Roman Echoes 2017 - Volume 21, Issue 4

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VOLUME 21: ISSUE 4

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

“May God who has begun the good work in you, bring it to completion.”

The Class of 2017 SPECIAL SECTION: 2016-2017 Annual Report 8 March for life 25 Class of 2017 26 Closing Banquet 30 Casa Community

Contents 12 10 Special Edition: 2016-2017 Annual Report

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9 Letter From The Rector

16 Pastoral Formation

10 Human Formation

20 College Improvements

12 Spiritual Formation

22 Servants Among Servants

14 Academic Formation

24 Donor Profile

The Pontifical North American College

Cover Image: The Ordination Class of 2017

16 14 Updates 5 Rector’s Corner 6 Voices of NAC 7 Faculty Departures 8 March for Life 28 Snapshots

30 Casa Santa Maria 32 ICTE 34 Economo’s Corner 35 Institutional Advancement

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Closing Banquet The College marks the end of another academic year, honoring the many priests returning home for ministry.

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Contributors EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Duck ‘18, Diocese of Tulsa

MANAGING EDITOR Christian Huebner ‘19, Archdiocese of Washington ASSISTANT EDITORS Joseph Heschmeyer ‘18, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas Joseph Boustany ‘19, Diocese of Lafayette LAYOUT & DESIGN MANAGER Tyler Johnson ‘19, Archdiocese of Seattle LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR Christopher Boyle ‘19, Archdiocese of Boston PHOTOGRAPHERS Leo Song ‘18, Diocese of Rockville Centre Zach Brown ‘19, Diocese of Toledo

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. Brian P. Christensen ‘99 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

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The Pontifical PontificalNorth NorthAmerican AmericanCollege College

Rector’s Corner A Summer Full of Activity

W

elcome to summer!

Most of us relish this time of year.

It is time to be outside, it is a time for vacation and relaxation, a time to reunite with family and friends. I myself look forward to some time to catch up with those I don’t see when in Rome during the year, family and friends in Quincy and Springfield, Illinois.

You might assume that since the seminarians are not in formation at the seminary campus or in residence at the Casa Santa Maria, that not much is going on with our North American College family, but that is not the case this summer. On our campuses, work which we cannot do during the year must take place now. And there is much of it! New refectory floor and terrace roof surfaces for the seminary campus join continued installments of the Casa Santa Maria residences.

There are more details of this work in this edition.

Our students who have finished their second and third years of formation are currently in the United States, most in parishes in their home dioceses. These experiences put them in touch with the environment in which they will, please God, minister for the rest of their lives.

These summers, in addition to

offering the joy of being “at home” again after a long time, are crucial confirmations that God is calling them to be a priest at work in His vineyard. Please join me in praying that these are fruitful months of pastoral experiences for them and that God confirms their vocation with the people they encounter.

Our men who have finished their first year with us are in apostolic assignments in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Holy Land. They are involved in missionary work, parish life, language study and assisting pilgrims. This summer provides a unique opportunity and opens their understanding of the larger world and the Church’s work in it.

Over fifty young men are getting excited to come to Rome and will soon begin Italian language study in Assisi, Siena or Verbania. This is an exciting time, and I urge you to pray for them as they take up a new chapter in their lives, a long way from home, seeking to serve the Lord in His Church. May God grant them safety and peace of soul as we welcome them to our home.

Our most recent priests, finishing their seminary training or graduate studies in Rome are just now beginning their new assignments in their dioceses.

We wish them well, and have confident trust that their experiences as a part of our family here have prepared them well to serve Christ and His Church in joyful, faithful witness to the Gospel.

So, while it is summer, it is still full of activity. In it all is still some well deserved time for rest and relaxation for students, faculty, and staff alike. I hope that the summer includes this for you and your family as well. All of this activity is possible only because friends like yourself see the value in training priests and future priests at the heart of the Church in Rome. Your generous support allows me to enjoy some rest, with grateful trust that the work we are about goes forward!

Blessed Summer,

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

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VOICES OF NAC

As part of their “second-cycle” theological formation, the priests and deacons of the NAC who are pursuing a licentiate are required to write a tesina (thesis). Roman Echoes asks:

In 1-3 sentences, how would you describe your tesina?

“I am looking at the Greek insertions into Daniel 3: the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men. As communal expressions of lament and praise, these ‘audience participation’ elements in the story of the fiery furnace evoke a thematic link between the atoning death of a martyr and the hope of resurrection, shedding light on why Christians have carefully preserved these additions to the book of Daniel.”

“I am going to be exploring how Ignatian Spirituality, specifically its pedagogy, its methodology, and its Spiritual Exercises, play a role in helping contemporary youth in spiritual direction and vocational discernment.”

Rev. Brad Jantz ’17 Diocese of Birmingham

Rev. Kevin Leaver ’17 Archdiocese “Though the practice of donating kidneys, blood, skin, and other non-vital organs of Boston

enjoys almost universal support and even the praise of Pope John Paul II and the popes after him, in fairly recent times it was controversial issue. Pius XI, and especially Pius XII, state that someone's organs are for the good of only his or her own body, which seems to exclude organ donation and disagree with John Paul II. I attempt an accurate interpretation of Pius XII that opens up a possible continuity between his teaching on the body and the approval of organ donation by John Paul II.” Rev. Matthew “Pope Benedict XVI describes the Christian faith as an encounter and personal relationship with Jesus Christ found in the family of love that is the Church. My tesina takes this understanding of faith and presents it as an antidote to three modern notions of faith that we hear about today: faith as a feeling, faith as solely an individual matter, and the indifference to faith.”

Rev. David Kidd, ’16 Diocese of Toledo in America

“I am investigating the Christian response to non-therapeutic freely chosen changes to the body (tattoos, adding technology, cosmetic surgery, etc.). Because they are often related to issues of identity, I pursue a healthy understanding of identity with the Rev. Sean O’Brien ’16 virtue of authenticity to help live that identity well.” Diocese of Tulsa “My tesina takes a look at Augustine's Confessions, exploring how he understands original sin to affect our ability to know the truth about God and ourselves.”

Rev. James Morin ’16 Diocese of Lincoln 6

Rensch ’16 Diocese of Burlington

The Pontifical North American College

“Inspired by St. Louis de Montfort, I have written on the role of Mary as ‘Spouse of the Holy Spirit’ and why that is applicable for our lives as Christians.”

Rev. Sean Grismer ’16 Diocese of Rockford

Faculty Departures Fr. Brian P. Christensen Fr. Brian P. Christensen, ’99, began his term as Vice Rector for Seminary Life, Director of Human Formation, and Formation Advisor in August 2014. After three years of service, he will be returning to the Diocese of Rapid City where he has been appointed pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral and St. Michael’s parish in Hermosa, South Dakota. He will also serve as Diocesan Director of the Permanent Diaconate.

Fr. David Gaffney Fr. David Gaffney finishes a five-year term as Spiritual Director for the College. For the past four years he served as the Coordinator of the Priest Mentor Program for our fifth-year priests and served as the Faculty Advisor to the NAC play. Fr. Gaffney’s next assignment will be to serve as the Rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary located in Providence, Rhode Island where he will also be the Director of St. John Vianney Residence for Senior priests and will be the Coordinator of Pre-Ordination Formation.

Sr. Maximilian Marie Garretson, O.P. Msgr. Joseph Chapel

Msgr. Joseph Chapel ’92 C’98 has been a Spiritual Director of the Casa Santa Maria and an Adjunct Spiritual Director on the Hill. He led a mission trip to Central America for Christmas 2015 and accompanied the Holy Land Pilgrimage for Christmas 2016. His new assignment will be as pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Park Ridge, New Jersey.

Sr. Maria Guadalupe Hallee, O.P. Sr. Maria Guadalupe Hallee, O.P., began her time in Rome as a student at the Angelicum during the 2015-2016 year, where she had a chance to meet many of the PNAC seminarians and student priests. For the past year, she has served the Pontifical North American College as the Casa Santa Maria librarian, and also as assistant at the Randal Reide Library on the Janiculum. Her new assignment is to St. John XXIII College Preparatory in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where she will be teaching Theology and English.

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Sr. Maximilian Marie Garretson, O.P., departs for Ann Arbor, Michigan where she will reside at the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. She has been assigned to the Community’s Mission Advancement Office for the 2017-18 Academic Year. Sr. Maximilian Marie served as Superior to the convent and at the Randal Riede Library on the hill for four years and was among the first group of Sisters to open their mission convent in Rome at the Casa Santa Maria.

Fr. Gerard J. McGlone, S.J. Fr. Gerard J. McGlone, S.J., has been the Director of Counseling Services, and Staff Psychologist for past two years. He returns to the United States to work at the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) in Washington, DC. He will take up residence at the Georgetown University Jesuit Community where he once resided as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Medical School. Fr. McGlone will be the first Associate Director for the Protection of Minors in a new role that CMSM has established in order to better to serve all the 17,000 male religious clergy and brothers in the United States of America. This new role will involve advocacy, supportive services, programming, policy development and its implementation, communications, liaison and relational management with key ecclesial organizations both domestically and in internationally. n

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Into the Streets for Life R E V. P E T E R A S C I K ’ 1 7, D I O C E S E O F C H A R LOT T E

“I

was prepared to die to protect the little one inside of me.” Those were the words of a young Romanian woman who spoke at the Marcia per la Vita, Rome’s March for Life, on May 20. She was recalling her reaction to discovering while on her way to what she thought was a normal pregnancy checkup that her husband had instead set up an appointment for an abortion. This woman had been pressured into having an abortion by the same man three years before, an experience she described as being like “a poison inside of her.” But this time she refused and convinced the doctor to give her an ultrasound instead. At the March she recounted her wonder at hearing her daughter’s heartbeat for the first time.

The Marcia per la Vita came to Rome seven years ago. It is part of the international March for Life movement, inspired by and modeled on the venerable Washington, D.C. March which has taken place every January since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision. From Brisbane to Brussels, from Kenya to Croatia, thousands of people now take to the streets every year to push for pro-life laws in their own countries and to give joyful witness to the fact that every life matters.

The latest news and photos from Rome.

10,700 fans and counting– join us!

the pro-life speaker Gianna Jessen, who was born alive during the late-term abortion meant to take her life, gave powerful testimony that Jesus alone is Lord over life and death.

Seminarians (from left), Fr. Joseph Scholten ’17 (Sioux Falls), Will Nyce ’19 (Arlington), Fr. Peter Ascik ’17 (Charolotte) and Peter Gallagher ’20 (Camden) pose for a photo at the Rome March for Life.

Particularly powerful at this year’s March were the speakers. One Italian woman recounted that she was conceived when her mother was raped at the age of twelve, but that her mother chose life. This woman now lives and works with the Pope John XXIII Community, which offers the chance to the marginalized and those in desperate situations to “leave everything behind and start again.”

Another speaker was a Belgian philosophy professor who was fired from his teaching position for openly discussing abortion and same-sex marriage. His message was that we need not be afraid to speak the truth because in the end, we will not be judged by our colleagues, or the media, or society, but by God. Finally,

During my time in Rome, I have attended the Marcia per la Vita three times. As a pro-life American, it is encouraging to know that we are part of an international movement. As a seminarian, it is very important to me to witness two messages. One is the dignity of unborn children, whom Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium called “the most defenseless and innocent among us” and urged the Church to care for “with particular love and concern.” The other is the message that there is unlimited forgiveness and healing for those who have been involved in abortion. Here it is crucial to recall Pope St. John Paul II’s words: “The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and to his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child.”

At the end of her talk, the daughter of the Romanian woman who spoke came out on the stage and ran into her mother’s arms. Now nine years old, this daughter was the child she had fought for at that fateful doctor’s appointment. It was a powerful moment, and a beautiful testament to the truth of Pope St. John Paul II’s words to women who have had an abortion that with repentance and healing, “you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone’s right to life.” n

2016-17 Annual Report

Reverend Peter C. Harman, STD ’99, Rector

FROM THE RECTOR As Rector of the Pontifical North American College, I am pleased to introduce our 2016-17 Annual Report. This is an effort to share with you, our generous benefactors, an overview of the past academic year. We could not possibly cover every good thing that happened this past year! As a faithful reader of this magazine, you have already read about many of those good things in past issues. Instead, we offer some student reflections on the fundamentals, or “pillars” of priestly formation. You will also read about the dozens of outside apostolates served by our students, and a list of facility improvements around campus that we completed this past year. The map will give you some sense of how diverse our student community is. And finally, I hope you will identify with Paul and Paulette Kardos, two very generous benefactors we profile as just one example of our many generous supporters.

It was an amazing year, full of challenges and blessings – just like your own past year, I imagine. As we rejoice in our 4th year men receiving priestly ordination and prepare to welcome our New Men this summer, I am continually grateful for your help through prayer and financial support. In the coming months, we hope to share even more of our day to day Roman experience with you via this magazine, our Facebook page, the email newsletter, and so on. May God bless you!

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Having a strong foundation in the human pillar of formation is absolutely critical.

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Laying A Firm Foundation

By Zack Rodriguez ’20 • Diocese of Austin

Having a strong foundation in the human pillar of formation is absolutely critical. Without it, a candidate for priesthood is not able to properly pray, study or completely give himself in pastoral ministry. The saying holds true: “grace builds on nature.” In this way, human formation is the foundational pillar upon which the other three pillars – spiritual, intellectual and pastoral – are built.

Human formation is two-fold: an inward working toward maturity of self and an outward working toward a high competency in interpersonal relationships. The primary model for this human formation is nothing less than Jesus Christ Himself. By the help of the Holy Spirit the candidate responds to his vocation and enters into the journey of being formed through his years of seminary for the priesthood of Jesus Christ. It is to this task that the Pontifical North American College commits itself.

But what does this actually amount to in the daily life of a seminarian being formed humanly into a priest at the NAC? Life in the community is absolutely crucial. The priestly life is

one of relationships, and living in a community of close to three hundred provides ample opportunity to engage meaningfully with a variety of different people. Each seminarian is exposed to a great diversity of relational experiences and this helps to hone his interpersonal skills in a natural way.

The use of peer evaluations also provides each seminarian an opportunity to see how he is perceived by his classmates. Peer evaluations are both a source of affirmation and challenge for the seminarian in his priestly vocation as they provide him with an honest view of how he is seen in the community so that he is better able to identify areas of growth as well as appreciate his gifts and talents.

In addition, seminarians participate in weekly formation conferences, volunteer in weekly apostolates around the city of Rome and engage in summer-long parish assignments within their respective dioceses.

Perhaps most importantly, each seminarian has his own priest formator. This is the primary external

relationship of formation for the seminarian. Seminarians and formators meet regularly to review personal progress and to identify areas of growth. This one-on-one mentoring allows for the overall formation process to be applied personally and becomes tailored for each individual seminarian and his needs.

The NAC’s human formation is structured, deliberate and prayerfully considered, keeping in mind the contemporary challenges that priests face in pastoral ministry. Throughout a man’s four years in the NAC’s human formation program, each candidate is provided the opportunity to prayerfully and diligently grow in mastery and possession of his own humanity so that he can be better prepared to offer himself in service to the people of his diocese. Simply put, that is human formation. It is a task of patience, intentionality and endurance that both the seminarians and the formation faculty of the NAC undertake each day and each year, always with the driving help of the Holy Spirit.

top Seminarians regularly participate in sporting activities such as softball, basketball and more which provide good exercise and helps build fraternity. bottom Seminarians perform for the NAC community, showcasing their musical talents in the student lounge.

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Spiritual formation at the North American College has many different aspects, and is fostered in many different ways.

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Growing Deeper in the Spiritual Life

By Scott Foley ‘19 • Diocese of Davenport

We have many gifts in our Catholic faith, but the greatest gift, the greatest treasure, is the Eucharist. Spiritual formation at the North American College has many different aspects, and is fostered in many different ways, but the center of everything is Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. The more we get to know Jesus, the easier it is to make Him the center of our lives.

One of the best ways to grow in relationship with Jesus is through prayer. On a typical weekday at the North American College, we begin with morning prayer as a community followed by Mass. In the evening, the community gathers to celebrate evening prayer before supper. Many seminarians will make a holy hour each day somewhere in the city, and most days also have an opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration at the College’s Immaculate Conception Chapel. The day is centered on prayer, with many of the men praying the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day, just as each deacon and priest promises to do for the rest of his life.

The Blessed Virgin Mary has a place of honor in our chapel, as well as being patron of our College under her title as Our Lady of Humility.

Our Lady also has a special place in the hearts of many of the men of the College. American seminarians are often easy to spot as they walk through the city of Rome because of the Rosary. When walking to classes, apostolates, and also on errands, many will have the Rosary in hand, praying with Our Lady and Our Lord as they go. Each year the Legion of Mary apostolate of the College sponsors an optional preparation for Marian consecration. St. Louis de Montfort, who profoundly influenced Pope St. John Paul II, saw Marian consecration as not just the fastest way to holiness, but also the easiest and the most secure path. Mary leads us gently to the Sacred Heart of her Son, and she does this without fail.

Relationship with Our Lord is also fostered through retreats for the men of the College. Each year the men are blessed to spend a week

on retreat, due to the generosity of the seminary’s donors. The retreats are excellent times for discernment, entering into the Scriptures, and are opportunities for spiritual direction in a more focused way.

During the school year, each seminarian has a personal spiritual director as well as a formation adviser to help him discern how the Lord is working in his life, helping him to better know himself and to become the man God desires him to be.

It is a great blessing to have the opportunity to study the faith in Rome. The good things we learn help us to better encounter the goodness of God, His infinite mercy, His love for each of us, and His love for every person we will ever meet. We are greatly blessed with all of these aides to grow to love Our Lord, so that we may in turn be holy, healthy, and happy priests for our country and for the whole world. God bless you.

top NAC seminarians develop a strong personal prayer life including a strong devotion to our Blessed Mother. Here seminarians pray before an image of Our Lady of Humility, the college’s patroness. bottom The foundational aspect of NAC life is the communal celebration of the Eucharist every morning. This time of special prayer together sets the tone for each day.

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We hope to take what we have learned this year and pass on the fruits of our contemplation and study.

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A Continual Dialogue with the Truth

By Rev. Mr. Mitchell Brown ‘18 • Diocese of Gallup

“Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. The Christian faith has an essentially rational and intellectual dimension. Were it to lack that dimension, it would not be itself.”

In his 2010 letter to seminarians, Pope Benedict XVI thus urged seminarians to “be committed” to their seminary studies. It is true that the Christian faith has always appreciated the intimate relationship between faith and reason: from St. Peter, who urged Christians to “be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an ‘accounting’ for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt. 3:15), to St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict himself, faith and reason have always been seen as “two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth” (Fides et ratio, 1). It is fitting, then, that we who are studying to be “coworkers of the Truth” spend such vast amounts of time in study—in the perennial dialogue with the Truth of Jesus Christ—so as to draw from that spring the inspiration and strength needed to prepare ourselves for future work in the vineyard of the Lord.

This academic year has provided many opportunities for the North American College community to do just that by means of specified conferences and classes. For example, a number of men were able to participate in the inaugural sessions of the Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI Master Program at the Augustinianum, which Roman Echoes has featured previously. At the College itself, priests and religious offered classes (in English!) for further study. These included a U.S. Church History class taught by Fr. John Cush; Hebrew, Latin, Greek, and Spanish classes taught by the Frs. Nick Colalella, Alex Kreidler, Lawrence Herrera, S.J., John McDonald and Sr. Mary Micaela Hoffmann, R.S.M.; theological reading groups on Ecclesiology and Sacramentology led by the Frs. Daniel Hanley and James Sullivan, O.P.; and introductory courses to Thomistic thought taught by Sr. Mary Christa Nutt, R.S.M.. One fall evening, there was even a conference by Dr. George Weigel on evangelization in modern-day America.

As the year comes to a close, the third-year men are beginning to prepare for the transition to second-cycle programs in everything from biblical, dogmatic, and liturgical theology to Church history, patristics, and canon law. Meanwhile, the fourth-year men, our deacons, have begun thinking about their Licentiate tessina topics and directors, and the “fifth-year priests” are putting the finishing touches on their final degree requirements.

The end of the year also means that the dialogue with Truth continues worldwide as the men of the College surround the globe for their summer assignments, some for the first time, others as newly ordained ministers.

There we hope to take what we have learned this year and pass on the fruits of our contemplation and study. May the Good Lord bless our endeavors as we seek to call all men to His Truth, “that they may know the Truth, and the Truth may make them free!” (cf. Jn. 8:32).

top Deacon Paul Michael Piega ’18 (Austin), studies in the NAC’s Randle Riede library which provides a great environment for study. bottom NAC seminarians pose with other students from around the world in front of the Pontifical Gregorian University, one of three universities NAC seminarians can attend to study theology.

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With the help of the faculty, we have begun to reflect upon how to show others the unfailing and loving presence of Jesus in all situations.

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Preparing to be Laborers for the Harvest

By Rev. Mark Mleziva ’17 • Diocese of Green Bay

As priesthood ordination draws ever closer, the area of pastoral formation takes on more and more importance.

Very shortly, I will be ministering to God’s people no longer as a seminarian, but as a priest of Jesus Christ. Because of this, many of the formation sessions for those of us in the deacon class have taken on a more pastoral direction. We continue to reflect and grow in the other areas as well, but a strong emphasis has been placed upon ministering through the sacraments. Some of the highlights of our formation sessions this past year have included both practice Confession and Anointing of the Sick.

We work on both celebrating the sacraments as the Church prescribes, but also on how to be fully present to the person in front of us, as well as to their family and friends. Knowing what to say in difficult situations is not easy. But with the help of the faculty and their years of experience, we have begun to reflect upon how to show others the unfailing and loving presence of Jesus in all situations.

In addition to the weekly formation sessions, we are also given the opportunity to minister to a wide range of people here in the city of Rome through our many different apostolates. This includes preparing pilgrims from the United States who come to see the heart of the Church here in Rome, being present to the sick and the homebound from around the city, teaching Italian children the faith in English, and even ministering to a fully functional English-speaking parish. We are continually adding new apostolates, which this year included tours of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Each apostolate has its own opportunities and challenges that come along with it, but through them, each of us learns how to better preach the Gospel.

As my own time in Rome draws to a close, I can look back on how I have been blessed by my different apostolic assignments. My first apostolate was with the Legion of Mary, which focused on evangelization in St. Peter’s Square.

Oftentimes, we would meet people willing to open up and talk about the faith, while other times, we would simply have a nice conversation and go on our way. In any case, we would leave the person with a Miraculous Medal blessed by the Holy Father as a remembrance to stay close to Our Lady. My other apostolate was as a chaplain to Christendom College’s study abroad campus in Rome. We would have Mass and a meal with the students every week, as well as offering other opportunities to grow in the faith, such as Theology on Tap sessions. What I loved most about the experience was the opportunity to minister to a consistent group of people over the length of a semester, which helped me to visualize and experience what parish ministry will look like.

We are very blessed to have these many opportunities to bring, as Pope Francis puts it, the “joy of the Gospel” to others, which ultimately helps to prepare us to better serve the people of God back home in our dioceses.

top An important aspect of the NAC’s formation program involves regular seminars on various topics significant to future priestly ministry. bottom: Seminarian John LoCoco ’18 (Milwaukee), participates in a formation session exercise which gives seminarians real practice in different areas of pastoral formation.

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2016-17 STUDENT Seattle Spokane Yakima Portland

Crookston Helena Great Falls-Billings

Baker City

Fargo

Bismarck

Boise Rapid City Sioux Falls Sioux City Santa Rosa Oakland San Francisco San Jose

Reno Sacramento Stockton Monterey

Cheyenne

Salt Lake City

Lincoln Denver

Fresno

Colorado Springs Pueblo

Wichita

San Bernardino

Gallup

Orange San Diego

Kansas Ci

Salina

Dodge City

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

Omaha

Grand Island

Tulsa

Santa Fe Amarillo

Oklahoma City

Lubbock

Dallas

Phoenix Tuscon

Where do our seminarians come from?

This past year, over 100 Catholic dioceses were represented by the 238 students at the Seminary, plus another 77 priests at the Casa Santa Maria for graduate studies. During their years here in Rome, a deep sense of community is fostered, embracing the diversity of experience and knowledge that each man holds.

In a unique way, the College offers full view of the Universal Church, not only in Rome but within the community itself.

Las Cruces El Paso

Fort Worth Tyler

San Angelo

San Antonio

Austin Victoria

Laredo

Corpus Christi

Brownsville

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R E P R E S E N TAT I O N St. Cloud St. Paul-Minneapolis

Duluth Superior

Burlington Portland Ogdensburg Pittburgh Gaylord Green Bay Boston Manchester Erie Springfield Youngstown Syracuse New Ulm Grand La Crosse Rochester Albany Fall River Saginaw Rapids Winona Buffalo Hartford Madison Milwaukee Scranton Lansing Detroit Bridgeport AltoonaKalamazoo Dubuque Johnstown Allentown Cleveland Brooklyn Chicago Toledo Rockford Des Moines Metuchen Greensburg Ft. Wayne Gary Trenton Davenport Joliet Wilmington South Bend Stuebenville Newark Peoria Harrisburg Lafayette Columbus Arlington Camden Springfield Kansas City Indianapolis Cincinnati - St. Joseph Philadelphia Paterson WheelingSt. Louis Covington ity Baltimore Charleston Richmond Evansville Louisville Jefferson City Belleville Washington Owensboro Lexington Raleigh Springfield-Cape Girardeau Nashville Knoxville • Honolulu Charlotte • Fairbanks Memphis Little Rock • Juneau Atlanta Charleston • Anchorage Birmingham • Melbourne, Australia Shreveport Alexandria Lake Charles

Marquette

Jackson

Providence Norwich New York Rockville Centre

• Sandhurst, Australia

Savanna

• Sydney, Australia

Mobile Baton Rouge Biloxi Penacola-Tallahassee

New Orleans Beaumont Houma-Thibodaux GalvestonLafayette Houston

Worcester

• Pembroke, Canada St. Augustine

KEY:

Orlando St. Petersburg Venice

Palm Beach Miami

State Borders Diocesan Borders Dioceses with students attending

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A Year of Renovation & Repair

By Rev. Kerry Abbott, OFM CONV., ICTE ’14

In order to effectively serve seminarians and priests year after year, the North American College is regularly taking steps to maintain and improve its vast physical plants—the Janiculum campus, the original Via dell’Umità campus (the Casa Santa Maria and the USCCB Vistors’ Office), as well as the Casa O’Toole, the home of the Institute of Continuing Theological Education. With the initiative of the College’s Economo, and through the generosity of many faithful benefactors, roughly twenty-five projects were successfully completed during the 2016-2017 formation year, and four more projects have been formally approved and are scheduled to be completed during the upcoming summer. The following is a list of the College’s improvements over the past year:

Janiculum Campus • Renovation of Red Room Kitchenette • Repair of Aurelian Wall Pedestrian Access Gate, Stairs, and Garage Façade

• Upgrade of Library Electronic Cataloging Project • Restoration of Rector’s Apartment and Computer Center Tile Terraces

• Installation of Bath and Bed Linen Storage Units for Guest Apartments

• Construction & Centralization of Maintenance Workshops to Comply with Safety Norms

• Replacement of All Bed and Bath Linens in Wall Guest Rooms & Apartments

• Renovation of Student Showers Ceilings and Ventilation for Convent-Side Floors 1-4

• Installation of Additional (3rd) Electrical 630KW Transformer at the Seminary to Accommodate Additional Electrical Demand

• Renovation/Reconfiguration of Ex-Administration Wing Offices and Conference Room for Assistant Vice Rector, Academic Dean, and Director of Admissions

• Construction of College Fitness Facility/Electrical Sub-Station/ Stairwell/Terrace • Installation of Student Services Window Privacy Booth

• Main Seminary Kitchen Gas Line/Ventilation Upgrade to Comply with Safety Norms

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The North American College thanks the many gracious benefactors that help make such improvements possible. Your faithfulness to and love of the College is, in essence, a faithfulness to and a love of its mission—the formation of priests after the Heart of Jesus Christ. May God bless you and reward you for your generosity!

• Major Roof Repairs (1st Phase) Necessitated by Age and Wind and Exacerbated by Recent Earthquakes • Repair and Renovation of Guest Apartment 1 Bathroom • Water Supply Pipe Replacement for Student Lounge HVAC System • Floors 2, 3, and 4 Student Hall Lounge Construction • Repair/Renovation of Three Faculty Apartments • Installation of Protective Roof Above Main Entrance to Carmelite Convent • Installation of Energy/Environment Efficient Pump and Filter System for Cortile degli Aranci Fountain

Casa O’Toole (ICTE) • Structural Repairs to Water System/ Stairwell/TV Salon Due to Material Failure & Earthquakes

Pending Projects (Janiculum Campus) • 5th Floor Student Kitchen Terrace Replacement (Summer 2017)

Via dell'Umiltà Campus (Casa Santa Maria)

• Seminary Refectory Floor Replacement (Summer 2017)

• Complete Renovation of Courtyard Fountains

• Renewal of Parquet Floor in Red Room Dining Room (Summer 2017)

• 3rd Phase of 35-Bedroom/ Bathroom Renovation Project

• Renovation of Faculty Apartments 162, 262, and 462 (Summer 2017)

• Renovation/Repair of CSM/Polish Sisters Guest Rooms, Bathrooms, Superior’s Office • Emergency Repair/Replacement of USCCB Visitors’ Office Flooring

pictured The storage area below the Economato had become an unsightly "catch all," needing renovation and organization. New fire detection, suppression, emergency egress systems, appropriate electric load infrastructure coupled with proper air handling systems were installed to accommodate our carpenters, plumbers, masons and electrician in a collocated space in accordance with saftey guidelines.

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Servants Among Servants An integral element of priestly formation is helping students learn to serve others with compassion, joy, and attentiveness. Our students this past year provided service to over two dozen different apostolates throughout Rome and beyond. We asked several students to explain their apostolate assignment this year:

“Facilitating the Spiritual Life program at Duquesne University’s Italian Campus this year was both exciting and gratifying. We enjoyed getting to know two semesters of students while helping to orient them to a deeper Christian experience of Rome. Our major events included a weekly meeting for theological presentations and discussion over drinks and snacks, and a weekend trip to Assisi.”

Rev. Alek Schrenk ’17 Diocese of Pittsburgh Apostolate: Duquesne University "Each week I go out to a small neighborhood not far from the seminary and visit people in their apartments. We are welcomed into the homes of the young, the elderly, the healthy, the sick and everything in between, and we are blessed to serve as reminders that the Church is a continual presence in their lives and cares about each one of them. We are happy to lend a listening ear to whoever wants a visit, as well as pray with the people, ask them if they have any specific intentions

they would like us to pray for, and be a simple reminder of their great dignity as children of God." Kevin Chalifoux ’19 Diocese of Burlington Apostolate: Santa Dorotea Parishioner Visitation “Giving tours of St. Peter’s Basilica to the pilgrims venturing to the tomb of the first pope has been a humbling gift. Each time that I lead a group through the Basilica, its saints, art, and history reiterate to me the extraordinary and unrivaled grace that it is to be Roman Catholic.”

Andrew Schwenka ’19 Diocese of Lincoln Apostolate: St. Peter’s

“The Legion of Mary has given me the ability to reach out and evangelize people from all corners of the globe. Before I came to Rome and started working with the Legion, I had a limited understanding of the Universal Church. Now, having spent many hours in St. Peter's Square talking

to pilgrims, I am able to experience the many beautiful cultures in the Church from across the world.”

Joseph Caraway ’20 Diocese of Lake Charles Apostolate: Legion of Mary “A tremendous gift and blessing during this past year has been my apostolate to the parish community at the Aviano Air Force Base. Formative experiences such as serving Masses and baptisms, leading Theology on Tap, and sharing meals with parishioners have fueled my desire to serve the people of God as a parish priest. Every weekend trip to Aviano has been a great source of rejuvenation.”

Leo Song ’18 Diocese of Rockville Centre Apostolate: Aviano Air Force Base “At Marymount International School, I got to interact and teach religion to middle school students.

What is unique about Marymount is that students come from all areas of the world. I really enjoyed

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LIST OF APOSTOLATES listening and learning from the other faith traditions of the kids and applying those ideas into my lessons and activities for the greater class.”

Rev. Mr. Brandon DeToma ’18 Archdiocese of Louisville Apostolate: Marymount International School “I help serve lunch to the residents at Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Elderly. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to converse with the residents despite my limited Italian! I believe God-given charity transcends languages, cultures and age differences.”

Adi Indra ’20 Diocese of Sandhurst Apostolate: Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Elderly “American study-abroad students are plopped into an unfamiliar and often uncomfortable living situation for three months. It's fulfilling to share our experiences of living in Italy with them while providing some spiritual and cultural context for the richness of the Catholic culture in which they are completely immersed.”

Daniel Carr ’18 Diocese of Greenburg Apostolate: Duquesne University

“This year I was a tour guide at the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus. I had the privilege of meeting many English-speaking people from various religions, age groups, and cultural backgrounds. Never knowing quite the type of group I was going to get, it was always a beautiful experience to share the concrete historicity of the ancient Christian faith and see peoples' curiosity and wonder at this great place.”

Scott Miller ’20 Diocese of Sioux Falls Apostolate: Catacombs of Saint Callixtus “I worked with the youth group at the local parish of Santa Galla. I enjoyed spending time with them in weekly catechesis and discussion, field trips outside the city, and serving the liturgy in the parish. I even got to distribute ashes for the first time on Ash Wednesday!”

Rev. Peter Ascik ’17 Diocese of Charlotte Apostolate: Santa Galla Parish

Campus Ministry • • • • • • • • • •

American University of Rome Christendom College Catholic University of America Duquesne University Loyola Rome Center Notre Dame Providence College St. John's University St. Thomas More University of Mary

Care of the Poor Ministry •

•

• •

Missionaries of Charity (Casa Dono di Maria) Soup Kitchen Missionaries of Charity (San Gregorio) Home for Men Centro Astalli - Jesuit Refugee Service Sant'Egidio Casa degli Anziani

Parish Ministry • • • •

Aviano Air Base Naval Support Activity Naples San Giovanni de' Fiorentini Santa Galla

Prison Ministry • Regina Coeli Prison Ministry

Teaching/Evangelization Ministry • • • • • • • • •

Immaculate Conception Parish Legion of Mary Marymount School Catechesis Santa Maria in Trastevere (Spanish) Santa Susanna Scavi Tours St. Callixtus Catacomb Tours St. Paul’s Outside the Walls Tour St. Peter's Tours/ US Bishops Office

Visiting the Sick/Elderly Ministry • Santa Dorotea visiting families in need

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Donor Profile: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kardos, Pompano Beach, FL

Giving for the Church of Tomorrow

By Joseph Boustany ’19 • Diocese of Lafayette

Recipients of the 2007 Rector’s Award, Paul and Paulette Kardos have devoted themselves whole-heartedly to the mission of the Pontifical North American College. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Kardos have devoted themselves to mission of the Church as a whole, particularly in the fields of supporting and fostering vocations to the priesthood. Founding members of their local Serra Club, the Illinois natives truly recognize that seminarians are “future leaders of the country and of the Church.”

Their relationship with the College fittingly began twenty years ago on a pilgrimage to Rome where they met Fr. Peter Harman, who at the time was a seminarian studying at the College for the Diocese of Springfield in

Illinois. Shortly thereafter, the Kardos’ joined the Papal Foundation and also attended the Rector’s Dinner for the first time. “We were so impressed with the young men who were studying and the priests who graduated from the NAC,” they say, “that we continued to attend the Rector’s Dinner year after year.”

Over the last twenty years, Mr. and Mrs. Kardos have demonstrated their immense commitment to the North American College and “the quality of priests that the College produces” through prayers and financial assistance. Mrs. Kardos explains that these seminarians and priests “have a profound holiness in offering Mass, in praying the rosary,

or in praying the breviary. They are very strong in doctrine...and they are disciplined,” remarked Mrs. Kardos.

But most importantly, she added, they care about people, and have sense of gratitude and appreciation.

We are grateful for Mr. and Mrs. Kardos and their unwavering devotion to the mission of priestly formation.

They truly understand the importance of holy priests in the Church, and the unique program of formation provided at the College here in Rome.

To all of our benefactors and prayerful supporters: the Pontifical North American College thanks you for your service to the Church.

Ad Multos Annos!

photo: Mr. and Mrs. Kardos receive the 2007 Rector's Dinner Award.

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The Class of 2017 takes a group photo in front of St. Peter’s Basilica during their New Men Orientation in August 2013.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2017 Rev. Daniel Eusterman, Denver (CO) Rev. Timothy Anastos, Chicago (IL) Rev. Kevin Leaver, Boston (MA) Rev. Michael Zimmerman, Boston (MA) Rev. Dennis Conway, Dubuque (IA) Rev. Michael Friedel, Springfield in Illinois (IL) Rev. Nicholas Hagen, St. Paul and Minneapolis (MN) Rev. Timothy Wratkowski, St. Paul and Minneapolis (MN) Rev. Clark Philipp, St. Louis (MO) Rev. Reynor Santiago, New York (NY) Rev. Kevin Valle Diaz, Newark (NJ) Rev. Jordan Dosch, Bismarck (ND) Rev. Joseph Scholten, Sioux Falls (SD) Rev. Grayson Heenan, Detroit (MI) Rev. Jonathan Moré, Galveston-Houston (TX) Rev. Hans Mueller, Portland (OR) Rev. Matthew Nash, Grand Island (NE) Rev. Steven Oetjen, Arlington (VA) Rev. Peter Ascik, Charlotte (NC) Rev. Daniel Hart, Alexandria (LA) Rev. Briggs Hurley, St. Augustine (FL)

Rev. Robert Kilner, Washington (DC) Rev. Trevor Chicoine, Des Moines (IA) Rev. Aaron Becker, La Crosse (WI) Rev. Michael Bissex, Rockville Centre (NY) Rev. Kevin Ewing, Baltimore (MD) Rev. Thomas Gramc, Pittsburgh (PA) Rev. Aleksandr Schrenk, Pittsburgh (PA) Rev. Michael Holmquist, Colorado Springs (CO) Rev. Bradley Jantz, Birmingham (AL) Rev. Bryan Kuhr, Atlanta (GA) Rev. Michael Lund, Pembroke (CAN) Rev. Trevor Tibbertsma, Melbourne (AUS) Rev. Maximilian Nightingale, Kalamazoo (MI) Rev. Jeffrey Hanley, Kalamazoo (MI) Rev. Andrew Showers, Madison (WI) Rev. Luke Syse, Madison (WI) Rev. Stephen Tilley, Salt Lake City (UT) Rev. Mark Mleziva, Green Bay (WI) Rev. Andrew Burns, Paterson (NJ) Rev. Cesar Jaramillo-Palacio, Paterson (NJ) Rev. John Baumgardner, Milwaukee (WI) ROMAN ECHOES 2017 • VOLUME 21: ISSUE 4

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Sent Forth to Preach the Gospel

BY J OS E P H H E S C H M E Y E R ’ 1 8, A R C H D I O C E S E O F K A N SA S C I T Y I N K A N SA S

O

n Friday, May 26th, the North American College celebrated its annual closing banquet. The banquet is timed to coincide with the close of the academic year, providing a welcome break before the onset of finals season. It also provides a chance to recognize the contributions of each of the ordinandi and faculty members who are departing the North American College to proclaim the Gospel across the United States and Australia.

The night began with light-hearted remarks from Deacon Mark Mleziva ’17, Chairman of the Pastoral Council, followed by a dinner of lasagna, saltimbocca, and asparagus, with profiterole for desert. After the meal, Deacon Peter Ascik ’17, who was elected at the start of the year by members of his class, gave the traditional toast to the Class of 2017 and to the College. In his toast, Deacon Ascik recounted that when the Class of 2017 arrived at the NAC, “there was no tower, there was no gymnasium,” and quipped that “Britain was still part of Europe.

I’ve been here so long that the continental plates have shifted.”

The tone of the toast then shifted to a serious reflection on the “embarrassment of riches” found at the North American College, and the need to remember that “the reason all of this is here, all of the resources, time, and energy spent

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The Pontifical North American College

here, is to serve the Lord. To serve Jesus Christ.”

Fr. Peter Harman, the rector, gave remarks commemorating each of the departing faculty members. These remarks, peppered with jokes and personal anecdotes, highlighted the unique way that each of the departing individuals had enhanced the North American College community. Fr. David Gaffney, a house spiritual director who is departing to become rector of Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Providence, Rhode Island, then shared brief remarks reflecting on the five years he has spent at the North American College.

The closing banquet is perhaps most remembered for the sending-forth that occurred next. Two formators call out the names of each of the men who will not be returning to the College, with the following format: “Rev. [or Rev. Mr.] X, called to preach the Gospel in the [Arch]diocese of Y.” Upon hearing his name called, the man silently rises. This continues until each of the departing formators, student-priests, and deacons are standing, at which point the house rings out in grateful applause. Fr. Brendan Hurley, S.J. then offered up a toast to the departing students.

This year, the sending-forth was made yet more powerful in that one of the two formators sending the men forth, the vice rector Fr. Brian Christensen, is himself departing.

The closing banquet marks the end of the academic year for the College and the occasion to honor the priests returning home for ministry.

An evening commemorating endings and departures ended with a nod towards beginnings. After the banquet officially closed, the men adjourned to the student lounge to be entertained by the Red Room Rejects, a student band comprised entirely of New Men (Andrew DeRouen, Max Carson, James Glasgow, Spencer Hodgson, Christian Smith, and lead singer Patrick Agustin), who regaled the house with songs from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas, Boston, Journey, Whitesnake, the Beatles, and the Eagles.

Another year, another era, at the North American College draws to a close, but her future remains bright. Stat crux dum volvitur orbis, “The Cross is steady while the world is turning.” n

2017 Alumni Reunion

T

he annual Alumni Reunion was hosted by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis June 20-22. The two-day event attracted alumni from across the country and featured a variety of events, including a “bum run” to the Indianapolis Speedway for a VIP tour. Archbishop Timothy Broglio '77 presented the annual theological lecture concerning the history of military chaplains in the United States. Msgr. Robert Trisco '55 was honored with the Founder’s Award. Next year’s reunion will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Chicago on June 26-28, 2018.

ROMAN ECHOES 2017 • VOLUME 21: ISSUE 4

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Snapshots

Bishop James Checchio of Metuchen, NJ, former Rector of the College, blesses the newly completed gym facility.

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From left: Seminarians Stephen Schumacher ’19 (St. Louis), Matthew Miller ’20 (Duluth), Jack Reichardt ’20 (Rockford), Fr. Sean DeWitt ’16 (Austin) and Dcn. Jeff Hebert ’18 (Little Rock) participate in a relay race for university day around the NAC Campo Sportivo.

Seminarians Colin Jones ’18 (St. Paul & Minneapolis), Marvin Soto Nunez ’20 (Phoenix) and Ben Rahimi ’19 (Chicago) announce sporting activities for university day at the North American College.

Seminarians pray the Holy Rosary in honor of our Lady for the month of May in front of the College’s Marian grotto.

Seminarian Michael Caraway ’19 (Lake Charles), pitches during a NAC university softball game.

The Pontifical North American College

Fifth year priest Fr. Joseph Hamilton, ’16 (Sydney), converses at a social with faculty members Fr. Dan Hanley ’05 (left) and Fr. Kurt Belsole O.S.B. (right)

The chalices of the men to be ordained priests are displayed during the closing banquet.

Seminarians compete in the annual “Hall Ball Tournament.”

Hallways “Third Convent” (located on the South wing of the third floor) and “First Alleanza” (East and central wings of the first floor) were the finalists with “Third Convent” taking the championship.

Priests returning home for ministry in their respective dioceses stand to be recognized by the College at the closing banquet.

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Casa Santa Maria

The Casa Santa Maria Community of 2017

Giving Thanks for the Casa Community

“

I

• • • •

BY R E V. N AT H A N R I CC I, D I O C E S E O F P R OV I D E N C E ’ 1 6 C ’ 1 8

n all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18).

St. Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians offers a fitting reminder of the importance of gratitude in the Christian life, especially for the priests of the Casa Santa Maria as we approach the end of the academic year. From the liturgical horarium, to in-house lectures, to communal events and

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The Pontifical North American College

festivities, the Casa has provided its residents with a plethora of opportunities for spiritual and intellectual nourishment within a community of brother priests. We are reminded of the great gift the Lord has provided each of us, as we pray and study in the heart of the Eternal City.

The Sacred Liturgy remains at the heart of life at the Casa. Resident priests daily concelebrate the morning

• • • •

The Casa Santa Maria, under the patronage of Our Lady of Humility, will always be a place of spiritual and intellectual nourishment for her residents.

The year also afforded us with opportunities for intellectual formation. The newly ordained priests of the house were blessed by the visit of Archbishop Patron Wong, Secretary for Seminaries at the Congregation for the Clergy, for a variety of discussions on priestly life. Fr. Joshua Ehli, Coordinator of Newly Ordained Priests at the Casa, organized a variety of events, including a lecture on preparing licentiate and doctoral theses, given by the Academic Dean, Fr. John Cush.

Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, visiting professor at the Gregorian University, also spoke to the residents about the liturgical rite for exorcisms and the influence of the occult. Msgr.

Ferdinando Berardi, Superior of the Casa, and Msgr. Joseph Chapel, resident Spiritual Director, offered the men insights on priestly life in the annual fall and spring house meetings.

Opportunities for fraternity are never scarce at the Casa. Under the leadership of Fr. Brian Graebe and Fr. Richard McFadden, the Casa offered seasonal festivities, including Halloween, Christmas, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day parties. The best opportunity for priestly fraternity, however, remained the daily pausa di caffè after lunch in the Casa garden, allowing residents to take a much deserved break from their rigorous study, as they share in discussion on a variety of topics.

The Casa Santa Maria, under the patronage of Our Lady of Humility, will always be a place of spiritual and intellectual nourishment for her residents. This year has given us manifold opportunities to engage our academic assignments within a community of prayer and fraternity.

May Our Lady of Humility continue to strengthen our priestly bonds as we serve the Lord and His Church. n

iStock.com

and afternoon community Masses, and many resident priests also celebrate Mass outside of the Casa for communities of religious sisters and American college apostolates. In fact, one can rarely enter a chapel without encountering a priest offering Mass at a side-altar or praying the Divine Office—a fitting testament to the indispensible role of the sacred liturgy in the life of every priest. The Sunday communal Mass, aided by the voices of the Casa’s schola and the house organist, offers a perfect opportunity for the resident priests to join in prayer on the most important day of the week, followed regularly by a visit to our “Red Room” for a brief social and pranzo in the house refectory.

This past year, the priests enjoyed regular visits from our Rector, Fr. Peter Harman, who celebrated Sunday Mass and joined us for pranzo afterwards.

Priests concelebrate Mass together, sharing in the priestly brotherhood.

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Institute for Continuing Theological Education

(Left to right) Fr. Daniel Blout (Harrisburg) and the statue of Our Lady in Cercemaggiore. Msgr. Thomas Fryar (Denver) stands in front of the pulpit in Viterbo where Saint Thomas Aquinas preached. Fr. Timothy Gadziala (Atlanta) visits the tomb of St. Ambrose in Milan.

Buon Weekend: The Many Weekend Travels of ICTE

BY R E V. M S G R . T H O M A S F RYA R , A R C H D I O C E S E O F D E N V E R , I C T E S P R I N G ‘ 1 7

O • • • •

ne of the real blessings of being a participant in the sabbatical program, the Institute for Continuing Theological Education (ICTE), is the great opportunity to visit the churches and holy sites around Rome…but the graces don’t stop at the end of the Metro line in Rome!

Over the course of the program here, weekends have proven to be a valuable time to set out by car, train, plane, and

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(in the case of one of our members who walked the Camino) foot to connect with the rich history of our Catholic faith and the saints who have filled it.

I have been able to visit the site where St. Thomas Aquinas would mount an outdoor pulpit to preach the faith. I have seen the cave in which St. Benedict spent time in prayerful preparation for what would become the founding of the largest and most significant monastic order in our history. Kneeling before

• • • •

St. Pio of Pietrelcina’s body, having the opportunity to also see the confessional he daily spent hours in, I prayed for the grace to be a good and holy confessor. I have always appreciated the important Feast of All Saints. This past November it carried new joy and brought back wonderful memories. We are blessed to travel the path to the Lord in the communion of saints, both those who have gone before us and those alive in our world today, whose journeys enrich and enable our own. n

BY R E V. T I M OT H Y A . GA DZ I A L A , A R C H D I O C E S E O F AT L A N TA , I C T E S P R I N G ‘ 1 7

W • • • •

hile on sabbatical, I toured Milan for four days, tasting Milanese style cooking as well as experiencing the charm of this city. Milan is the economic heart of northern Italy as well as Italy’s main industrial and manufacturing region.

Walking amid the business sector,

O

• • • •

many people can be seen shopping for fashion as well as the local persons busy about commerce. I visited the Church of St. Ambrose, a Doctor of the Church who became a fourth century bishop of the region. It was at the Church of St. Ambrose that my new ICTE friends and I were invited to pray morning prayer and to concelebrate the Mass in the

Ambrosian Rite of the Church as well as to venerate the tomb of St. Ambrose. I am humbled and grateful to have had the time to savor the cultural history and to celebrate the richness of the Catholic Church in Milan while on sabbatical. Truly, visiting this historical and yet modern city has enriched my Faith and my sense of Western Culture. n

BY R E V. DA N I E L B LO U T, D I O C E S E O F H A R R I S B U R G , I C T E S P R I N G ‘ 1 7

ne of my most memorable pilgrimages was a weekend I spent traveling by car with three other ICTE priests to southern Italy. The third stop of our group’s pilgrimage was the small, rural village of Cercemaggiore. I am pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, founded in 1910 by immigrants from this village. Words cannot express the deep feeling of spiritual connectedness I felt whenever, after traveling for 3 hours through the beautiful countryside of the rural and scenic Molise region of Italy, we finally arrived at Cercemaggiore. That small group of immigrants travelled to the United States and settled in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, bringing with them their Catholic faith and their particular devotion to Santa Maria della Libera. Seeing the same unique statue of our Blessed Mother that graces our church property back in the States made me grateful to God for renewing my priestly mind, heart, and soul by revealing his eternal presence and truth in so many wonderful ways during my sabbatical. n

• • • •

• • • •

The Casa O’Toole enjoys a beautiful view of St. Peter’s Basilica, offering priests an opportunity to deepen their love for the pope and the universal Church.

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Economo’s Corner Caring for Those Who Care for Us R E V. K E R RY A B B OT T, O F M CO N V. , I C T E ' 1 4

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n other sections of this issue you will read about our new gymnasium, basketball court and some of the many maintenance and renovation projects completed, ongoing and planned at both the Janiculum Hill Campus and the Casa Santa Maria “down” in the city. As you can see from photographs in our magazine and on-line at the PNAC Photo Service, there is always a lot going on at the Pontifical North American College to facilitate a healthy, holy, life-giving environment for our entire community.

A few years ago, the safety and technical offices of the Holy See were invited to the College to assist us in developing construction and maintenance plans that met pertinent health and safety norms. Our intention

is always to ensure a safe living environment for our residential community of seminarians, student-priests, faculty, and religious, and consequently, safe working conditions for our personale (our lay staff).

As is true for our own lives, we want to ensure congruity between the external and internal manifestations of this magnificent physical institution that, like myself, is close to entering its 7th decade (in fact we share the same birth date)!

One of the privileges I have as the Vice Rector for Administration (aka, the Economo) is the need to often venture into the internal reaches of our buildings to places unknown to most and visited by even fewer. In these

Many projects, including renovations, take place behind the scenes creating better work spaces for the staff.

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places, our personale have carried out much of the work that allows our men to pray, study and live in safety. As our student population and buildings grew in number, our masons, plumbers, woodworkers and electrician have been relegated to work spaces they long ago outgrew and that became less than ideal. You will see such a space in the photos that accompany this article.

Along with the many projects that have (we pray) enhanced the lives of our student/faculty/staff community, we now have a state of the art, consolidated maintenance area that includes appropriate ventilation and safety systems that reflect our “caring for those who care for us.” This “new” maintenance area was actually crafted from a large extant space beneath our Business Office that, as with many older buildings, had become a “catch-all” area.

Our “maintainers” will now have one collocated facility to call home that will provide them safe and suitable work, storage and locker/shower rooms. As I have said so many times before, these wonderful “maintainers” are really so much more than that, for they are truly helping us, thanks to your ever-generous support, to build the Kingdom of God and to prepare servant-priests for His Vineyard! n

Institutional Advancement What You Said MARK RANDALL, CFRE • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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n our last issue, I told you about a new project underway: a survey of alumni and lay donors. We wanted to learn from current and past donors (and non-donors, too!) what perceptions, understandings, and opinions they hold about the College.

We randomly selected about 9,000 individuals from our database, and segmented them into five groups of alumni priests, lay persons, current donors, etc. An outside firm conducted the survey and provided a great deal of analysis. Here are some interesting highlights: • Virtually every responding alumnus recalls his time at the College “positively” (73%) or “more positively than not” (24%).

• Knowing a priest who attended the College is the most common trait of current lay donors: 68% said they do.

• Over half (58%) of lay donors have visited our campus in Rome; 33%

have attended a priestly ordination of a NAC seminarian; and only 13% have ever attended a Rector’s Dinner.

• When current donors were asked what makes the College worthy of financial support, the overwhelming theme was, “the NAC prepares priests of excellence.”

• They defined excellence as equipped (priests who have tools to evangelize and instruct); courageous (eager to be heralds of the truth); confident (secure in the knowledge they have been well prepared); and apostolic (ready to engage and share a deep love of our Lord and the Church).

• Respondents listed these as the top three things that make the NAC unique: it is based in Rome, where students experience the Universal Church; seminarians are in close proximity to the Holy Father, the Vatican, and leading theologians; and the quality of theological and practical education is superb.

• Almost half of lay respondents said they support the College because “many NAC graduates serve in important positions within the life of the Church.”

• Most respondents said they were fine with the frequency of mail from the College.

• One of our final questions asked how the College can communicate better with our stakeholders.

Common responses included more email updates, and more personal stories about seminarians and their daily experiences.

Our office is still sorting through the data, but we are grateful for such a detailed and forthright response – thank you! Your feedback will be helpful as we finalize our fundraising, marketing, and communications plans for next year.

If you did not have a chance to complete a survey, or have comments on the above, we would still like to hear from you. Send me an email at mrandall@pnac.org. n

“Aggiornamento on the Hill of Janus:” The latest history book on the College now available in eBook format, online at Amazon.com or iTunes.

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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.

Priests of the Casa Santa Maria stand with Bishop William Murphy ’64 C’74 after Mass for the closing banquet.

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