Roman Echoes 2018 - Volume 22, Issue 4

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VOLUME 22: 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

On the Blessings of 2017-2018 SPECIAL SECTION: 2017-2018 Annual Report 9 Youth Synod 12 Farewell to Fr. Vetter 13 Annual Report 30 Closing Banquet

Contents 12 9 Features 7 Faculty Departures 8 Film Club

13 Annual Report

9 Youth Synod

30 Closing Banquet

The Church’s newest generation

12 Farewell to Fr. Vetter

A review of the past year

Sending out new priests

34 Music Director Returns Home

Spiritual Director reflects on his tenure

We are pleased to introduce our 2017-18 Annual Report. This is an effort to share with you, our readers, an overview of the past academic year. It was an amazing year, full of challenges and blessings. Thank you for your continued support and your help through prayer. May God bless you!

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The Pontifical North American College

30 13 Updates 5 Rector’s Corner 6 NAC Voices 10 Snapshots 31 ICTE

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Creative Corner Casa Economo's Corner Institutional Advancement

From the Editor

"I am the Alpha and the Omega…the beginning and the end.”

(Revelation 22:13)

In this issue of the Roman Echoes, we take a look back on the year of formation that has just passed, and—especially for our brothers leaving the College to serve now as priests—we also cast a hopeful eye toward the future. Our own beginnings and endings may seem small and simple when cast in the light of Jesus Christ, the Lord of all times. Yet, these are privileged moments to seek the Lord, to give Him thanks for what has been and is, and to ask His mercy and blessing for what is to come. May Jesus Christ ever meet you in your own comings and goings, now and forever.

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 Nakkeeran '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 Y. 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.

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LEFT: Summer foliage adorns the College grounds.

The Pontifical North American College

Rector’s Corner Dear Friends of the North American College:

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hope that as you pick up this edition of Roman Echoes you are enjoying your summer.

This edition is truly an “echo” in many ways. This is because the summer in our house is a lot quieter, and yet the “sounds” of what we have done all year are now being heard elsewhere. This edition highlights the fruit of our work, work in which you cooperate by your prayers and generous support. We are happy to display it for you in these pages.

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

This is what they have longed for and prepared for. Together we have the 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. Our sending them out at the Closing Mass and Banquet “to preach the Gospel” is one of the most powerful events of the year, and one which gives me so much joy and hope.

Most of the men in seminary formation for the priesthood are participating

in exposure to parish assignments, where, please God, they are being edified by the people of God around them, where they are encouraged and taught by loving pastors, and where they are receiving the confirmation that the call they have discerned to serve the Lord and his Church is one that brings them fulfillment and joy.

But not all is quiet. Right now, the fruit of much planning is allowing for the completion of our four-year plan to completely renovate every individual living space at the Casa Santa Maria. Likewise, there are many projects on our Janiculum campus which will improve our safety and our quality of life.

As we look ahead, we rejoice that forty-seven New Men are getting excited to come to Rome and will soon begin Italian language study in Assisi, Siena, or Verbania. This is quite an exciting time, and I urge you to pray that the Holy Spirit guide and console them as they begin this new chapter in their lives. They will be a long way from home, but they will make their new life with us their new home. Our Second Year men and our

staff are working hard to prepare them to be with us. May God grant them safety, consolation, and peace as we welcome them.

I hope that in the pages of this edition you see the promise of our work for the good of the Church at home. I hope it will move you to give thanks to God for all of the blessings we receive as the North American College family. I trust it will inspire you to ask that God will continue to bless our work, and that it will bear good fruit in the Lord’s wide and beautiful vineyard where you are.

Enjoy your summer. God bless you for your goodness to us.

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

Our newest priests…are just now beginning their new assignments in their dioceses.

This is what they have longed for and prepared for.

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VOICES OF NAC

One of the better tests for determining whether counsel is more dross or gold is whether it has been worth remembering.

"As members of the class of 2018, what piece of advice has remained with you throughout your time in seminary?”

“A vocation is about relationships. Indeed, the relationship with God is central, and it will determine the fruits of the relationships with the people I will meet. Now that I am finishing formation, I continue to appreciate God’s providence in which He has made Himself present in my life.”

“Formation will have its lows and highs, but like any good father, the Lord wants only the best for you. Trust him in his vision for you, remain in prayer with him and always keep the Blessed Mother at your side.

She will lead you to her Son.” Rev. Paul-Michael Piega, Diocese of Austin

“The advice that has always stayed with me over the years here at the College has been that in this time of formation you will make friendships that will last years to come after your ordination.

Cherish those friendships because the most valuable thing is our encounter with others.”

Rev. Eric Tamayo, Diocese of San Diego

Rev. Cesar Izquierdo, Diocese of Yakima

“When I entered seminary, my Director of Vocations reminded us that now we would be seen as representatives of the Church in a new way and that this should be reflected in all we do, particularly outside the seminary walls.

It has been a good reminder for me throughout seminary that all my thoughts and actions are meant to reflect Christ and be for the upbuilding of His Church.”

Rev. Phillip Dufour, Diocese of Providence

“A good priest told me that the Holy Spirit forms us in ways we do not always expect.

Oftentimes, unforeseen challenges and other things which may seem to get in the way of our ‘real’ formation are actually ways in which the Lord permits for us to be formed even more fully than our narrowly focused personal plan may allow.

These are opportunities to be better prepared for the future and to grow closer to Christ.”

Rev. Carter Zelinski, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

“I was told via a homily early in seminary to be ‘jealous of my vocation.’ That is, it is something to be treasured, cherished and guarded. For those discerning, it is always important to recall that the Lord is calling you to something far greater than yourself.

A constant diligence is needed in discerning the call of the Lord.”

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The Pontifical North American College

Rev. John LoCoco, Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Departing Faculty The seminary community of the Pontifical North American College is greatly appreciative of the service of the priests, religious sisters, and laity who serve here among the seminarians and student priests. We thank God for those who depart this year for new ministries and apostolic service.

Rev. Austin A. Vetter Rev. Austin A. Vetter, ’93 Diocese of Bismarck, served the College from 2012 to 2018 as the Director of Spiritual Formation. He will return to his diocese as Rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck, North Dakota. We will miss his wisdom and priestly example and know that he will be a magnificent pastor for his people.

Rev. Robert Y. Blyman Rev. Robert Y. Blyman, Diocese of Rockville Centre, served the College from 2011 to 2015 and very graciously to returned to minister here in his retirement as the Director of Counseling Services in 2017. So many priests and future priests have benefited from Fr. Blyman’s kindness, professionalism, and prayers.

Rev. James M. Sullivan, OP Rev. James M. Sullivan, OP, Saint Joseph Province of the Order of Preachers, was a powerful presence in our house in his role as Director of the Institute for Continual Theological Education (ICTE) and as a steady, wise formation

advisor for the seminarians. An outstanding preacher and teacher, Fr. Sullivan will begin a new ministry as the Spiritual Director at Saint John’s Seminary, Brighton in the Archdiocese of Boston.

Rev. Msgr.

P. William McDonnell Rev. Msgr. P. William McDonnell, ’65, ICTE ’13 Diocese of Rockford, also was kind enough to come out of retirement to serve since 2015 as a Spiritual Director. Msgr. McDonnell was a consistent, joyful example to the seminarians of a priestly life lived well and we wish him well in his retirement.

Sister John Mary Corbett, OP Sister John Mary Corbett, OP, Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, arrived at the College in 2016 for studies at the Angelicum, became the Superior of the Rome community of her sisters, and the Librarian at the College’s Randal Riede Library. Sister John Mary was exceptional kind,

knowledgeable, and a true joy to know. Sister John Mary will be going to work and teach in one of her community’s schools in the Diocese of Sacramento.

Mr. Leon Griesbach

Mr. Leon Griesbach has served since 2013 as the Director of Liturgical Music and was a true teacher for the priests and seminarians of the College, known for his knowledge, love, and care for the sacred liturgy. He and his wife, Cassi, along with their children Emelia, Stella, Dietrich, Augustine, and Blaise were a much-beloved example of the Holy Family in our seminary community.

The three boys were actually born at the College! Mr. Griesbach will return to music ministry in his home Diocese of Portland, Maine.

We will miss each and every one of these fine members of our community, and we know that each of them have made the College better for their presence. They go with our prayers and we know that they will pray for us. Ad multos annos! n

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Lights, Camera, Discussion CLAYTON FORNER ’20, ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS

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ou guessed it, we watch movies at the seminary.

Here at the College, we have the advantage of being able to watch films in a large group, and then follow it up with a discussion.

That experience is improved all the more by our regular film club, overseen this year by James Glasgow ’20 (Washington). After showing a movie chosen for its potential to provoke reflection, the group enjoys conversation ranging from the cinematographic techniques used in the film, to personal experiences similar to those on screen. These times spent watching movies are a good time to relax, but in the end, I often find that I learn something.

Personally, I have always enjoyed movies, but after a conversation with a former art history professor of mine I realized that there is a greater dimension to be appreciated. She claimed that the purpose of Renaissance art was to represent the ‘great drama’ or the ‘theatre of life,’ articulated in the usage of light, perspective, and form.

These techniques allow the artist to communicate a message to the viewer, whether it be through painting or sculpture. Movies, then, are simply the most recent art form combining the aforesaid media and adding time and sound to it all. Now, you no longer have a static figure or canvas to contemplate and draw meaning from; in its place, each frame bears the

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The Pontifical North American College

James Glasgow ’20 (Washington), oversaw the NAC’s TV lounge this year, and was the film club’s organizer.

potential for contemplation. Just as in those other art forms, it is the task of the viewer to seek to understand the mind of the artist as well as what provokes the viewer’s own personal resonance.

The movie Ladybird provides a great example of this, for in an interview with NPR, the director herself said that pondering on what the saints were like as teenagers influenced her writing of the script. This changes the viewpoint of interactions in the film, from those founded mainly on teenage angst, into stepping stones for God’s work of grace in the characters’ lives.

Fictional movies have much to say about reality, because they spring from the creativity of real people.

This connection to reality can be as unambiguous as the original Star Trek

series’ commentary on then-current political events, or it can act as a window into how one person encounters and lives with tragedy as in as in many contemporary dramas.

As men studying for priesthood, I think some intentional movie watching is good—the classics as well as the contemporary, because movies draw out the fundamental questions from the lips of individual persons. Jesus ultimately possesses the answer to every question and need, and as heralds of his Word, I believe it a boon to know what is in the conversation, and by knowing these works of art, then we might be able to better present Christ’s wise and loving response.

Oh, and by the way, a number of us just watched Coco, and we had a great time. n

Preparing for the Synod on Youth J O N AT H A N VA L A ’ 2 0, A R C H D I O C E S E O F SY D N E Y

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hen I first walked into to the International Pontifical College Maria Mater Ecclesiae I was overwhelmed by the energy of dozens of groups huddled together, excitedly discussing in languages that I had never even heard before. All 300 of us had found out a few months earlier that we would be taking part in the historic Pre-Synodal Meeting on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. This was a weeklong meeting of young people from many nations and vocations in order to help the Synod Fathers to understand today’s youth in preparation for their upcoming Synod on Youth in October.

The week opened with a visit from the Holy Father, Pope Francis. He addressed us, listened to a representative from each continent describe their local condition, and answered the questions of several of the young people present. He spoke to us about the Church’s need for “young prophets” and encouraged us all to speak openly and bravely with the Church about all of our questions and issues.

In this spirit, we began discussion.

In small language groups, we talked about who we were, our struggles and hopes, the factors that form and shape our identity, how we see our futures, and the place of discernment and vocation in our experience. Lastly, we shared which ecclesial and evangelical initiatives have proven effective in

our particular contexts and how these could be better adapted to suit young people’s needs and modes of reception, as well as how we envision the Church relating to the youth of the future.

This phase was eye-opening for everyone. The diversity of life and Church experience that each of us from around the world possessed and shared was extraordinary. I had not personally encountered many of the problems that were faced by other members of my small group. Some of them I had never even heard of or considered. However, it was precisely in listening to the stories, issues, situations and suggestions of people from other continents that I realized the importance of this event.

The Pre-Synodal Meeting and the document that it produced (especially in its occasional inconsistencies) reminded us all that the world is a

big place, full of unique people and situations. Every young person has his or her own particular experience of the Church and the world, and thus comes close to God and the Faith in their own particular way. We quickly realized that it is impossible to paint youth issues with broad strokes, or to create systems, initiatives or “pastoral plans” that will work to effectively minister to all youth across all socioeconomic and cultural contexts. If only 300 youth created such a drastic cacophony of opinion and experience, what of all the other hundreds of millions of young people in the world?

Each of us came to the Pre-Synodal Meeting with specific issues in mind and perhaps even thought we had solutions. Many of us hoped that everyone else would think like we thought, so that we could quickly solve a few big issues and then go home. However, in facing the Church Universal, we experienced something much more beautiful: a world of unique persons. By confronting and being confronted by so many other young people with varying experiences, all of us came to understand that to be able to effectively bring Christ to each young person, we need to continually move beyond ourselves and adopt a painstaking apostolic care that is attentive to this uniqueness. n

Jonathan Vala (far left) ’20 (Sydney), assisting at the Vatican pre-synodal event for youth.

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Snapshots

The College’s Annual Hall Ball tournament wrapped up this May in a final championship game between the men of 1st Alleanza and 3rd Convent. Tied with one win each, 3rd Convent rose to victory in the night’s final tiebreaking game.

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The beloved Griesbach family stole the show at this year’s closing banquet!

Andy DeRouen ’20 (Lake Charles) sets up Stephen Cieslak ’19 (Portland in Oregon) for a spike during a volleyball game against the Legionaries of Christ this May.

Matthew Duclos ’21 (Albany) takes the helm as organist during Mass at the College.

Kyle O’Connor ’19 (Richmond) looks for a pass during the annual Legion Sports Day here at the College.

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Grillmasters Justin Golna ’20 (Wheeling-Charleston) and Gabriel Sanchez-Navarro ’21 (Charlotte) spend the afternoon preparing food for the annual softball tournament.

David Wheeler ’19 (Lexington) throws out a pitch to Deacon Drew Olson ’18 (Madison) in a game between students from the Gregorian and Santa Croce. The Gregorian would go on to win the tournament.

Adi Indra ’20 (Sandhurst) and Joseph MacNeil ’21 (Hartford) pause for a photo as they serve the closing banquet.

Fr. Austin Vetter ’93 (Bismarck) preaches his final homily as a College faculty member at the closing Mass, which would conclude with a chanted Te Deum.

A moment of uncontrollable laughter for Jakob Hurlimann ’21 (Austin) and the entire community at the closing banquet, when, in apparent response to Fr. Harman’s invitation to the Griesbach sons to return to the College one day as seminarians, one of the boys blurted out, “No!”

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Looking Back at the Hill R E V. AU ST I N V E T T E R ’ 9 3, D I O C E S E O F B I S M A R C K

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y heart is filled with a deep sense of gratitude to God as I complete my sixth and final year here at the College as the Director of Spiritual Formation. What a gift it is as a priest to help form future priests after the Heart of Jesus Christ. The seminarians here have been a true inspiration to me and are a great sign of hope for the life of the Church.

These are good men!

election, to receive papal blessings, to hear our Holy Father’s words and to see his example have deepened my love and affection for the Successor of St. Peter. To be in the city of martyrs and saints and to able to take part in the canonizations of St. John Paul II and Mother Teresa have been life-changing events. The support and intercession of the communion of saints is so tangible here in Rome. It is wonderful to be a part of this family of saints!

Being able to serve with the fine priests and religious on faculty here has been a wonderful experience of fraternity and friendship. Their generosity and dedication to the formation of priests has been an inspiration to me, and I am grateful to each of them for their goodness to me. The staff too have been so hospitable to me, and they have helped create a true home away from home.

These have been great years here, and as I return to the Diocese of Bismarck, I am grateful to my bishop and the seminary for allowing me this opportunity. I do not regret in the least saying “Yes” to this call. I wish every priest had this opportunity! I am a better priest because of my time here. I know that the priests back home had more to do because I was here, and to them I am also grateful.

While I have been here at the College there have been eleven seminarians from my diocese in formation here with me. What a blessing for me and, I hope, in some small way for them as well. A final, unique blessing has been to have my nephew, Nicholas Vetter '21 (Bismarck), here as a New Man this past year. Being a priest on faculty with my nephew in formation will be a memory I will always treasure.

A unique gift of serving here these past years are the friends and supporters of the College that I have met. This house of formation is also a house of friendship. What a true blessing to have formed such lasting friendships because of this College.

The latest news and photos from Rome. over 12,000 fans and counting– join us!

Fr. Austin Vetter '93 (Bismarck) has been the NAC’s Director of Spiritual Formation and a spiritual director at the college for the past six years.

Many of these friends and supporters of the College have become my own friends and supporters—so many have been so good to me.

To have been in the Eternal city, at the heart of the Church, for six years is also a blessing. To take part in papal Masses and experience a papal

Do know of my prayers and please pray for me.

Our Lady of Humility, pray for us! n

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The Pontifical North American College

2017-18 Annual Report

Left: Reverend Peter C. Harman, STD ’99, Rector

FROM THE RECTOR As we complete another successful academic year, I am pleased to introduce our 2017-18 Annual Report.

I hope you enjoy reading our student reflections on the pillars of priestly formation, the update on the improvements of our two campuses, and a graphical representation of where our students came from this past year. Be sure to also read the profile on Mrs. Catherine Zele who shares her personal experience of being a member of our donor community and a dear friend.

While our friends and benefactors like you only observe our mission from a distance, please know that it is your regular prayer and generous financial support that help make daily life at the College possible. We are pleased to use the pages of this magazine to share just some of the milestones from this past year.

May God continue to bless you!

Very Reverend Peter C. Harman ’99 13

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THE FOUR PILLARS OF PRIESTLY FORMATION

Human Formation Spiritual Formation Academic Formation Pastoral Formation

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The priest is called to be a living image of Jesus Christ.

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Human Formation: Being Conformed to Christ’s Humanity Michael Caraway ’19, Diocese of Lake Charles In the Gospels we hear the story of how Christ called the apostles and spent three years with them, forming their flawed humanity in preparation for their future priestly ministry of bringing salvation to the world. In living with Christ, the apostles had the singular privilege of being personally formed by Jesus during his brief span on earth. In the Gospels, we receive a glimpse of the dynamic way Christ formed the humanity of some of his closest followers in preparation for the priesthood.

After Pentecost, we find Christ’s body in the Church. In Pastores Dabo Vobis, Pope Saint John Paul II directs the Church in forming today’s seminarians in preparation for the priesthood. He tells us, “[t]he priest… is called to be a ‘living image’ of Jesus Christ…the priest should mold his human personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity” (PDV 43). Such an endeavor must go beyond academic knowledge to include practical formative experiences.

This past year, the Pontifical North American College provided us with a wide variety of human formation

experiences. In addition to the enriching Rector’s conferences, formation conferences, and individual formation meetings that we received, we were blessed also by our private conferences with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, and, along with the rest of Rome’s seminarians and student priests, Pope Francis himself. In addition to the communal meals that we shared together, each class also generously worked together to coordinate community celebrations for Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest, and Christmas.

It did not stop at our College community however, as we were able to welcome and show our gratitude to many of our dear friends and benefactors through our service at the annual Rector’s Dinner. During the season of Lent, our community led the pilgrimage through Rome as we provided daily Masses for the faithful at the traditional Roman station churches. Amidst the daily regimen of prayer, study, and house jobs, we were also able reach out and minister to our surrounding community through our apostolic ministries. Through serving the poor, visiting the imprisoned, visiting the sick, campus ministry, military base

ministry, teaching, or evangelization ministries, we have touched the lives of thousands of Rome’s residents and pilgrims.

This year in review would be incomplete if I did not mention that a house full of men naturally lends itself to a bit of healthy competition.

Over the course of the year we had an enthusiastic line-up of sporting events including the Spaghetti Bowl flag football game, the ultimate frisbee competition, the Clericus Cup soccer tournament, the university softball league, and the Hall-Ball basketball tournament. These events offered us dynamic opportunities for human formation and good-spirited camaraderie.

By striving to follow Christ in everything we do in our daily lives, we begin to better reflect Christ to the world. On the day of priestly ordination, it is our hope to reflect with all ourselves the Person to whom we will be conformed in the ministerial priesthood. Jesus Christ, in his sacred humanity, formed those initial twelve, all priests who have followed, and, God-willing, us, to be humanity’s bridge to his return.

top The Clericus Cup Champion North American Martyrs take the field.. bottom The College hosts an annual Thanksgiving Day Banquet.

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There is one common interest that ties us all together: the pursuit of holiness in the vocation that Christ has called us to.

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Spiritual Formation: Drawing Near to the Lord Spenser St. Louis ’19, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Relationships are often formed upon the foundation of a common interest. Communities are formed around these interests, whether they be music or movies, sports, or travel.

In the seminary there is one common interest that ties us all together: the pursuit of holiness in the vocation that Christ has called us to. This is often observed through the spiritual life of the house, rightly considered one of the crown jewels of our community. Throughout this past year the seminarians of the College have grown in many ways, and but chief among these is by growing closer to Our Lord in the spiritual life.

At the beginning of the year, each class takes time to escape the hectic city of Rome and retreat in the quiet countryside of Italy. These week-long retreats provide each seminarian with a wellspring of prayer upon which he can build for the following year. The graces that come from these retreats provide the strength necessary to

begin the year on a good note, and that will carry the house through the year. In the silence of these retreats each seminarian grows closer not only to the Lord in his prayer, but also closer to each brother, praying for one another and for the year ahead. The strong bonds mysteriously formed in silence provide deep relationships to which one can turn throughout the year.

One of the greatest opportunities that a seminarian has for spiritual growth comes in the form of weekends of recollection. It is during these weekends, one each semester, that the house is challenged to take off our old selves and put on Christ (Colossians 3:9-10).

Another opportunity that we have to grow closer to the heart of the Father is through Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Not only is this offered every day, but there are also special extended opportunities twice a month: a special Sunday

full of Eucharistic adoration as well as a night-long adoration vigil. It is especially during these two opportunities that one can see how the house has grown closer to the Lord. During nights of nocturnal adoration, men sacrifice precious hours of sleep in order to “remain here and keep watch” with Our Lord (Matthew 26:38). It is in the sacrifices, both of these hours of sleep as well as in everyday life, that we learn to unite our sacrifices and sufferings with Christ crucified.

Reflecting on the growth of the house over the past year, it is encouraging to see the varied and vast ways in which each seminarian has grown.

However, there is one area of growth that stands out among the rest, the growth of the spiritual life. As men of God, we are called to grow ever closer to Him whom we love, and this year has provided the foundation upon which to do so.

top The Liturgy of the Hours is one of the daily touchstones of a seminarian’s life of prayer.. bottom Regular spiritual direction teaches seminarians to be attentive to the Lord’s work in their lives.

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As we grow in the knowledge and love of God, we become better equipped to communicate the mysteries of faith.

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Intellectual Formation: Putting on the Mind of Christ Larry Machado ’19, Diocese of Stockton “Through study, especially the study of theology, the future priest assents to the Word of God, grows in his spiritual life and prepares himself to fulfill his pastoral ministry.” These words of Pope Saint John Paul II from his apostolic exhortation on the formation of priests, Pastores Dabo Vobis, summarize the goal of intellectual formation for the priesthood. Class lectures, seminars, personal study, and our informal discussions with one another provide opportunities that stimulate our search for the truth and give us the fundamentals of theology. Our life of prayer is what allows us to interiorize that knowledge, so that what we know with our minds can be loved more deeply in our hearts.

As we grow in both the knowledge and love of God and his Church, we become better equipped to communicate those mysteries to the people of God and proclaim his Word.

This past academic year at the Pontifical North American College has brought with it many opportunities in the area of intellectual formation.

The New Men began the year with intensive Italian language courses,

followed by the start of their theological studies at one of three universities in Rome: the Pontifical Gregorian University (the Gregorian), the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum), and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Santa Croce).

The Fourth-Year deacons also began a new phase in their studies, commencing their specialized licentiates in everything from Dogmatic Theology to Canon Law. The third-year seminarians finished their elaborati or took comprehensive exams to complete their Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) degree. Meanwhile, the “Fifth-Year priests” finished their licentiates (STL) with the submission of their tessinae (theses). In addition, our Academic Dean and professor of U.S. Catholic Church History, Fr. John Cush, successfully defended his dissertation in Fundamental Theology and was awarded his doctorate by the Gregorian University.

Our coursework at the Roman universities, however, does not make up the entirety of our intellectual

formation. This year, thanks to our own faculty members and religious sisters who generously offered their time, the NAC was able to offer in-house courses in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin, helping us to read the Sacred Scriptures and other texts from the Church’s tradition in their original language. There were also opportunities for us to participate in optional courses and reading groups in Christology, Sacramental Theology, the Theology of Grace and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Eastern Catholic Churches, the Theology of Holy Week, and Hispanic Pastoral Ministry. We were also blessed to have biblical scholar Dr. Scott Hahn from the Franciscan University of Steubenville speak on the theological themes that connect the Old and New Testaments.

While these learning experiences form an integral part of priestly formation, they are only the beginning of a lifetime of prayer, apostolic activity, and study, so that, immersed in the mysteries of our faith, our knowledge and love of God may come to perfection in Christ Jesus.

top Classrooms in the College's new tower are popular study spaces. bottom The College offers an extensive library collection of theological and other works.

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THE FOUR PILLARS OF PRIESTLY FORMATION

Human Formation Spiritual Formation Academic Formation Pastoral Formation

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In the work of pastoral formation a seminarian learns and practices how to hand on the riches of the Church's Tradition and accompany the people of God.

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Pastoral Formation: Shepherds for the Flock Jerome Krug ’19, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Human Formation. Spiritual Formation.

Intellectual Formation. Pastoral Formation. Pope Saint John Paul II laid out these four pillars to the work of priestly formation. The first three—the human, intellectual, and spiritual pillars—are largely focused on “input” into a candidate for holy orders, on his growth as a person, a disciple, and a leader. The pastoral pillar, in a manner of speaking, is the “output” pillar of priestly formation. It is in the work of pastoral formation that a seminarian learns and practices how to hand on the riches of the Church’s Tradition, the witness of his own personal walk of discipleship, and how to faithfully accompany the people of God in their walks of faith.

At the Pontifical North American College, the chief pastor of our community is the Rector, Fr. Peter Harman ’99 (Springfield), who is entrusted with the pastoral care of every person here. Receiving from and observing his pastoral leadership is the first place that pastoral formation occurs. In collaboration with the work of the Rector is the Director of Pastoral Formation, Fr. Joshua Rodrigue ’02 (Houma-Thibodaux). This past year, Fr. Rodrigue has been responsible for coordinating a robust program

of pastoral formation. This formation has taken the form of theoretical conferences on how to carry on certain pastoral tasks such as youth ministry, RCIA, parish administration, and Hispanic ministry. It has also taken on the form of practical workshops where seminarians receive hands-on practice celebrating the sacraments, giving pastoral counsel, and preaching homilies. Preparation for preaching the Gospel, especially in the context of daily and Sunday Eucharist, is one of the most important aspects of pastoral formation. It is in the Sunday homily that the pastor has the platform to reach the greatest number of his flock at once. Formation in the area of preaching is led by the Carl J. Peter Chair of Homiletics, Fr. John McDonald ’07 (Birmingham).

Another essential aspect of our pastoral formation is the apostolic work we engage in throughout the city of Rome and even throughout Italy. The Director of Apostolic Formation, Fr. Ronald Barusefski C’16 (Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic), and the assistant director, Sister Judith Zoebelein, FSE, are tireless in their work of finding placements for the men to offer pastoral service.

Every week, we have men who are

teaching in classrooms, leading Bible studies, visiting prisoners, working with American college students studying abroad, giving tours at holy sites, working with American sailors, airmen, and their families at U.S. military bases, and serving with the poor and destitute. These apostolic assignments are so essential for the formation of future pastors. We can learn a great deal in theoretical presentations, we can grow in comfort and experience through hands on practica, but in actual, concrete interactions with people in need of Christ’s love and Good News, the Holy Spirit reveals himself and his mission in a particular way to the candidate for holy orders.

The name of St. John Paul II’s document on the pillars of priestly formation was aptly titled Pastores Dabo Vobis – I Will Give You Shepherds. These are words of the Lord to the people of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, in which God promised to send shepherds after his own heart to lead the people.

Through the work of seminary pastoral formation, God faithfully answers this promise made ages ago.

top Christopher Boyle '19 (Boston) and Michael Carlson '19 (Charlotte) role-play during pastoral counseling seminars. bottom: The first pastor of the Universal Church, St. Peter, stands watch on the College grounds.

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2 0 1 7- 1 8 S T U D E N T 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

Tulsa

Santa Fe Amarillo

Oklahoma City

Lubbock

Dallas

Phoenix Tuscon

Where do our seminarians come from?

This past year, nearly 100 dioceses were represented by 225 at the Seminary, plus another 78 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.

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Kansas Ci

Salina

Dodge City

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

Omaha

Grand Island

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 Pittsburgh 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 Steubenville 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 • Honolulu Nashville Knoxville Charlotte • Fairbanks Memphis • Juneau Little Rock • Anchorage Atlanta Charleston • Melbourne, Australia Birmingham Shreveport Alexandria Lake Charles

Marquette

Jackson

Providence Norwich New York Rockville Centre

• Sandhurst, Australia

Savannah

• Sydney, Australia • Pembroke, Canada

Mobile Baton Rouge Biloxi Pensacola-Tallahassee

• Anglican Ordinariate St. Augustine

• Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles

New Orleans Beaumont Houma-Thibodaux GalvestonLafayette Houston

Worcester

Orlando

• St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

St. Petersburg Venice

Palm Beach Miami

KEY:

State Borders Diocesan Borders Diocese with students attending (shown in red)

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A Year of Renovation & Repair 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. Through the generosity of many faithful benefactors, the College was able to complete roughly twenty-five repair and improvement projects during the 2017-2018 formation year. 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:

photos Repair and restoration of the ceiling frescos and chiostrino outside the Immaculate Conception Chapel 24 24

Janiculum Campus • Completion of College Libraries Electronic Resources Management Project • Expansion/Renovation of Seminary Faculty Apartments 162, 262, 462 • Relocation of Maintenance Workshops • Upgrade of Seminary Kitchen Gas Line and Ventilation System • Renewal of Parquet Floor in Seminary Red Room Dining Room • Restoration of Red Room Furniture • Replacement of the 5th Floor Student Kitchen Terrace • Replacement of Refectory Floor • Completion of Student Barbershop • Renovation of Student Shower Ceilings and Ventilation System • Emergency Repair of Immaculate Conception Chapel Bells • Renovation of the Keeler-Sheehan Guest Suite • Emergency Repair of Secondary Elevator Shaft Cover on 6th Floor • Replacement of Hedge Plants along East Side of Track • Replacement of Perimeter Fence Netting on Tennis/Basketball Courts

• Amelioration of Wall Damage in Gymnasium Training Area • Renovation/Upgrade of Roman Echoes and Student Technology Office • Repair of Seminary Wall Apartment, Cloisters, and Corridor • New Development of PNAC Portal (Web Page) Comprehensive Platform • Renovation of Corso Auditorium • Repair of Immaculate Conception Chapel Chiostrino • Installation of Safety-Bar Exit Mechanisms on Glass Doors Outside Immaculate Conception Chapel • Scheduled Renovation of Seminary “R Level” Piano Corridor and Refectory Bathrooms

Casa O’Toole (ICTE) • Structural Repairs to Water System, Stairwell and TV Salon • Installation of New Audio Visual Education & Presentation System

Casa Santa Maria • Final phase of the multi-year project to completely refurbish the living quarters into individual suites.

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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, 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!

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Formation Conference Reflections Each Thursday evening, and at other special occasions during the year, the seminarians at the College receive formation conferences, given by class, from faculty and guest priests on various aspects of priestly life. We asked some of our brothers to recall some of the most important lessons they received during these sessions.

Nicholas Case ’21 Archdiocese of San Francisco Conference: “Consciousness Examen and Examination of Conscience” by Fr. Brendan Hurley, S.J. Reflection: “One’s life of faith is spent on the road – somewhere between where I was and where I hope to be.” As a person in life we are always going forward – we cannot go backwards, in all phases of life. People pass away, life changes, and we are presented with new opportunities and challenges. But as men of faith we can take solace that our Lord will always accompany us and provide the grace we need. This is a hope not based on ourselves and what we can do, but rather what God has done and will do in us.

Matthew Duclos ’21 Diocese of Albany Conference: “Intimacy Skills II: Internet, Cybersex and Pseudo-Intimacy” by Msgr. Stephen Rossetti Reflection: Approaching the end of my first year of theology, I find myself reflecting on God’s plan for me as it has 26 26

unfolded over the past months and years. Msgr. Rossetti, while speaking on relationships as seminarians and as priests, mentioned this concept of opting in or opting out. He said, “God obviously sent you here, or you wouldn’t be here,” and it is up to us to “opt in” to God’s plan. I have the choice to opt in to what God has in store for me, or I can opt out.

Opting in to God’s plan is always the better choice, and I pray it will lead me to another idea he mentioned: building a faith community at a parish where people can experience “a little bit of heaven.”

Joseph Caraway ’20 Diocese of Lake Charles Conference: “Praying with the Need for Intimacy”

by Fr. Austin Vetter Reflection: Praying with greater intimacy and trust in Jesus has made this year a fruitful growth towards the priesthood.

The deeper intimacy with Christ has come mostly through affirming and encouraging my brothers around me.

This affirmation of others has helped me to see Christ in the smaller everyday acts of the people around me.

Peter Gallagher ’20 Diocese of Camden Conference: “Introduction to RCIA”

by Fr. Daniel Hanley Reflection: The presentation both excited me about the riches of our Catholic faith while also giving some tips on reaching out to appropriate groups of people willing to say “yes” to coming into the Church. I look forward to the day where I can put this new information into practice!

Ivan Torres ’20 Diocese of Las Cruces Conference: Homiletic Worships and Practica with Fr. John McDonald Reflection: Our homiletic workshops and practica over this past year were perhaps the most important pastoral formation I received. It was by understanding the homily as a dialogue and prayer that I learned to let go of the fear that accompanied my ability to preach. This image of the homily as a prayer and discourse rather than a presentation was most clear to me through our homiletic director’s

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highlighting the homily as the final discourse and prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper. Christ’s priests, inviting the faithful to the Eucharistic sacrifice, first share God’s word with them in prayer.

Chan Lee ’19 Archdiocese of Newark Conference: “Diocesan Priesthood: Living a New Identity in Christ” by Fr. Austin Vetter Reflection: “If it weren't for the storms, there would be no harvest of wheat.” In an exhortation to us Third Year men, Father Vetter, as he always does, told us as it is: there will be stormy and dry periods in diocesan priestly life. However, if we truly desire to follow Christ, we cannot avoid His most fruitful work - the Mystery of the Cross. As Father Vetter put it, “a Roman Catholic priest has to know Calvary in order to bring people there.”

Luke Wilgenbusch ’19 Diocese of Nashville Conference: “Pastoral Approach to Bioethical Issues” by Fr. Ryan Connors Reflection: This conference was a great opportunity to reflect on some of the real, tangible challenges that await us in the priesthood. Fr. Connors framed the context well; these bioethical issues are

not the most important parts of our faith, but they can be a stumbling block for many people. The great pastor of souls is the one who is not only imbued with a deep understanding of the moral issues but who also has the love and skill necessary to allow that truth to reach the heart of his flock.

Rev. Jesus Mariscal ’18 Diocese of Yakima Conference: “The Sacrament of Penance”

by Fr. Brendan Hurley, S.J. Reflection: In our instruction about the sacrament of Penance we were reminded of the awesome beauty and serious responsibility of a confessor as an instrument of God’s grace who acts as a healer of souls and judges with divine mercy. Two or three years ago in our coursework on the sacraments, when we received the theological teachings on this sacrament, I thought of those men who were already priests. However, this time around it resonated in my soul with a different pitch, as I was humbled to realize that in a few months God would have also chosen me to be a confessor in persona Christi Capitis, representing him in his tribunal of mercy.

Rev. Benjamin Pitre ’18 Diocese of Lafayette Conference: “New Priest Concerns Regarding the Church’s Code of Canon Law” by Fr. Joshua Ehli Reflection: In this formation conference, we discussed the Church’s canon law as it pertains to the administration of the sacraments by the priest. The point was made, which stuck with me, that a priest should be as merciful as the Church is in her codified law. The Church is very merciful to her children (as she should be), but there can be a temptation by the priest to go beyond what the Church requires and place undue burdens on the flock. As always, the priest should do and require only what the Church intends.

photos Archbishop Jorge Carlos Patrón Wong (left) and Msgr. Stephen Rossetti (right) were among the many presenters at formation conferences this year.

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Donor Profile: Mrs. Catherine Zele

An Offertory for the Next Generation of Priests Nathanael Anderson ’20, Archdiocese of Washington

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There are countless men and women who support the Pontifical North American College with their prayers and donations. Many of them we will unfortunately never have the opportunity to thank in person or even to learn their names. But one of the benefactors to whom we all surely owe a very large debt of gratitude is Mrs. Catherine Zele, a parishioner of The Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park, CA.

her personal encouragement by visiting Eternal City and meeting with the faculty and many of the seminarians. Several times she has enjoyed pranzo with the men in formation from California. She continues to remember them in her daily Holy Hour and would like to tell all the seminarians that “I pray for [your] moral courage and wisdom to stand firm in the teaching of Jesus and defend our faith.”

Mrs. Zele has been supporting the College for the better part of two decades because she wants priests to be close to the Holy Father, see the universality of the Church, and also to encounter the saints that sanctify this soil. She treasures the opportunities she has had to offer

Mrs. Zele has enjoyed seeing her support bear fruit in many of the College’s projects, such as the tower, which she toured with Msgr. Roger Roensch ’58 shortly before his passing. Each time she comes to Rome Mrs. Zele visits the Otellini

Garden at the Casa Santa Maria, which her pastor, Msgr. Steven Otellini ‘78, C’82 (San Francisco), dedicated to his parents. She is thankful to him and to Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone ’82 for being the intermediaries of so many of God’s blessings for her parish and archdiocese.

There is probably not a day in seminary that goes by in which we do not use some facility that Mrs. Zele’s donations helped to construct or even eat a meal that she helped to provide. So to her and to all of the generous benefactors of the College, we pray that you may be richly rewarded in this life and especially the life to come by Him from whom every good and perfect gift comes.

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The Class of 2018

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2018 Rev. Dominic Bouck, Diocese of Bismarck Rev. Mitchell Brown, Diocese of Gallup Rev. Daniel Carr, Diocese of Greensburg Rev. Brandon DeToma, Diocese of Louisville Rev. Patrick Dorelus, Diocese of Brooklyn Rev. James Duck, Diocese of Tulsa Rev. Phillip Dufour, Diocese of Providence Rev. Vince Fernandez, Diocese of Tulsa Rev. Frank Furman, Diocese of Springfield Rev. Joseph Furnaguera, Diocese of Newark Rev. Jeffrey Hebert, Diocese of Little Rock Rev. Cesar Izquierdo, Diocese of Yakima Rev. Colin Jones, Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Rev. John Lamansky, Diocese of Davenport Rev. Andrew Larkin, Diocese of Savannah Rev. Peter Lee, Diocese of Madison Rev. Richard LeFaivre II, Diocese of Portland Rev. John LoCoco, Diocese of Milwaukee Rev. Stephen Logue, Diocese of Harrisburg Rev. Stephen Marchand, Diocese of Burlington

Rev. Jose Mariscal, Diocese of Yakima Rev. Alan Martineau, Diocese of Worcester Rev. Louis Masi, Diocese of New York Rev. Matthew Meagher, Diocese of Sydney Rev. Joshua Nevitt, Diocese of Camden Rev. Vinhson Nguyen, Diocese of Phoenix Rev. Drew Olson, Diocese of Madison Rev. Gregory Parent, Diocese of Green Bay Rev. Paul-Michael Piega, Diocese of Austin Rev. Benjamin Pitre, Diocese of Lafayette Rev. Dominic Rankin, Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Rev. Shawn Roser, Diocese of Venice Rev. Nicholas Schierer, Diocese of Arlington Rev. Martin Smay, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Rev. Suk (Leo) Song, Diocese of Rockville Centre Rev. Anthony Stewart, Diocese of Nashville Rev. Eric Tamayo, Diocese of San Diego Rev. Jarad Wolf, Diocese of Bismarck Rev. Carter Zielinski, Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas

ROMAN ECHOES 2018 • VOLUME 22: ISSUE 4

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Onward to the Mission: The Closing Banquet R E V. J O H N L A M A N S K Y ’ 1 8, D I O C E S E O F DAV E N P O RT

T

he ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once famously said, “You can’t step into the same river twice.”

Although the riverbed is the same, the water is always different.

I suppose the same could be said for a seminary community. The building will more or less stay the same, but every year the people in it change.

Students and faculty come and go.

My Fourth Year classmates and I will soon be ordained and embark on various missions, whether that’s parish ministry immediately, or an academic detour finishing up licentiate studies here in Rome. The annual closing banquet is probably the last time that the community of that particular year will be together in one place.

But that’s no reason to wax sentimental.

The seminary community does not exist for its own sake, but for the sake

(From left), Fathers Nicholas Hagen ’18 (St. Paul and Minneapolis), Michael Friedel ’18 (Springfield in Illinois), Clark Philip ’18 (St. Louis) and Kevin Leaver ’18 (Boston) stand as their names are called to ‘preach the Gospel’in their respective dioceses, as Martin Amaro ’19 (Little Rock) and Fr. Cesar Izquierdo ’18 (Yakima) look on.

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The Pontifical North American College

of mission. A particularly poignant part of the closing banquet each year is the send-off. The Vice-Rector for Seminary Life reads off the name of each departing deacon or student-priest.

For example: “Reverend Mister John Lamansky, sent to preach to Gospel in the Diocese of Davenport.” Each man stands as his name is called, until all the departing student-clerics are standing. It is a simple and fitting ceremony, done with a solemn silence, reminding us that the point of our time here is ultimately the evangelization of the world in the context of diocesan parish ministry.

This ministry is not something we enter into alone. Brotherhood needs to be a key component of seminary life, because we all have something to give each other to prepare one another, in ways large and small, for the mission of readying hearts to receive the coming kingdom of God on earth. It is not only a necessity but a privilege.

In the next life we will be able to see the ways in which our fraternal acts of charity here at the seminary formed our brothers and better equipped them to engage in fruitful ministry for the salvation of souls. The ways in which we prepared each other for ministry will be for us a source of great rejoicing in eternity. This was the gist of the closing speech which my 2018 classmates asked me to give to the community on their behalf.

But of all the speeches of the evening, without a doubt the most memorable

moment came while the Rector was recognizing the departing faculty.

Although we are sad that many fine priest-faculty will be leaving us due to reassignments, I think it is safe to say that we will miss, in a unique way, our departing choir director, Mr. Leon Griesbach. Leon has lived at the College for the last five years together with his wife and five young children. The boys of the family, the three youngest, were born at the College. It always brings us joy to see the little Griesbach children running around and playing on the seminary grounds. As Fr. Harman said goodbye to the Griesbach family on behalf of the community, he mused aloud about whether one of the Griesbach boys might one day return to the College as a seminarian. The silence of attentive listening to the Rector’s speech was abruptly broken by toddler Gus Griesbach, defiantly shouting his response: “No!” The room burst into uproarious laughter that lasted for a solid couple of minutes. With a toddler’s directness, little Gus put into a single word what all of us intuitively know about our time here. Although good times have been had and fond memories made during our sojourn at the College, there comes a time to let it all go, to put it all behind us, and move on to the next great adventure.

That adventure is conquering the world for Christ – not as individuals, but as brothers. Full of gratitude for God’s work in our lives over these last four years, we put our hands to the plow. n

Institute for Continuing Theological Education

A Sacramental Brotherhood REV. JAMES SULLIVAN, O.P., DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

S

ince the fall of 2014, when I became Director of the College’s Institute for Continuing Theological Education, I have been blessed to share the Casa O’Toole on the Janiculum Campus with 259 priests from all over the world.

We’ve added more countries of origin to our original list: Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Norway, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, England, Ghana, Lebanon, Thailand, India, and Poland.

We have had a few other religious join us as well, from the Congregation of the Holy Cross, the Congregation of the Precious Blood, the Capuchins, the Maryknoll Missionaries, the Montfort Missionaries, the Divine Word Missionaries, and even the Dominicans. We’ve had Maronites and Byzantine priests as well. It has been an incredible experience of the universal Church.

What I know now that I didn’t fully comprehend back in 2014 was what could hold such a varied group of priests together. The answer is simple: the priesthood itself. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us: “All priests, who are constituted in the order of priesthood by the sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate sacramental brotherhood” (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 8). This “intimate sacramental brotherhood” is evidenced during the entire time

these priests are together: at Mass, in class, in conversation, and even in the unending quest for the perfect carbonara in Rome!

The sabbatical here at the North American College allows these priests simply to be priests. It doesn’t matter what ministry they had, the country they come from, which language they spoke originally, or which rite of the liturgy they celebrate. It is the priesthood that binds them together, and it is the joy of the priesthood that the sabbatical allows them to discover again.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote in Caritas in Veritate, 19: “Reason, by itself, is capable of grasping the equality between men and of giving stability to their civic coexistence, but it cannot establish fraternity. This originates in a transcendent vocation from God the Father, who loved us first, teaching us through the Son what fraternal charity is.”

The vocation to the priesthood draws us deeper into the love of God. My time with the priests on sabbatical in Rome at the North American College has drawn me deeper into the fraternal charity of the priesthood and the joy that always accompanies it.

His Holiness, Pope Francis, offered this prayer during his homily at the Chrism Mass on April 17, 2014:

Fr. James Sullivan, OP, who finishes his role as the ICTE program’s director stands in front of the Casa O’Toole, an old convent that is currently the ICTE residence.

“I ask the Lord Jesus to confirm the priestly joy of those who have already ministered for some years. The joy which, without leaving their eyes, is also found on the shoulders of those who bear the burden of the ministry, those priests who, having experienced the labors of the apostolate, gather their strength and rearm themselves: ‘get a second wind,’ as the athletes say. Lord, preserve the depth, wisdom and maturity of the joy felt by these older priests. May they be able to pray with Nehemiah: ‘the joy of the Lord is my strength’ (cf. Nehemiah 8:10).”

We can offer this prayer as well, whether we are on sabbatical or not. n

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Creative Corner

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HIDDEN TREASURES Some of the truly delightful moments of life at the College come in finding hidden gems—art, architecture, or just angles of perspective—that one never noticed before.

We asked our classmates to send us some of their favorite discoveries over their time on the Hill.

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1. The ceiling of the chiostrino outside the College’s chapel boasts hand-painted signs of the zodiac. Pisces appears here as two fish, alongside the five hidden morsels of bread, calling to mind the Gospel miracle.

2. A tucked-away gas lantern emerges from the College’s wall of confederate jasmine.

3. An epic double rainbow appears over the eternal city after an afternoon rainstorm this March.

4. When Pope Saint John Paul II visited the College, he planted this California Redwood at the front steps of Immaculate Conception Chapel. This photo can be found on the East corridor of the College’s “R” Level.

5. Today, this commemorative plaque stands beneath the tree.

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Mr. Leon Greisbach who is finishing his term as the NAC’s choir director, poses with his wife, Cassi, and their five children.

A Farewell to the Griesbachs

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N AT H A N A E L A N D E R S O N ’ 2 0, A R C H D I O C E S E O F WA S H I N GTO N

or the past five years, Mr. Leon Griesbach has served as Director of Liturgical Music at the College. His talents as an organist, choir director, and voice coach, have helped the men of the College grow in knowledge and love of sacred music, while the rest of the Griesbach family, including Mrs. Cassi Griesbach and their five children, have added their own grace note to the seminary community.

Before departing, Mr. Griesbach offered the Roman Echoes a brief coda reflecting on his time on the Janiculum.

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Leon, during choir practice you enjoy finding the right metaphor to describe how the men sing. To what would you compare your five years with the College?

It’s been kind of like living in a monastery. And I don’t mean that in terms of it’s silent and a retreat all the time. I’ve lived with Benedictines a little while myself, and one of the things that was so beautiful about that was how the faith, and especially the liturgical year, were lived out in the daily life of the community. And it’s very seldom that a family gets that opportunity to live in a place like that. It has had a profound impact on us and especially on our children,

• • • •

I think. It’s one of the things I think we’ll miss the most.

We often see your children in the pews as they look up proudly towards the choir loft during Mass, or playing out on the campo sportivo. What will they remember after spending their earliest years on the grounds of a Roman seminary?

The relationships they have had with the men here have set the terms fairly high in terms what they expect from adults. They are always encountering men who are kind to them, who smile at them, who will speak to them and have real conversations with them. I love the idea that they have a positive and beautiful ideal of the priesthood.

Especially for my boys, I will never pressure them into anything, but God willing, maybe the Lord will call one of them into the seminary someday.

In the world a religious vocation is so crazy to consider; this has normalized it so much, at least in the older ones, that maybe it will be an equal choice between married life or religious life. As for the girls, Stella and Emma both, when one of the previous librarians was here from the [Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist], once a week they would help them put books away in the library and put stickers on things.

They became pretty close to them. I hope that it’s opened their futures to religious vocations.

Would you say that conducting for seminarians has been different from other sorts of choirs you have taught?

I don’t have to do a lot of explaining in terms of why we do what we do.

It’s for the glory of God and the sanctification of the people. There is a fundamental frame of reference, which sees what we do through the lens of the liturgy. In parish choirs, sometimes your members will be in various stages along the road to seeing what we are doing in music as service to the liturgy. Also, because I am still the same age of many of guys in the choir, there is a camaraderie that I have experienced here that I have not experienced in other choirs. It’s the same with sports or work. If you put a bunch of guys together and you sweat and you have some really profound output at the end of it all, that draws you together in bonds of friendship.

Cassi, your wife, will obviously be missed by the whole NAC community.

How has she managed raising an expanding family atop the wall of a seminary in Italy?

We have had the three boys born here in Italy. Obviously that first year was an adjustment for her. But, she loves it. She says this all the time: “When else will you live in a place full of 250-something guys who are really good—trying to become holy priests following God’s call?” You know, she’s the only woman who lives here, and she’s got kids, and because the men here tend to be so supportive of motherhood, and family life, and children, she’s always felt very encouraged to do what she’s doing, which is hard. She’s my hero. It’s humbling to be her spouse.

Do you have a story about what made you love the liturgy?

The most powerful thing my former pastor did for me was when I was probably 14 or 15. I had been expressing some interest in discernment groups for the priesthood. We were in the parish offices one day and he came into the lobby at noon and grabbed his Christian Prayer book. And he sat down and showed me the Breviary and he explained to me all the parts— enough for me to get the gist. And we prayed Midday Prayer together. And I just ate it up. That’s when I really fell in love with the Psalter, the song of the Church. And the importance of that becoming our vocabulary as the faithful is one of the things that really pushed me into doing liturgical music the way I do it. It’s why the propers are so important. They have always given me a vocabulary for my prayer, which I could never come up with on my own, at least not one as effective.

In the documents of the [Second Vatican] Council it encourages lay people to pray those hinge hours, Morning and Evening Prayer. I am

such a firm believer in the effectiveness of the Office as a means for family prayer. In fact, Emma just had her first sacraments at St. Paul Outside the Wall and [James] Cardinal Harvey confirmed her for first Communion.

It was crazy. Cassi and I were trying to figure out what to give her. So we gave her a Shorter Christian Prayer book, because it also coincides when she’s learning how to read. Last week, I woke up and I was sitting on the couch about to start Morning Prayer and she said, ‘can I do Morning Prayer too?’

So we did Morning Prayer together. At this point, she knows how to repeat the antiphon, when to do the doxology. It’s ridiculous, but it’s so beautiful.

Any advice for the person who fills your shoes?

The biggest thing is just to be open to this place. So many things I have done here have been unexpected and so many of the goods that have come out of working here have been unforeseen. And I’m not just speaking of the things that I have been able to do here musically.

We have had little scholas sing in the Sistine Chapel. The Holy Father came here for goodness sake. I’ve done probably everything that every liturgical musician would dream of doing. But those actually aren’t my fondest memories of the place. My fondest memories are really living in a culturally Catholic place, in a culture defined by the liturgical life of the seminary. Among the people here, the seminarians here, are many good friends. One of them is the godfather of Blaise. I think the biggest surprise for anyone who will work here is how much of a family this community can become. If you let it. n

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Casa Santa Maria: Fridays on Humility Street REV. RANDALL SOTO C’96, ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN JOSÉ IN COSTA RICA

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uring this academic year 2017-2018, I have served as Spiritual Director at Casa Santa Maria. Reflecting on this experience, I would like to share with the venerable reader two insights that I have learned during visits every Friday morning to Humility Street.

The first insight is a general one, a grosso modo: my experience at Casa Santa Maria this year has produced in my heart an enormous sense of gratitude. I have encountered at the Casa a community of brother priests who cherish their priestly vocation and live out their fraternal sacramental bond.

I also have encountered a joyful and positive attitude in all those who work at the Casa: Msgr. Berardi, Fr. Joshua Ehli, the communities of religious sisters, the administrative personnel, the maintenance crew and kitchen staff—everyone has been most kind and generous with me. In my good friend, Msgr. James McNamara, I have encountered a brother and a very dedicated συνεργός, or co-worker.

Lastly, in Fr. Peter Harman I have encountered a zealous Pater Abbas who has provided for the care of the priests studying and living at the Casa, but also one that has placed his confidence in me to do the work.

The second insight is in sensu particulari: I have encountered holy men who are striving to live a life of holiness and dedicated service to the mission their bishops have assigned them to do. These men have found a 36

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vocation within their vocation and are committed to their studies.

In my reflections with them, we have read and meditated upon, through Lectio Divina, the calling of the first four disciples in the Gospel of Mark (1:16-20). From this passage, we have inferred some important guidelines for doing graduate studies in the Pontifical Universities of Rome: 1. Our call is primarily a gratia gratis data from Jesus—a grace freely given. He is the one that walks, sees, and calls us immediately. Why us?

Simply because it pleased him to do so—placuit Deo.

I have encountered at the Casa a community of brother priests who cherish their priestly vocation and live out their fraternal sacramental bond.

2. Jesus called a first set of brothers, Peter and Andrew, to active ministry for that is what they were doing when he encountered them (casting the nets). Paradoxically, Jesus has called Casa priests out of active ministry, in order to train them to perform a specialized ministry within their particular dioceses.

3. Jesus walks a little further and calls a second set of brothers, James and

Fr. Randy Soto Casa ’96 (San Jose in Costa Rica) is a spiritual director at the College.

John, in order to charge them with a more delicate ministry than that of casting the nets. Mark underscores that when Jesus saw these two other disciples, they were also in a boat.

This simply means that, they were also fishermen and had the same skills of the first two. However, there is a significant difference here. Jesus calls them immediately for they were mending nets, which means that Jesus needs people in the Church to learn how to do reparation for People of God. To repair means to study, to meditate, to heal, and to take care of instruments. Once the training is finished, and with their newly learned skills, they may go back and assist their partners in active ministry.

4. Finally, Lectio Divina, has been a grace by which God has accompanied our encounters. I praise the Lord for granting us the wisdom to break open his Word and derive from it consolation in the midst of our daily worries. n

Economo’s Corner Bene facere

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ith summer upon us, and the current academic year coming to a close, it has been a tradition (small “t”) that I pen an article summarizing our “year in review,” and what a year it has been for the College community generally, and our business and development offices specifically. You can see an overview of some of that “busy-ness” in the projects section of this issue of Roman Echoes.

In our last issue you read about our “White Christmas” (well, I know it actually snowed in February) and how our intrepid employees kept us warm and fed throughout those amazing days. Previously you have read about and viewed the progress of our construction and renovation projects both at the Casa Santa Maria campus, as well as here on the Janiculum Hill.

Yet, as I look back on this year of myriad blessings, I cannot help but see beyond these projects, to what really matters in the long run, and what is the fundamental motivation for their realization. That is, how these projects help us to facilitate our primary mission as a Catholic institution, a community of believers, priests, religious and lay men and women preparing men to live the priesthood of Jesus Christ, for the sacrifices they will be asked to make (and have

already), and the crosses they are invited to embrace and carry. This mission requires strength and is not lived out in isolation, but in and for the fullness of life not only in this age but also in eternity.

Yes, I am so very grateful to our benefactors both now and in years past, that we have beautiful facilities that “facilitate” strength in mind, body, spirit…but this fact is not the end result. Our prayerful chapels, modern academic spaces, wonderful athletic facilities, inspiring grounds, nourishing meals are not ends in and of themselves, nor are they intended to create a false security within our men apart from the “real” world. As St. Francis, in his own direct simplicity exhorted his friars and contemporaries to use for the worship of God the best

we have to offer of ourselves and our labors, we do so now not for our own comfort but to strengthen ourselves in praise of God and in service to our sisters and brothers. Nothing we do at the College, nothing, has any real value if it is not directly related to our primary mission of facilitating priests (all of us, to include our deacons and seminarians) to proclaim the good, life-giving news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As this year draws to a close, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your prayers and support. In my prayers for you our friends, I am reminded of the etymology of the word benefactor, from the Latin, bene facere, do good.

May our efforts always reflect the ultimate good of Jesus Christ. n

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Institutional Advancement

Alumni Reunion

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MARK RANDALL, CFRE • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

he 129th annual Alumni Reunion was hosted by the Archdiocese of Chicago in June. Alumni from across the country attended. Classes ranging from 1952 to 2016 were represented. The usual variety of events provided a pleasant opportunity for renewing friendships, and reminiscing about years spent in

Rome. Highlights from the reunion included a lecture by Dr. Matthew Levering from Mundelein Seminary, an opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich ‘75, and an architectural river cruise.

The 130th Alumni Reunion will be held in Rome next year: January 10-17, 2019. Final details are still

being confirmed, but the trip will include tours of the new buildings and renovations, a Papal Audience, the Carl J. Peter Lecture, Masses at the major basilicas, and a festive banquet on the Hill. Online registration will be available by the end of the summer. n

clockwise from upper left: the 129th Reunion attendees; Very Rev. Peter Harman ‘99, Fr. Sean McDonagh ‘82, and Fr. Dale Korogi ’83 at the Opening Mix; the Opening Mass held in thh St. James Chapel of the Archbishop Quigley Center; fraternity at the Closing Banquet; Msgr. Michael Curran ’81, C’88, and Very Rev. Peter Harman ’99, present Archbishop John Vlazny ’62 with the Founders Award.

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Friends of the College

The 27th Annual Rector’s Dinner May 9, 2019 (*Note this is one week later than usual)

2 IMPORTANT SAVE

Alumni

The 130th Alumni Association Reunion January 10-17, 2019 in Rome!

DATES!

(Itinerary, hotel info, and package pricing available soon)

With Profound Gratitude The College community wishes to acknowledge Reverend Val J. Peter '60 C'66 for his extraordinary generosity and foresight in establishing the "Val J. Peter Scholars Funds." These endowments "provide for very bright, faith-filled seminarians an opportunity to study in Rome in order to enhance both their spirituality and their intellectual capacity to be of greater service to the Church." For a decade now, Fr. Peter's commitment to these funds, and the mission of the College, has truly been a blessing to many.

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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.

The 2017-18 resident priests and faculty of the Casa Santa Maria

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NON-PROFIT ORG. US. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 144 WALDORF, MD