RECTOR’S CORNER
WITH A ROMAN HEART
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esonare Christum Corde Romano (“Echo Christ with a Roman Heart”) is the encouragement our men are receiving from you, our generous bishops, alumni, religious, and supporters. Some 1600 years ago, Saint Paulinus of Nola, bishop and doctor of the Church, wrote those words to encourage a brother in ministry as he tried to bring the words of the Gospel to a people who did not know Christ. Every NAC student and alumnus is grateful for what this College motivates and enables us to do: to echo Christ—with a Roman heart. We are proudly placing these words on our new building, which will be dedicated on January 6, to remind us to be grateful for all that we have received, and to motivate us in our mission! November is an eventful time here in Rome and at the College! We start the month with the Solemnity of All Saints, reminding us of all those faithful servants of the Lord who have gone before us to the heavenly Jerusalem, and in whom we find strength and a good example! Then, on All Souls’ Day, we remember all our deceased, especially alumni of the College, religious, deacons, family, friends, and benefactors who have gone before us to meet the Lord. Be assured that we have remembered the names and intentions you have sent us, too. We begin Advent this year at the end of the month—a time to quiet ourselves to meditate upon the mystery of God coming more fully into our lives and into the world. Of course, November also brings Thanksgiving, a particularly festive day here at the College—and how much we have to be grateful for this year! You will read about some of these things in this edition of Roman Echoes, through which our students who write, edit, and lay out the magazine are happy to share our life in Rome with you.
ordained this summer from the College, and forty-three new deacons were ordained at St. Peter’s on October 2 by his Eminence, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, joining their eleven classmates who were ordained over the summer. Fifty-one New Men arrived at the College to continue their priestly formation, bringing all kinds of enthusiasm, along with a desire to deepen their spiritual lives, learn the truths of our faith, and prepare to be good shepherds for our parishes at home! Thanks be to God, we’re at capacity again this year for the fourth year in a row. All of our seminarians participated in weeklong retreats during the month of September, and were further prepared for priestly ministry by weeklong workshops, covering priestly identity and celibacy, pastoral leadership, prayer, homiletics, pastoral counseling, ministry to families, and marriage preparation. Finally, our new building will be complete by the time you receive this magazine, and it looks marvelous! We look forward to our January 6 dedication on the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Yes, we have so much to be grateful for! Our gratitude is for you, too—our bishops, alumni, clerical and religious friends, and for our faithful, generous lay friends. Your support of our mission by your prayers and financial resources allows us to continue to offer this unique, solid priestly formation program here in Rome, close to St. Peter’s tomb, and to so many of the saints who have lived in this city. The history of our beloved Church truly comes alive for our seminarians and priests, and it becomes a part of who we are, so that we “Echo Christ with a Roman Heart” as we return home for priestly ministry. Thank you for making this possible, and know how grateful we are to you. I can assure you of our prayers. Enjoy this edition of Roman Echoes.
Rev. Msgr. James Checchio ‘92, C‘97 Diocese of Camden Rector
What an eventful few months it has been since our last edition of Roman Echoes: Fifty-three new priests were
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from seminary teaching to missionary work, along with ministry at university campuses and retreat houses. Some have been ordained for as few as seven years, and others as many as fifty-four. They range in age from thirty-nine to seventy-eight, which means the thirty-nine-year-olds must be sure to keep up with the seventyeight-year-olds. There are adjustments to be made to life in Rome, of course, from the trivial to the consequential. Daily conveniences found in America are often not on offer here, and besides this, nearly everyone outside of the beloved walls of the North American College speaks Italian. But the fundamental character of priestly life remains unchanged, with periods of ministry, study, and rest. Rome has afforded the priests of ICTE a number of unmatched oppor tunities, from guided private tours of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Scavi, along with the city’s favorite piazzas, the Jewish quarter, the home of Saint Paul, and the excellent cuisine and espresso! The group also made a five-day retreat in Assisi recently, and at the time of this writing, thirteen from
the group are about to embark on an eight-day pilgrimage to Turkey to see the seven churches described in The Book of Revelation, along with the sites of the early ecumenical councils. The privileges of Rome are hard to count. We have celebrated Mass together at the confessio altar in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Altar of the Chair for the College’s diaconate ordination, at the church of San Paolo alle Tre Fontane, where Saint Paul was martyred, at the tomb of Saint Francis in Assisi, and at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, before the image of Our Lady titled “Salus Populi Romani.” We are here in Rome during the pontificate of Pope Francis, who was the inspiration for many of the ICTE priests to make this pilgrimage to Rome. Also underway is the Synod on the Family and the beatification of Blessed Pope Paul VI. The history around us points to Saints Peter and Paul, who offered their own priestly lives for the growth of the Church. Our time in Rome will afford us the chance to pray, study, and preach, so that when we return home, our work will continually draw on the insights we first contemplated here.
Most of our priests’ classes are in the morning, and treat topics such as the epistles of St. Paul or the theme of preaching with the Lectionary. Many take walks during the afternoon—some for espresso, others for gelato—and conversation is especially rich during the evening period after dinner. The daily schedule is framed by prayer, beginning with Morning Prayer and Mass and Evening Prayer before dinner. Each week we gather for a holy hour, along with a period of socializing we have termed the weekly “Gaudeamus.” We have walked endlessly through the streets of Rome—and even through the hills of Umbria while in Assisi—to look for a haircut, to buy our train tickets, to find the right museum for the afternoon, or to wander into a new, undiscovered church, or perhaps an evening concert. This year’s ICTE class has been together for just a month as of this writing, but has already found not only the best pasta carbonara in Rome, but more crucially the best fraternity in town. We have found the joy of the priesthood anew, just in being brought together. We have lived that fraternity in the joy of the Gospel.
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INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
WHEN IN ROME Mark Randall, CFRE Executive Director, Institutional Advancement
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wice each year, we open wide the NAC doors and welcome visitors: for the Rector’s Dinner held each April, and for the Diaconate Ordinations held in October. During the recent Ordinations (see article on page 22) we welcomed nearly 1,700 friends, family members, and benefactors for the liturgy at the Papal Basilica of St. Peter, and the reception afterwards at the College.
On these special occasions, I enjoy seeing the reactions of people who meet our seminarians or tour our campus for the first time, or tour our campus. Few Catholics ever tour a seminary and fewer still a seminary in Rome and the NAC visitors express many comments, compliments, and questions. Most are surprised at how large our campus complex is – and how beautifully close it is to the Vatican. But all of our guests praise our student seminarians: how bright and articulate they are, their sense of joy and piety, and of course, what a large group they are! I had the joy of leading a special group of pilgrim benefactors who came to Rome recently. We visited many holy sites, including a private tour of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls with Cardinal James Harvey ’75 (Archpriest of the Basilica). Later, Cardinal Raymond Burke ’75 C’84 offered a private Mass and tour of the Apostolic Signatura, of which he is the Prefect. But clearly for our guests, the highlight was the tour of the Necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica and the
Diaconate Ordinations. One of our guests, Celia Vetter from Bismarck, ND recalls: I still find it hard to comprehend that this couple born in the Dakotas actually stood gazing at the bones of St. Peter on the Scavi tour. The next day, above those bones, we saw 43 solemn young men lie prostrate on the marble floor offering their lives in service to God. And when the Holy Spirit was called down upon them through the laying on of hands, I will never forget the expressions of pure joy on their faces. It was an awesome spiritual and emotional experience. I expect it will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Time spent in the Eternal City is always meaningful, and encounters with our students and campus community even more so. It is the unique combination of these students and priests, who study and pray in the shadow of the dome of St. Peter’s, in this ancient city, which produces such remarkable servants of the Church in the United States, Canada, and Australia. ∼ It is almost time for our December 8 Annual Appeal. Please watch your mailbox for this year’s letter from our Rector, and his invitation for you to partner in our mission with a financial investment. Whether you choose to support one of our five special projects this year, or simply support our work in general, please know that your gift is incredibly important to our continued success. We rely on your generosity each year because we do not receive funding from the Vatican, or a national second collection in the US. Thank you, and may God bless you abundantly!
CGA Today? The College is now offering Charitable Gift Annuities which simultaneously provide a charitable donation,
an income tax deduction, and a guaranteed lifetime income stream for you, the benefactor. Call the Office of Institutional Advancement today to establish an annuity before December 31! Mark Randall, CFRE (Executive Director), 202-541-5403.
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