Allen Hall Seminary News ALLEN HALL, 28 BEAUFORT STREET, LONDON SW3 5AA
Autumn 2016
From the Rector By Canon Roger Taylor, Rector In 1975 Allen Hall moved home from rural Hertfordshire, a more monastic setting, to the busy heart of London. Whilst some may have missed the rolling countryside, one of the great blessings has been our access to a rich vein of pastoral experience. In Pastores dabo vobis – I will give you Shepherds – Pope Saint John Paul II wrote of seminarians’ formation – ‘The whole formation … aims at preparing them to enter into communion with the charity of Christ the good shepherd … all directed to a specific pastoral end.’
Consequently, we give tremendous weight to pastoral formation here at Allen Hall, giving the men as wide an experience as we can of different pastoral situations. This includes work in parishes, hospitals and hospices, with refugee and traveller groups, with the less able, in schools, in prisons and with young offenders. In addition, their third year of formation is usually spent entirely in a parish, experiencing first hand the life of a priest, so that they have full, hands-on awareness of the kind of life they, too, may be being called to live. In this issue, a number of the men speak about their own recent experiences of pastoral formation, which gives a taste of what we do. As Pope Saint John Paul II says, this is not just about equipping men with skills, but asking them to enter into the pastoral charity of Christ, and it is one of the great privileges as a priest to be allowed to share so deeply in other people’s lives.
Ordinations
From left to right: Fr Tony Thomas, Fr Chinedu Udo, Fr Tom Montgomery, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Fr Christian de Lisle, Fr John Scott, Fr Damian Ryan
By Jonathan Whitby-Smith, Fifth Year (Nottingham) - Editor On the 25th June this year, Cardinal year, and Reverend Michael Maguire Vincent Nichols ordained six of our a part time appointment on weekends Allen Hall men to the Priesthood at whilst he completes his theological Westminster Cathedral. We studies. Please keep them in your congratulate Frs Christian de Lisle, prayers as they approach priestly Tom Montgomery, Damian Ryan, John ordination in June 2017. Scott, Tony Thomas and Chinedu Udo At the priestly ordinations this year, on their ordinations. It was a Cardinal Vincent reflected on the wonderful occasion and a great joy to essential closeness of the priest to see many years of prayer, careful Jesus Christ. He called on the newly discernment, and much hard work, ordained, and all of us, to live lives come to fruition for the Diocese. that are marked by unfailing charity, Likewise on the 11th June four other selflessness, gentleness and patience Allen Hall students were ordained to a life where Christ is centre stage and the Diaconate. Reverends Julio we point to him. This dual closeness Albornoz, Joseph Okoro and Carlos and witness to Christ demonstrates Quito have now taken up full time that priesthood is necessarily pastoral appointments for the next missionary in its character. It is about 1
bringing others to Christ, sharing the good news with them, and helping them along the path of faith. The great example the Cardinal gave was that of Saint John Southworth, a missionary priest, whose relics rest in Westminster Cathedral. Saint John Southworth’s vision of the priesthood was pragmatic, prayer centred and deeply missionary. It is that vision which the Cardinal encouraged all present to ponder and take forward that we might be a church close to Christ, wise of the world, and outward looking. Please pray for our newly ordained men undertaking their first appointments - and keep praying for more priests.