Roman echoes 2017 - Volume 22, Issue 1

RomanEchoes NOVEMBER 2017

VOLUME 22: ISSUE 1

T H E P O N T I F I C A L N O RT H A M E R I C A N C O L L E G E

10 Catacombs 12 Steps of St. Paul 16 Diaconate Ordinations 32 Blessed Stanley Rother

Contents 12 10 Features 7 Why Catholics Venerate Relics

10 Catacombs

A seminarian apostolate takes visitors to the tombs of the earliest Roman Christians

12 Steps of St. Paul

Pilgrims and scholars follow the Apostle to the Gentiles across Greece

14 Casa Santa Maria's New Look 15 New Men in Assisi

16 Diaconate

Before ordination day stands months of preparation

21 Sing to the Lord 22 Creative Writing Corner 24 Reflecting on the Reformation 28 Next Generation of Formation 29 Presuming Priesthood 30 Academics in Focus 31 Pastoral Year

32 Blessed Fr. Rother

Seminarians attend the beatification of the United States' first native-born martyr

33 Forming Men of the Table

20 Lourdes Revisited 2

The Pontifical North American College

Cover Image: Seminarian photographs of the saints in Rome and beyond

32 16 Photo Credit: Archives of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Updates 5 Rector’s Corner 6 NAC Voices 8 New Faculty 18 Snapshots

26 ICTE 27 Economo’s Corner 34 Institutional Advancement

From the Editor

The saints are more than inspirational figures.

They are friends, people in glory who are actively helping us to join them after our own course is run. The fall is a special time in the Church’s year to spend time with the saints and holy souls, full of great individual feasts—St. Francis, St. Thérèse, the Archangels—as well as the Solemnity of All Saints and All Souls’ Day. In this season’s issue of the Roman Echoes, the seminarians and faculty of the NAC have given particular attention to the role of the saints in our lives. Our hope is that you also are edified by this witness to the cloud of witnesses.

Christian Huebner, ‘19 Archdiocese of Washington Editor-in-Chief

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Contributors

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christian Huebner ‘19, Archdiocese of Washington MANAGING EDITOR Joseph Boustany ‘19, Diocese of Lafayette

ASSISTANT EDITOR Nathanael Anderson ‘20, Archdiocese of Washington LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR Tyler Johnson ‘19, Archdiocese of Seattle ASSISTANT LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITORS Christopher Boyle ‘19, Archdiocese of Boston Andrew DeRouen ‘20, Diocese of Lake Charles PHOTOGRAPHERS Zach Brown ‘19, Diocese of Toledo Justin Weber '20, Archdiocese of Milwaukee Denis Nakeeran '20, Archdiocese of Boston

Administration

of the Pontifical North American College RECTOR Very Rev. Peter C. Harman ‘99 VICE RECTOR FOR ADMINISTRATION Rev. Kerry Abbott, OFM Conv. ICTE ’14 VICE RECTOR FOR SEMINARY LIFE Rev. Adam Park ‘05 ACADEMIC DEAN AND ROMAN ECHOES FACULTY LIAISON Rev. John P. Cush ’98, C’15 SUPERIOR, CASA SANTA MARIA Rev. Msgr. Fred Berardi C’82 DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION Rev. James M. Sullivan, OP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Mark Randall, CFRE For more information about the Pontifical North American College, subscription questions, or to learn about ways you can financially support “America’s Seminary in Rome,” please contact Mark Randall, CFRE, Executive Director, Institutional Advancement.

Tel: (202) 541-5411 Fax: (202) 722-8804 Email: pnacdc@pnac.org Website: www.pnac.org This publication is written, edited and photographed by the students of the Pontifical North American College.

All of this issue’s cover photos were taken by NAC seminarians.

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LEFT: Newly ordained deacons and their guests enjoy a reception at the College.

Rector’s Corner Surrounded by a Cloud of Witnesses

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pilgrim to Rome cannot but sense the closeness of the saints at every turn. The very fabric of the city is interwoven with Churches, images, burial sites and customs of the faithful who have walked the streets for two centuries, and are now remembered and called upon because of their example and for their intercession.

The past is very rich in Rome!

But it would be wrong to think that the presence of the saints in Rome, for pilgrim or seminarian, is focused primarily upon the past. Instead, the devotion to the saints is a call to be even more perfectly united to the Eternal, and called just as truly today as ever, by those who lived among us in days gone by, letting their witness speak to us across the years of time.

St. John Paul II, reflecting in his memoir, Gift and Mystery on his time in the Eternal City, in a world healing slowly from the Second World War, writes: “At the Heart of Christendom, and in the light of the saints, people from different nations would come together, as if to foreshadow, beyond the tragedies recently lived, a world

no longer divided.” Indeed, our seminarians and priests who now call Rome their home, mix with people from all over the world, who come to be near the Holy Father, who walk in the Catacombs, who pray to martyrs and who have so very little in common with them…it might seem, except their identical focus on the living witness of Christ alive in his Church, in his holy people past, in his only people present.

Pope Francis has reminded the faithful of the importance of knowing the lives of the saints: “They are like us, they are like each of us, they are people who before reaching the glory of heaven lived a normal life, with joys and struggles and hopes.” Each saint changed his or her life “when they recognized the love of God, they followed him with all their heart, without conditions. They spent their lives in the service of others, they endured suffering and adversity without hatred and responded to evil with good, spreading joy and peace,” he said at the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square around All Saints’ Day 2015.

Those who come here now feel that

same draw, that the saints remind them that the struggles for sanctity not only are possible, but very much worthwhile.

As you remember the faithful departed and ponder the witness of the saints in this time of year, please ask them to intercede for us in our important work…desiring personal sanctity, but also for being formed to help make saints of those to whom our men will one day come to minister.

Thank you for your interest and support!

Very Reverend Peter C. Harman, STD. ’99, Rector

“At the Heart of Christendom, and in the light of the saints, people from different nations would come together, as if to foreshadow, beyond the tragedies recently lived, a world no longer divided.” ~ St. John Paul II

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VOICES OF NAC

Living in Rome, it is easy to remember that the “great cloud of witnesses” does not simply look down upon us. The saints are all around us.

Is there a saint who has been a particular friend or inspiration to you during your time in Rome?

“Before my first couple months of living in Rome, I identified St. Peter as a ‘lofty’ saint, as opposed to being someone in whom I could confide as a close friend. Having been greatly inspired by his closeness with Christ, and also his humanity, which struck me in a very deep way during the Scavi tour, I hope to never overlook the nearness of his daily intercession. Fortunately, all I have to do to remind myself of this is look out my room window.”

Kyle Poje, Class of 2021, Archdiocese of Seattle

“Years ago, I chose St. Philip Neri as my confirmation saint. Here in Rome, I have had the opportunity to pray at his tomb and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit that brought him so much love for God and joy for serving others. He was a man of both deep interior prayer and of great sense of humor. His life of prayer, joy and charity model to me the life of a holy priest.”

Mitchel Roman, Class of 2019, Diocese of Gaylord

“As a student at the Gregorian University, I have taken great pleasure in regularly visiting the tomb of St. Ignatius of Loyola at the Church of the Gesù. This closeness to Ignatius at the mother church of the Society of Jesus undeniably roots our academic formation deep into the Jesuit tradition. Ignatius serves as an excellent example for all of us preparing to spread the Gospel near and far.”

Nicholas Sertich, Class of 2020, Archdiocese of Newark

“I've had the chance to pray at the tomb of my Confirmation Saint, St. Ambrose of Milan. I have invoked his intercession and read his theological works for many years as I grew in my faith as a Christian man. Now, having had the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to where his mortal remains rest, that friendship with him has grown.”

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Fr. Jeffrey Hanley, Class of 2017 Diocese of Kalamazoo

A core theme of St. Paul of the Cross’ teachings was to keep one’s heart recollected on Christ. A heart that muses upon Christ is a heart that constantly loves Him. Striving to follow Paul’s teaching, I have learned an essential aspect of discipleship: how to pray always.”

Joseph Cwik, Class of 2019, Archdiocese of Washington

“After four years of seminary, I finally read St. Augustine’s Confessions last year.

It blew me away!

Hearing how he describes the movements of his heart and the excitement he had in discovering Christ really felt like a ‘bonding’ experience between him and me. It felt like I was listening to a guy tell his vocation story.

I feel a lot closer to him and am grateful that he has my back as I study theology!”

Gregory Crane, Class of 2019 Diocese of Bismark

Why Catholics Venerate Relics C H R I STO P H E R T R U M M E R ‘ 2 1 , D I O C E S E O F S P R I N G F I E L D I N I L L I N O I S

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ne of the most misunderstood forms of piety or devotion in the Catholic Church is the veneration of relics.

Relics are the bodily remains, clothing, or personal possessions of saints and other holy people. While venerating relics has been a common practice of Christians since the earliest days of the Church, it nevertheless seems strange or even superstitious to many Christians today, including Catholics.

The misunderstanding of this ancient form of devotion is unfortunate, because relics, like other sacramentals we use in the Church (images, water, oil, etc.), can open us to receiving God’s grace in new ways.

Venerating the relics of a particular saint can also strengthen our relationship with him or her, and by this relationship we come to know Christ more deeply, just as our devout Christian friends here on earth help us to better know and follow Christ. Here in Rome we are blessed to be surrounded by the relics of countless saints. This blessing gives flesh and bones to the words we find in the Letter to the Hebrews, which encourage us that, because we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (the saints), we can therefore “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (Heb 12:1).

Far from being superstitious, the veneration of relics is simply a logical consequence of our Christian faith.

First, we believe that God created the material world and “saw that it was

good” (Gen 1). The fundamentally good nature of matter was then elevated

by Christ, who sanctified the material world by taking on a physical, human body in the Incarnation. Moreover, Christ himself frequently used physical things in carrying out his healing ministry; he anointed the eyes of the man born blind with spit and dirt (John 9), and many sick people were healed by merely touching the fringe of his garment (Mt 9:20-22, 14:35–36).

Second, we believe that God is glorified

by His saints and chooses to bestow graces upon us through them and inspire us by their example. We find this explicitly recounted in Scripture: “God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to

the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them” (Acts 19:11–12). “…they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them” (Acts 5:15).

If God was pleased to work wondrous miracles for those who believed in Him through things as ordinary and mundane as garments, handkerchiefs, and even dirt, then why should we doubt that He wants to bless us through the relics of His saints, those who were most devoted to Him in this life? For “he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him” (Lk 20:38). n

Richard Aubol ’19 (St. Cloud), prays before relics in the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

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From back left: Fr. Joshua Rodrigue ’02 (Houma-Thibodaux), Fr. Brendan Hurley S.J., Fr. Ronald Barusefski C'16 (Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic), Msgr. William McDonnell ‘65 ICTE '13 (Rockford), Fr. Daniel Hanley ’05 (Arlington), Fr. David Schunk ’10 (San Francisco), Fr. James Sullivan O.P., Fr. Lawrence Herrera S.J., Fr. Austin Vetter '93 (Bismarck), Fr. John McDonald ’07 (Birmingham), Fr. Robert Blyman (Rockville Centre), Fr. Kerry Abbott O.F.M. Conv. ICTE '14, Fr. Peter Harman ’99 (Springfield), Fr. John Cush ’98 C'15 (Brooklyn), Fr. Adam Park ’05 (Washington), Fr. Randy Soto C'96, '03 (San Jose in Costa Rica), Msgr. James McNamara (Rockville Centre)

Meet Our New Faculty Fr. Adam Park Fr. Adam Park ’05, a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, joins the College as Vice Rector for Seminary Life. He received an STL in Fundamental Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. In addition to serving as the priest secretary to His Eminence, Cardinal Donald Wuerl from 2008-2012, he has served as a Parochial Vicar and as a Pastor of two parishes— Epiphany Church in Georgetown and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in 8

The Pontifical North American College

Washington, DC. While serving as a pastor, he also ministered as a chaplain at the Newman Center at George Washington University. He hopes that his parochial, pastoral and administrative experiences will help contribute to the formation program of our future priests.

Fr. Joshua Rodrigue Fr. Joshua Rodrigue ’02, a priest of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, joins the College as Director of Pastoral Formation, Director of the Fifth Year

Priests at the College, and as a formation advisor. He holds an STB from the Pontifical Gregorian University and an STL from the Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm.

From 2006-2012 he served as the Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Bayou Black, LA, and since 2012 he ministered as the Rector of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, LA. Beginning in 2006, he also served as an Adjunct Professor of Theology and spiritual director for St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, LA.

Fr. David Schunk

Fr. Randy Soto

Sr. Gianna Marie Borchers

Fr. David Schunk ’10, joins the College as Assistant Vice-Rector and as a formation advisor. A priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, he earned his STL in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). He was then assigned as Parochial Vicar at St. Gregory Church in San Mateo, CA. After two years as Parochial Vicar, he was appointed Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese, a position he has held for the past four years. The highlight of this ministry was leading the San Francisco seminarians on a pilgrimage to witness the canonization of the “Apostle to California,” St. Junípero Serra, by Pope Francis. During this time, he was also a priest-in-residence, primarily at St. Gabriel Church in San Francisco. During his ministry as Vocation Director, he also ministered as a confessor and spiritual director for the Missionaries of Charity Novitiate House in San Francisco.

Fr. Randy Soto joins the Pontifical North American College as a spiritual director, in addition to teaching Spanish and Hebrew classes at the College. A priest of the Archdiocese of San José, Costa Rica, he was ordained a priest in 1991 and later earned an STD in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. For more than 18 years he has been working in seminary formation in three major seminaries of his native Costa Rica, Saint Louis, MO, and Toledo, Spain.

Since 2006 he served as a faculty member of the Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, where he taught New Testament and classical languages and was a Faculty Advisor for the deacon class.

Sr. Gianna Marie Borchers, OP, joins the College as a librarian. She is originally from Walnut Creek, California and entered the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in 2008. She professed her final vows in 2016. After obtaining her degree in Elementary Education, Sister spent several years teaching first grade and second grade at Spiritus Sanctus Academy and St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School, both located in Michigan. She has also served as a librarian for the Motherhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan for the last few years. Sr. Gianna Marie is looking forward to serving the priests and seminarians at the College.

Msgr. James McNamara Msgr. James McNamara was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1971. He rejoins the seminary as a spiritual director, having previously served in the same capacity from 1982-1987. He holds a M.Div. from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, NY, as well as a M.S.Ed. in Counseling. In addition to being a pastor of multiple parishes, he has served as both the Director of Ministry to Priests and the Director of Priest Personnel for his diocese. Since 2013, he ministered as the Pastor of Miraculous Medal Church in Point Lookout, NY while also serving as an Episcopal Vicar. His published works include The Power of Compassion, In the Presence of the Wise and Gentle Christ, and The Joy of the Praying the Rosary.

Fr. Robert Blyman Fr. Robert Blyman, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, rejoins the College as the Director of Counseling Services. Ordained a priest in 1970 after completing seminary at Our Lady of Angels Seminary in Albany, NY, he also received his MD from Michigan State University in 1987. He has served as the Vicar of Senior Priests from Rockville Centre, as a member of the psychatric staff of Mercy Medical Hospital, and managed his own private practice. From 1994-2001 he gave the Pastoral Counseling seminar at the College, and from 2002-2011 he ministered as the Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in Hicksville on Long Island.

Having served the College from 2011-2015 in the same capacity that he currently occupies, he is happy to return to Rome.

Sr. John Mary Corbett Sr. John Mary Corbett, OP, joins the College as a librarian. Born in Yonkers and raised in Westchester County, NY, she entered the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in 1997 after graduating from high school. In addition to a BS in Elementary Education, she holds a MA in Theology from Providence College. From 2011-2014 she taught theology at St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix, AZ, and from 2016-2017 she completed a Certificate from the Spirituality Institute at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. She looks forward to serving at the College.

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In the Catacombs E D O UA R D G U I L LO U X ’ 1 9, D I O C E S E O F A R L I N GTO N

T

he Catacombs of Rome.

Mounds of bones, flickering torchlight, the whispers of ancient persecuted Christians.

Such thoughts are often evoked for modern visitors to the Eternal City. What they find instead is less spooky, but more profound.

Tombs of our forefathers, often empty; sacred art expressing the faith of those there lain; and perhaps most striking, the saving truths and stories that bring the subterranean cemeteries to life.

It has been my privilege the past two years to accompany visitors on their walk through the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. As one of the apostolates arranged by the College, I and other seminarian guides have had the opportunity to present the site, and in so doing to share our own faith and experience of the Church of Rome.

From the devoted Catholic on pilgrimage, to the secular tourist discovering Christianity for the first time, these visitors come from every background imaginable with a variety of motives.

What we try to share during the visit is what motivated the saints, like St. Josemaría Escrivá, who sought to celebrate Mass in the Crypt of the Popes soon after his arrival in Rome, or St. Philip Neri, who famously braved his way into the Catacombs long before the modern conveniences of electric lighting, handrails, and emergency exits. In their footsteps we glimpse the past, and the future: our Christian forbears, the saints who laid the foundations of our Roman Church; and in the frescoes, inscriptions, and

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Inside the Catacombs of St. Callixtus at the present day.

mosaics, the hope we now share of the glory of Heaven.

For the committed Christian, the pilgrimage is the occasion for an encouraging encounter with the heroes of our faith, in whom we see the universality of the Church: from Pope St. Sixtus II, martyred in the Crypt of the Popes while celebrating Mass at the tombs of his predecessors, to St. Cecilia, virgin, martyr, and noblewoman of Rome. Or perhaps more relatable for the visitor of today, the countless men and women, clerical and lay, slave and free, who accomplished no mighty feat and held no great title or office, yet are remembered for the outstanding measure of faith, hope, and charity they lived unto death.

Throughout the tunnels at every turn, inscriptions and murals present the saving message that inspired these saints. Carved in the marble are the more simple designs, yet profoundly rich in meaning. The simple fish whose name in Greek is an acronym

for the Gospel’s very core: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Savior. On the tombstones of many is found the Chi Rho, initials of sorts for one claimed

by Christ. These simple expressions tell us the “what” of the Christian faith, while more elaborate frescoes show us the way. Most central, of course, is the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Beautiful paintings of Baptism and Eucharist depict the means He has left us to follow Him into eternal life.

And throughout we find many scenes of the Scriptures, from Jonah to the miracles of Christ.

The frescoes we visit are quite beautiful, but the setting is what makes them unique. For those who have never heard of Christ, or for those still searching, the sacred figures on tombs and walls become the occasion to present the kerygma anew. What they depict, the faith they express, is confirmed by the bones that lie near.

Martyros – the greatest witness there can be of the truth of anything: that thousands have died for its sake. n

Save the Date:

26 Annual Rector’s Dinner th

2018 Honoree Mrs. Judy Barrett Calistoga, CA

Thursday, April 12, 2018 Janiculum Campus, Rome Join benefactors, alumni, and friends of the Pontifical North American College for an evening in celebration of our mission and those who so generously support our work.

Tickets, Sponsorship, and Dinner Album opportunities will be available by February 1, 2018

A Weekend In Tuscany With the Pontifical North American College April 13-16, 2018

Join Very Rev. Peter Harman for a splendid long weekend in Tuscany following the Rector’s Dinner. Itinerary includes daily Mass and spiritual reflections, winery tasting and tour, a cooking class, day trips to Sienna and San Gimignano, and elegant dinners, all based from a stunning villa in the Chianti region. Rector’s Dinner ticket included in package price. Space is limited.

For reservation information, contact Mark Randall (mrandall@pnac.org or 202-541-5403).

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NAC priests Fr. Brad Jantz ’17 (Birmingham), Fr. Briggs Andrew Hurley ‘17 (St. Augustine) and Fr. Michael Zimmerman ’17 (Boston) pose in front of the Parthenon in Athens.

Pilgrims and Students in the Steps of St. Paul

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• • • •

R E V. B RA D JA N T Z ‘ 1 7, D I O C E S E O F B I R M I N G H A M

ontinuing the Jesuit tradition of integral education of the human person, the Pontifical Gregorian University offers a unique opportunity to its Second Cycle students of Biblical Theology. In place of a traditional lecture course on St. Paul, students may embark upon a university organized excursion to follow in his footsteps through Greece, visiting the

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sites he visited and seeing first-hand what remains of the culture he evangelized so successfully. Led by the Pauline scholar Fr. Scott Brodeur, S.J., this 16-day trip combines elements of a classroom, a pilgrimage, and an adventure. This past September, I was privileged to take part in this journey of scholarship and prayer, along with my classmates Fr. Briggs Hurley ’17 and Fr. Michael Zimmerman ’17.

• • • •

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth, and he does not dwell in shrines made by human hands” (Acts 17:24).

Entering the Story Our travel itinerary largely followed St. Paul’s second missionary journey, that great historical juncture when the Spirit led Paul and his companions to cross from Asia Minor to Europe for the proclamation of the Gospel (Acts 16:9-10). We touched the shores of the Aegean Sea at Neapolis, and followed the Roman Via Egnatia toward the ruins of the prison at Phillipi, and continued on to Thessalonica and Berea. During the first day of our journey we were privileged to have Mass just south of Phillipi on the banks of the same stream where Lydia was baptized (Acts 16:15). Lydia’s baptism is the very first we have record of west of the Aegean. With these and many other similar events, we not only learned about the events recorded in Scripture, but also entered into the story through experiences of the places.

Areopagus, with the temple complex of the Acropolis looming over us in all its power and majesty, and then hearing the explosion of St. Paul’s words: “Men of Athens . . . that which you honor in your ignorance, I now proclaim to you! The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth, and he does not dwell in shrines made by human hands” (cf. Acts 17:22-24).

From Crete to Rome, and to the Ends of the Earth The final stage of the course was a brief stay in Crete. This destination provided a fitting conclusion, as St. Paul passed through that island briefly on his journey to Rome. We also saw the remains of Gortyn, where Paul sent Titus to be the island’s first bishop, thereby continuing the

proclamation of the apostolic message to another generation.

Opportunities of this magnitude do not come every day, and they certainly do not happen without much support.

All of us are grateful to Fr. Brodeur, the dedicated professor who organized this journey; our benefactors, who made it feasible for us to go; and our bishops, who have given us the precious gift of this time in Rome to complete our licentiate studies.

We look forward to sharing in our ministries in our dioceses what we have received, “to convey a spiritual gift that will be a lasting strength, or rather that we may all be strengthened together through our mutual faith” (Rom 1:11-12). Having experienced the teaching and preaching of St. Paul in the places he walked, we will pass on the same Good News of Jesus Christ to others. n

The Background of St. Paul’s Preaching From northern Greece, we headed south to Athens and also to Corinth, the cultural, economic, and political nerve center of first-century Greece.

In these areas, we examined archeological remains in order to gain insight into the cultural background of the people to whom Paul and his companions preached. We were greatly aided in this task by several scholars who joined us on the trip. Professors Giovanni Uggeri and Stella Patitucci are both accomplished classical archaeologists who gave in-depth presentations on the sites we visited, and Professor Vasile Babota is an accomplished lecturer on the history of the Jewish diaspora in the Hellenistic world. But once again, the experience of Scripture provided the most memorable moments. There is little that compares to standing at the

Fr. Briggs Andrew Hurley ‘17 (St. Augustine), celebrates Mass at the baptismal site of Lydia in Phillipi.

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Sprucing up the House on Humility Street R E V. C H A R L E S SA M S O N ( N AC ’ 1 3, C A SA ’ 1 8) , A R C H D I O C E S E O F ST. LO U I S

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ver the summer months, the star Sirius, the hound of Orion and the celestial harbinger of the season’s heat, hung again, heavily, over the Eternal City. While many Romans preferred rather to meriggiare within or outside of the sizzling city, a squadron of workers continued on, in earnest, the work of renovating the Casa Santa Maria that was begun last summer.

Second on the summer’s work docket was the convent of the Polish Franciscan Sisters, the Servants of Mary Immaculate. These sisters, some of whom serve as the official Casa cooks, received a kitchenette of their own, the inclusion of which savory space eliminates their daily hassle of venturing down to the basement in order to cook and eat their meals.

The convent rooms also received a making-over, with new bathrooms and air-conditioning being added, and with the sinks in their private rooms being removed.

Many projects of a wide variety were undertaken.

Firstly, another batch of old student rooms were redone. Each of the five newly-modeled rooms now encompasses an in-suite bathroom with shower, and a sitting room and bedroom. The latter two style a tiled floor and, best yet, house an air conditioner that is controlled by remote. Such refurbishing constitutes a welcomed upgrade to the Casa’s former habitations, which, especially for those priests returning from their assignments as pastors, was a certain downgrade in quality of living quarters compared to their former rectories back home.

Each of the five newly-modeled rooms now encompasses an in-suite bathroom with shower, and a sitting room and bedroom.

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Fr. Samson stands in his updated room at the Casa Santa Maria which was newly renovated this past year.

The room renovations are now nearing their halfway completion point. So far, a total of forty-two rooms have been redone, leaving forty-two more to be completed. Next year, such reconstruction is projected to be completed. The steady number of priests living at the Casa—this year seventy-six, four of whom are Australian and seventy-two of whom are American—will thus, in its entirety, be able to enjoy during their study-sojourn in the Eternal City the comforts and conveniences of updated housing, which boons will certainly improve the quality, and efficiency, of their studies and ministry in Rome.

Thirdly, the kitchen staff also saw and benefited from changes to their working space. Store rooms (magazzini) were reworked and equipped with dehumidifiers, all so that the food there stored can be preserved as best as possible. The changing rooms, bathrooms, and shower rooms of the beloved personale also were redone.

All said, the summer renovations, though carried out under quite canicular conditions, contributed effectively to making of the Casa Santa Maria a more homely house for its residents, and a more agreeable working environment for its employees and beloved Sisters. We give thanks to God for his goodness and graces, and to our benefactors for their generosity, without all of which beneficence these renovations would not have been possible to carry out. n

With Francis and Clare in Assisi S E T H L E M A I R E ‘ 2 1 , D I O C E S E O F L A FAY E T T E

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hy would anyone get on a plane to leave behind his family, friends and diocese to live half way across the world, learn a new language, and continue his seminary formation? There was a definite air of excitement when we arrived on that first day, meeting new face after new face, immediately beginning our orientation at the Pontifical North American College.

But it wasn’t until the Saturday afternoon of our fraternity weekend that all of this began to make sense.

The seminarians of the Class of 2021 had the opportunity to spend a weekend together in Assisi, with the sole purpose of growing as a class, initiating the next several years of priestly formation together. What better place to begin our formation in Italy than the very city where Sts. Francis and Clare once lived, where Francis received his mission to “rebuild the Church” and embraced a life of poverty, and where Clare chose to leave everything behind to follow him!

While some of the seminarians had spent time here for language immersion, many of us had never experienced the city before. Nevertheless, we quickly recognized Franciscan spirituality as the cornerstone of the local culture; shops filled with both the Tau cross and the San Damiano cross (a replication of the cross that Francis gazed upon when receiving his mission from the Lord), as well as the churches in the area, particularly the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, contribute all the

more to the spirit of St. Francis, St. Clare, and the Franciscan way.

On Saturday afternoon, some fellow seminarians and I hiked uphill for over an hour to reach the hermitage of St. Francis, Eremo delle Carceri. It was here that we found peace, a stillness unlike so many places in the world and an experience of true Franciscan spirituality. During those moments I realized that any amount of difficulty, even trivial difficulties like Italian language immersion and week-long orientation programs, helps us to attain what St. Francis knew to be “perfect joy”; grace all around, if only we take a few moments of silence to acknowledge it.

Our first two months have been a bit of a roller coaster. Between the weeks of orientation, language immersion and our fraternity weekend in Assisi, things have been anything but calm. Yet, just as when hiking to the hermitage

New Men and faculty enjoy a tour of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, known for its many beautiful frescoes.

of St. Francis, we endure the journey now, blessed with the “perfect joy” of St. Francis, so that we may reach the end and bear witness to the beauty of God’s creation, His holy Church and the many graces that we have been given in our short time so far. n

The New Man Class of 2021 during their fraternity weekend in Assisi.

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DIACONATE

PREPARATION Vestments including deacon stoles and dalmatics are laid out for each new deacon in preparation for the ordination Mass. inset New deacons Drew Olson, ’18 (Madison) and Gregory Parent, ’18 (Green Bay), lay hands on Bibles as they make the oath of fidelity, an important step in preparation for diaconate ordination.

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Prepare the Way of the Lord: Planning for Diaconate Ordination

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R E V. M R . A L A N M A RT I N E AU ’ 1 8, D I O C E S E O F WO R C E ST E R ne word summarizes the third year of theology for a seminarian: preparation.

Throughout his years in formation a seminarian works under the auspices of holy mother Church to conform his way of life to that of Christ’s. In third year, particularly, the fruit of that preparation begins to mature as he moves ever closer to presenting himself for Holy Orders. The time leading up to ordination requires preparation on many fronts, not only on the individual spiritual level, but also in more mundane matters. That is where the work of the Diaconate Planning Committee begins on behalf of a given class.

Each year, a few members from a class soon to be ordained take responsibility for preparations which require substantial attention. This ensures that their brothers are able to focus more prayerfully on the life they are about to begin in Christ through the reception of Holy Orders. The chairman and his team must ensure, among other things, that announcement cards are sent, liturgies are supplied for, families and friends are accommodated, and ultimately, that all essentials are funded. These specific preparations require months of planning, but those months bear much fruit in the end.

They also include their fair share of mistakes, which only serve to benefit the following year’s efforts. Certainly, the process progresses year by year thanks to the improvements of each new class. The involvement of members of the faculty and staff, who themselves have entered these preparations many times before, bolsters the Committee’s efforts to assist their brothers on the way to ordination.

In preparation for their diaconate, the class of 2018 meets with former NAC rector Bishop James Checchio of Metuchen, NJ who would be the ordaining bishop.

Yet in all these temporal preparations, many of them unobserved yet immensely appreciated, the preparations made by each individual man—pastorally, humanly, intellectually, and spiritually—remain paramount.

himself at the altar for ordination to the diaconate, years of preparation are behind him. The grace of God strengthens him. The prayers of the faithful impel him. His own confidence in the Lord’s provident care enables him to offer his life as a servant, following the example lived out by our Lord who came to serve, not to be served.

Formation has sought one goal up to the moment of ordination, to see the deacon candidate’s life rendered a living reflection of the Gospel message. In a unique way, the Church reminds her new deacons of their vocation to more profoundly reflect St. Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians, “until Christ be formed in you.” Placed in this light, ordination appears no longer as an ending but rather the commencement of a life marked by humble service. The seminarian’s preparations for holy orders then incorporate a new element: the assistance of others in their own preparations for sanctity. To that end all preparations move so that we might all come to radiate Christ’s light to the world, and restore all things in His love. n

Presenting oneself for ordination is no spur of the moment action. By the time an individual seminarian presents ROMAN ECHOES 2017 • VOLUME 22: ISSUE 1

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Snapshots

The Third Year class of 2019 after their annual silent retreat, this year held at a retreat center in Ariccia, southeast of Rome.

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Louis Cona ’21 (Rockville Centre), poses for a quick photo during a softball game between the first and second year men.

Christopher Wilson ’20 (Duluth) and Justin Golna ’20 (Wheeling-Charleston), help grill burgers for a cookout near the Campo Sportvio.

Second Year men, class of 2020, enjoy the September formation conferences on priestly identity, homiletics and more.

Fr. Dan Hanley '05 (Arlington), Director of Admissions, gives a tour of St. Peter’s to the New Men on their first day in Rome.

The Pontifical North American College

New Man Kyle Poje ’21 (Seattle), gets ready to throw a Frisbee during an Ultimate Frisbee game on the Campo Sportivo.

Faculty and seminarians line up on the stairs outside the Immaculate Conception Chapel to ‘clap in’ the New Men of the year, a long-standing tradition of the North American College.

Newly ordained deacon Alan Martineau ’18 (Worcester), joyfully embraces a classmate after their ordination to the diaconate on September 28th.

New Men Michael Hoye, ’21 (Worcester) and Dillon Bruce, ’21 (Richmond) try to snap a photo of Pope Francis during the Sunday Angelus.

NAC faculty, Fr. John McDonald ‘07 (Birmingham), Fr. John Cush ’98 (Brooklyn), Fr. Joshua Rodrigue ’02 (Houma-Thibodaux), Fr. Kerry Abbott O.F.M. Conv. ICTE '14, and Fr. Ronald Barusefski C'16 (Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic), pose for a photo in St. Peter’s Square.

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Lourdes Revisited B R E N DA N B L AW I E ’ 2 0, D I O C E S E O F B R I D G E P O RT

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ast summer, I was fortunate to return to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes for my apostolic assignment.

Lourdes is surely one of the best ordered places on Earth, both logistically and spiritually. The sanctuary is purposefully designed to facilitate a personal encounter with the Blessed Mother of God. The “VIPs” of this place are the countless pilgrims themselves, who flock to this holy site each year from all nations, seeking healing and consolation from Our Lord through the Blessed Virgin. While in Lourdes, I was privileged to assist, in a minor fashion, in this beautiful interaction between those pilgrims and the Mother of the Divine Physician.

I first ventured to Lourdes more than five years ago as a college undergraduate. At the time, I had no plans of entering seminary, but volunteering to serve the pilgrims of the sanctuary for ten days awakened a deep calling in my heart. This was a beautiful time of healthy self-forgetfulness. Our days began before sunrise when we would go to the local train station to meet and assist the hundreds of sick and elderly pilgrims who were often confined to wheelchairs or stretchers.

Most had traveled great distances at great expense despite the pains of their afflictions. After morning Mass and daily prayer of the Stations of the Cross, our afternoons were spent in

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Alex Kowalkoski ’20 (Gaylord) and Brendan Blawie ’20 (Bridgeport), carry a Marian statue for a procession during their summer apostolate in Lourdes.

the baths helping the pilgrims to say yes to Our Lady’s invitation to bathe in the waters of the sacred spring.

Evenings were spent in Eucharistic procession and adoration, followed each night by a candlelit Rosary procession. Each day was so full and utterly occupied by answering the request the Blessed Mother made to St. Bernadette: “Drink of the water… bathe in the water…come here in procession.” Yet as exhausting as the days were, I never felt so much joy in my heart. As a young college student, Lourdes allowed me to get a taste of a life of dedicated service to those in great need, all for Christ through Mary. I had never spent so little time in self-centered activity.

Returning to this holy site as a seminarian, it became clear how much of an impact my initial encounter with Our Lady and the intercession of St. Bernadette had upon my discernment to enter priestly formation. During this stay in Lourdes I spent more of my day serving the liturgies, leading the Rosary, and guiding pilgrims in “the footsteps of Bernadette.” To understand St. Bernadette is to understand the message of Lourdes.

The apparitions occurred when she was merely a young teenager, and afterwards she wished to spend her life as a religious, away from the spotlight. Not once did she turn the apparitions into her personal possession; instead, she always viewed herself as a humble messenger.

She had a wonderful disposition toward it all, saying, “The Virgin used me as a broom to remove the dust.

When the work is done, the broom is put behind the door again.”

To make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, where our Lady promised happiness to St. Bernadette—not in this life, but in the next—is to witness firsthand the love of God and the selfless love of His saints. The wheelchairs and the stretchers bear many of those who are most in need, the least among us.

And it is these who are always given primacy of place at Lourdes, where the last shall be found first at the feet of Our Lady. It is how the world itself ought to be. n

Sing to the Lord, Make Music to His Name R E V. M R . ST E V E N M A R C H A N D ’ 1 8, D I O C E S E O F B U R L I N GTO N

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very year the community of men studying for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College prepares in a myriad of ways for the ordination of deacons.

One particular aspect of preparation that often goes unnoticed is the practice and rehearsal that the choir undergoes together to sing beautifully the praises of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilica. I have had the privilege of being involved in the “diaconate choir” for three years as a singer and accompanist. The work of the choir is quite remarkable: with the introduction of the New Men every summer, the choir must work together for only four weeks to achieve a blend of sound and comfort with each other with the goal of producing truly beautiful music. It is a work of fraternity where brothers work in unity to spiritually uplift the hearts and minds of their brothers.

Under the loving guidance of our Director of Liturgical Music, Mr. Leon Griesbach, every year the community and its many guests at the ordination are amazed and, more importantly, brought closer to God by the sacred music sung at the ordination.

Pope Benedict XVI, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, once said that “the only really effective apologia for Christianity comes down to two arguments, namely the saints the Church has produced and the art which has grown in her womb.” The ordination ceremony at St. Peter’s bears witness to this. In that great basilica we are surrounded by the innumerable saints who are buried there. We are surrounded, too, by

an extraordinary beauty in art and architecture which express to us the beauty and truth of Christian teaching and life in Christ. Additionally, the Second Vatican Council reminds us that the “musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 112). For myself, and all alumni of the College who have been ordained at St. Peter’s, the contribution of the choir is a necessary and integral part of the offering of praise and sacrifice that we make to God as we lay down our lives in service to Him and His Church as deacons.

I have heard from my own family and friends and also from others over the past few years how touched they are by the music of the ordination. It has even been for some an invitation to return to the practice of the faith and, for others, the beginning of a

conversion experience. For myself, hearing the great Laudate Dominum chanted by the choir as I and the other ordinandi process into the Church, as well as many other familiar pieces throughout the ceremony, brought me a great sense of spiritual calm, reassurance, and joy. To hear the words of the psalms and the prayers of the liturgy sung out while we carried out our own movements and gestures helped us greatly to enter more deeply into the reality of the sacred liturgy.

This is after all, the true goal of sacred music: the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful. In addition to the ordinandi, it is also a moving experience for the choir members to sing masterpieces of music in such a setting. It incited in me a greater love of the art of sacred music which I hope to bring forward into priestly ministry. As the great Church composer, J.S. Bach, signed all of his works, may all of our labor be a soli Deo Gloria, to the glory of God alone. n

Director of Liturgical Music, Leon Griesbach, leads the NAC choir during the diaconate ordination Mass.

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Time and Adoration

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• • • •

LO U I S CO N A ‘ 2 1 , D I O C E S E O F R O C K V I L L E C E N T R E

hen walking through the streets of Rome, I cannot help but wonder at the grandeur of the city’s art, culture, and history. I stumble upon edifices, churches, and works of art that span the centuries, and which millions prior have also seen and encountered. In these moments, we recognize that something larger than ourselves is present before us, and we break out of ourselves as we come to realize our smallness in comparison with the city’s great history and

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tradition. This realization of our smallness, however, when encountering the Colosseum or St. Peter’s Basilica, prompts a reaction of adoration. We adore the beauty before us, a beauty that we did not create or build ourselves. It is simply given to us, much like our very own lives.

Yet even in this city that we call eternal, there exists a profound paradox and tension which reflects the drama of the human condition. On the one hand, this eternal city links the centuries through its incredible works

• • • •

We do not need to exist, and yet we do. Our life is a sheer gift, much like a beautiful work of art and the sacraments of our faith.

“Sitting Next to a Penitent”

By Peter Bernetsky ‘20, Archdiocese of Hartford In pilgrim’s passing I took my seat An ancient pew, a time-worn floor, Compelled to prayer by weary feet, A place to rest and nothing more.

Little thought I gave to this, (aside the sharing of my space) But moved by my distractedness, I chanced a look upon her face.

In her eyes the gold proclaims The glory of God above; While saints below in marble frames Bear witness to His love.

More golden leaf adorns the sky; More marble saints look down on me Which beckon from the faithful’s eye The haggard gaze of piety.

The blossom of her youth had died With winter still at bay, But the course by which her life was led Had ended on this day.

She lingered there in prayerful still; Her courage to restore, A shuddering sigh portends the will To go and sin no more.

Works of men the mind amaze, When faith has nothing left to lose, And yet the place that temps my gaze: A patch of stone between my shoes.

In trembling whispers she confessed, To men in boxes small, Of broken faith and laws transgressed And He forgave them all.

With penance said and debt repaid, Rid of unholy pride, Down Heaven’s isle her footfalls fade, To suffer the world outside.

When from the silence suddenly, The sound of footsteps could be heard The wooden pew creaked next to me, My stranger’s presence unobserved.

There she knelt in tears of grace, For wounds that have been healed, And I could see upon her face, A light that sin concealed.

Why search the earth for the marvels of years, In places foreign to me; When blinded by a penitent’s tears The righteous learn how to see?

of art and timeless traditions, and yet, even amid this great continuity, we experience what T.S. Eliot described as the “relentless pursuit of time.”

How many have passed by the Roman Forum over the centuries? How many have adored the beauty of the city’s basilicas? These questions illumine the dramatic brevity of man’s life on earth, as the Psalms frequently highlight.

Gift, adoration, time, and eternity.

Does this not parallel the drama of the human condition and the mystery of the Eucharist? We do not need to exist, and yet we do. Our life is a sheer gift, much like a beautiful work of art and the sacraments of our faith. It is here in the acceptance of the “given-ness” of life and the relentless pursuit of time, which we meet in a profound

way in the eternal city, that man’s redemption is worked out. Original sin and pride prevent us from accepting and adoring that which is given to us, and we seek instead to re-create our own worlds, many times trying to destroy traces of time and history in an attempt to create an eternal world here on earth. This project ultimately leads to be the destruction of man, as we have seen throughout the centuries in various secular ideologies, which instead of overcoming the ephemeral world found themselves swallowed up by it. It is only with deep humility, wonder, and gratitude that we can accept this and adore God for what is given to us—everything from our very lives to Christ’s salvific work of redemption—and, still more, come to reconcile the tensions of time and eternity in heaven. n ROMAN ECHOES 2017 • VOLUME 22: ISSUE 1

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Grief and Redemption: A Personal Reflection on the Reformation

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B E N JA M I N P E T T Y ‘ 1 9, A R C H D I O C E S E O F WA S H I N GTO N

his fall marks the 500th anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther’s theses and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. While Christians from all quarters reflect on its meaning, my own perspective is somewhat unique.

A convert to the Catholic Church, I was baptized as a Missouri Synod Lutheran, confirmed as an Episcopalian, and graduated from an Evangelical liberal arts college. I am a product of the Reformation who found his way back

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to Rome through an experience of the rich sacramentality of the Church and her capacity to maintain the integrity of her understanding of that sacramentality.

The personal significance of the Reformation to me and my family has been all the greater recently.

Over the summer, my father died in a tragic sailing accident. In the short time that has passed, I have gained a deeper understanding of grief and redemption, and I cannot help but see Reformation in a similar way.

• • • •

What comes out of grief is redemption. When we recognize a tragedy and accept that it cannot be changed, we can begin to allow the Lord to bring good out of it.

My father was a Protestant who possessed a deep and restless yearning to truly encounter Christ and live out the Gospel. He was intimately familiar with the Bible and took the whole of it seriously as God’s word. Like many of those brought up in the same tradition, he was deeply skeptical of the Catholic Church, seeing it as a human institution which substituted the authority of dogma for individual thought, and checklists of prayers and behaviors for a saving personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It broke his heart when, in 2006, I told him I was going to convert to Catholicism. I think he felt that he had failed as a husband and father to prevent his wife and oldest son from falling under the sway of Rome. But in the years that followed, he came to first accept my conversion and ultimately became a proud and enthusiastic supporter of my vocation.

Following his death, the temptation is strong to look back and ponder the “what ifs.” But we cannot change the past. In my case, I can only grieve his loss and hope to continue to live out my vocation in a way that honors him.

There is something similar about the Reformation. It was a tragedy that precipitated a huge loss in the Church, a loss that ought to be grieved. We can point out the historical conditions, philosophical presuppositions, and theological issues which led to the Reformation. We can ask where to lay the blame and fret that it ought not to have happened. But it did, and we are all children of that tragedy. We ought to mourn the separation between those who claim the faith of Jesus.

What comes out of grief is redemption.

When we recognize a tragedy and accept that it cannot be changed, we

he was gone. As in a family, so too in the Church. I have always felt that my conversion was not so much a rejection of my Protestant upbringing as an embrace of a fuller, deeper tradition.

The things I loved most about my Christian formation have found their true home in the Catholic Church.

And I am always struck how the simple act of my conversion itself builds faith among those who grew up in the Church, and helps them to appreciate the riches in their own formation. The working-out of the Reformation in my life has led me and others around me to appreciate what we all at one time or another have taken for granted.

can begin to allow the Lord to bring good out of it. The sudden loss of my father has revealed to me just how good a man he was. I am able now to appreciate, understand, and love him in a way that I was not able to before

In the wake of tragedy, it is almost impossible to give a satisfactory answer to the question, “Why?” Even five hundred years later, we may still toss up our hands. But what we can do is to look at where Christ is continuing to act among us in the tragedy.

I see the Reformation not as a war won or lost, or a mistake to be undone, but as a tragedy that needs to grieved, a wound in the heart of the Church, out of which Christ is bringing redemption. n

FUTURE SEMINARIANS ARE COUNTING ON YOU. Remembering the College in your will or estate plan is an excellent way to make sure America’s Seminary In Rome is able to serve seminarians and priests well into the next century. A variety of options are available, including Charitable Gift Annuities with attractive rates.

Contact us today to learn more.

Mark Randall, CFRE Executive Director, Office of Institutional Advancement 202-541-5403 or mrandall@pnac.org ROMAN ECHOES 2017 • VOLUME 22: ISSUE 1

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Institute for Continuing Theological Education

The Communion of Saints in Rome and at Home: Another Reason for a Sabbatical in the Eternal City

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REV. JAMES SULLIVAN, O.P., DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION here are some opportunities in Rome that are simply too obvious to miss, some are secular and some are religious. The secular ones would be your choice for the perfect espresso, the best gelato, and the favorite carbonara. The religious ones are often found right next to the secular ones, sometimes even on the From right: Fr. Jordan Turano, O.P. (Confessor at St. Mary Major), Fr. Matthew Erickson, same block! These would be your O.P. ICTE Fall '16 and Fr. James Sullivan O.P., the ICTE Program Director, pose by the choice for the most beautiful church, tomb of Saint Pius V at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. the Madonna of your favorite artist, and the altar of the saint to whom you turned back, you the rooms of Saint Philip Neri. We are most devoted. must strengthen your brothers” (Lk had lectures on Blessed John Henry 22:32). Jesus knows the weakness of This past October, the Institute for Newman, Saint Dominic, and Saint fallen human nature. He asks for us to Josemaría Escrivá. We also had a few Continuing Theological Education recognize it as well and then to come housed in the Casa O’Toole on the espressos and gelatos together before to Him so that He can strengthen us. campus of the North American Color after finding our favorite carbonara! lege took the time to spend even more Gathered around Saint Peter is one place for sure where our faith is strengthened. With priests from San Francisco and time devoted to the Saints of Rome.

San Diego, from Manchester and Entitled “The Saints of Rome: Saint This module of ongoing priestly Rochester, and even from Australia, Peter and His Companions,” this three-week module of ongoing priestly formation was built around the lives of Ireland, and Canada, we had a formation reminded us of the unity of the saints who made Rome their home. remarkable experience together with We began with the Scavi tour underSaint Peter and His Companions. The the Church both in heaven and here neath Saint Peter’s Basilica to bring Saints we have in Rome make it all the on earth. It is not by accident that us to the tomb of Saint Peter, and we more possible to strengthen the faith Rome has become the place where finished at the tomb of Saint John Paul of the to-be-saints we have at home. the Church has made her home. It is precisely because of the tomb of Saint II with the celebration of Mass together. Please consider joining us for any We also had Mass at the Catacombs module of on-going priestly formation Peter. This great Apostle gave his of St. Domitilla, in the rooms of Saint here at the North American College. life for the spread of the Gospel, and Ignatius of Loyola and in the Basilica It is truly a unique opportunity to be thus, days spent in Rome strengthen of Santa Maria sopra Minerva where in Rome and to be surrounded not our own life in that same Gospel. As Saint Catherine of Siena is buried. only by the saints but also the priests Jesus told Peter on the night of his who come to Rome and call betrayal: “I have prayed that your own We had tours of San Clemente, San Lorenzo (outside the walls), and Casa O’Toole their home. n faith may not fail; and once you have

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Economo’s Corner Blood, Sweat, and Tears…of Joy!

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R E V. K E R RY A B B OT T, O F M CO N V. , I C T E ' 1 4 ot long after I arrived in Rome for the first time in 1987, Clare Boothe Luce died at the age of 84 in Washington, DC. A formidable woman who converted to Catholicism in 1946 after meeting many times with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, she counted among her many accomplishments, including being the United States ambassador to Italy, coining the phrase, “no good deed goes unpunished.”

While Mrs. Luce’s quip may seem at first glance somewhat cynical, in truth it is anything but that and, according to her personal secretary, was rooted in Mrs. Luce’s understanding of the redemptive nature of suffering…of the Cross.

Early one morning this fall, our construction site manager for the new gymnasium and new floors in the refectory and fifth-floor terrace, Sig. Alfredo Teodori, was riding his motorino from our Janiculum Campus to the Casa Santa Maria. He was going to the Casa to oversee final preparations for its

The beautiful new floor of the NAC refectory was replaced this past summer.

reopening following the latest phase of our four-year renovation project.

He stopped at a yellow traffic light (which he thought was about to turn red) on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, a major thoroughfare in Rome between the “Hill” and the Casa.

Seconds later, Alfredo was hit from behind at full speed by another motorcyclist with such force it broke Alfredo’s motorino in two, and propelled him fifteen meters through the air. Thanks be to God he was wearing a helmet, and while he suffered multiple compound fractures that required surgery, he survived, as did the man who hit him. In fact, when I visited him in the trauma center, though in quite a bit of pain, he had already been on his mobile phone from his hospital bed coordinating to ensure that nothing would delay the completion of the Casa renovations and its reopening to welcome our new and returning priest graduate students.

I share this story with you to provide some context to what I have been blessed to witness here at the College these past two years, and the level of commitment displayed by our contractors and College staff as we transform your so-well-appreciated donations to the College into tangible blessings for our seminarians, faculty and staff. I am so proud of our College staff and our contractors!

Alfredo and others like him are a key reason why all of our renovation projects have been completed on-time

The new floor of the fifth-floor terrace installed over the summer.

and on-budget. He represents dozens of women and men who do likewise as part of our College team.

Incredibly, the replacement of the original, damaged flooring in our refectory and on the fifth-floor terrace outside of the Student Kitchen was completed in 10 days and 8 days, respectively, during the the hottest, driest Roman summer in recorded history.

I asked Alfredo, “do you regret stopping at that yellow traffic light?” “Well,” he said in a typically affable way, “no one wants to have broken bones or be in the hospital for doing the right thing, but it was the right thing to do.”

So, perhaps there is some truth to Clare Boothe Luce’s adage, but as we all know, as Alfredo reminded me, “it was the right thing to do.”

Thank you, too, for your gracious contributions and sacrifices as we provide future priests to Holy Mother Church. n ROMAN ECHOES 2017 • VOLUME 22: ISSUE 1

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Preparing for the Next Generation of Priests M A RT I N A M A R O ’ 1 9, D I O C E S E O F L I T T L E R O C K

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fter a sudden change of plans, through prayer and most importantly thanks to God’s Providence, I found myself working for the Congregation for the Clergy this past summer, helping the Church prepare for the next generation of priestly formation.

I had a wonderful and interesting experience working for Archbishop Patrón Wong and the many people around him. More specifically, I was an assistant to Fr. Bazzel, an Official of the Congregation for the Clergy, helping to prepare a number of conferences for the promotion of the new Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (“Ratio”) for 124 English-speaking rectors and formators. Most of the participants were from the United States, but also from Canada, Australia, the UK and the Philippines.

From left: Martin Amaro, ’19 (Little Rock), poses with Fr. Lawrence Herrera S.J., Archbishop Patròn Wong, the Vatican Secretary for Seminaries, Fr. James Sullivan, O.P., and Fr. Kevin Bazzel, an official for the Congregation for Clergy.

One of the conference topics that caught my attention was that of “ongoing formation.” The participants talked about the importance of continuing to be formed outside of seminary life, especially as a newly-ordained priest. Formation doesn’t stop after ordination, nor after moving into the first parish;

formation continues throughout the priest’s life and should never stop.

As the Ratio puts it, a priest “must constantly feed the ‘fire’ that gives light and warmth to the exercise of ministry.” As a seminarian this helped me to better understand that beyond seminary every priestly assignment will also be a house of formation for me, that I will continue to do many of the things I do here in seminary long after I return home.

Finally, a single phrase from Archbishop Patrón Wong caught my attention and stuck with me: “This is the best time to be a priest.”

God called us seminarians and priests by name, each in a special and specific moment and place. And because of this, it is the best time for each one of us to be seminarians and priests because this is where God wants us to serve both Him and His people. n

Being an introvert, it was quite a challenge to prepare the conferences as well as to guide the participants through their activities. In my seven years as a seminarian I had never led a group of 124 rectors and formators, much less as the sole seminarian among them, making sure they knew the schedule and the places where they were supposed to go. This was a great way for me to grow in confidence and become a more dynamic leader, a gift that I will definitely need as a future priest.

Archbishop Patròn Wong, the Vatican Secretary for Seminaries, gives a talk during a conference for English-speaking rectors on seminary formation.

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Presuming Priesthood: The Story of the Second Year W I L L I A M F R E I ‘ 2 0, D I O C E S E O F C H A R L E STO N

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hings just got serious.

This is not to say that things were not serious before. Rather, the theme of this year for the Second Year Men at the Pontifical North American College is clear: the time of transition is over.

Throughout last year, our class experienced many “firsts.” For many of us, last year was our first year living abroad and taking courses in another language. For some of us, last year was the first time we attended a canonization in St. Peter’s Square (that of St. Teresa of Calcutta on September 4th, 2016). And for all of us, last year was the first time we attended the College’s Opening

Now, as Second Year Men, we are asked to continue our formation at the College with a presumption of permanence.

Banquet, the first time we helped serve the Rector’s Dinner, and the first time we participated in the Turkey Trot, the New Man Show, and the Spaghetti Bowl.

However, with the arrival of the New Men this summer (whose company we have already grown to enjoy), all of a sudden we have been thrown into

the category of “Old Men,” and so the time of transition is over.

Now, as Second Year Men, we are asked to continue our formation at the College with a presumption of permanence. Whether this is a seminarian’s fourth year of formation, his seventh, or anything in between, the Church has already given us ample time to discern. This means that having made it this far in seminary formation, we are asked to presume that God is indeed calling us to share in the sacred priesthood of His Son. Hence, we began this year at the College with a series of conferences on priestly identity and priestly celibacy, conferences meant not only to aid us in our future priesthoods, but to assist us in the here-and-now in these final years of seminary formation.

With this presumption of permanence also comes new challenges in formation.

We will take a step towards becoming effective ministers of the Liturgy of the Word through regular homily practica throughout the year. This is an experience that will help us better understand what a homily is, how it ought to be prepared, and finally, different ways in which it may be preached.

Further, the ministry of acolyte will bring us a step closer towards the

William Frei, ’20 (Charleston)

priest who ministers the liturgy of the Eucharist, as we are asked to make our lives worthy of our service at the table of the Lord and His Church. This important step toward the priesthood will enable us to assist priests and deacons during Mass at the College, as well as prepare our hearts and minds for future service at the altar as priests.

The class of 2020 is both excited and nervous for what lies ahead. We are excited for further preparations for priesthood, and nervous when asking ourselves whether we are ready for ordination in a few short years. Our prayer is that we continually increase our trust in God, so that He, Who has begun the good work in us, may one day bring it to fulfillment. n

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Academics in Focus: The Spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá R E V. R O B E RT F. K I L N E R ' 1 7, A R C H D I O C E S E O F WA S H I N GTO N

Each year, a number of newly ordained priests return to the College to write a “tessina,” a graduate research paper in a specialized area of theology. This issue, we asked Fr. Robert Kilner ’17 (Washington) to describe his tessina project.

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y thesis will consider the development and teaching of the “Plan of Life” in the life of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, particularly the inspirations of specific saints and hardships that helped him forge a continual life of prayer. Over the years of his ministry, St. Josemaría developed what he called a “Plan of Life,” a practical way of praying each day. Failing to plan, the old adage tells us, is planning to fail. Planning prayer may seem strange to us, like planning to speak to our spouse in the evening or planning to call a loved one. Those intimate conversations come easily most of the time; they just seem to happen.

But prayer, if not fostered by a certain amount of discipline, tends to be an intimate conversation easily forgotten.

In the same way that spouses or friends can pass by each other like ships in the night, we can miss that daily encounter with God. Yet, if we plan our life of prayer we slowly enter into friendship with God. That friendship permeates everything we do.

meant to fit his or her life like a glove.

So, whether you ascribe to Ignatian spirituality or the life of spiritual childhood like Therese of the Child Jesus, having a Plan of Life can help you achieve that prayer in your busy day.

The Plan of Life is not a new spirituality, but instead a general framework that anyone can adapt to his or her specific vocation. It is a method tailored for each person,

Saint Josemaría calls this a Plan of Life because it draws up everything in our lives: all of our prayers, works, joys and sufferings of each day. Our life of prayer is not a secondary life.

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Prayer in the midst of our day, fitting into our day, makes us contemplatives in the middle of the world. In the words of Saint Josemaría, “our prayer life avails itself of and is nourished by that external life of work proper to each of us.” It’s what he calls a “unity of life”. This unity of life is a two-way street; our work and the people in our lives are the subjects of our prayer, and our prayer affects the manner of our work. The contemplative and the active can and should be joined.

Fr. Robert Kilner ’17 (Washington), as a deacon serving a Mass at the tomb of St. Josemaría.

Prayer transforms us, purifies our intentions and gives direction to our thoughts and actions. A life of prayer is a life slowly but assuredly changed. Throughout the day, St. Josemaría wrote, Your soul will pour forth more acts of love, aspirations, acts of thanksgiving, acts of atonement, spiritual communions. And this will happen while you go about your ordinary duties, when you answer the telephone, get onto a bus, open or close a door, pass in front of a church, when you begin a new task, during it and when you have finished it: you will find yourself referring everything you do to your Father God. n

Pastoral Year: A Delay or a Blessing?

R E V. M R . R I C H A R D L E FA I V R E I I ’ 1 8, A R C H D I O C E S E O F P O RT L A N D I N O R EG O N

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t would be easy to be discouraged by the requirement to take a pastoral year. After all, I have to take a break in the middle of my education, I leave the class and friends with which I entered seminary and join the class behind me, and I watch my friends attaining our shared goal of priesthood much sooner than I will. My pastoral year, however, year taught me something different, namely, that the pastoral year should be seen as a blessing.

There are several reasons why I came to see my pastoral year as a blessing.

First, I got to experience the life of the priest for essentially an entire Church year. I learned the ebbs and flows of the seasons—of hectic and busy times, as well as more sedate times. Most seminarians only get a glimpse of the life of a priest, mainly during summer months when parish life is often at its most serene. My pastor pushed me into the depths of planning for Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Triduum, and Easter seasons.

Secondly, I learned how to pastorally connect with parishioners. One of the big disadvantages of a summer assignment seems to be that just as you are learning everyone’s name you are headed back to school. There is little time to get to know people, let alone learn or practice making pastoral or deeper connections. My pastoral year gave me the time to get to know the parishioners and develop skills at making deeper and more meaningful

Deacon Richard Lefaivre II recently returned from Pastoral Year.

connections. In short, to become a pastor to the people.

Thirdly, the academic classes we take in Rome are just that, academic. There is a plethora of necessary pastoral and administrative skills that are never taught. Yes, we have Thursday night formation meetings, but spending an entire year with a mentor priest and parish staff affords you a hands-on opportunity to learn about parish finances, youth ministry, running meetings, and all the other practical things that an academic class or lecture cannot teach you.

Fourthly, and maybe most importantly, I was able to spend time with a wonderful priest who was not only a true mentor, but also a friend. He taught me the habits of a successful priesthood; he taught me how to integrate my spiritual life into the

life of a parish priest which is very different from seminary life; and he gave me many little bits of advice that will make me a better priest and person.

At the start of my pastoral year, I was resigned to the process, but during my pastoral year I came to realize what a blessing this opportunity was.

I confirmed my vocational call as not only valid, but something that is making me the happiest that I have been in my life. I feel better prepared for when my first pastoral assignment is announced, and look forward to that day with great anticipation. I have a mentor to call in the future, when I am in a bind, and I also made some connections with parishioners that will be life-long. In short, my pastoral year was something wonderful. It was an experience that I will cherish. n

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In Communion with Blessed Stanley Rother J E R O M E K R U G ‘ 1 9, A R C H D I O C E S E O F O K L A H O M A C I T Y

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he space that surrounds us affects us deeply.

A room full of people affects us one way, while a room we inhabit all by ourselves has a very different effect upon us. Our experience of an event can be totally changed by what else or who else surrounds us. This dynamic was very apparent to me on the morning of Saturday, September 23, 2017, when approximately 20,000 members of the Church gathered in downtown Oklahoma City to witness the beatification of Fr. Stanley Rother, the first native-born American priest and martyr to receive this distinction of “Blessed.” As the arena of less than one hundred people swelled into a multitude of over 16,000, we soon reached “standing room only” and still more were turned away at the door due to a lack of space.

The thousands of people filling up the arena dynamically changed that space over the course of a few hours. This change deeply affected my experience of who Bl. Stanley Rother is and the value of his witness to the Church.

It was his faithfulness, both in his life and in his death, that rendered so ordinary a man compelling to many.

He told a story by his life, one untold by this world’s narrative; Bl. Stanley Rother told a story about giving oneself for love of Christ, no matter the cost, even when the cost is death.

The attraction to his story, this life of selfless love, overflowed an arena with thousands of people longing to do

Stanley Rother told a story about giving oneself for love of Christ, no matter the cost, even when the cost is death.

The holiness of the saints has affected us whether or not we realize it, and how much more it could affect us if we were awake to this reality!

Oklahoma seminarians Shane Hewson ’19 (Tulsa), Jerome Krug ’19 (Oklahoma City), Will Banowsky ’19 (Oklahoma City) and Jonathan Fincher ’20 (Tulsa) at the Beatification Mass for Fr. Stanley Rother at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

something so passionately heroic with their own lives.

The most spectacular part of this whole event was not the effect of the massive crowd upon those in that space, but rather the realization that we have all shared a common space with Bl. Stanley Rother, that his priestly life and martyr’s death have deeply affected us. This is the power of the Communion of Saints: understanding that what surrounds us affects us, and that as our sisters and brothers the saints share our space.

The one unfading response in my heart to that beautiful beatification day was the truth that the Father desires this for all of us. He desires that our ordinary and faithful lives affect those in the space around us so much that it could overflow an arena. Bl. Stanley Rother’s witness, in life and in death, must be the norm and not the exception. This is the desire of the Father’s heart, this is the desire at the heart of the ministry of Jesus. Stanley Rother showed us not how great he was; he showed us how great we all are called to be.

Blessed Stanley Rother, pray for us! n

Fr. Stanley Rother ministering to the natives of Guatemala.

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Photo Credit: Archives of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Forming Men of the Table: Feasts in the Life of the College R E V. J O H N G . M C D O N A L D ‘ 0 7, C A R L J. P E T E R C H A I R O F H O M I L E T I C S

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ne of the important lessons one learns as a seminarian at the Pontifical North American College is how to celebrate a feast. While one might initially be led into the error of thinking that studying for the priesthood in Rome is just moving from one big meal to another, the calendar of feasts celebrated in our College provides above all things an education for one who intends to be a sacred minister of the altar – how to be “a man of the table.”

In Italy, there exists an intensely strong culture of the table. Every milestone of human life is marked by gathering at the table for an extended, multi-course meal, prepared with the greatest care and thought, in order that the guests remember the occasion.

Even for an occasional outing to a restaurant, no matter how humble, the proprietor will make every effort to make your experience memorable. The table is a place that establishes intimacy between strangers, strengthens bonds between friends, eases sorrows, and heightens joy. As Catholics, we take what we receive from God’s table and extend it in our daily lives.

During the year, our College celebrates a number of feasts, both religious and secular. Early on in the year, we gather for our opening banquet where those newly arrived to our community begin to feel the warm welcome and embrace of the entire community. As the year gathers force, we gather

One of highlights of the NAC year, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner complete with pumpkin pie.

to celebrate the newly ordained deacons together with their families with a large reception on ordination day. In October, lightheartedness and fun abound as the community comes together for Oktoberfest, commemorating the tradition of the German monks opening their casks of ale to the villagers in order not to waste the previous year’s produce of their barley and hops before beginning the process anew.

As guests in the Republic of Italy, the seminarians, priests, and faculty of the College make many preparations to celebrate Thanksgiving, and the care taken in celebrating this feast helps our New Men to adjust to being away from family and friends. In terms of preparing for the most beautiful feast ever seen, on December 8th we commemorate the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin

Mary, not only as the patroness of our nation and College, but also as the sign that God from the first moment of our sinfulness prepared for our salvation by choosing Mary to give us the Word made flesh.

After our Christmas celebrations, the men of the College provide us with feasts for St. Patrick and Mardi Gras, and then the year culminates with our closing banquet, bidding farewell to those men called to proclaim the Gospel and be “men of the table” in dioceses throughout the U.S., Australia, and Canada. In every case, however, our men learn the importance of preparing for these “table moments” with care, diligence, and an acute awareness that it was in sitting down with His friends at table that Our Lord shared the gift of Himself in the Eucharist. n ROMAN ECHOES 2017 • VOLUME 22: ISSUE 1

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Institutional Advancement Saintly Generosity MARK RANDALL, CFRE • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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n this month of holy souls, we are reminded of the generosity of the saints: men and women, adults and children, who literally gave of themselves entirely and thus now enjoy the beatific vision.

Sacred Scripture reminds us that we must give our very selves for God and one another. The saints provide us countless examples.

And yet we are each called in different ways to make this gift of self. In my home, a favorite after-dinner activity is to read a short biography of the saint of the day, and reflect on the unique life experience of that holy man or woman.

We read of the suffering and witness of St. Padre Pio, the eloquence of St. John Chrysostom, and the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas. They each gave of themselves, for the greater Glory of God. Not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice.

our priest alumni (who earn very little in terms of a salary) show their support by making regular monthly or annual donations to the College. And still others, like members of our “Pius IX Prayer Guild” make a commitment to pray daily for our seminarians, and for an increase in vocations.

St. Katharine Drexel

and her passion for the poor and their education contributed more to her canonization than did her philanthropy.

But she, too, was willing to make this complete gift of self.

At the Pontifical North American College, we have been supported by thousands of generous givers A favorite saint of mine is St. Katherine throughout our 158 year history. It is Drexel, founder of the Sisters of the a privilege to work with this diverse Blessed Sacrament. She was an heiress group of people who want to help to the J.P. Morgan banking empire sustain our mission of forming priests and it is estimated that she gave nearly of excellence. We are blessed to receive $20 million of her family’s fortune to financial support at many levels. support the order, or more than $500 Some of our benefactors are able to million today. Certainly, her leadership underwrite very large projects that have in founding and running an order, to be funded. Other people, including

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Other articles in this issue provide examples of how our students are generous, both with one another and with those whom they are called to serve: by serving in their many apostolic works to the poor in Rome, on pilgrimages, lending their voices to our choir, or assisting in translations or logistics in a Vatican conference. There are countless other examples. And our students also have a philanthropic charism: last month they collected over $1,300 to support hurricane relief efforts in Texas and in Florida.

Does being charitable or philanthropic automatically make one a saint? Of course not. But as we remember the saints this month and their gifts to the Church, may we also reflect on the words of St. Thomas Aquinas: “Charity, by which God and neighbor are loved, is the most perfect friendship.” May God bless and reward you for your own generosity! n

“A thousand thanks” to the sponsor of this issue of Roman Echoes:

Alumni Association of the North American College

2018 Alumni

REUNION

June 25-27, 2018

Chicago, Illinois

CALLING ALL

ALUMNI

Please save the date for the 2018 Alumni Reunion.

Hosted by the Archdiocese of Chicago this June, the Reunion will be an extraordinary time to visit the city and renew old NAC friendships.

For more information, please see www.pnacalumni.org Interested in sponsoring a future issue of Roman Echoes? Contact our Executive Director, Mark Randall: 202-541-5411 or mrandall@pnac.org

The Pontifical North American College Office of Institutional Advancement 3211 Fourth Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20017-1194 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED1

For more information about the Pontifical North American College, subscription questions, or to learn about ways you can financially support “America’s Seminary in Rome,” please contact Mark Randall, CFRE, Executive Director, Institutional Advancement.

Tel: (202) 541-5411 Fax: (202) 722-8804 Email: pnacdc@pnac.org Website: www.pnac.org “Like” The Pontifical North American College on Facebook to keep up with the latest photos, news, and events from our campuses in Rome.

The choir of the Pontifical North American Colleges processes during a prayer vigil on the eve of diaconate ordinations.

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