Roman Echoes 2019 – Volume 23, Issue 2

RomanEchoes FEBRUARY 2019

VOLUME 23: ISSUE 2

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

Called to Fellowship 12 Aussies at the College 20 Carl J. Peter Lecture 22 Communion & Liberation 28 Neuroscience

Contents 20 12 Features 7 Cross-Cultural Communion 8 Staff Interview – Beatrice 9 Carl J. Peter Lecture 10 Studying with the Saints

12 Aussies at the College

The History of Australians at the

Pontifical North American College

14 An Ancestral Island 15 Hockey Sticks in Italy 16 130th Alumni Reunion

20 Carl J. Peter Lecture Preaching with Priestly Joy

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22 Communion and Liberation A School of Community

26 Catholic Bytes 27 Taking a Tune Home With Me

28 Neuroscience Mind over (Gray) Matter

30 From the Patrimony to the Fraternity 31 Lector: Not a Cursory Reading 32 Forging Fraternity As Pilgrims

CHRIST

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FACTS

SOUL

BODY

BRAIN

22 Updates 5 Rector’s Corner 6 NAC Voices 18 Snapshots

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ANTHRO POLOGY

BIOLOGY

NEURO SCIENCE

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4 ICTE 2 25 Economo's Corner 34 Institutional Advancement

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From the Editor

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” ~Ps 126:1

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Theology might be roughly described as learning how apparently contradictory truths about God fit together. Take this: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Ps 126:1) And, from an admittedly less canonical and more cinematic source: “The kingdom of God must be defended like any other kingdom.”

(Becket) Both are true, but it would take more than a course on grace or ecclesiology to see how. Every sacred partnership is similar. When Our Lord inspires and men follow through, even diverse elements forge a true community—one that, here at the College, turns mere brick and mortar into a house of fellowship.

Nathanael Anderson, '20 Archdiocese of Washington Editor-in-Chief

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Contributors

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nathanael Anderson '20, Archdiocese of Washington MANAGING EDITOR Nathaniel Glenn '20, Diocese of Phoenix ASSISTANT EDITOR Seth Lemaire '21, Diocese of Lafayette LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR Andy DeRouen '20, Diocese of Lake Charles ASSISTANT LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR Madison Hayes '21, Archdiocese of Anchorage

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. Edward Linton, 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: The Good Shepherd guarding the sheep gives an eternal model to the priests of the Casa Santa Maria as the welcome the New Men for the yearly dinner and tour.

Rector’s Corner Mary as Model of Humility: Only Way to Unity

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n an era when divisions and suspicions reign, certainly in our culture, and spilling over into the Body of Christ, even a seminary community, so much alike in many ways, must always work to be a house of communion. Thanks be to God that our house is dedicated to Mary! As the mother of priests and help of all Christians, she is, as is every earthly mother, a force for unity in the family, very often its source. She loves her children equally even though they are not equal in all things. And she wants them to love each other as much as she wants them to love her. She keeps them together. In an age of vocal disunity, I think it could be helpful to recall the first novena: Mary waiting with the apostles from after the Lord’s Ascension until the much-needed gifts of the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost.

This was a time of uncertainty in the infant Church, what to do, whom to trust. Over the Church’s long history, lack of unity and communion have often plagued her mission.

I wonder if it is possible that in the apostles’ waiting for the Holy Spirit, they were tempted to not be of one mind? People sometimes react that way in fear and in confusion. Could they have recalled doubts or grudges or comparisons? We know they argued about various things, even about who was most important, even while Jesus was in their midst. Could these distractions have shaken them

then? “Why did Peter, James and John get to go to Mt. Tabor and we did not?” “Peter, you were often wrong, you denied the Lord three times, should you really be speaking to us or for us?” “Seems like John gets a lot more time with Jesus.” Did they say these things, were they tempted to? We cannot know, but we can gather that their temptations, as ours do, sometimes got the best of them.

Perhaps they did they not say these things, maybe because Mary was there? Could not her presence have consoled their fears, focused their thoughts, gathered them together with the devotion of the experiences of Jesus that they did in fact know and recall, instead of and over what confused, frightened or tempted to divide them? What does devotion to Mary as Mother of the Church and Mother of priests offer us in our own temperament and charity? If our mother and her tender love comforts and encourages us, will we refrain perhaps from thinking or acting cynically or in a divisive manner, or falling victim to the worries of speculation?

A priest is one who cultivates unity in the Church at all times, like a mother, even when he is tempted himself, even when easy answers elude him. He has to love evenly and equally, even and especially, when the people of God have difficulties, when the assignment is a challenge, when it does not seem fair. A cynic or grouch is an objective

failure as a priest, even when that response is understandable. Like any father, and always trusting on the teamwork of their mother, a priest consoles, encourages and unifies his children. Our men are reminded often that the only way to hope to reflect unity to God’s people in the future is to practice it now.

At Pentecost, the Disciples were given the gifts to be universally understood.

Humility, Charity and Communion are graces that can be understood by everyone, with or without words. And at the same time, any eloquence or wisdom is immediately undermined if we lack those gifts.

Our College is entrusted to our Lady of Humility, and that is no accident.

We are, thanks be to God, a very blessed and talented community, which I would hold up to any other.

I seriously doubt that I will ever live in a community with such talent, ability, energy and generosity. But with that blessing comes a challenge to be equally intent on actively building up charity, humility and authentic joy. That is the call for every Christian, and especially for a man who will lead them.

Very Reverend Peter C. Harman, STD ’99, Rector ROMAN ECHOES 2019 • VOLUME 23: ISSUE 2

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VOICES OF NAC “I was part of a Totus Tuus team for three summers.

Our days were demanding and packed with the children’s catechetical program in the morning and afternoon, dinner with a host family in the evening, and the high school program following dinner. We relied heavily upon one another and upon our communal prayer.

We learned a great deal about patience with one another and with ourselves, the joy of seeing the unique and various gifts of our teammates flourish and enliven the Church, and reliance upon Christ in the mission of evangelization.”

Rev. Mr. Kevin Chalifoux, Diocese of Burlington, Class of 2019

“The Newman Center challenged me, in the midst of a typical university culture, to put Jesus at the center of my life and to entrust all else to Him. It placed me within a community whose joy did not come from power, pleasure, or possessions, but from living an authentic Christian life. The more involved I became in the community, the closer I came to Christ.”

Joseph Wahlmeier, Diocese of Lincoln, Class of 2020 6

The Pontifical North American College

Some commentators have characterized our age as a period of “liquid modernity” in which young people, now more than ever, need communities of intentional disciples to help them strengthen and en-flesh their faith.

What is one Catholic group or body of believers that helped your faith mature before seminary?

“The Work of Christ Charismatic Community in Lansing, Michigan had a powerful impact on my faith-life before seminary. This community encouraged high schoolers to join small groups, which meant regular interaction with other young men seeking to live for the Lord. Accountability in these groups led me first to honesty, then to vulnerability, then finally to a life of devoted prayer and service.”

“My experience of being part of my homeschool community was a catalyst in my life of faith. The stereotype of an “isolated homeschooler” seems ironic to me because my experience was one of boisterous community.

My peers inspired me by their contagious joy, integrated seamlessly in a devout Catholic lifestyle. It was cool to be Catholic.”

Rev. Mr. James Morrison, Archdiocese of Washington D.C., Class of 2019

Peter Ludwig, Diocese of Lansing, Class of 2022

“My senior year of college I lived in a household of eight men through an organization called St. Paul's Outreach. We began every morning with a holy hour.

Several times a week, we had meals together around the dining room table where we laughed hysterically, argued intensely, and prayed for and with one another. It was one of the best years of my life.

This Spirit-filled house catapulted two of us into seminary, four into missionary work, and the last two into happy marriages. Authentic vocations bloom in intentionally Christian environments.”

Paul Floersch, Archdiocese of Omaha, Class of 2021

A Cross-Cultural Communion REV. MR. CHAN LEE ’19, ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK

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hen people learn that I study in Rome, one of the first questions they ask is: “What’s your favorite thing to eat in Rome?”

Often times, a bit cheekily, I reply: “You see, we have this thing called Asian-Latino Night…”

It would be an understatement to say that there exist a few traditions at the North American College. Indeed, there are many traditions here at our seminary, so much so that our joking about the large number of traditions has become a tradition in itself! These range from meaningful to inexplicable; together they form something like a code of family traditions – you know, those weird things only your family does.

In my three years here, I have come to appreciate many of them, as well as wish that a few of them might gently fade away. Among them, however, is one very close to my heart, no doubt owing to my Asian background – Asian-Latino Night.

The tradition of Asian-Latino Night has humble origins. Legends have it that many years ago, two good friends here at the college, one Asian and the other Latino, decided to have dinner together. This dinner would lead to more dinners, through which their cultural exchange and friendship would continue to grow. Following the example of Our Lord, they would break bread together and share their life with one another through the mutual sharing of their cultural heritages. More and more people,

Seminarian and faculty regulars of the Asian-Latino Night celebrate another well prepared meal by gathering around Archbishop Carlos Patrón Wong, the Secretary for Seminaries of the Congregation for the Clergy.

attracted to this communion, joined in, and – as it is often said – the rest is history.

Asian-Latino Night is now held in the Student Kitchen at the fifth floor of the College. The meal consists of many different dishes from various countries throughout the world, cooked by our very own Latino and Asian seminarians.

From handmade tacos to Filipino adobo, Sri Lankan rolls to horchata, the talents of the diverse group of seminarians are put to very good use.

Other than the food, which I can assure you is top notch, the greatest benefit we receive from this tradition is our celebration of diversity. Being called to serve in the American church which has become so multicultural, it is incredibly important for us in formation to be exposed to many different cultures so that we can, as

our Lord commands us, make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). By bringing to the table, quite literally, our cultures and our own history, we serve one another by expanding each other’s horizons so that we can all become better servants for the one People of God of many languages and cultures.

What started out as two friends having dinner together has become a beloved tradition among the Latino and Asian seminarians here at the College.

Though the event has become bigger and more formalized through the years, even boasting of having a Vatican prelate in regular attendance, the reasons for our gathering remain the same – our common love for Jesus, our love for His priesthood, and our desires to share our lives with one another through the sharing of our cultures. n

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Beatrice Ivaldi smiles before zooming home to her family after a full day of work at the College.

A Temporary Home Away from Home in Italy S E T H L E M A I R E ‘ 2 1 , D I O C E S E O F L A FAY E T T E

Beatrice Ivaldi bears the title of Italian Residency Permit Coordinator at the College, but she is known by seminarians and recent alumni for more than ensuring they do not find themselves in a customs conundrum. Roman Echoes learned why she braves the Roman roads on her motorino to serve us on the Gianicolo.

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You wear many hats here at the College. What are some of the more fulfilling parts of your role here?

I enjoy being with the seminarians, because it is a human, down-to-earth part of our Church. I like to see the Church from this “grassroots� level.

I think that from having all the seminarians come in to my office and picking up their documents to having small chats here and there, I have really gotten to know the seminarians at the College. I see

you them all grow. The relationship that I have with the seminarians is very open and also allows for deeper conversations. For example, starting with a simple fact of dealing with your immigration and paperwork can take us into a conversation of what other immigrants are going through and what the Church position is regarding similar issues, and what the Church in the United States is dealing with specifically.

Beatrice, for those who do not know you, can you tell us a little bit about your background before coming to NAC? My first university degree is in Translation. Before working here at the College, I worked for the Vatican, in a particular Council. I have also worked at the Gregorian University while studying Social Communication, helping with public relations and events at the Gregorian University during this time. I have also done work in counseling as well as management and communication training.

Currently, in addition to working at the College, I work for the Holy See as an interpreter and translator for the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

We literally would not be here without you, since you navigate the bureaucratic steps to obtain and renew each travel soggiorno.

What do you think these sorts of little trials of living in a foreign country teach us?

You never know what your parish will be like, when you return home.

Perhaps you will be sent to a parish that has immigrants, who need help to figure out the paperwork and steps in the bureaucracy. This assistance

that you can give them can completely affect their lives. Learning this work by your own experience of being in another country is a way of forming you to be able to deal with these issues for your parishioners and people back home.

After working with the men in the College for so many years, what advice would you have to those being ordained as well as the men still being formed here?

• First, obedience, both to your bishop and your pastor.

• Second, be humble! Ordination is a great step, but we are all still beginners and must continue to work at this!

• Third, truly listen to people. Try to really understand their problems without judging them.

• Fourth, be merciful. Life can be very challenging for people. Taking from the Letter to the Hebrews, “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

(Heb 4:15-16)

You have been shaped by your experiences living in multiple countries. Which has formed you the most?

From my early childhood, I lived in London, after which I moved to Spain, living four years in Barcelona and nine years in Madrid. Following this, I moved to Rome when I was 20.

I have been living in Italy longer than I have lived in Spain, my own country. But having lived in Spain for such a time has left me, in a certain way, feeling more Spanish than Italian, in the ways that I act and react in certain situations. Also, recognizing my behavior to be a bit more methodic, I believe this comes from my upbringing in London.

How has your time helping the seminarians at the College impacted your faith?

Mainly, what I have seen is that the Holy Spirit is working. Seeing so many vocations is amazing. In a society that goes against so much, such as chastity or consecrating yourself to God, this is truly a witness.

Seeing all of the seminarians here is such a witness. The fact that you are here is a witness in itself. n

The latest news and photos from Rome.

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From Left to Right: In clerics, Alex Kowalkowski ‘20 (Gaylord), Rev. Mr. Mitchel Roman ‘19 (Gaylord), Rev. Mr. Scott Foley ‘19 (Davenport), David Wheeler ‘19 (Lexington), Nathanael Anderson ‘20 (Washington), and Rev. Mr. Kevin Chalifoux ‘19 (Burlington) celebrate a successful night of cooking and dining with students from Ave Maria University and Aquinas College to close their apostolate for the semester.

Studying with the Saints – The Spiritual University of Rome

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R E V. M R . M I TC H E L R O M A N ’ 1 9, D I O C E S E O F GAY LO R D

n the program of seminary formation, the Church calls its future priests to be teachers and shepherds of souls. Each seminarian is given a pastoral assignment somewhere in city of Rome. While the assignments in the first two years of formation focus on service, the last two years focus more on the role of teacher. For many seminarians, this teaching role happens at one of the study abroad programs attended by American students.

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Every year, thousands of young American students from colleges and universities arrive in Rome for a semester of academic study and new cultural experiences. Coming from a wide variety of backgrounds and aspirations, these students now are placed in a completely new environment and, in most cases, the furthest away from home they have ever been.

This creates an opportunity to engage in study, faith, and community in a whole new way.

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The saints are our perennial models of the teachings of the Church. Their stories continue to inspire us with their lives of authentic freedom and joy. So often in our weekly meetings, we remind the students of our own call as Christians to this same joy in Christ that the saints knew so well.

For the last two years, I have had the pleasure to spend time with the students from the universities of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire, Aquinas College in Michigan and Ave Maria University in Florida. Each of the universities, along with many more, have sought the presence of seminarians as part of the weekly schedule for the students.

This provides the opportunity to help the students grow in their journey of faith and hopefully engage the city of Rome in a more intentional way.

Each week, we get the opportunity to lead students in prayer and engage in conversations about the faith and Rome. A typical evening includes leading the students in adoration, followed by Evening Prayer, dinner and a talk about some topic of the faith afterwards. For many students, the time of prayer at their own campus is a welcome time of silence and recollection in the midst of their busy schedules. The Lord is present in their time here in Rome, but in the midst of their studies, travels, and other obligations, He can be easily missed. The weekly time of prayer and discussion about the faith helps the students to acknowledge where God is actively at work in their lives here in the City of Saints.

The topics of the talks vary from all aspects of the faith, many of which are asked by the students themselves.

Since we are in Rome, we use the city itself and its saintly inhabitants as a way to make the faith come alive.

Each semester, we talk about the Church’s teaching on the veneration of saints and the great gift that the saints are to each one of us in our spiritual

journeys. Many times, the students find themselves praying at the tombs of well-known saints who are buried in Rome, like Pope St. John Paul II and the apostle St. Paul.

Another joy of the university apostolate is the trip to the peaceful, serene and spiritual village town of Assisi a few hours north of Rome. The small town itself is naturally beautiful, with its medieval buildings and towering castle on top of the hill overlooking the Italian countryside. However, it is the spiritual sense of Assisi, being the home of the St. Francis and St. Clare, which adds so much more to the students’ experience. Walking up and down the cobblestone roads, the students see how even the smallest of cities in rural Italy were changed by the saints. To see cities transformed by the faith, both big and small like Rome and Assisi, always leaves a powerful impression upon the students.

The faith truly has the power to change our lives and the lives of those around us.

Teaching and preaching are the ways in which truth and faith are transmitted from one generation to the next. Yet, teaching must be more than facts.

Long lectures with facts about the faith do not convert people, as the recent Synod on Young People concluded. The truth about God and the Church “must be testified to and practiced and not just corroborated and demonstrated.” (Pre-synodal Meeting, 2018) The saints are our perennial models of the teachings of the Church. Their stories continue to inspire us with their lives of authentic freedom and joy. So often in our weekly

meetings, we remind the students of our own call as Christians to this same joy in Christ that the saints knew so well.

The weekly meetings with the students continue to be formative for both the students and ourselves. As we teach the faith, we become more and more aware that it is not us who moves the minds and hearts of the students, but God Himself. Having an engaged conversation about the faith edifies both the teacher and the student.

Discussions about the lives of the saints remind us to also strive for holiness. Being in Rome, then, is not just “another city.” The Eternal City, the City of Saints, becomes a spiritual home. Hopefully in some small way, our time with the students can inspire their relationship with the Church, the saints, and each other to something more. As Pope John Paul II said about Catholic education, it aims “to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life [with] the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom.” The faith makes us free, like the saints, to know and love the Lord completely.

Students of today come from all different walks of life and aspire to do great things in the future. Jesus tells us that “whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.”

(Jn 14:12) Growing deeper in faith with the students is a true gift. For both the students and ourselves, it is a reminder that God has many great teaching moments for us during our time together in Rome, not just for our studies, but our own lives of faith. n

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AUSSIES AT THE

COLLEGE

Seminarians from the dioceses of Australia have become an integral addition to the College over the years. inset Joseph Bijoy '22 (Sydney), Andrew Kwiatkowski '22 (Melbourne), Trevor Tibbertsma '17 (Melbourne), and Jonathan Vala '20 (Sydney) enjoy a little time together.

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Being a Not So North American Member of the North American College R E V. M R . M I C H A E L B U C K ’ 1 9, D I O C E S E O F M E L B O U R N E

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ew people realise that Australians have been part of the community of the Pontifical North American College since its foundation.

As an Aussie, allow me to give you a little history of our stay here. John Cassidy, a member of the inaugural class which began in 1859 on the Via dell’Umiltà where the Casa Santa Maria still stands, was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1865. He was in fact an immigrant to the United States, having been born and baptised in Melbourne, Australia, by the city’s first priest. Since the settlement of Port Philip (later to become Melbourne) only received its first priest, Fr. Patrick Geoghegan, in 1839, Fr. John Cassidy must have been among the first baptisms in Melbourne.

To give you a little perspective, the total Catholic population of the settlement by 1841 was only 2,411.

Nevertheless, when it comes to the presence of Aussies at the College who are sent by Australian dioceses to which they are eventually to return, we are discussing a much more recent development. The recent presence of Australians in the House dates back to the seminary year 2004-05, after the College decided to open their doors to Australian seminarians in 2003.

At that time, the Archbishops of Melbourne and Sydney, were looking for a seminary

in Rome to which they might send their seminarians, since the Pontifical Urban College "de Propaganda Fide" to which Australian seminarians had been sent in the past was no longer the best fit. After visiting several Roman seminaries, the two archbishops became firmly convinced that our College was the best place in Rome to send their seminarians.

They approached the Rector, Msgr.

Kevin McCoy, and his Vice-Rector, then-Msgr. James Checchio, and the Chairman of the Board, then-Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, to ask the Board of Governors to consider the possibility of the NAC accepting a small number of Australian seminarians each year as part of the House. The proposal was happily welcomed and as the years passed the general consensus grew that the presence of the Australians was not merely a great assistance to the Church in Australia but a blessing to the community of the NAC, adding cultural diversity and the perspective of a different part of the Church.

Since Australians began to be accepted at the College in 2004, a total of 20 Australian priest alumni have been ordained, and there are currently seven Australian seminarians or deacons in formation. These Australian students have been sent by eight different dioceses.

As an Australian at the College, I can only speak on a personal level with gratitude for the many extraordinary blessings that belonging to this seminary has brought me, and I believe that the alumni who have returned to proclaim the Gospel in Australia have been very well-formed for their mission. In a difficult time in the Universal Church, it is a gift to be formed in Rome where we are reminded of the Church’s firm apostolic foundations, and I am encouraged by the many extraordinary Catholics from around the world that studying in Rome has enabled me to meet.

In particular, of all the houses in Rome, it is a gift to belong to the North American College where so many men sincerely seek to give themselves fully to Christ and His Church and to be formed in a house which so faithfully incarnates the vision of Pope Saint John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis, forming shepherds after the heart of Christ and with the mind of the Church. May the collaboration and brotherhood of the Church in America and Australia long continue and bear abundant fruit!

This article is an adaptation of the essay, ‘The History of Australians at the Pontifical North American College, Rome,’ by Michael Buck, 2016, Historical Archives of the Pontifical North American College, Rome. n

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An Ancestral Excursion

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JOSEPH MACNEILL ‘21, ARCHDIOCESE OF HARTFORD

he year is 1462. Edward IV rules in England, James III in Scotland and – in the farthest reaches of the British Isles – John MacDonald II, Dominus Insularum (Lord of the Isles), rules a semi-autonomous collection of clans in Northwestern Scotland. A perennial thorn in the side of monarchs both English and Scottish, MacDonald now makes his most daring move yet, siding with Edward to take his piece of a conquered Scotland. The dominion of the Isles was ensured for centuries to come – or so he thought.

As I neared the end of a six-hour ferry ride to those same Isles, their craggy coastlines barely visible against the foggy horizon, I couldn’t help but imagine what my distant ancestor, Roderick the MacNeil of Barra (a member of MacDonald’s Council), made of so treasonous an arrangement.

Nearly five and a half centuries later, my own arrival to Barra aboard the aptly named ‘Lord of the Isles’ made for some historical irony. Though the fate of that ancient Lord was now long since foiled, I wondered if I would find any of that ancient spirit – that rugged island faith – on my return.

While Scottish in little more than name, I must admit that the first sight of Kisimul Castle evoked something of that same spirit.

Suddenly my grandfather's tales of some far-flung clan and castle seemed not so far-fetched after all.

Here I was at last, the first of my line

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The parish of Our Lady, Star of the Sea (far left) looks out from Barra Island's Castlebay towards Kisimul Castle (far right), the seat of the Scottish MacNeill clan.

to return since one Joseph A. MacNeill left Canada-bound. Yet it is as if all those waves of emigration could do nothing to tame Barra’s rugged island spirit. I quickly found that even today this isle of one-thousand inhabitants remains one of the last bastions of Scottish Catholicism, as well as a lasting stronghold of the ancient Celtic tongue of Scottish Gaelic. Amidst the rugged terrain, ‘Mass rocks’ and other evidence of an age of persecution abound, all of which could do little to dissuade the hardy islanders from the faith brought centuries ago by their eponymous apostle, St. Finbarr.

Evidence of that persistent faith was also found in the living, breathing MacNeills I met throughout my stay.

My host, Fr. John Paul MacKinnon (one of the few islanders not named MacNeill), introduced me to a first group of MacNeills after Mass in a conversation variously interspersed with notes of Gaelic. A rather ominous afternoon stroll through the local

cemetery, flanked on either side by 'MacNeill' headstones, was brightened by a chance encounter with two MacNeills, eager to speak with a seminarian from Rome. Even the rowboat to Kisimul Castle was not lacking in MacNeills. Indeed, this living faith is no thing of the past: Fr. MacKinnon reports that many young MacNeills, disillusioned with the world beyond, are returning to Barra to make their homes.

I found it difficult to part with this island world, for it offered everything a Roman Catholic seminarian of Scottish-Canadian extraction could ask for: evidence of a steadfast culture that, against all odds, held fast to the apostolic faith so that, to this day, distant descendants such as myself can claim that peculiar distinction of ‘Scottish Catholic.’ Yes, I found faith on my return to Barra – not the foolhardy fantasies of a distant king, but the heroic perseverance of a faithful remnant. n

Hockey Sticks in Italy

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J OS E P H M OS C H E T TO ’ 2 0, D I O C E S E O F A R L I N GTO N

eing so far away from our homes, fraternity is an element of seminary life that is favored with due enthusiasm. There are many things which we do to foster this community, but I have found that few are as unifying as sports.

The pursuit of a common aim creates friendships even where you might not expect it. In short, it is safe to say that the unity of mission, even in small things, and sometimes especially beginning in small things, brings about a unity of persons.

The longstanding importance of our soccer matches (“football” to all but us Americans) with amateur teams around the Eternal City is proof enough of the effect our culture has on us while in Italy. Still, we cannot help but enjoy our native North American games as well. One that has been missing from our campus on the Gianicolo is hockey.

Yet for all of us, the competition brings back a fond memories of afternoons that turned to night with the game never abating. Many of us can be serious athletes about serious competitions, but on the street hockey court we play to play, just like we did during childhood. It is hard to take yourself too seriously pushing a poor substitute for a hockey puck past a wooden goalie.

Games such as this one add a sense of mirth that is refreshing in the midst of a serious world. They build a strong sense of unity not only upon the element of competition present in sports, but also upon the shear enjoyment of the activity. And it is simply good enjoy these things together.

In most sports, the competition is healthy and even fierce at times. That is a great thing. But when it is all said and done, when the great buzzer sounds off once and for all, and all the battles are won, there will be no more glory to merit by cooperating with God’s grace. However, there will remain other sorts of play.

Even worshiping God together—as serious as that is—is sometimes understood as a type of divine play: the kind that enlists not only one another but even God Himself as a partner. Similarly, I think we can all use some mirthful and unifying games from time to time. n

So, this year I took the initiative to come as close as I could to enjoying the rink by playing street hockey.

While assembling the equipment and finding others interested enough to join me, I could not help but reflect a little on why these innocuous games matter.

Amongst the street hockey crew, only a few of us are past ice hockey players, while the rest of our careers ended in the neighborhood, with games being played until it was dark outside, and someone’s younger brother being forced to play goalie.

Joseph Moschetto ‘20 (Arlington) shows his Capitals pride as he sends the ball up court after in one of the first street hockey matches at the College.

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Alumni gather at the newly renovated Casa Santa Maria for the traditional Opening Mix of the 130th Alumni Reunion.

Reuniting in Rome: Our 130th Alumni Reunion

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he City of Rome is a place that continues to surprise.

As the center and reference point for the Catholic Church, it is a city that brings together people from across the globe. While a person might expect to encounter compatriots from their own country, the city magically brings together people from intimate communities back home, from the same diocese, town, or even parish.

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• • • •

R E V. DAV I D A . S C H U N K ‘ 1 0

• • • •

For the alumni of the Pontifical North American College, Rome once again acted as a gracious host that brought us together for the College’s annual reunion. To reunite in Rome may mean returning to the place of priestly or diaconal ordination, returning to a time when lifelong friendships were made, or to a man’s first glimpse of the width and breath of his Christian faith that spanned the globe, and stretched back in time two millennia.

But as Rome brings together the sons of Alma Mater, it is the call of our communities on distant shores that causes us to take our leave and return to the vineyards we tend, grateful for what we have received from the College and the Eternal City.

The reunion this past January featured visits to the newly renovated Casa Santa Maria. (No doubt, some of the alumni were a bit envious of the updated facilities the current student-priests now enjoy. Or, they felt proud they studied/survived during a time without air conditioning and private bathrooms!) A pilgrimage to Rome would be incomplete without a visit to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul and to the churches that offer to pilgrims a place to join the Holy Apostles in worship to God. When an alumnus visits St. Peter’s Basilica, it brings back memories of papal events, quiet moments of prayer, and the many ordinations that took place inside her great walls. The “Bum Run” to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls likewise brings back memories upon seeing the great statue of St. Paul keeping watch in the cloister. Just as his eyes are fixed on the mission of proclaiming Jesus as Lord to the world before him, so were the College’s alumni sent from Rome to proclaim the Gospel to their own communities.

The Carl J. Peter Lecture, Mass and pranzo on Sunday brought alumni back to their former home on the Janiculum Hill where many of them studied in preparation for the priesthood. The visit to the campus afforded the alumni the opportunity to see some of the various projects that have been completed the past few years including the classroom tower building and the new gym facilities. Most importantly, alumni were able to meet the men of the house who now call the College their home, and who, God willing, will soon be joining them in service of the Lord’s vineyard in their respective dioceses.

Pope Francis greets attendees of the Alumni Reunion after the General Audience

Very Rev. Peter Harman ‘99 (left) and the Executive Secretary of the Alumni Association, Msgr. Michael Curran ’81 C’88 (center), present the 2019 Founder’s Award to Msgr. Joseph Ranieri ’58, ICTE ‘98 (right) of the Archdiocese of Washington.

How good it is to come together and reunite in the ancient city that heard the Gospel message preached by Saints Peter and Paul. But as Rome brings together the sons of Alma Mater, it is the call of our communities on distant shores that causes us to take our leave and return to the vineyards we tend, grateful for what we have received from the College and the Eternal City. n William Cardinal Leveda ’62, C’69, celebrates Mass with the alumni at Dodici Apostoli.

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Snapshots

Mr. Nicholas Will, the new Director of Music, poses with the student choir after the biannual Evening of Sacred Music for Advent & Christmas

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Anthony Klein, '20 (Sioux Falls), sitting front left, enjoys Thanksgiving Day with fellow seminarians from South Dakota: Robert Kinyon, '22 (Rapid City) sitting back left and Zachary Schaefbauer, '22 (Sioux Falls), front right.

Zach Tucker ‘20 (Omaha), Will Frei ‘20 (Charleston), Justin Weber ‘20 (Milwaukee), Jake Mlakar ‘20 (Charlotte) and Joseph Wahlmeier ‘20 (Lincoln) celebrate their conquest of the annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.

Fr. Joshua Ehli '09, C'15 (Bismarck), Director of the Newly Ordained Program, welcomes to the Casa some potential future residents—the New Man Class of 2022.

Edwin Cardinal O'Brien Casa ’76, Faculty ’94, celebrates Mass for the College gathered for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

A silent night at St. Peter's square in the hours leading up to Mass at night with the Holy Father.

The Pontifical North American College

Danny Dilone ’22 from the Archdiocese of New York celebrates being instituted a lector with two fellow diocesan brothers, Rev. Mr. Ryan Muldoon ’19 and Rev. Louis Masi ’18.

Marvin Soto Nunez ‘20 (Phoenix) partakes in some cultural immersion at the Dead Sea during the College’s annual Holy Land Pilgrimage.

Seminarians lift a cup of hot chocolate before commencing dinner at the STUAC Christmas Party hosted by the third-year theologians.

The New Men (blue) pose with the Old Men (red) after both teams played through the rain for a hardfought match of American football.

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Carl J. Peter Lecture: Preaching with Priestly Joy A A R O N J. K E L LY ’ 2 2 , D I O C E S E O F R O C H E ST E R

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n Sunday, January 13, 2019, faculty, seminarians and alumni attended the annual Carl J. Peter Lecture at the Pontifical North American College. The lecture was offered by Most Reverend Andrew H. Cozzens, S.T.D., D.D., auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Shortly before the Alumni Weekend Mass at the College, we gathered in the auditorium to hear Bishop Cozzens speak on the vocation of every priest to preach with priestly joy. The annual lecture focuses each year on a different aspect of preaching important in the current pastoral context of the Church in the United States.

The history of the lecture begins in 1999, when the College, through the generosity of the Peter family, established the Carl J. Peter Chair of Homiletics. Fr. Carl J. Peter, a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha, was a seminarian at the North American College from 1951-58 and came back to the College in 1960 to serve as Assistant Vice-Rector. Following his tenure in this role, Fr. Peter returned to the United States where he became a long-time professor of theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Fr. Carl J. Peter recognized a poverty of homiletics preparation in seminaries and called attention to the need for proper training in homiletics.

The eponymous lecture series was established to draw attention to the art of preaching. The inaugural lecture 20

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and would be found in the community all throughout the week. His Sunday homily was the culmination of what the priest had done all week. Due to changes in culture and the ways people live their lives, the Sunday homily becomes even more important because it is often the only time the priest will interact with the majority of his parishioners.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens urges the seminarians, priests, bishops and cardinals present to "dispose the Faithful to receive the Eucharist" by their preaching.

was given by the late Cahal Cardinal Daly and was entitled “Preaching Reconciliation and Justice.” Today, the faculty member that occupies the Carl J. Peter Chair of Homiletics is responsible for coordinating the homiletics program at the College and ensuring that seminarians are well formed in the art of preaching prior to finishing their formation. At the North American College, the homiletics program consists in an intensive program of seminars, workshops, lectures, and practica which the seminarian participates in over the course of his Second, Third, and Fourth years.

Fr. John McDonald, the current holder of the Carl J. Peter Chair of Homiletics, explained that formation in preaching is especially important today. In the past, the priest was the village priest

The annual lecture aids seminarians in becoming effective preachers so that they can make the most of the Sunday homily. Bishop Cozzens’ lecture reminded all in attendance that preaching is a vocation, and secondly, that preaching must be done with joy.

By preaching with priestly joy, the priest will lead his people to a deeper understanding of, as well as living out of, the joy of the Gospel.

Bishop Cozzens told the assembly that the homily is not primary in the sense of being the height of the Mass, but its inestimable value lies in making each of us “open to encounter Him,” just as Jesus caused the hearts of his travel companions to burn within them on the Road to Emmaus before the breaking of the bread. This “second Mass” recorded in Scripture, after the Last Supper, shows us all that, “The sacraments don’t achieve their good unless the people are disposed to receive them.”

After Bishop Cozzens’ address, I think we were all at least a little more eager to encounter the risen Jesus in the breaking of the bread that followed. n

Re-Echoes: The Spirit of the del Nord R E V. E DWA R D R . G L AV I N ‘ 3 6, C A SA ‘ 4 9

During the College's 130th alumni reunion, Very Rev. Peter Harman blesses the plaque which commemorates the completion of the work at the Casa Santa Maria.

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believe that it is preparing for the priesthood or living it in the Center of Christendom, close to the Holy Father and in the sight of the Dome of St. Peter’s that makes the American College experience special.

So this applies to all Romans, to men of every class, no matter what the regime, what rector, pre-World War I or pre-World War II or post [World War II]. It applies whether a man is there for Philosophy or Theology or Graduate Studies, for one year or six

or nine. There also springs within every group a camaraderie which forges bonds of enduring friendships.

One proof of this is that one finds the same spirit in men who lived under quite different regimes in the College. Tight reins or loose, the results seem to have been very similar.

Each class thinks itself special and different from the rest. The new men coming to the First Alumni Reunion are amazed to meet priests who liked the College under a quite different pattern from their own…. Would I

recommend running the College that way again? Of course not! I believe the present student-faculty ratio and relationship is excellent.

My point is that different rectors, different regimes, different times surprisingly produced very similar results. We must look beyond then differences then to what makes the Roman experience special for all, and Rome as the See of Peter and Center of Christendom is what unites us all. n

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The local Communion and Liberation group, which meets weekly, has offered life-giving fraternity and faith sharing for men at the College.

Building Up a School of Community

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• • • •

R E V. M R . RA L P H D’ E L I A ’ 1 9, D I O C E S E O F ST. P E T E R S B U R G

n recent times, few have communicated the beauty of what has been handed on to us in the Church more powerfully than Msgr. Luigi Giussani, the founder of the movement Communion and Liberation, sometimes known as CL for short. Msgr. Giussani understood well the central role Tradition plays in the life of Faith. Rather than a static understanding of Tradition, however, Msgr. Giussani recognized it as flowing from something present, as the continuation of the event of Christ in history. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Pontifical

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recognition of the Movement, St. John Paul II, in a letter to Msgr. Giussani, wrote: “Christianity, even before being a sum of doctrines or a rule for salvation, is thus the ‘event’ of an encounter. This is the insight and experience that you have transmitted in these years to so many persons who have adhered to the Movement.”

Through Msgr. Giussani’s insight and experience, I have come to understand that Tradition is not something we carry through history with our own effort. Instead, it is the happening of a present event, which breaks onto the

• • • •

Msgr. Giussani, with his fearless and unfailing faith, knew that even in this situation it is Christ, the encounter with Christ, that remains central. Whoever does not give God gives too little; and whoever does not give God, whoever does not enable people to see God in the face of Christ, does not build anything up…

human scene in order to communicate itself in every time and place. In this way, what has been handed on through the Church is something present, the living presence of Christ in our midst.

Well before the cultural revolution of the 1960’s, Msgr. Giussani recognized that the Faith, in large part, was not being lived according to its nature.

In short, he recognized that many experienced a disconnect between the Faith and everyday life. But, if Christ is a present event, how could this be?

So, Msgr. Giussani began holding weekly meetings with students that would come to be called “School of Community.” In School of Community, young people had the opportunity to verify the presence of Christ in their lives through the work of comparing all that the Church proposes in her teaching to their everyday lived experience. After all, if what has been handed on to us is true, it must be something we can verify in our experience. In this way, those who followed Msgr. Giussani were able to recognize the true relevance of the Faith in their lives through the incarnational reality of Christ.

What grew out of the experience of these students in Milan would come to have a tremendous impact on the Universal Church. In fact, the charism of Msgr. Giussani would become so widespread that nearly 60 years after he began teaching in that high school in Milan, it would come to reach a first-year seminarian studying in Florida, nearly 6,000 miles away from the Movement’s historical epicenter.

I encountered Communion and Liberation my first semester in seminary through my history professor, Dr. van Keeken, who I would later find out belongs to the Memores Domini, a

community of lay consecrated men and women born out of the charism of Msgr. Giussani. What struck me from the first day of class was the way he spoke. It was clear to me that for him Christ was present, even in our study of history. I had never heard anyone speak like that before. Captivated by what I had experienced, I made it a point to talk to him after class because I wanted to know more—I wanted what he had. From that first encounter, I was seized by this charism.

When I came to Rome two years later to begin my theological studies, Dr. van Keeken put me in touch with his friend and community member, Brigitte. Through Brigitte in Rome I was soon put in touch with Luca, who leads a small School of Community for students of the various

Msgr. Giussani (kneeling) was an esteemed colleague and close friend of Pope St. John Paul II.

ecclesiastical universities. Although everything was in Italian and I barely knew the others in the group, I felt at home there. That summer I went to Milan to stay with a couple of priests who follow the Movement. What I experienced in Milan was a powerful reminder of what had seized me at the beginning of my experience.

When I returned to Rome for my second year, I threw myself all the more into the various circumstances of my life, so as to continue to adhere to that presence. In sharing with others what I was living, more men from the College began to come to School of Community. Because of the growth in the number of Americans, over the past two years I have taken up the responsibility of leading School of Community in English.

It has been beautiful to see the journey that we have traveled together in these years. Each week I am consistently struck by how the Lord works in each of our lives in such a personal way.

Each of us have our own particular history and unique set of circumstances, but in some way, we are all traveling the same path. This is possible because of what has been handed on to us, because of the Tradition that we have received. In this way, we have grown to recognize, as Msgr. Giussani insisted, that this Tradition is nothing less than Christ Himself.

In his funeral homily for Msgr.

Giussani in 2004, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger commented, “Msgr. Giussani, with his fearless and unfailing faith, knew that even in this situation it is Christ, the encounter with Christ, that remains central. Whoever does not give God gives too little; and whoever does not give God, whoever does not enable people to see God in the face of Christ, does not build anything up…” This is precisely what Msgr. Giussani has passed down to us—the encounter with Christ, and thus, God Himself. Having received such an incomparable gift, we now have no choice but to pass what we have received on to others. n

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Institute for Continuing Theological Education

A Sabbatical of Priestly Fellowship REV. PETER J. PALMISANO, ICTE '18, ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide...” (Is 25:6a)

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o ascend the Gianicolo, enter the main gate and continue to Casa O’Toole to attend the ICTE on the campus of the PNAC is a mountain indeed! It is an ascent for which I am eternally grateful. I discerned my sabbatical as I approached the 25th Anniversary of my ordination.

I needed to press what I call my “renew button." Having heard many great reviews from priests who attended ICTE I decided to give it a shot for all three Fall Modules. I have no regrets.

Yes, the Lord did provide! He provided me with the opportunity to “renew" with 28 brother priests from around the world under the direction of Fr. Edward Linton, OSB, and assistance of Mrs. Carol Salfa. Kudos to them!

From the Footsteps of St. Paul in Cyprus, to CRS in Jordan and Sacred Mosaics of Sicily I was able to focus on my journey, priesthood and personal well-being. Formation is a life-long journey. The presenters for every topic and journey are to be commended.

In every aspect I recognized the four pillars of formation focused upon in seminary: Human, Intellectual, Spiritual and Pastoral. Above all it was an opportunity to renew my personal relationship with the Lord. It was also good to renew with strangers, yet brother-priests, the fraternal reality of priesthood.

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In the past twenty-five years, given the declining number of vocations and increasing number of parish closings, the pastoral care of many parishes has dwindled to a single priest. We were four priests in my first assignment, and two in my second.

As a pastor now for fifteen years there were periods of time when I was solo.

It was during the alone times when I realized the importance of priestly fraternity. ICTE affirmed my belief that priests need priests. Despite arriving from around the world and varying in race, culture, background and serving in various roles and parishes of differing socio-economic status, we were one. We were brothers! You could experience the friendship and fraternal bonds forming as time passed. It was a blessing as well to witness the PNAC seminarians mixing and mingling, in the dining room, praying in chapel and playing sports on the field.

I gave to each brother departing their sabbatical a photocopy of a quote on fraternity. It is by the great St. Augustine.

"What drew me closest to my brothers was the delight of chatting and laughing together; of showing our affection for one another by kindly services; of reading together from books that spoke of pleasant things; of joking together amicably; of disputing now and then but without resentment, as one is wont to do with himself; of awakening by rare contest the pleasure of being one

Fr. Peter Palmisano has recently returned to pastoring Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish in Garfield, NJ since his sabbatical at the Casa O'Toole.

in mind; of mutually instructing one another; of longing for the absent one, and tasting the joy at his return. We loved each other with all our hearts and these marks of our friendship that were shown in our faces, by our voices, in our eyes and a thousand other ways were among us like ardent flames that fused our souls together, and of many made but one."

It was good to be on that holy mountain, but then comes the time to descend and enter back into reality.

Like Peter, James and John on the Mount of the Transfiguration of our Lord, I wanted to stay, but "there is a time for everything under the heavens."

God's graces continue to unfold. May God bless and sustain ICTE and PNAC for generations to come! n

Economo’s Corner

Who, What, Where, Why...

R E V. K E R RY A B B OT T, O F M CO N V. , I C T E ' 1 4

"Quis, Quid, Ubi, Quibus Auxiliis, Cur, Quomodo, Quando?" (Marcus Fabius Quintilianus)

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ome of our dear readers may know that I first came to Rome as a “New Man” at our Conventual Franciscan seminary (located near Tre Fontane) in 1987.

Since then I have been privileged to serve God and His people as a military chaplain for almost twenty years (witnessing first-hand the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan), and as vocation director for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA for the better part of three years.

I have lived, studied and ministered in Rome and Italy at various times and assignments for nearly twelve years. The Lord has allowed me to translate my assignments into experiences of faith, hope and love for those that have been entrusted to my care.

I am writing to you in the last days of 2018, and just prior to the arrival of some seventy-plus alumni for the one hundred thirtieth reunion of the Alumni Association of the Pontifical North American College here in Rome.

Reunions are a wonderful time to look back, give thanks and rededicate ourselves to moving forward with firm hearts to build the Kingdom of God. As I look back to my early days in Rome, I remember living and speaking the words of Quintilian when faced

with what seemed the innumerable inexplicable quirks of Roman life, particularly, “Cur?”

municipal water agency turned our water off, how did this happen, when will it be turned back on?”

Why did my Minister Provincial send me to Rome to study theology when I knew I wanted to be a parish priest in the United States? Why did my seminary rector in Rome tell me that everything I needed to be a “good” Franciscan friar was to be found with-in the four walls of the seminary in Rome; he could not understand why I wanted to spend Sundays in one of our local Roman parishes.

Asking why an essential component of life is broken can be the first step to understanding its real value. Bishop Fulton Sheen said, “Broken things are precious. We eat broken bread because we share in the depth of our Lord and His broken life. Broken flowers give perfume. Broken incense is used in adoration. A broken ship saved Paul and many other passengers on their way to Rome. Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.”

I know that I am not alone in this pursuit of "cur." Our rector recently invited us to do just that in one of his homilies, while also cautioning us with regard to the Lord’s “whys”.

Since that first Roman “why?” I now realize that asking that question is often an exercise in being caught up in the conundrum of Roman life, and at times it can be fraught with frustration…at other times though it is essential to not give up, or give in, or be undone, particularly when we ask the question of one another.

Even as Economo my quest for “why?” (as well as who, what, where, with what, how, when?) can range between the ironic, “why is a Franciscan friar the Economo at a diocesan seminary?”, to the essential, “why has the Roman

This year I will turn sixty-five, and most of the seminarians entrusted to our care are forty-plus years my junior, not to mention our employees who are likewise perennially young.

As we enter this New Year, celebrate our alumni, I realize that unless we answer the essential “why” of life we will live in the endless conundrum… that is not where God desires us to live.

From the Baltimore Catechism, “Why did God make us? God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven.” Living this truth from the catechism is not complicated…it is challenging, often difficult, but not complicated, and I know why. n

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Proclaim the Gospel, and if Necessary Use Podcasts REV. CONRAD MURPHY ’15, ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON

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staple Thomistic phrase engrained from years of courses at the Angelicum is that “everything is received according to the mode of the receiver.” What the admittedly archaic scholastic language is trying to communicate is that everyone comes to the truth with different preconceptions, different backgrounds, different ways of learning and receiving. This requires the would-be evangelizer to find creative ways to reach those who wouldn’t normally be receptive to words from the pulpit or an adult faith formation class.

Catholic Bytes, and the larger Catholic CAST Media umbrella that it is part of, is an attempt to do just that, provide creative and beautiful ways of spreading the faith to people who need to hear it. Catholic Bytes is a podcast for busy Catholics, which was launched in the summer of 2015 by three NAC students, Fr. George Elliot ‘15, Fr. Greg Gerhart ‘16, and Fr. Andrew Mattingly ‘15. The goal was to provide high quality, short and engaging talks on the whole range of Church teaching through the medium of a podcast.

From those early beginnings, Catholic Bytes has grown and spread. While the original podcast is still going on, it has been joined by three others: Catholic Bytes 60 Seconds (60 second tidbits about the faith), the Bible in a Year (a yearlong podcast of the entire Bible), and Habemus Papam (a history of the papacy told one pope at a time).

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production quality and beautiful artistic work makes their projects enjoyable, attractive, and accessible to a wide range of audiences.

Father Conrad Murphy ‘15 of the Archdiocese of Washington, takes his mic as he prepares for the next podcast.

Catholic Bytes has reached 2.5 million downloads and is regularly listened to by thousands each week across the country.

Catholic Bytes lead however to more than just podcasts. Father George, along with several students from the Santa Croce’s Institutional Church Communications Licentiate Program formed Catholic CAST Media. CAST broadens the initial mission of Catholic Bytes by producing very high quality videos and online resources for evangelization.

CAST has collaborated with a number of institutions and dioceses such as EWTN, St. Benedict Press, Ignatius Press, My Catholic Faith Delivered, the Diocese of Austin, and the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

The projects include animated educational videos, short artistic documentaries, and institutional videos. CAST’s emphasis on high

Listeners have really enjoyed how difficult and at times intimidating aspects of our Catholic Faith are routinely broken down through the podcasts in an easy to understand way. One listener mentioned that her children were having a hard time understanding the differences between Catholics and Protestants they encountered at school. She looked up episodes on purgatory and the canon of scripture and found short but full episodes that she could give to her kids to help them understand. Other listeners mention how helpful Catholic Bytes has been during the RCIA process, if a difficult or slightly tangential question comes up, they can find the relevant episode and have their questions answered quickly and effectively.

It is so clear that society today is craving the truth of Jesus Christ but few of those who need to hear the Gospel willingly show up on a church doorstep.

CAST and Catholic Bytes have been means to try to spread the Gospel to those who might not visit a Church, but may download a podcast or watch a movie online.

It is so exciting to see what was originally just a project of friends and classmates in Rome grow into such an incredible organization and opportunity for evangelization and formation. n

Taking a Tune Home With Me MATTHEW DUCLOS ‘21, DIOCESE OF ALBANY

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he word “patrimony” was unknown to me when I arrived in Rome a year and a half ago. Since my diocese has not had a seminarian at the College for a couple of decades, there was no patrimony for me to inherit. No furniture to receive from past Albany seminarians, no Albany items for the table at Sunday brunch, and no diocesan traditions to continue. Yet, I have indeed discovered patrimony and a valuable fellowship here in Rome.

Ever since I began piano lessons in elementary school and became involved in my parish’s contemporary music ensemble in middle school, music has been a constant in my life and kept me involved in parish ministry through college and into the seminary where I serve as an organist at the College. In the same way, music has been a constant in the history of the Church and the world. Its evolution from simple chant, to more intricate harmonies, to different instrumentation and tonalities and ensembles is indicative of the cultures, traditions, and eras in which it has been composed, performed, and enjoyed.

Although music’s progression continues, we always seem to find ourselves returning to the classics.

The great composers and their masterpieces are continually performed, just like a comfortable chair is passed down from seminarian to seminarian over the years. Music creates a timeless fellowship.

musical patrimony continues to influence today’s concertgoers.

Going to concerts in Rome is one thing I have come to love about being a seminarian here. Many of us who attend these performances will always recall the most often superb quality of the performances and the incredible setting in any number of stunning churches. There’s simply nothing like hearing a robust Russian chorus of voices resounding through the nave of Santa Maria Maggiore, or listening to the Philharmonic Orchestra of Tivoli perform movie themes by John Williams in Sant’Eustachio (a church I walk by each day on the way to school), or enjoying a children’s choir from Salt Lake City sing Palestrina at the Church of the Gesù.

The State Choir from the Chapel of St. Petersburg made a visit to Santa Maria Maggiore in Novemeber as part of an annual Roman concert series.

There are many musical opportunities that I consider as part of my patrimony.

They include hearing a Bach harpsichord recital after finishing final exams, attending a Mozart concert in Salzburg with my family during Easter break, and listening to the London Symphony Orchestra in Trafalgar Square during my summer assignment in England. Just as past generations have treasured many of these same compositions, this

Knowing our predecessors is a significant part of our Catholic faith.

Similarly, music is passed along through the centuries of the Church and through countless ages and cultures. Sacred music is where we can see God at work through the composers and the performers who aid us in worship and prayer. I am grateful for the unexpected patrimony I discovered here in Rome.

Although I cannot pass along my own musical experiences to future Albany seminarians like I could a bookcase or a lamp, I can take home with me harmonies of the Eternal City to help enrich the spiritual lives of any parish community to which I am called. n

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CHRIST

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FACTS

SOUL

BODY

BRAIN

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ANTHRO POLOGY

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BIOLOGY

NEURO SCIENCE

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Mind over (Gray) Matter M A R V I N S OTO N Ú Ñ E Z ’ 2 0, D I O C E S E O F P H O E N I X

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deas tend to trickle down to popular culture, influencing the way we perceive the world, our place in it, and even our destiny.

Brain science is a major supplier of such ideas. A casual perusal through most bookstores will yield at least one new book with “neuro” on the title and the assurance that within its pages you will find the account of how things really are.

Brain science has largely replaced psychoanalysis as the preferred anthropological attitude of pop culture, which is why conversations with atheists inevitably arrive at the “fact” that we are all brain and no soul and thus more akin to computers than angels. We are fascinated with the image of brain conquest, the last great scientific frontier. We owe all of this to the recent explosion in brain research and its attendant commentators, like cognitive science and philosophy of mind. Brain science, passed through a materialistic filter and consequently fed to the culture, contributes to the big mess which is contemporary anthropology.

Catholic thinkers have not been idle, however. “The Spiritual Soul and Contemporary Neuroscience”, a conference held at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas

in December, brought together brilliant philosophers like Edward Feser and Rev. Ezra Sullivan, OP who are experts in the interaction between the brain, the soul, and the person. At the heart of the conference was the hylomorphic understanding of human nature, which argues that a human being is composed of both body and soul. This means that the brain, as a physical and bodily organ, cannot exhaustively explain the myriad of human mental experiences.

The immaterial soul, as the life principle and substantial form of the body, must work in concert with the brain to give rise to the human mind.

Hylomorphism, therefore, has the power to integrate the data springing from brain research and bring it to a transcendent vision of humanity.

The immaterial soul, as the life principle and substantial form of the body, must work in concert with the brain to give rise to the human mind. Hylomorphism, therefore, has the power to integrate the data springing from brain research and bring it to a transcendent vision of humanity. This idea is at the root of western civilization and Catholic

thinking, impacting every ethical problem from the definition of person to the notions of human dignity and right to life. As was pointed out during the evening, disentangling true scientific data from philosophical materialism is rigorous work. Consequently, when popularizers of science “debunk” religious doctrines, we can be pretty sure someone is presenting not cold, objective science, but a philosophical inclination ornamented with numbers and charts.

We are fortunate as seminarians to attend such conferences dealing with important and profound topics.

Ultimately, all of this knowledge is for the people of God in our parishes, and therein lies the value of it all.

Through preaching and teaching, the priest can articulate a thorough Christian anthropology which conveys both truth and confidence to aspiring scientists in the pews.

It is the case that God's ideas also trickle down. The Incarnation is all about how God's Word made its way into our culture and how "Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear" (Gaudium et Spes, 22). n

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From the Patrimony to the Fraternity JACO B M AG N U S O N ’ 2 2 , D I O C E S E O F B I S M A R C K

I

learned that when Pope Francis addressed all the seminarians in Rome last year, he apparently coined a new word in explaining what a diocesan priest is: diocesanità.

That would be “diocesan-ness” in English I think.

I know a bit about what he was talking about since coming to Rome. There are many reasons why I feel fortunate to be a New Man for the Diocese of Bismarck, and one of them is certainly the patrimony that I received upon my arrival. While many challenges await a man when he comes to Rome for two years before he is able to return home, and a serious one is figuring out what to bring and what not to bring.

Bismarck is well represented at the College, and I was relieved when I found out that my predecessors have a long history of passing down important or convenient items from one year to the next. It made life a lot easier knowing that upon my arrival I would already miss many of the simple items that could be really difficult or expensive to acquire in Rome.

I soon discovered the generosity of my diocesan brothers was when I first visited the rooms of my four brother seminarians that returned to the College this year and realized that most of the things we have were passed down to us. That is truly a gift. However, there is another more important kind of patrimony that my diocese has given to me, and that is fraternity. Perhaps the

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greatest challenge in coming to Rome is leaving one’s family and friends.

It is not easy being removed from the people that one is used to being with on a daily basis. This makes the need for fraternity essential to living a healthy life here in Rome. One of the traditions that I have found most helpful is having Diocesan Night every Thursday. It is a little different for each diocese or even regional grouping, but the basics are the same for all of us. After formation conferences, all the Bismarck men gather in the senior man’s room for one hour to simply spend time together.

We can have some really stimulating conversations about a wide range of topics, but what has impacted me most is having the time to be with guys that I really enjoy being around. It can be

difficult to be away from friends and family, but this group of my diocesan brothers has been an important aid in my adjustment to the life of the college as well as this city. Even while enjoying all that this City and this seminary has to offer, we maintain a strong identity as men from and for our home diocese.

It has fostered a deep brotherhood that is a very important part of priestly formation. It is nice to have things provided to furnish my room, but there are certainly more important things that are essential for adjusting to life in Rome. I quickly realized the need for good friendships, and the tradition of Diocesan Night has greatly assisted the fostering of great friends, with whom, God willing, I will one day serve as a priest of Jesus Christ. n

Bismarck seminarians Jacob Magnuson ‘22, Nicholas Vetter ‘21, Christian Smith ‘20, and Grant Dvorak ‘22 find it easy to fill their rooms with diocesan patrimony and fraternity.

Not a Cursory Reading A L E X K RA M E R ’ 2 2 , D I O C E S E O F D E S M O I N E S

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efore this year, I had already attended five Masses in which the ministry of lector was conferred upon men preparing for priesthood. Each and every time, I was always filled with joy and excitement for the men who were now one step closer to priestly ordination. But I cannot quite say that my joy was always matched by my understanding. Exactly what responsibilities does being an instituted lector entail?

Finally, on January 20th, 2019, it was my turn to present myself for the reception of the ministry of lector.

Before the Mass, I took some time to look to the ritual itself. I went down to our College’s Randal Reide Library, picked up the Roman Pontifical from the shelf and found “The Rite for the Institution of Lectors.” That was what I needed.

Alex Kramer kneels before Archbishop George Lucas and answers his call to, "Take this book of Holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God."

"There is a special fruitfulness, Jesus tells us, that comes out when Scripture is heard and when it is proclaimed."

After reading the rite a few times, it became clear that a lector’s role as a liturgical reader is only one part of the ministry of lector. What especially struck me was that, in the rite, the bishop commands the men to pray with the Scriptures as a part of the ministry. We are also instructed to live out the Scriptures and to spread them to others.

practices that begin a few short months after being installed as lectors. Knowing this, I knelt before Archbishop George Lucas of the Archdiocese of Omaha and received the Scriptures from his hands. Along with the book, I accepted a mandate: to “take this book of Holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God, so that it may grow strong in the hearts of His people.”

A lector is the man chosen by the Church to take the proclaiming of the Scriptures seriously, which is the fruit of our preparation and above all, our prayer. This proclamation of Scripture prepares us also for upcoming homily

In his homily, Archbishop Lucas gave all of us more to reflect on as we begin exercising the ministry of lector here at the College and during out upcoming summers in our home dioceses and abroad. Being a lector at Mass is

different than simply reading the Scriptures at our own leisure, as important as that is. “There is a special fruitfulness, Jesus tells us, that comes out when Scripture is heard and when it is proclaimed.” To proclaim the Word of God from the Church’s lectionary in the liturgy is a privileged way of spreading the seed so that it can take root in the lives of others.

I was reminded that, in a very real way, the Bible is not only a book but it “is alive, it needs to be heard, and it cries out to be heard.” I am humbled that my own voice, God willing, will be the channel by which thousands of people can encounter the Scriptures for many Masses and liturgical years to come. My brothers and I can continue to live out this mandate every day of our lives and help make God’s words living and active in the lives of others. n

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Vice-Rector Fr. Adam Park ‘05 (front center left), a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, pauses with all of the DC seminarians after celebrating Mass on the altar of St. Matthew.

Forging Fraternity As Pilgrims • • • •

A L E X A N D E R W Y V I L L ’ 2 2 , A R C H D I O C E S E O F WA S H I N GTO N

• • • •

“Behold, how good and pleasing it is when brothers dwell in unity!” -Psalm 133:1

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s any NAC seminarian can tell you, family and friends can feel a bit more distant when moving to a new country, learning a new language and managing the little inconveniences of Roman life. I cannot call my friends on the West Coast without accounting for a

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nine-hour time difference. My mother cannot send me cookies without spending fifty dollars in shipping. I will miss my fair share of family get-togethers, graduations and weddings, which can be difficult to accept.

While this distance from loved ones challenges, it also encourages

As I received Holy Communion, I felt profoundly connected to my brothers and to the Church back home.

Our solidarity in the Eucharist was palpable.

engaging more with brother seminarians—especially those from the home diocese. We spend much time together, including weekly “diocesan nights,” spontaneous outings in Rome, and even travel weekends. This past semester, the DC men made a pilgrimage to Salerno, Italy, the resting place of St. Matthew the Apostle, the patron of our cathedral.

The shrine was magnificent, and a worthy testimony to the life of this patron saint of civil servants who walked with Jesus. We spent some time there in quiet prayer, asking St. Matthew to pray for healing in our local Church during these difficult times. Father Adam Park, our Vice Rector and a priest of Washington, offered Mass for the same intention.

As I received Holy Communion, I felt profoundly connected to my brothers and to the Church back home. Our solidarity in the Eucharist was palpable.

James Glasgow '20 and Nicholas Morrison '21 pause to take in the view during their travels.

The DC seminarians also took a brief train trip from the resting place of St. Matthew to the nearby Greek-built temple ruins of Paestum.

While our whole weekend centered around prayer and fellowship, we caught some amazing sights along the way. On the main level of the Salerno Cathedral, we saw the tomb of St. Gregory VII, the great reforming Pope often remembered as Hildebrand. His resting place beneath the altar reminds the visitor of his famous epitaph, “I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore, I die in exile.” A stark reminder of the cost of Christian discipleship. That same day, we took the train to Paestum, a city of well-preserved Greek ruins. I’ll never forget the irony of walking through those ancient, pagan temples while praying the Rosary with the other DC men. We even visited the diocesan art museum, which features a meticulously-illustrated,

medieval scroll of the Easter Proclamation (Exultet), reminding us that Christ’s resurrection is never far from the ruins.

On our last evening in the city, our whole group gathered to celebrate the birthday of our transitional deacons.

We processed in with a cake, belted out a song of “Happy Birthday,” and cheered as he blew out the lone candle.

It was a poignant moment, as I realized that his family was not there, nor were his friends from back home. He just had us: his brothers. It remains such a privilege to have been one of those select few men, men called by God to an unfamiliar land, but called to dwell in unity as brothers. As the Psalmist says: behold, how good, how pleasing that brotherhood is. n

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Investing in Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow MARK RANDALL, CFRE • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

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t was a joy to welcome a group of alumni back to the College in January for their 130th Alumni Association Reunion. Held in Rome once every ten years, there were classes represented as far back as 1955 and as recently as 2010.

I served as our “tour operator” of sorts, and it was truly a pleasure to be with these loyal sons of alma mater.

NAC Alumni frequently reunite in the US, either by class or diocese, but the chance to be in Rome once per decade is a special opportunity. They enjoy visiting favorites churches, restaurants, and old haunts when they return to Rome. They enjoy walking the same streets they trekked years ago, traveling Seminarian Stephen Yusko (Diocese of Albany) escorts Msgr. Robert Trisco ’55 across to and from class. And, at this Reunion, St. Peter’s Square after Holy Mass in the Clementine Chapel. it was their first chance to see the New Tower, Fitness Center, and Casa Santa Maria renovations. university, and also experiencing the returning home, grateful for the same challenges and graces of the extraordinary formation they received The Alumni were present at the Eternal City. in Rome. And prayers for a long, holy Seminary several times, for prayer ministry among our present students. or a meal. As usual, our students For our students, spending time with were gracious hosts both at the Alumni offered a unique perspective Your financial investment in our mission College and at other events scheduled on their formation journey. One today helps nearly 300 seminarians during the reunion, offering assistance student told me, “It’s incredible to and student priests currently at the and answering questions. see that some of the alumni here are College, just as a benefactor years ago celebrating 60 years of priesthood. helped provide formation funding for Several Alumni told me that seeing It gives me hope that I can truly give one of these recent visiting Alumni. the young, joyful faces of our current my entire life to my vocation.”

Thank you to those who help make students was great encouragement our mission possible: yesterday, today, for them. They enjoyed chatting I think these brief stories illustrate and tomorrow. n with this newest group of vocations; some of the “return on investment” men who were studying the same To read more about the Reunion, that benefactors are always looking things they had, perhaps at the same see page 16. for – and deserve: faithful alumni

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PONTIFICAL NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGE

Please join us for the

27TH ANNUAL RECTOR’S DINNER Thursday, May 9, 2019 The Janiculum Hill Campus Via del Gianicolo, 14 Rome, ITALY

2019 Rector’s Award Honorees

For information on the dinner and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mark Randall at 202-541-5403, mrandall@pnac.org or pnac.org/rectorsdinner Mr. & Mrs. George Strake, Jr. Houston, Texas

His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo ’76 Archbishop of Galveston-Houston

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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.

On Sunday, January 13th, faculty priests and visiting alumni gathered in the sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception Chapel after offering Mass for the souls of the College's faithfully departed.