"O Lord, send us many holy priests!" It is the custom in the worldwide apostolates of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest to add this invocation to the Divine Praises which are recited at each Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. By the grace of God obtained through the prayers of the Institute's family and friends, the numbers of seminarians have steadily increased over the last several years. Of the 80 men who are currently enrolled at St. Philip Neri International Seminary in Gricigliano, near Florence, Italy, in order to become priests for Holy Mother Church, one in every three comes from the United States and Canada. Having participated in the preparatory year of discernment and formation in the Institute's apostolates in the United States, these nearly thirty North American seminarians then proceed over the course of seven years to mount the altar step by step, receiving the various Minor and Major Orders of the Church after much prayer, study, and work in the community life of the international seminary.
Priestly Ordinations conferred by Cardinal Burke in July, 2013With heartfelt gratitude to Divine Providence, it is our joy to announce the upcoming priestly ordinations which will take place this summer in the United States. With the gracious permission of His Grace, the Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis, several American deacons will be ordained to the holy priesthood at St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, Feast of Our Lady of the Snows. The Sacrament of Holy Orders will be conferred by His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, during the solemn Pontifical Mass which will be offered on this feast in honor of Mary Immaculate, principal patroness of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.
The Institute's Founder and Prior General, Very Reverend Monsignor Gilles Wach, along with the Seminary Rector and Co-Founder, Reverend Canon Philippe Mora, will be present for this special occasion, along with many Canons and members of the Institute family. The names of those to be ordained will be announced in the coming months after the important period of exams and scrutiny which is a necessary part of preparation before Holy Orders.
The Institute is profoundly grateful to all who have offered prayers for these future priests, especially through the St. Philip Neri Seminary Society's program of spiritual adoption by which the faithful pray daily for a particular seminarian. With deep appreciation the Institute likewise is very thankful to all of the generous benefactors of its International Seminary, especially to those charitable persons who have made donations to the special appeal of the St. Philip Neri Seminary Society for the tuition support of needy seminarians who cannot afford this cost.
The Institute welcomes all friends and faithful who would like to attend this Ordination ceremony. Details will be made available in the coming months. Everyone is likewise invited to pray for these several deacons as they prepare to become ordained sons of Christ the King Sovereign Priest at the service of Holy Mother Church and for the good of souls.