News Seminary and Vocations
Categories: All News, General, Apostolates, Events, Interviews & Press Coverage, Seminary & Vocations
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.
Click the images below to enlarge them.
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.
Click the images below to enlarge them.
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.
Click the images below to enlarge them.
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!
On Monday, June 30, 2008, first-year seminarians received their cassock from Monsignor Gilles Wach; they were tonsured the following day by the Most Rev. Basil Meeking, Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch, New Zealand. Bishop Meeking also conferred minor orders the same day and ordained the Institute's subdeacons and deacons on Wednesday, July 2. On Thursday, July 3, the Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke, newly appointed Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, ordained two priests of the Institute of Christ the King at the magnificent Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano in Florence. Following the ordinations was Solemn Benediction with the singing of the Te Deum at the seminary, presided over by His Eminence Silvano Cardinal Piovanelli, Archbishop Emeritus of Florence, who first welcomed the Institute in the Archdiocese of Florence eighteen years ago, in 1990.
In the Photo Gallery . . .
On Tuesday, May 27, 2008, Mr. Chad Templin and Mr. Alexander Barga received their cassocks from the Prior General of the Institute, Msgr. Gilles Wach, in the presence of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, and Msgr. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General of the Institute.
The ceremony took place at the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago.
On Friday, June 30 was the "Vestition," that is when first year seminarians receive their cassock; on Saturday, July 1 was the conferring of the tonsure by His Excellency Bishop Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago; on Sunday, July 2, was the conferring of minor orders by His Excellency Bishop Mathieu Madega, of Port-Gentil, Gabon; on Monday, July 3, at 4:30 PM was the ordination of deacons and subdeacons by His Excellency Bishop Luciano Giovanetti, Bishop of Fiesole, Italy; and on Tuesday, July 4 at 4:30 PM, priestly ordination was conferred by His Grace Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis. On Wednesday, July 5 the solemn hymn Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving.
View Images: Tonsure | Minor Orders | Diaconate and Subdiaconate | Priesthood.
Categories: All News, General, Apostolates, Events, Interviews & Press Coverage, Seminary & Vocations
