Spiritual Formation

2021–2022 Annual Report SPIRITUAL FORMATION:

Reflecting on the Work of God

REV. MR. MICHAEL NUGENT ’23, DIOCESE OF ARLINGTON

Josemaría Escrivá, the twentieth-century Spanish saint and founder of Opus Dei, once related how he observed fishermen dragging their boat onto shore after a day’s work. Slowly marching up the sandy banks, the men were pulling heavy ropes connected to the boat laden with nets full of fish. Greeting them from the shore was a boy who was keen to help with this exciting task.

With great forbearing, the men allowed the boy to join in. At times, the boy was truly contributing and pulled the ropes in the right direction. At other times, the boy—despite his eagerness to help—was comically in the way and even seemed to be working against forward progress! Delighted with the child’s joyful presence, the patient fishermen did not mind. Of course, it was the men’s efforts that were the predominant cause of the boats finally coming ashore.

Rev. Mr. Dillon Bruce '22 (Richmond), Rev. Brendan Hurley, SJ, John Lado '23 (Washington), and Nicholas Le '23 (Atlanta) during the diaconate prayer vigil, during which a candle-light procession is made to the College's statue of Mary Immaculate to ask her intercession for the soon-to-be-ordained deacons.

Commenting on this scene, St. Josemaría observed a clear image of the spiritual life. Our heavenly Father is doing the work of saving mankind, yet he welcomes and delights in his children’s eager—though imperfect—efforts to contribute to his task of salvation. The same can be said for this year in spiritual formation at the College: God is doing the work of conforming us more and more to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and he smiles on all the various ways in which we have played our small part.

There has been tremendous breadth in the College’s spiritual formation activities this year, particularly as COVID restrictions subsided across Europe. By beginning the year with our silent retreats in Greccio, Ariccia, and Rocca di Papa, we learned to more deeply prioritize prayer as the central activity of our lives. These foundational experiences were bolstered by nights of overnight Eucharistic adoration in the College’s Assumption Chapel, days of recollection in Lent and Advent, spiritual conferences by formators, countless hours of meditative prayer, and grace-filled conversations with friends, classmates, and professors.

With experiences as diverse as joining Holy Week processions in Seville, making pilgrimages to Lourdes and Loreto, serving at parishes in Padua and Madrid, and ministering to Ukrainian refugees in Lublin, travel throughout Europe has also provided men in the College with unique opportunities to prayerfully prepare for a life in priestly ministry. The Station Church Pilgrimage during Lent returned in full this year, allowing our community to pray with the saints of Christian antiquity across the Eternal City. Our studies, apostolates, and encounters with the poor in Rome similarly offer us the chance to participate in the gradual work of God’s grace.

It cannot be emphasized enough that we rely daily on prayerful support from the Christian faithful. Thank you for your ongoing contribution to “pulling the boats ashore” alongside us this year!