priestly formation in Rome, sent men from my class, Second Theology, to Europe to teach and learn, to Aftica to assist in the missions, and to India to serve the poor. Universally we experienced the grace of hospitality. often for no other reason than we are seminarians trying in our own poor way to bring Christ's presence into the world.

During my own summer study and travels I was received time and again with the warmth and kindness by all sorts of people - priests, religious, cousins, friends, acquaintances and strangers - who treated me with a love and generosity that I could not have anticipated.

Money could not begin to express the appreciation and gratitude I feel toward them. This was very frustrating because I do not like to have debts - monetary or otherwise - hanging over my head.

Upon reflection though, it struck me that this may be the same feeling that many of our guests have when they come to the College for our hospitality. All of a sudden I realized this is something like an "economy of hospitality," where the generosity and kindness we receive are not paid back like a debt, but rather spur us on to treat others with a like generosity and kindness. Is this not, after all, the example of Jesus who gives himself to us and we in turn give ourselves to others? Hospitality - the loving of a stranger - is the concrete realization of the Great Commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Of course this is a virtue for everywhere, not just for Rome. Indeed, when people talk about "inclusivity" are they not really just asking to be treated with love and respect? Is this not what hospitality seeks to do? The Catholic faith universally seeks to embrace the entire human race in all times and places without ever intentionally desiring to exclude any- one from the promised Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

Hospitality opposes every form of bigotry and teaches us to go beyond blood and race. Jesus both gave and received hospitality and as priests for the third millennium, the implications of his example are clear as we accept the challenges of preaching the Gospel in an ever shrinking world in which the magnificent

diversity of cultures and civilizations are brought into closer contact... and sometimes conflict.

From the beginning, the Church has taken up the mission of bringing Christ to the nations. Through it all has been the virtue of hospitality- welcoming the stranger in our midst-that has brought the Church to realize her universality in a billion people from every comer of the world on the brink of the New Evangelization. Love is realized in small acts of kindness and self-sacrifice- and hospitality is one of the princi- pal ways we can assist in bringing about the Civilization of Love, as Pope Paul VI called it, in anticipation of the future Reign of God. Matthew Carr, '99 Diocese of Arlington Last Updated on 24/01/97