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On Monday, June 28, 2010, twelve first-year seminarians received their cassock from Monsignor Gilles Wach, Founder and Prior General, at the magnificent Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano in Florence. They were tonsured on June 29, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, by the Most Reverend Athanasius Schneider, ORC, Auxiliary Bishop in Kazakhstan, in the seminary chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Gricigliano. Bishop Schneider also conferred the Minor Orders of Porter, Lector, Exorcist, and Acolyte, the same day to over forty young men. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, Bishop of Oakland, California, ordained a deacon and several subdeacons on Wednesday, June 30.
On Thursday, July 1, Feast of the Most Precious Blood, the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, ordained three priests — Canon Aaron Huberfeld (Danbury, Connecticut), Canon Michael Stein (Washington DC area), and Canon Antoine Boucheron (Le Mans, France). That same evening, the Most Reverend Giuseppe Betori, Archbishop of Florence, offered Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament with Te Deum in the seminary chapel of Gricigliano. Archbishop Burke, Bishop Cordileone, and Bishop Schneider assisted at this solemn Liturgy, which was followed by a festive dinner on the seminary terrace and a fireworks display sponsored by various benefactors.
Holy Week is the high point of the Liturgical life of the seminary. This year Reverend Father de Robien OSB, a monk of the Benedictine Abbey Notre Dame de Randol, celebrated the solemn Palm Sunday Liturgy and preached a spiritual retreat for the seminarians. The blessed olive branches were cut from the olive tree groves on the seminary grounds, the liturgical rubrics allowing for the blessing of olive branches on Palm Sunday in those regions where olive trees are common.
Matins and Lauds are sung daily during the Triduum. The solemn Liturgy In Coena Domini on Holy Thursday was offered by Very Reverend Monsignor Wach, Founder and Prior General. The Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion and Death of Our Lord was celebrated by Canon Wulfran Lebocq, second Vice-Rector and seminary Choirmaster. Canon Karl Lenhardt, seminary spiritual director, was the celebrant of the Easter Vigil. Monsignor Wach offered the Solemn High Mass on Easter Sunday, and Reverend Canon Philippe Mora, seminary rector, presided at Solemn Vespers and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
In accordance with the Benedictine spirit of hospitality, many faithful and friends of the Institute are welcomed each year in Gricigliano for the Triduum and Easter.
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During the month of March the Institute celebrated the feast days of two holy patrons: St. Thomas Aquinas on March 8 and St. Benedict on March 22 (transferred this year from March 7 and March 21 respectively).
On the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Luciano Giovannetti, Bishop emeritus of the neighboring diocese of Fiesole, offered a Pontifical High Mass in the seminary chapel. Very Reverend Monsignor Gilles Wach, Founder and Prior General, offered a Solemn High Mass for the feast of Saint Benedict, and Reverend Canon Philippe Mora, seminary rector, presided over Solemn Vespers and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Following in the tradition of St. Benedict, in which the Liturgy of the canonical Hours has the central place in daily life, canons and oblates of the Institute pray in common certain Hours of the Divine Office each day, wearing the choir habit they have received by the Church. First year seminarians who have not yet received the cassock and sacred tonsure wear the blue cape over their civil clothing when they have a place in the choir during the Liturgy.
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On January 21, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Robert Finn, Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph (in which the Institute’s Old Saint Patrick’s Oratory is located) visited the international seminary in Gricigliano.
His Excellency was given a complete tour of the seminary buildings and grounds, including the various classrooms as well as the original Martelli chapel dating from the Baroque period. Afterwards a special luncheon was served in his honor. Bishop Finn expressed his joy to see the large and ever-increasing numbers of American seminarians.
His Excellency then visited the convent of the Sisters Adorers which is located a couple of miles from the seminary. There he celebrated Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the chapel and offered to the Sisters a spiritual exhortation and his paternal blessing.
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In December the Institute’s international seminary was honored to receive the visit of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Athanasius Schneider, ORC, Auxiliary Bishop in Kazakhstan, who has already celebrated Holy Mass at the Institute’s Mass apostolate in Rome at Chiesa Gesu e Maria.
His Excellency offered a Pontifical Low Mass in the seminary chapel of the Immaculate Conception and afterwards delivered a spiritual reflection to the seminarians on priestly spirituality. The Sisters Adorers also met with Bishop Schneider and received his blessing.
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As the already large number of seminarians from the United States continues to steadily increase, the celebration of American Thanksgiving at our International Seminary in Gricigliano, Italy, becomes grander with each passing year.
During the candlelight dinner which is served in the refectory, Reverend Canon Mora, Rector of the seminary, carved the large turkeys. The American seminarians bake over a dozen pumpkin pies for everyone. American flags are proudly displayed on each side of a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States. Traditional American music completes the festive atmosphere. Institute seminarians from around the world thus come to know and appreciate the American spirit which has inspired this traditional observance of giving thanks to God for His many blessings.
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On Monday, June 29, 2009, thirteen first-year seminarians received their cassock from Monsignor Gilles Wach; they were tonsured on June 30 by the Most Reverend Basil Meeking, Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch, New Zealand. Bishop Meeking also conferred minor orders the same day to over forty young men, in addition to ordaining several subdeacons on Wednesday, July 1.
Archbishop Burke reads a sermon at the priestly ordinationsOn Thursday, July 2, the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, ordained three priests — Canon Jason Apple (United States), Canon Raphael Ueda (Japan), and Canon Frederic Goupil (France) — at the magnificent Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano in Florence.
That same evening, the Most Reverend Giuseppe Betori, Archbishop of Florence, offered Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament with Te Deum in the seminary chapel of Gricigliano. Archbishop Burke and Bishop Meeking, as well as the Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone, Bishop of Oakland, California, assisted at this solemn Liturgy, which was followed by a festive dinner on the seminary terrace and fireworks display.
The next day, each of the newly ordained priests offered his first Mass. On Sunday, July 5, Canon Ueda celebrated his first Solemn High Mass.
Photos of the Events
On the feast of Saint Benedict, co-patron of the Institute, Franc Cardinal Rode, Prefect of the the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, ordained six young men to the diaconate: one Italian, two Americans, and three French. Many friends and supporters of the Institute came to Gricigliano for this beautiful Pontifical High Mass of Ordination in the seminary chapel. May Saint Benedict intercede for these six young deacons, that they may be faithful servants of the Church according to the spirit and mission which the Institute has received.
His Eminence also visited the convent of the Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Sovereign Priest, the female branch of the Institute, and celebrated Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the convent chapel.
As the already large number of seminarians from the United States continues to steadily increase, the celebration of American Thanksgiving at our International Seminary in Gricigliano, Italy, becomes grander with each passing year.
During the candlelight dinner which is served in the refectory, Monsignor Wach and Reverend Canon Mora, Rector of the seminary, carve the large turkeys. The American seminarians bake over a dozen pumpkin pies for everyone. American flags are proudly displayed on each side of a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States. Traditional American music completes the festive atmosphere. Institute seminarians from around the world thus come to know and appreciate the American spirit which has inspired this traditional observance of giving thanks to God for His many blessings.
After an opening spiritual retreat preached by Monsignor Wach, our Founder and Prior General, fourteen young men from several countries, including two from Great Britain and four from the United States, have entered our seminary in Gricigliano to begin the first year of their priestly formation. Thirteen of the newcomers are shown in the photo below. Please pray for these young men, who so much rely upon your support today in order to be your priests of tomorrow!
Categories: All News, General, Apostolates, Events, Interviews & Press Coverage, Seminary & Vocations
