THE PONTIFIC AL NORTH AMERIC AN COLLEGE
roman echoes Imitating Nazareth: The School of the Gospel
APRIL 2021 VOLUME 25: ISSUE 3 6 A House of Prayer 14 A House of Fellowship 18 Christmas at the NAC 26 A House of Learning
Contents 14 6 Features 6 A House of Prayer 8 Institutions of Lector and Acolyte 9 Days of Recollection 10 NAC Chapels 12 Voices of NAC 14 A House of Fellowship 16 Ministering to One Another 17 Infirmarians 18 Christmas at the NAC 19 STUAC Christmas 20 Christmas Market 21 Christmas Liturgies 22 Babbo Natale Bowl
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23 New Year's 26 A House of Learning 28 Online Learning 29 Teaching Online — Apostolate 30 Interview with Sr. Maria José, O.P.
Updates 5 Rector’s Corner 24 Snapshots 31 Casa 32 ICTE 33 Faculty Corner 34 Office of Institutional Advancement
26 18 From the Editor In January 1964, while he was visiting Nazareth during a
restrictions—classes have been online, in-person
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Pope St. Paul VI described
apostolates are not possible, and travel is limited
Nazareth and the Holy Family as a “school of the Gospel.”
due to an ever-changing pandemic. In all of
He reflected on all the lessons that we can learn from
this, we have had ample opportunity to be
Nazareth, lessons that Jesus learned during his hidden
formed in a deeper way by our surroundings
years with Mary and Joseph. Twenty-eight years later,
in the “the school of the Gospel.” In this
Pope St. John Paul II referred to the seminary as a “school
issue, we would like to share a glimpse
of the Gospel” where men studying for the priesthood
into our “hidden years,” our “school
learn from Christ, as the apostles did, when they left
of the Gospel,” as we learn and
everything to follow him. Our years in seminary are like
strive to become men of
the period of time when the apostles followed Christ and
prayer, men of fellowship,
learned at his feet, preparing to be sent forth to proclaim
and men of learning.
the Gospel to all the world. For both the Apostles and those of us in priestly formation, these are considered our “hidden years,” when we learn from being close
Aaron Kelly ’22, Diocese of Rochester, Editor-in-Chief
to Christ and from one another. This year, we have spent a lot of time on our campus due to COVID-19 ROMAN ECHOES 2021 • VOLUME 25: ISSUE 3
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Contributors EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Aaron Kelly '22, Diocese of Rochester
ASSISTANT EDITOR Ismael RodrÍguez Jr. '22, Diocese of Dallas ASSISTANT EDITOR Taylor Colwell '23, Archdiocese of Washington LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR Alexander Wyvill '22, Archdiocese of Washington ASSISTANT LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR Matthew Prosperie '23, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
Administration
of The Pontifical North American College RECTOR Very Rev. Peter C. Harman ‘99 VICE RECTOR FOR ADMINISTRATION Rev. David A. Schunk ‘10 VICE RECTOR FOR SEMINARY LIFE Rev. Adam Y. Park ‘05 ACADEMIC DEAN & ROMAN ECHOES FACULTY LIAISON Rev. John P. Cush ’98, C’15 SUPERIOR, CASA SANTA MARIA Rev. James J. Conn, SJ DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR CONTINUING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION Rev. Edward Linton, OSB 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) 470-6211 Email: pnacdc@pnac.org Website: www.pnac.org This publication is written, edited, and photographed by the students of The Pontifical North American College.
COVER: Seminarians enjoy a time of fraternity and a meal of grilled cheese and french fries at Grilled Cheese Friday. Grilled Cheese Friday occurs on the Fridays of Lent in the student lounge.
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THIS PAGE: Statue of St. Joseph the Worker found in the St. John Paul II Chapel. This statue was gifted to the College by the Class of 2019.
Rector’s Corner Growing in Nazareth with St. Joseph
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ur Holy Father Pope Francis has proclaimed this a year of devotion to St. Joseph. As there are no recordings of anything St. Joseph said, the believer is left pondering and reflecting upon the very hidden life of Christ’s childhood and adolescence in Nazareth. To Joseph was entrusted an amazing responsibility, and what a tremendous amount of influence St. Joseph would have had on our Lord. Our heavenly Father chose him to be the example of manhood to the Son of Man! How to teach the child and teenager Jesus? For while the sinless Jesus was not prone to sin, our understanding of the mystery of the Incarnation leads us to believe that Jesus not only learned directly from his Divine Person, but also from the ordinary process of human life and experiences: interactions and lessons, mistakes and victories, sadness and loss and joy. St. Luke assures us that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. It was Joseph who taught Jesus how to work, how to be fair, how to treat others, how to pray. Remember, Jesus was enough like Joseph in his mannerisms and personality that everybody assumed him to be Joseph’s son by
nature: “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” No doubt Jesus spoke like Joseph, used his turns of phrase, and shared the mannerisms he would have mimicked from Joseph. That is how a boy learns. For good or ill, we become our parents! And the image Christ taught us to use for speaking to our heavenly Father, “Abba,” was first understood by him to describe the tender love Joseph showed him when he was a child. It is only appropriate that the Christian ask for the intercession and seek the example of Joseph—how much more for our community of men who seek to be spiritual fathers! Perhaps you might like to offer the prayer we offer each week in this year. Remember us to St. Joseph! Thanks for your support!
Very Reverend Peter C. Harman, STD ’99 Rector
Dear St. Joseph, as you were entrusted with the care of the Holy Family, we beseech your intercession and ask for the grace to follow your example of devoted, chaste, and joyful love for the families to which we belong. Fill the Church with men as husbands and fathers who seek to live faithfully, lead families humbly, and form children lovingly. Grant our families, especially our fathers and brothers, these same graces. Bless our presbyterates and our brothers in this family of the North American College with the desire to be spiritual fathers after your own heart. Grant to all of us a devoted love of Jesus and Mary each day. Intercede for us to our one Father in heaven, that we be worthy of the trust given to us who seek to be conformed ever more deeply to the person of Jesus Christ, who is Savior and Lord forever and ever. AMEN.
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HOUSE PRAYER
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Rev. Adam Park '05 (Washington), Vice-Rector for Seminary Life, celebrates the Christmas Mass During the Night.
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“To be formed in the spirit of the Gospel, the interior man needs to take special and faithful care of the interior spiritual life, centred principally on communion with Christ through the Mysteries celebrated in the course of the Liturgical Year, and nourished by personal prayer and meditation on the inspired Word. In silent prayer, which opens him to an authentic relationship with Christ, the seminarian becomes docile to the action of the Spirit, which gradually moulds him in the image of the Master.” The Gift of the Priestly Vocation: Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, n. 42
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Proclaiming the Living and Effective Word M I C H A E L N O R I EGA ‘ 2 4 , D I O C E S E O F AU ST I N
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ne of the gifts of studying theology has been the opportunity to study Sacred Scripture. The Word of God is indeed alive and should be proclaimed to all, a task which Jesus entrusted to the Apostles. The evening before our institution as lectors, our class prayed a holy hour with a guided meditation by Fr. Randy Soto, the Carl J. Peter Chair of Homiletics here at the College. What struck me most during this time of prayer and meditation was the missionary aspect of proclaiming the Word as lectors. Specifically, I was struck by Hebrews 4, “the Word of God is living and effective.” The Word
of God is not just for us but is also to be shared and proclaimed to all. When we proclaim the Word, we are not merely reading words on a page, but are proclaiming the living Word
Michael Noriega '24 (Austin) receives the lectionary from George Cardinal Pell as he is instituted as a lector.
of God to the world in order to bring others closer to Christ. On the morning of my institution, as I approached His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, there was a sense of awe and reverence in receiving the book of the Scriptures. I realized that this call is not simply for me, but a missionary call to proclaim God’s Word to the whole world, a world that needs the Word of God. The Word of God is living and effective, and we are his instruments in proclaiming it to others. Please continue to pray for us that we may be faithful servants in proclaiming the Word! n
The Great Responsibility of the Acolyte DA N I E L S C A N L A N ‘ 2 3, D I O C E S E O F V E N I C E I N F LO R I DA
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n March 7, 2021, my classmates and I had the great joy of being instituted as acolytes by Archbishop Jorge Patron Wong, Secretary for Seminaries of the Congregation for Clergy. Practically speaking, those of us who have been instituted now have the responsibility to assist the priests and deacons of our community in carrying out their ministries, particularly in service to the liturgy. The ministry of acolyte comes with a great responsibility. “Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and his Church.” As I reflect on these words from the Rite of Institution of Acolyte, I recognize that the service to which I have been called
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The Class of 2023 poses for a group photo with Archbishop Jorge Patron Wong after being installed acolytes on March 7, 2021.
is not exclusively about the new responsibilities that I will undertake. Instead, it is about something more. Not only do we serve the Lord around the altar, but our whole lives must increasingly reflect the Lord we serve. Last year my classmates and I received the ministry of lector, which encouraged us, in proclaiming God’s
Word, to meditate and immerse ourselves in Sacred Scripture. Now the Church has invited us to “live more fully by the Lord’s sacrifice and to be molded more perfectly in its likeness.” I pray that we may rise to the challenge to conform ourselves more intimately to Christ as we serve him not only in the liturgy, but also in every moment of our life. n
Weekends of Recollection R E V. M R . LU C A S L A R O C H E ‘ 2 1 , D I O C E S E O F WO R C E ST E R
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he course of our year at the seminary is marked by a variety of cycles: the seasons, the academic year, and most importantly, the liturgical year of the Church. As part of our observance of Advent and Lent, the seminary offers a weekend of recollection during each of these seasons. During these weekends the seminary community hosts someone to preach to us and lead us in prayer in hopes of deepening our appreciation of the liturgical season. This past year, we have been graced with two excellent speakers for these
occasions: Fr. Simeon Leiva-Merikakis, a Trappist monk of Saint Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts; and Abbot Primate Gregory Polan of the Order of Saint Benedict. Both of these speakers provided a lens through which we were invited to deepen our own prayer life and encounter Christ in a new way. Fr. Simeon, who gave our Advent recollection, focused on the parable of the virgins and the bridegroom (Mt. 25). Fr. Simeon is a world-class exegete, and he walked us through these passages in a way that made the scriptures come alive. His goal was
to make each of us recognize that Christ desires us and seeks us out; our responsibility is to respond to the love of Christ for us and to cling to him. In Lent, Abbot Primate Gregory preached on contemplation and the Paschal Mystery, focusing on the Gospels from the first two Sundays of Lent. In doing so, he drew from his experience as a monk, priest, and abbot to speak how the glory of the Lord affects our lives. The most striking thing, however, about these weekends of recollection is the silence: As a rule, strict silence is kept in the seminary throughout the weekend, to foster a deeper environment of prayer. This is always odd, given that the halls of our house usually echo with conversation, laughter, and discussion. Yet similar to fasting, we abstain from speaking for the sake of something better, as we focus on renewing our relationship with the Triune God. This relationship is the foundation of the whole Christian life; your future priests depend on it to serve you well. Pray for us. We pray for you. n
Abbot Primate Gregory Polan, OSB speaks to the community during the Lenten Day of Recollection.
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In both the Institution of Lectors and Acolyte, the person being instituted is handed an object associated with the ministry and given a charge. Lectors are handed a book of Scriptures, either a Bible or Lectionary and told: “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.” Acolytes are handed a vessel of bread to be consecrated and told: “Take this vessel of bread (wine) for the celebration of the Eucharist. Make your life worthy Students log in early in the morning for a Zoom seminar. of your service at the table of the Lord and of his Church.”
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The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus adorning the side altar of the Immaculate Conception Chapel.
The Immaculate Conception Chapel.
The Heart of Our House J OS E P H F E R M E ’ 2 2 , A R C H D I O C E S E O F B OSTO N
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ince we are blessed with a variety of facilities on our campus, it would be no surprise to hear a varied list of “favorite places.” However, there is one place which is undoubtedly the heart of our home: the Immaculate Conception Chapel (ICC). Here our community gathers every morning for Morning Prayer and Mass, and again every evening for Evening Prayer, after a day full of various activities. To call this sacred place the heart of our home is more than just cliché, because it truly does give life to everything else we do. Each morning at our chapel we are filled with life by the Eucharist and renewed to go
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forth to classes, studies, and apostolic work. If these activities did not all flow from the chapel, they would be lifeless indeed. After the day’s work, we return, perhaps having spent much of what we had received, and again we are filled up, given life, and renewed. Such life comes not from a collection of bricks and marble, but from the One who transforms a building into a real gate of heaven and makes of us living stones. Being fed each day with our Daily Bread and lifting up hearts, minds, and voices in the daily prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours is how God fills us up, gives us life, and renews us.
From where I sit in the ICC, I am constantly reminded of this true source of life. Above the nearby side altar is an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our Lord is pointing to his Heart, to this fount from which we draw. As one enters the ICC, it would be difficult to not immediately notice another image, the large mosaic of Our Lady. In the heart of our house we are reminded of two hearts, ever united. Here, Mary and her Immaculate Heart go about the true work of formation, that of helping our hearts to be made like the heart of her Son. n
Stained glass windows and relics of Saints John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, found in the John Paul II Chapel.
The depiction of the Good Shepherd found on the door of the tabernacle in the Good Shepherd Chapel.
“Lord, I Am Not Worthy.” DAV I D L E E ’ 2 4 , D I O C E S E O F N A S H V I L L E
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ord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof” (Mt. 8:8). These familiar words of the Roman centurion describe how I felt upon learning, as a college freshman, that there was a chapel in my dorm at the University of Notre Dame. I would literally be living under the same roof as Jesus! It was like having a house with a personal basketball gym or a movie theater, but this was a humbling luxury on a whole new level. Seminary life has once again afforded me this luxury of sharing the same roof as Jesus, yet now there is not only one but four chapels where I have the
gift of visiting the Eucharistic Lord, present in the tabernacle. In addition to our main Immaculate Conception Chapel, there are three other chapels frequented by seminarians for personal prayer on a daily basis. The North American Martyrs Chapel features stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the lives of the Jesuits missionaries who served the Native Americans; it is currently home to our weekly Byzantine liturgy. There is also the Good Shepherd Chapel with its simple wooden pews and a tabernacle depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd. The last and most frequented of the three is the Saint
John Paul II Chapel, which contains relics of both John Paul II and Mother Teresa, each of whom made a visit to the College. These chapels offer seminarians many opportunities for “hidden” moments of prayer before the beginning of a more “public” priestly ministry. This opportunity is an invitation to be a disciple who learns at the feet of Jesus before being sent out as his ambassadors. These hidden moments of prayer help foster a more intimate relationship with the Lord so that we may be more perfectly conformed to Christ and prepare ourselves for a calling of which we are so unworthy. n
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VOICES OF NAC During the year of St. Joseph, what lesson can you learn from St. Joseph regarding future ministry and fatherhood?
St. Joseph calls me to embrace the hiddenness of authentic fatherhood, a hiddenness which does not hesitate to break forth and show itself when called upon, but which nevertheless does not seek out attention and spectacles. His is a fatherhood of utter fidelity. The past year has challenged me to commit to the first battle which occurs in our hearts every day. With this first victory in place, Christ may reign more fully in the world.
Ryan Asher ‘24 Archdiocese of Detroit
I have always found Saint Joseph to be a courageous figure. What I have learned from St. Joseph in prayer is that fatherhood and spiritual fatherhood need three key things: compassion, trust, and flexibility. These three aspects are crucial for ministry and spiritual fatherhood: compassion in our dealings with others; trust in the Lord and his plan for us; and the flexibility to adapt, knowing that his will must be done, not ours. Be compassionate. Trust in God. Let his plan be my plan.
Rev. William Banowsky ‘19 Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
When almost everyone went home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was one of the remnant who spent the entire lockdown within the four walls of the College. Like, St. Joseph I had to learn how to trust God with everything. This experience did not come very easily. Before the pandemic, I had my hopes and dreams, especially looking towards my ordination to the priesthood, but then everything had to be put on hold due to the pandemic. Many people have asked me, how did you survive? For me it was a combination of many things: trying each day to let go of my own will and trusting God; the support of my brothers who remained at the College; and the goodwill of the College for providing us a safe environment with access to the sacraments. The abundance of time provided by the pandemic was for me a great opportunity to really recount my many blessings.
Rev. Mr. Martin Okwudiba ‘20 Archdiocese of Philadelphia 12
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“During the hidden years in Nazareth, Jesus learned at the school of Joseph to do the will of the Father. That will was to be his daily food (cf. Jn 4:34). Even at the most difficult moment of his life, in Gethsemane, Jesus chose to do the Father’s will rather than his own . . . All this makes it clear that ‘Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood’ and that in this way, ‘he cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation and is truly a minister of salvation.’” Pope Francis, Patris Corde
Throughout my childhood, I was often reminded of the importance of my actions by the popular expression “actions speak louder than words.” I believe that this is exemplified in the life of St. Joseph. Despite there being no recorded words from him in Sacred Scripture, St. Joseph exemplified a loving and obedient trust in the Father’s plan by promptly acting in accord with it. It is through his fidelity and love that St. Joseph was made able to participate in the unique role of being the father of Jesus and the protector of the Holy Family. St. Joseph serves as a perfect model for me, as a future priest, of intently listening and humbly following the will of God.
I have always been inspired by St. Joseph’s response when he encounters God’s plan for him through his dreams. Matthew’s Gospel says: “and he rose and did as the Lord commanded.” He acts simply and whole-heartedly, no questions, no contingency plan, no holding on to his previous ideas. This desire to do God’s will and to place it before all else in his life is the foundation of St. Joseph’s mission and a model for us to follow as we also seek to cooperate in the mystery of salvation.
St. Joseph is a model for us of what it means to follow God’s lead in our lives and future ministries, and to do so without the sluggishness of hardened hearts. This is what Scripture tells us of St. Joseph, who was a just man, who, without hesitation, did as God told him.
Wade Trainor ‘22 Diocese of Paterson
Rev. Mr. Joseph Townsend ‘21 Diocese of Arlington
Kelby Tingle ‘23 Diocese of Shreveport
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HOUSE FELLOW
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Seminarians stop for a photo atop the Vatican Museum's outdoor deck.
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“In the Church, which is ‘the home and the school of communion’ and which ‘derives its unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,’ the priest is called to be a ‘man of communion.’ Consequently, the bonds that are created in the seminary between formators and seminarians, and between the seminarians themselves, must be marked by a sense of fatherhood and fraternity. In fact, fraternity is fostered through spiritual growth, which requires a constant effort to overcome various forms of individualism. A fraternal relationship ‘cannot just be left to chance, to fortuitous circumstances,’ but is rather a conscious choice and an ongoing challenge.” The Gift of the Priestly Vocation: Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, n. 52
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Diaconal Identity and Service
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R E V. M R . M I C H A E L WA N TA ’ 2 1 , D I O C E S E O F M A D I S O N
t my diaconal ordination, my bishop said, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” I was made a herald of the Gospel, and I found that I grew in my relationship with God by living out of this identity. Prayer naturally became other-centered as I prayed over the readings before preaching, in order to communicate God’s message. The priesthood is not simply fulfilling a function, but is an identity. Since action follows being, if we want our actions to bear good fruit, we must first pay attention to who we are. This is true for all Christians, who before doing good works should recognize their dignity as children of God and cooperators with his grace. It applies also to priests, whose years in seminary include not only learning skills but going away with the Lord, who has called them to himself. This priority of being has become especially clear now in the life of the College, when many of the exterior actions of our apostolates—campus ministry, service to the poor, guiding pilgrimages to holy sites—have been suspended. Since there are fewer opportunities to serve others outside the seminary, we turn our attention to our own community by encouraging each other, keeping our spirits high and our attention fixed on the Lord. Before preaching to the world, we must preach to each other and to ourselves. Moreover, we must allow Christ to
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Rev. Mr. Michael Wanta '21 (Madison) leads the members of his hall in Evening Prayer during Tuesday Night Hall Prayer.
preach to us in silence and the simple events of the day, in prayer, study, fraternity, and leisure. Our imitation of Jesus has taken on a Nazarene character, as online classes and lockdowns have calmed the often-frantic busyness of life and challenged us to reflect on how we participate in community life, which has been intensified. Before his own public ministry, Jesus grew in wisdom and knowledge within the life of the Holy Family. The same opportunity has been extended to us: to encounter God here and now, in the way he chooses. The good that Jesus wants us to do is often better than the good that we have thought up ourselves.
Now, when the opportunity to exercise my diaconal ministry in the apostolate has been limited, I have a new opportunity to enter into God’s silence. Assisting at Mass and preaching have become much more precious as their periodic exercise is interspersed with waiting. Service in the house, even in little things, is touched by the greater awareness that I am called to serve the People of God. And prayer always remains intercessory. Opening my arms outstretched when leading the Liturgy of the Hours has become a powerful reminder that, even when alone, I am praying in the name of and for the Church, and indeed for the whole world. n
Serving Our Sick Neighbors
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imilar to many families worldwide, our spiritual family here at the seminary has also experienced one of the unexpected outcomes that this pandemic has brought: the opportunity to serve those close to us who have fallen ill. Back in the fall, there was a period of time when some members of the community fell ill to the coronavirus. As a result, our infirmarian team (a group of seminarians who deliver food to those who are sick) was overwhelmed as the sick list increased. More volunteers were needed, so I became a part of the new team, from which I learned two important lessons.
First, I realized that in order to serve, I do not need to actively go “out,” so to speak, to care for others. My actions can simply involve a word of kindness or a positive comment. What matters is the love with which we do it. As Mother Teresa famously said on the occasion of her reception of the Noble Prize, “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do.” After this experience, I am more convinced that love of neighbor, literally those who live around me, often calls for a greater exercise of love. Secondly, I learned that our love of neighbor is measured by our love for God. The Gospel passage that
resounded in my heart during my service as an infirmarian was Matthew 25:31-46, which includes the verse, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” I believe one of the most challenging aspects of Christianity to understand is the universal character of the Incarnation. That is, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, actually identifies with every person. Therefore, what we say and do to others, we, in turn, say and do to Jesus himself. In the end, what must move us to serve others, especially those who live close to us, is the fact that we all are members of Christ’s Body, and therefore members of the same family of God. n
As Mother Teresa famously said on the occasion of her reception of the Noble Prize, “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do.” Mauricio Portillo '22 (Arlington - left) and the other second and third year men who serve as house infirmarians gather for a photo after Sunday Mass.
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Beginning in second year, seminarians are given a “house job” which contributes to the well-functioning of the community. There are many different types of house jobs. Some seminarians work in the area of liturgy as sacristans, masters of ceremonies, or organists, while others work at KNAC or the student lounge.. There are also seminarians who work in the library, assist with hospitality and guests, and maintain the student kitchen. Serving on the editorial staff ofStudents Roman log Echoes is also a house job!for a Zoom seminar. in early in the morning ROMAN ECHOES 2021 • VOLUME 25: ISSUE 3
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Christmas at “Home” Z AC H J O N E S ’ 2 2 , D I O C E S E O F S I O U X C I T Y
Rev. Ronald Barusefski (Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic) and members of 2nd Central residence hall dress up to show off their western-themed hall during the annual hall decorating contest.
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uring a normal Christmas break at the College, the number of countries visited by the men of the community would almost certainly be in double digits. Many would scatter throughout the European continent to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord in some of the world’s most beautiful and historic cities; some of the clergy would travel “across the pond” to spend the break in their respective dioceses; and still others would travel to the Holy Land on Fr. Brendan Hurley, S.J.’s annual pilgrimage. But as was the case all over the world, this was not an ordinary Christmas: the COVID-19 pandemic kept us
much closer to home, and a vast majority of the community remained on campus throughout the break. This extraordinary situation, however, only served as a catalyst for the creative forces of many of the seminarians and priests to bring about a historic and unforgettable Christmas. As soon as we learned that Christmas would be “in-house,” seminarians began to organize various activities and opportunities for fraternity. We had our annual Christmas party hosted by the third-year class, complete with hundreds of homemade cookies and a live band playing Christmas carols. There was a football game played on Christmas day, affectionately given
the title, "The Babbo Natale Bowl" (the Italian name for Santa Claus). There was even a full-fledged Bavarian Christmas market with sausage, funnel cakes, mulled wine, and much more, organized by several men from the house. This is not to mention the countless smaller gatherings amongst friends which took place daily, like watching Christmas movies, cooking meals together, and playing board games. Most importantly, we were able to celebrate the great solemnities of this season together, with devout prayer and beautiful liturgies. Among all the chaos and uncertainty in the world, it was nice to be “home” for Christmas. n ROMAN ECHOES 2021 • VOLUME 25: ISSUE 3
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Christmas Market JA M E S FA N G M E Y E R , J R . ’ 2 4 , A R C H D I O C E S E O F WA S H I N GTO N This year, Fr. Ken Malley, one of the College’s spiritual directors, has been teaching me a lot about Jesus “in his twenties, at Nazareth.” This image helps me keep my priorities in order. My priority this Christmas, my first away from home, was to celebrate Jesus’ birth. No Christmas celebration is complete without gifts. Volunteering to organize entertainment at the Christmas Market was my opportunity to celebrate by giving a small gift back to the College. I made greater friendships with men through the challenges and gained a lot of confidence in my ability to lead and serve our community.
Tyler Underhill '24 (Evansville) looks with displeasure at the long line for hot cocoa refills.
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ince we could not go out this Christmas, we brought our own Christmas market to the College. On the evening of December 23rd, the market was complete with warm drinks, glowing lights, and a jolly atmosphere. We hosted this first-of-its-kind event in the student lounge and portico outside. It was designed to look and feel like an outdoor Christmas market, with stands offering various hot foods and voices buzzing in the crowd. Seminarians and priests relaxed in Christmas anticipation on a cold Roman night. Some of our most talented musicians also covered Christmas classics. With
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the lounge rearranged and re-lit to offer a snug coffee-house feel, friends settled down to listen as they savored a cup of Fr. Randy Soto’s homemade soup or tasted a slice of apple strudel. Grooves and smooth voices floated out of the lounge onto the ears of listeners outside. The open mic portion of the night was fun and surprising: we heard poetry, a cappella voices, and a piano duet. I recited Linus’ monologue from A Charlie Brown Christmas, which quotes Luke 2:8-14. That scene in the movie always moved me as a child: “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!”
Although I missed my family back at home over the holidays, it was truly a blessed and joyful season, and the College never felt more like home. n
Jacob Livecchi '23 (Toledo) and Samuel Anderson '23 (Fort Wayne-South Bend) serve funnel cake.
Communal Christmas Liturgies at the College
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R E V. V I N C E N T F E R R E R BAGA N, O.P. , D I R EC TO R O F L I T U R G I C A L M U S I C
s the school year began and the pandemic was under control in Italy, I am sure that many of us presumed we would be traveling during the Christmas break. As the pandemic situation worsened and the Italian government imposed travel restrictions in October and November—and as the Vatican announced that the Christmas Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica would not be open to the public—it became clear that the best course of action was to revive the long-dormant tradition of a full communal celebration of the Lord’s Nativity here at the College. Though I was not expecting to be here for Christmas, the celebrations of Christmas with my own Dominican community for the past ten years provided ample preparation for the moment: I was familiar with a historical variety of pieces from the Christmas repertoire for men’s voices and also had a few of my own compositions. The seminarians were eager to make the best of a changed situation, and most of the choir members volunteered to sing at the Christmas liturgies. As we have been doing all year, the choir size was limited so that the singers could remain at a distance from one another, but, between the two Masses and solemn Evening Prayer II, everyone who wanted to sing was able to sing for at least one or two of the liturgies. Before the Mass during the Night, our musical prelude provided an opportunity for everyone to sing
their favorite Christmas carols. Given the angelic presence in the Gospel for that Mass, we sang “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” as well as the Mass of the Angels (Gregorian Mass VIII). Tollite hostias from Camille Saint-Saëns’s Christmas oratorio includes the Laetentur caeli offertory text for that Mass, and our motet after communion was Morten Lauridsen’s beautiful setting of O magnum mysterium, which seemed to be a musical highlight for many. At the Mass during the Day, it was a particular joy for me that we began with the introit chant, Puer natus est nobis, which has become a staple of my own Christmas experience over the last decade. This led into perhaps the more customary Christmas entrance today: “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” complete with two
trumpeters. At the offertory, we sang my setting of the appointed text, “Thine Are the Heavens” (which, because we had sung it almost every year for the past ten years, my Dominican brothers jokingly refer to as a “Christmas classic”) as well as my arrangement of “Good Christian Men, Rejoice,” and we turned eastward for the motet after communion, the hauntingly beautiful Spaseniye sodelal by Pavel Chesnokov. Though it was not the Christmas celebration we were expecting, it was a joyful and prayerful experience for us to be together at Christmas, and to be able to worship the Lord in his Nativity through the beauty of music, which helped us to lift up our hearts, along with all of those for whom we pray, to the Lord, who was born to save us. n
Poinsettias adorn the reredos of the Immaculate Conception Chapel during our Christmas liturgies. ROMAN ECHOES 2021 • VOLUME 25: ISSUE 3
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The Origin Story of the Babbo Natale Bowl
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R E V. M R . J OS E P H W H I T E ‘ 2 1 , A R C H D I O C E S E O F GA L V E STO N-H O U STO N
his past Christmas, the College had its first ever Christmas Day football game. Normally, the holidays provide the seminarians with the opportunity to travel outside of Rome and encounter other cities and cultures. However, given the restrictions due to the pandemic, the great majority of students remained at the College for Christmas. The restrictions were especially disappointing for those of us who had hopes of returning to our respective dioceses to serve as deacons in a parish for the Christmas liturgies. In order to change our focus from these disappointments to something more positive, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
who had a greater selection of players to complete their roster.
In order to distinguish this game from the Spaghetti Bowl, I decided to invert the traditional teams: instead of the New Men playing against the Old Men, the deacons and student priests (clerics) played against the rest of the seminary (non-clerics). This inversion gave the advantage to the non-clerics,
Finally, we decided to name this Christmas Day football game the “Babbo Natale Bowl.” Babbo Natale is the Italian term for Santa Claus; which, in its literal translation, means, “Father Christmas.” This name proved to be fitting, since it brought a certain Christmas cheer to the house.
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Matthew Pearson '22 (Madison) throws a pass during the non-clerics' win over the clerics.
The idea of having a football game stemmed from the fact that we were unable to play the traditional Spaghetti Bowl, which is held annually during Thanksgiving.
This event gave me something to look forward to in the midst of holiday restrictions. The game itself also proved exciting. It was a close match-up that came down to the last minute, in which the non-clerics walked away with the victory. Ultimately, the Babbo Natale Bowl gave us all an opportunity to grow together in excitement and fun on this exceptional Christmas. n
The Campo Sportivo is one of the most frequented spots on the NAC campus. You will often find pick-up soccer games, ultimate frisbee, flag football, or bocce being played on the sports field. There are also annual games that take place such as the Spaghetti Bowl, the inter-university softball game, and the ultimate frisbee tournament between the various classes.
The Pontifical North American College
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New Year’s Eve 2020 at NAC J OS E P H L A P E Y R O U S E ' 2 3, D I O C E S E O F H O U M A-T H I B O DAU X
n spite of the difficulties that came in 2020, the final hours of the year proved to be a time of great fraternity and graces in Rome. At the College this past New Year’s Eve, we were blessed with the opportunity to have the seminary come together for a night of trivia, live music, and a viewing of Rome’s fireworks from the rooftop of the College. For me in particular, I was able to play guitar for my class band named “PNAC! At the Disco,” and a song with another College band named
“NAC MEGABAND,” which included a rotation of musicians from every class. When I entered seminary, I never would have thought I would end up playing in a rock band, yet I had the blessing of being able to play for the community in the last moments of the year. This opportunity truly helped me to grow in my friendships and forge new ones. Moreover, this experience demonstrated, in a concrete way, how unified we had become as a seminary
community in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Reflecting on this occasion, I cannot help but be grateful for where God has placed me at this moment in time, and how he is forming me through the friendships I have here at the College. Closing the year together with my brother seminarians has made me appreciate more deeply the opportunities afforded to me here in Rome. n
Members of the various New Year's Eve bands join together for a group photo.
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Snapshots
Seminarians and faculty from the state of New York gather around the Christmas tree in the refectory for a group photo.
Members of 4th Central hall prepare to host the judges during the Christmas hall decorating contest.
Rev. David Schunk '10 (San Francisco) celebrates Christmas Day Mass for the community.
An angel adorns the Christmas creche outside the Immaculate Conception Chapel. 24
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Members of 3rd Convent hall pose for a photo during the Christmas hall decorating contest.
Students line up at the various food stands for the first-ever NAC Christmas Market.
A sign advertises "fresh strudel" at the NAC Christmas Market.
The winning "non-clerics" team poses with their trophy after winning the first-ever Babbo Natale Bowl.
George Cardinal Pell hands the Book of the Gospels to Isaiah Fischer '24 (Bismarck), as he receives the ministry of lector.
Zach Jones '22 (Sioux City) carries the ball for a first down while Rev. Mr. Gregory Zannetti '21 (Metuchen) chases him down.
Guillermo Jimenez-Lainez '22 (Bridgeport) and Guillermo Hernandez '22 (San Diego) make grilled cheese sandwiches. ROMAN ECHOES 2021 • VOLUME 25: ISSUE 3
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HOUSE LEARNI
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Zachary Galante ‘23 (Milwaukee) and Samuel Bass ‘22 (Austin) examine a library book on the tower rooftop.
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“Above all, your time in the seminary is also a time of study. . . . I can only plead with you: Be committed to your studies! Take advantage of your years of study! You will not regret it. . . . I simply say once more: love the study of theology and carry it out in the clear realization that theology is anchored in the living community of the Church, which, with her authority, is not the antithesis of theological science but its presupposition. Cut off from the believing Church, theology would cease to be itself and instead it would become a medley of different disciplines lacking inner unity.” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 2010 Letter to Seminarians
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The Pontifical North American University ST E P H E N J O N E S ’ 2 4 , A R C H D I O C E S E O F O K L A H O M A C I T Y
Seminarians from the Class of 2024 attend their online lectures for the Gregorian University.
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s a middle-school history teacher before seminary, I am well acquainted with the difficulties of both teaching and learning in a chaotic environment. Nothing prepared me, though, for the challenge of distance learning in an online format in Italian. In October, after only three weeks of in-person class, the Angelicum and the Gregorian Universities transferred to a primarily online format, while the Santa Croce continued in-person for the most part. The students of the Gregorian have been meeting in the tower classrooms since that time; meanwhile, the Angelicum students have attended their classes in the student lounge and Casa O’Toole. We certainly miss making and seeing our friends from other colleges at
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our universities, and distance learning is not as effective as actually being in the classroom, but there have also been unforeseen blessings from learning at what has become, for the time being, the Pontifical North American University. One positive consequence of the online format is that there is more time throughout the day. Without transit time, we have more time to sit down with our brothers and enjoy a cup of coffee in the lounge before making the short trek to our respective “universities.” Another positive consequence of online school is that we see our brothers who attend other universities more often than would normally be the case. Additionally, one of the most cherished new traditions is “recess on the campo”
between classes. Since the Angelicum students attend class in the lounge, which is located directly across our sports field, during the pausa they often toss a football around, play bocce ball, or engage in some other sport. On occasion, the Greg guys go down and participate in the fun as well. The past year has certainly proved to be a challenging one in many respects, and our way of life as students of theology has been no exception. However, despite all of the uncertainty in regard to where and how we attend class, it is admirable to witness how the men of the College have responded to every challenge thrown their way. n
The Faith of Children ST E V E N V E T T E R ‘ 2 3, D I O C E S E O F B I S M A R C K
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n its section on prayer, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “the most common yet most hidden temptation is our lack of faith.” This temptation seems to barrage us non-stop, and it manifests itself in the desire to test God—“God, where are you in this situation?” To fall into the temptation would be to doubt God’s presence in every situation in which we find ourselves, but we know from Sacred Scripture and the teaching of Jesus that God is in fact with us, no matter how hard it is to see him. I have been blessed this year with the opportunity to prepare fourth-grade students for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. I was asked to offer the class completely
online, a method that is new and exciting yet mixed with struggles and difficulties. Since I have a degree in secondary education, I thought it would be relatively easy to adjust. Within a few days of launching my new online classroom, I knew that what I needed was to ask God for help. The more I learn to trust God and spend time with him in authentic prayer, the more effective both my teaching and apostolate have become. I have noticed God working in the lives of my students in profound ways. They desire to receive the sacraments and learn about the faith even in the midst of so many unknowns. God is working in their families as well. One of the major advantages to online learning is that children are at home
with their families. I have witnessed God strengthen family bonds by encouraging prayer as a family and motivating parents to learn about the faith with their children. It has been a deeply humbling experience to see God work through the parents of these young children, giving them the grace to be the primary educators of the faith in their home. When I am tempted to ask God where he is working in my apostolate, I remind myself: God is working in me as I continue to grow in faith and trust; God is working in parents inspiring them to hand on the faith to their children; and God is working in the hearts of these young children who teach us all how to believe. n
The more I learn to trust God and spend time with him in authentic prayer, the more effective both my teaching and apostolate have become. I have noticed God working in the lives of my students in profound ways. Steven Vetter '23 (Bismarck) teaches fourth-graders online for his apostolate.
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Interview with Librarian Sr. Maria José, O.P. TAY LO R CO LW E L L ’ 2 3, A R C H D I O C E S E O F WA S H I N GTO N Can you tell us a little about yourself and your vocation?
Sr. Maria Jose with Rev. Mr. Max Carson '21 (Des Moines), Timothy Courtney '23 (Arlington) and Sam Bass '22 (Austin).
Could you tell us about the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist and their relationship with the College? Our community was founded in 1997 by four Dominican Sisters in response to St. John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization. Our motherhouse is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and our apostolate centers on teaching in Catholic schools as well as other forms of evangelization. Our lives are rooted in prayer; we have a deep love and devotion to the Eucharist (we pray a holy hour together as a community every day) and to the Blessed Virgin Mary (daily, the Sisters renew their consecration to Mary according to the De Montfort method). In August 2013, the sisters were invited by then-Msgr. Checchio to serve as librarians at the College. Since then, two sisters have always been assigned to the library, one at the Janiculum Campus’s Randal Riede Library, and the other at the Casa Santa Maria. Currently, there are two other sisters in Rome at the Angelicum University. The four of us live in a convent at the Casa Santa Maria. 30
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I am originally from El Paso, Texas, and I entered the convent in 2006 after having graduated with a degree in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso and worked as a software engineer in the telecommunications industry in Dallas, Texas, for a few years. When I was about eleven or twelve, I was introduced to the religious life, and I was excited about the possibility of being a sister when I grew up. After high school and college, I did not think, or at least avoided thinking, about this vocation. In the first few months as a working professional, I initially thought I had everything I wanted, since I was living a very comfortable life and was getting a monetary raise every three months. After some time, I came to realize I was missing something in my life and was not truly happy. Through the prayers and encouragement of my parents, I made the decision that I should pray more and take my faith more seriously. At the time, I was going to Mass every Sunday, but I was just fulfilling my obligation as a “Catholic.” I knew a lot about Jesus but did not know him or love him personally. Over time, God gave me the desire to serve him and seek his will for my life. I initially did not want to accept the idea of being a religious sister, but through Eucharistic adoration, I began to fall in love with Jesus Christ and my Catholic faith. Eventually I was able tosurrender to God and willingly and joyfully say, “God, if you want me to
be a sister, I will be a sister. I know you will provide for everything.” I was drawn to the Dominicans’ four pillars of prayer, community life, study, and the apostolate, as well as by my community’s particular devotions to Mary and the Eucharist. I was also attracted to the sisters’ joy. They were just normal and happy; their prayerfulness, joy, and sincerity were very attractive qualities. Could you tell us about your work as a librarian at the College? First of all, in the library, because a lot of the seminarians and priests need books and periodicals for their research, we keep all our periodicals up-to-date as best as we can. We catalogue, check-in, repair, and reshelve the books. We also periodically obtain new books, either by purchase or from generous donors. We try to keep our cataloguing system current so that the students and faculty at the College can find what they need. We also provide research assistance and transfer books between our two libraries. Also, we are blessed to have four seminarians who act as library assistants throughout the week; it is a joy to work with them. Secondly, and most importantly, I am very grateful for the opportunity to work as and enjoy being a librarian at the College. Daily, I get to see the love the men of the College have for the priesthood and their living out of their lives as faithful followers of Christ. Our sisters pray for them every day, knowing this is one of the greatest gifts we can give. n
Upcoming Doctoral Defense Rev. Christian Irdi '14, C'15, C'21, Archdiocese of Perth I S M A E L R O D R Í G U E Z J R . ’ 2 2 , D I O C E S E O F DA L L A S Can you tell us a little bit about your academic background? Prior to seminary, I obtained a double degree in law and commerce and worked as a lawyer for a couple of years. After obtaining a philosophy degree from the Catholic Institute in Sydney, Australia, I obtained my Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Finally, I obtained my Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from the Pontifical Gregorian University in fundamental theology; and now, I am currently working towards my doctorate in the same field. What is the title of your doctoral thesis? How did you choose your topic? My doctoral thesis is titled, Nature and Grace in the Thought of John Milbank and Joseph Ratzinger: Contrasting Engagements with Secular Culture. My interest in the Church’s teaching on nature and grace grew when I studied the works of Joseph Ratzinger during my second-cycle studies in fundamental theology. Moreover, a pastoral concern also served as a motivation for choosing this topic. In Australia, we are faced with a very secular culture, and I wanted to examine in greater depth both the philosophical and theological underpinnings of it. In short, I chose the topic in order to better understand the secular culture that we are trying to evangelize.
A major challenge in one’s first year of doctoral studies is defining one’s research question. It requires months of reading in search of a topic which is novel but also substantive enough to enable one to produce a doctorate. During this painstaking process, Fr. John Cush, academic dean at the College and professor of theology and contemporary culture; Dr. Tracey Rowland, a renowned Ratzinger scholar; and my doctoral supervisor, Fr. Joseph Carola S.J., of the faculty of theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, helped me select and narrow down my topic. Can you provide a brief summary of your thesis? I examined the thought of two theologians, namely, John Milbank and Joseph Ratzinger, who had both drawn on the insights of Henri Cardinal de Lubac. Specifically, I compared the way in which their respective approaches to the question of nature and grace gave rise to their particular engagements with and approaches to our post-modern, secular culture. As I say, the pastoral objective of the project is to better understand the culture which we are attempting to evangelize. How are you preparing for your upcoming doctoral defense? I am mostly rereading the doctorate carefully and trying to synthesize its major points in order to coherently present and defend the work.
Rev. Christian Irdi '14, C'15, C'21 (Perth)
Can you explain the process of a doctoral defense at a Pontifical Roman university? The defense consists of presenting one’s thesis to a panel composed of a “preside,” who presides over the defense, along with two readers. The first reader is one’s doctoral supervisor, who is allotted time to speak about the thesis and to ask clarifying questions. The second reader serves more or less like a prosecutor. His job is to challenge the work generally by asking the tougher questions. The whole process can basically feel like defending a case inside a courtroom! What advice would you give someone who is thinking about pursuing doctoral studies at a Pontifical Roman university? Firstly, I would advise future doctoral candidates to pick a topic that interests them, because they will be working on the same topic for years. Secondly, in the case of priests, they should view their doctoral studies in light of their pastoral work. There is a real priestly sacrifice to studying full-time. One is always a priest before one is an academic. What helps one to persevere, in addition to finding the right support, academic discipline, and determination to finish, is the thought of doing it out of service for the people back in one’s diocese. Placing one’s studies in this perspective helps prepare one better to serve the people of God. n
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Learning Continues at the Casa O’Toole JOSHUA HILL ‘23, DIOCESE OF BISMARCK
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espite the fluctuating regulations surrounding the various demands of the pandemic, the Institute for Continuing Theological Education (ICTE) at the Casa O’Toole (COT) has steadily remained a house of learning. Rather than being a place of learning for priests on sabbatical, it has served as a distance-learning classroom for those of us in our second year of theological studies at the Angelicum. Indeed, online classes are not the preferred method of long-term academic formation. However, I very much enjoyed distance learning at the COT this past semester, for it had more than enough resources to accommodate our academic needs. A major benefit during these recent periods of communal lockdown, in which cabin fever can quickly form, was that the COT, while remaining on the College grounds, still provided us with a healthy sense of “getting out of the house.” Additionally, instead of a forty-five-minute commute to class, we grew to enjoy our five-minute commute! This time-saving difference
Students from the Class of 2023 attend online Angelicum lectures at the Casa O'Toole.
gave us the opportunity to pray before and/or after class without having to rush back to the College in the midst of the Roman traffic. This balance of close proximity, while remaining far enough removed, was both refreshing and conducive to distance learning. Another delightful feature of taking classes on-site was the fully serviced COT kitchen, which proved very helpful during our class breaks. The kitchen is equipped with a couple of American-style coffee makers and an
assortment of snacks. This provided us with the fuel needed to engage in a full morning of theological studies. All things considered, thanks to the resouces of COT and the gracious welcome of the ICTE Director, Fr. Edward Linton, OSB, we were able to stay consistently and effectively engaged in our distance learning, despite the distractions of the fluctuating regulations and circumstances of the pandemic. n
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With A Father’s Heart REV. ADAM PARK ‘05, VICE-RECTOR FOR SEMINARY LIFE
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hen plans do not go the way we expect, when surprises get thrown our way, and life gets stressful and lonely, there in the messiness of our situation, we encounter Jesus Christ, and what better example can we have to help us persevere in our vocation during hardships than St. Joseph. Was it exactly according to Joseph’s plan to have our Savior born in Bethlehem in a stable? What plans did he come up with to welcome the Son of God into the world? But none of his plans happened. I wonder the amount of frustration and anxiety Joseph had, knowing that Mary was close to giving birth but having to make a one-hundred-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and finally, upon arriving in Bethlehem, lacking a decent place to stay. What feelings of inadequacy or failure did Joseph have with what he was asked to do? How messed up this whole situation would have seemed as Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. But while everything seemed messed up, that was the situation into which God wanted to be born. For God to become man, Jesus did not avoid all the imperfections of the situation, and it was in that messiness that Joseph saw God incarnate. The first time Joseph held the infant Jesus in his arms, none of that messiness mattered, because how quickly he came to know his role as father. Patris corde. “With a father’s heart: that is how Joseph loved Jesus.” In
Seminarians and priests from the Archdiocese of Washington pose for a photo in front of the refectory Christmas tree.
these opening words of the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter proclaiming the Year of St. Joseph, and especially in light of the messiness of the pandemic situation, Joseph provides us a helpful lens to see what really matters in the midst of hardships.
our community. Without travel opportunities, they have organized fraternal events in house. Without being able to visit Roman churches, they have been renewed in their faith with our time together in prayer and worship.
Receiving the gaze of his Savior from the eyes of the infant child, Joseph’s fears and anxiety, his frustration over the situation, all melted away, and the only thing that mattered was to be faithful to his vocation. Letting go of all his fears and frustrations, and making room for divine love to fill his heart, changed Joseph, who immediately seized his role to be a father.
As our Holy Father wrote, “Joseph found happiness not in mere self-sacrifice but in self-gift. In him, we never see frustration but only trust. His patient silence was the prelude to concrete expressions of trust,” and I am grateful that members of this community have continued to place their trust in God in order to persevere in their vocations during this extraordinary time.
With a father’s heart is how the men at the College have persevered this year. They have shown an admirable spirit of cooperation and understanding—honest with the hardships but remaining positive and encouraging with one another. Without formal apostolates, they have reached out in service to
Not knowing what the months ahead will bring, the men of the College will uphold St. Joseph as our model, and may his intercession, along with that of his beloved spouse, help us all to receive the gaze of our Savior and seize our vocation with a father’s heart. n ROMAN ECHOES 2021 • VOLUME 25: ISSUE 3
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In Lieu of the 2021 Rector’s Dinner MARK RANDALL, CFRE • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
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ur student editorial team has produced yet another outstanding issue of Roman Echoes. These articles and photos give an inside view of what life is like at the Seminary, or at least what life has been like these past few months. We have an exciting project about to be unveiled that will also give viewers an up-close and personal interaction with our students and the community in which they live…read on! Sadly, we have been forced to cancel the 2021 Rector’s Dinner due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions in Italy and elsewhere. If you have been to the Dinner before, or even toured the College and met students, you were able to witness the mission of the North American College firsthand.
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A secondary goal was to preserve student involvement, just like at the Rector’s Dinner which is largely their production. Over the past few months, dozens of our students have taken background video, recorded scripts and interviews, provided musical samples, Prior to COVID, we welcomed several and so on. Just as you’ve seen in this issue of the magazine, the video team hundred visitors to campus each year. worked very hard to produce a piece Since none of us can get to Rome right that is sure to inspire, entertain, and now, we decided to “bring Rome home” encourage all viewers. in the form of a brief video. (Don’t Watch your mailbox for more informaworry, this is not another Zoom call!) tion, and ways in which you can support the College through this project, in lieu One of the key goals of the Rector’s Dinner each year is to say thank you to of the Rector’s Dinner. Typically, the our many benefactors who support the Dinner provides a significant portion of College so faithfully. In brainstorming our annual fundraising revenue, and we sessions with our students, we decided are hoping this video will motivate you to call this video, “Gratitude From the to renew your financial support. n Gianicolo” (referencing the hill upon To learn more, go to: pnac.org/gratitude. which the College sits.)
2021 Roman and Mediterranean Pilgrimage In prayerful expectation that travel will be possible by this fall, registration is now open for our 2021 Roman and Mediterranean Pilgrimage. The trip, October 2-9, 2021, features a few days in Rome for our Diaconate Ordinations at St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by an extraordinary sea journey to ports of call in Italy, France, and Malta. Learn more at www.pnac.org/cruise.
"The Lord asks us and, in the midst of our tempest, invites us to reawaken and put into practice that solidarity and hope capable of giving strength, support and meaning to these hours when everything seems to be floundering. The Lord awakens so as to reawaken and revive our Easter faith. We have an anchor: by his cross we have been saved. We have a rudder: by his cross we have been redeemed. We have a hope: by his cross we have been healed and embraced so that nothing and no one can separate us from his redeeming love.” ~
Pope Francis, Urbi et Orbi, March 27, 2020
The sun returns and a rainbow illuminates the sky after a Roman winter rainstorm. This view of the Roman skyline is taken from the observation deck at the top of the tower at the College.
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In lieu of the Rector’s Dinner
An online video premier you won’t want to miss! Join us for the premiere of a brief video that is sure to inspire, entertain, and encourage all who view it.
FREE to view on April 15, at Noon EDT There are several opportunities to the support the College in lieu of the Rector’s Dinner. Our Greeting from The Pontifical North American College
COMING SOON TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU!
For more information go to:
www.pnac.org/gratitude
