Apostolates Update

Rev. Mr. James Morgan '22 (Washington) and Rev. Mr. Stephen Delia '22 (Paterson) prepare food packages from the College's St. Lawrence Pantry to distribute to the poor on the streets of Rome.

Apostolates Andiamo!

REV. DAVID HULSHOF ‘81, DIRECTOR OF APOSTOLIC FORMATION

The Italian word andiamo means “Let’s Go!” That is how the students feel at the North American College as they reengage the twenty-three apostolic ministries that were mainly put on hold during COVID-19. Except for the three or four apostolic works where the seminarians cannot yet return due to health restrictions (mainly to the sick and elderly), others are in full swing.

As Director of Apostolic Formation, I am proud of how our men have taken on their weekly ministries with a heartfelt desire to serve

God’s people, even during unsure times. Among their apostolic works, PNAC seminarians are serving seven American universities

Rev. Mr. James Morgan '22 (Washington) and Rev. Mr. Stephen Delia '22 (Paterson) prepare food packages from the College's St. Lawrence Pantry to distribute to the poor on the streets of Rome.

who have fall and spring semester programs in Rome. These individual programs may bring in 100 or more students per semester. Usually, one or two days each week our men converse with the students about faith, provide Mass opportunities, retreats, and various types of prayer experiences. Other seminarians serve in Roman parishes with religious education programs, where they assist with First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation as well as with formation for the sacrament of Confirmation. Our seminarians engage these children in Italian, Spanish, and English languages, depending on the parish’s needs. Some seminarians are involved in ministry to the poor, working alongside the Missionaries of Charity with the health care of indigent men and serving in soup kitchens. Other seminarians offer tours to the pilgrims who come to Rome. They share with visitors the beauty and history of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul. Another apostolate lies in the excavations beneath St. Peter’s, the Scavi tour, which is a powerful reminder of the Catholic faith from which these structures took shape. Several seminarians travel to a U.S. Air Force base in the North of Italy while others travel to a Navy base in the South to minister to the enlisted and their families over a weekend. Still others are involved in local hospital and prison ministry. In short, our men are ready and willing when it comes to multiple kinds of service.

As a seminarian at the College many years ago, I remember my experiences first working with the poor, then in a hospital, and finally serving as a deacon in an Italian parish. Those fulfilling ministries helped form me to return to my home diocese.

Some may question whether seminarians in Rome are getting the “hands on” experiences that their fellow seminarians are receiving in the United States. To that inquiry, I can answer a resounding “yes!” It is a joy for me to visit the various apostolic communities our men serve and offer words of guidance, encouragement, and support. Each semester, seminarians spend time in theological reflection and evaluation regarding their ministries. Their home dioceses will benefit from what the churches, schools, care facilities, and soup kitchens of Rome have taught them. n

The Flame of Spiritual Fatherhood

REV. MR. GRANT DVORAK ’22, DIOCESE OF BISMARCK

Iserve as a chaplain to twenty-two students from the University of Mary who are abroad for a semester in Rome. It is a very particular ministry, but one which time and again has stoked the flame which first captivated my attention in high school. It inspired me to pursue the vocation of the priesthood after attending the University of Mary myself: the flame of spiritual fatherhood.

Every man experiences the desire to provide, to sacrifice, and to hand on what he has received—it is ingrained in his heart. For the natural father, wife and children beckon from him these aspects of his vocation in a concrete, tangible way. For those called to the priesthood, these desires are no less waiting to be fulfilled.

"Where there is sadness, let me sow joy" (St. Francis). Students from the University of Mary and their chaplains smile for a selfie on a visit to Assisi, the home and resting place of Sts. Francis and Clare.

What does this look like from the perspective of a man in the seminary serving as a university chaplain? As a deacon, I have begun to exercise my ministry by teaching the faith, preaching the Word of God, and simply being present with the students in the community. These are the “active” aspects of the apostolate, but they are the manifestation of years of formation in seminary—hours of preparation for homilies, intercessory prayer for students and their families, and studying and praying with Scripture. I have experienced in a profound way the fulfillment of my desire for spiritual fatherhood by providing an encounter with Christ, by lifting up the intentions of students in a sacrifice of praise, and by handing on the gift of the formation I have received.

The latest news and photos from Rome.

Over 15,000 followers, fans, and friends – join us!

facebook.com/PontificalNorthAmericanCollege instagram.com/pnac_rome Spiritual fatherhood is not simply a pious reflection, for it is as real as the true source of all fatherhood: God himself. It is a participation in the fatherhood of God, for which he provides uniquely in the heart of every man. My time as a chaplain at the University of Mary has enhanced my conviction that I am called to the vocation of the priesthood because it is just a taste of what happens when a man is conformed to Christ the Priest at his ordination. God placed the flame of spiritual fatherhood in my heart. He fanned that flame in my experience as a seminarian chaplain, and it is he who is the fire of love present in the heart of the priest. n

David Lee ’24 (Nashville) stands before the stained glass window of St. Teresa of Calcutta. (Right): The note left by Mother Teresa to seminarians of the College during her visit in 1985.

I Thirst

DAVID LEE ’24, DIOCESE OF NASHVILLE

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God” (2 Cor 1:2-3).

When we first begin seminary formation, many of us look forward to the days of priestly ministry, when we will be spiritual fathers who comfort the People of God in their suffering and affliction. Yet, we often overlook the need to allow God the Father to first heal us of our own afflictions so that we may become more perfect ambassadors of his love. If we do not allow the Father to be our source of encouragement and love, then we will never truly be spiritual fathers in the way that God desires.

One of the challenges I experienced as a result of the pandemic was the temporary suspension of apostolic ministry. Thus, the opportunity for me to serve with the Missionaries of Charity this semester has been an incredible gift and joy. Each week a few seminarians from the College help the religious sisters care for the sick and homeless at their home near the Circus Maximus. Often we help with household chores such as cooking dinner or doing laundry. Other times, we are asked to help bathe the men who are physically unable to do so themselves. This apostolate has reawakened within me a thirst and desire to serve others that had gone dormant during the pandemic. This thirst was something that Mother Teresa herself desired to instill within the hearts of her Missionaries of Charity—she had them reflect on Christ’s words from the cross: “I Thirst.”

My experience of being surrounded by these sisters and serving their ministry has strengthened my desire to be a spiritual father who lives his life in service of others. Yet, I have also grown in the understanding of my own need to first thirst for God the Father’s love and encouragement. It is only by growing in love with the Father that I can truly be a spiritual father capable of encouraging others in their own thirsts and afflictions. n

Leading Pilgrims to the Tomb of St. Peter: the Scavi Apostolate

KELBY TINGLE ’23, DIOCESE OF SHREVEPORT

After graduating from high school and shortly before beginning seminary formation, I had the wonderful experience of making a pilgrimage to Rome with my parish. It was my first time traveling outside of the United States, and I was struck by the history, architecture, and culture of Italy. However, one experience stood out above all others—the tour through the ancient necropolis lying beneath the present-day St. Peter’s Basilica, which is commonly referred to as the Scavi (the Italian word for “excavations”). I remember being impacted by the first- century structures surrounding me but also by the presence of the prince of the apostles: St. Peter. pilgrims and tourists alike through the necropolis to the bones of St. Peter. During the sixty-minute tour, the visitor looks upon twenty-four beautifully constructed mausoleums that reveal the fervent devotion and

Today, six years later, I consider myself blessed to serve as a tour guide of the Scavi apostolate and have frequent opportunities to lead

Kelby Tingle ’23 (Shreveport) stands in front of the entrance to the Scavi of St. Peter’s tomb. Kelby gives tours of the Scavi to English-speaking pilgrims.

F i r m u m E s t C o r M e u m Firmvm Est

Rome in your in-box! Sign up to receive our free monthly e-newsletter, “Firmum Est.” News, photos, student profiles, and historical snapshots. bit.ly/PNACnews faith of the early Christians during the Church’s infancy. The tour not only manifests the complex architectural styles of antiquity, but it is also a reminder of the deep, rich history of the Church in Rome. While the Vatican was once seen as a barren piece of land, the Christians in the first centuries after Christ’s death faithfully journeyed to a small necropolis lying nearby to pray before the earthly remains of St. Peter. By seeing the early Christian symbols in the mosaics, reading the prayers engraved in the walls, and hearing the story of their faith, I am reminded of the holiness of the place and inspired by the beautiful witness of the holy men and women who once walked through it. In a wonderful way, seventeen centuries later we are given the opportunity to do the same.

As guides of the apostolate, we do not journey through the necropolis alone; we are blessed to lead men and women from various backgrounds along this experience. Before, during, and after the tour, I have cherished opportunities to spend time with visitors considering and asking questions about the faith. The tour’s conclusion at the relics of St. Peter is powerful, as it offers the guide the opportunity to pray with and for the group through the intercession of the one upon whom Christ founded his Church. Just as the early Christians approached the tomb of St. Peter to place their prayer intentions before him, we do the same. n

Teaching through Witness

PAULO SALAZAR ’24, DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN

"If the priest is to be a teacher, he must first be a student who continuously pursues an understanding of the faith to which he commits himself and invites his people" (USCCB, Program of Priestly Formation 163).

Earlier in the semester, the second-year theologians attended a formation night on the art of teaching as a priest. The conference, led by Fr. John

Cush '98, C'15 (Brooklyn) and Mrs.

Marie Rosa (my high-school Latin teacher from Cathedral Prep Seminary in Elmhurst, New York), provided us with excellent examples and wise advice on what it means for the priest to be a teacher. This conference also contained a practical component—we separated into groups and created our own lesson plans to teach about the Immaculate Conception in a wide range of settings: to RCIA candidates, First Communion students, seminarians, and high-school theology students.

We learned about the intricacies of teaching, distinguishing pedagogy from andragogy (teaching adults), and about the importance of the ministry of presence. It was a joy to watch many of my classmates teach their lessons, and I found this exercise to be personally enriching because it displayed the impact not only of the priest’s words, but of his presence as a teacher within the classroom.

This formation conference allowed me to reflect on my own Catholic education, which was shaped by many priests who took the time to come into the classroom to meet and teach the students. The aspect this conference repeatedly emphasized was not only the style in which one teaches, but also the way in which one is present for and with the class. Whether it is accompanying someone in an RCIA program through his faith journey or teaching second-graders about Holy Communion, they remember the priest.

Watching my classmates, I noticed the intimate connection between the act of teaching and of being a priest. The very nature of the priesthood encompasses teaching. You teach through your preaching, through your priestly functions, and through your faithful witness. We learned how much people desire to see the priest not only during Mass but outside of it as well. When people see a priest teaching with joy, it is a transmissible joy—it touches their own hearts, bringing to life a passion for what the priest is teaching. Having been taught by priests for a great portion of my life, I can attest to how they have helped me love the beauty of Catholic doctrine and understand the idea of embodying it by being a faithful witness. The priest teaches, not only through the sharing of his knowledge, but also by his love and faithfulness to it. n