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WHAT’S AHEAD AT XXIII

FROM THE RECTOR’S DESK

POPE ST. JOHN XXIII NATIONAL SEMINARY

WHAT'S INSIDE:

• “Looking for a Few Good Men” • The Class of 2017 Memories• Seminarian Corner• Where Are They Now?• Pastoral Formation• The Diaconate• Year in Review

The Path to PriesthoodAs is our custom the Spring issue focuses on our 4th Theology Class—our graduates!

Their brief biographies and reflections on their years here at Pope St. John, I believe, willfurther your appreciation for our priestly formation program.

Additionally, you will learn of the many milestones our seminarians must achieve on their jour-ney to priesthood. We will describe the roles of their Bishop and Vocation Directors in theirdiscernment process as well some of the elements of the Seminary formation process. Specif-

ically, in this issue, we will describe how their various Pastoral Ministry assignments complement their liturgical andacademic studies—and prepare them for parish ministry.

We have also included an article describing the journey of several of our men to the Diaconate—the final milestonebefore priesthood.

In our “Where Are They Now” segment we feature the recent installation of an alumnus,Most Rev. Roy Campbell ’07 to the Episcopate as an Auxiliary Bishop of Washington,DC. He is our third alumnus who has been installed a Bishop.

Finally, we’ve concluded a brief review of “happenings” in our “Around the Seminary”segment as well as a photo collage of the past year.

As always, I thank you for your prayerful and generous support.

Very Rev. Brian R. Kiely, Rector

AUGUSTArrival of new students Aug.23 (Wed.)Arrival of upper classes Aug.30 (Wed.)Orientation for entire student body Aug.31 (Thurs.)

SEPTEMBERMass of the Holy Spirit Sept.1 (Fri.)Labor Day Sept. 4 (Mon.)Classes begin Sept.5 (Tues.)Full Faculty Meeting Sept. 12 (Tues.)Lawn Party Sept. 27 (Wed.)

OCTOBERRetreat (beginning in the evening) Oct. 8 (Sun.)Retreat (ending at noon) Oct.13 (Fri.)Regular Pastoral Assignments Oct. 14-15 (Sat.-Sun.)Classes Resume Oct.16 (Mon.)Alumni Days Oct. 17 & 18 (Tues./Wed.)

NOVEMBERVeteran’s Day (classes held) Nov.11 (Sat.)Thanksgiving vacation Nov.21 (Tues.)Classes resume Nov.27 (Mon.)

DECEMBERLast Class Day Dec.13 (Wed.)Study Day Dec.14 (Thurs.)Examinations Dec. 15-19 (F.,S.,M.-T.)

JANUARYSecond Semester begins Jan.12 (Fri.)Martin Luther King Day (no classes) Jan.15 (Mon)Full Faculty Meeting Jan.16 (Tues.)National March for Life Jan.19 (Fri.)

FEBRUARYPresidents’ Day (no classes) Feb. 19 (Mon.)Ash Wednesday (no classes) Feb.14 (Wed.)

MARCHMid-semester break begins March 5 (Mon.)Classes Resume March 12 (Mon.)Easter Break begins March 28 (Wed.)

APRILClasses resume April 9 (Mon.)

MAYLast Class Day May 7 (Mon.)Study Day May 8 (Tues.)Examinations May 9-12 (Wed.-Sat.)

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The year in review...“Looking for a Few Good Men…”

Like the Marine Corps ourSeminary is also “lookingfor a few good men”; how-ever, unlike the Corps wedo not have a multi-milliondollar advertising budget!

Over the years we haveformed seminarians from over 40 states and foreign coun-tries. In fact, our current enrollment represents some 21states and Puerto Rico, Africa and Vietnam. While manydioceses are well aware of our “second career” formationhere at PSJS, there is a continuing need to “tell our story”as Diocesan Vocation Directors typically change everythree years and their Bishops are often reassigned or retire.

So how do we find these men?

While we have significantly upgraded our website and so-cial media communications (we are now on Instagram,Twitter, Flikr, Facebook and Linked In), we have found themost effective way to share our mission is through personalvisits with the Bishops and Vocation Directors in their dio-cese or encouraging them to visit us.

To that end, this year I have visited with the Bishops in thedioceses of St. Augustine, Orlando, Palm Beach, Veniceand St. Petersburg while in Florida for our Annual NaplesDonor Reception. In addition to providing a general updateI shared our new “Spanish Certificate Program” which wasenthusiastically received. This program, generously under-written by the Flatley Foundation, is a necessity for menwho will serve not only in Florida dioceses but also in theSouthern, Western and other regions of our country.

Again this year we hosted our annual breakfast for someforty Bishops at the National Catholic Conference of Bish-ops. I also attended the National Rectors’ Conference andmet recently with the Bishop of Oklahoma and will meetwith the Archbishop of Miami in the coming weeks at theordination of Joe Maalouf ’17.

The communication cycle, as mentioned, is two way. Thisyear we had 23 Vocation Directors and 17 Bishops visitus—some for the very first time. We also held our AnnualDiscernment Weekend, hosted by Cardinal Seán, Arch-bishop of Boston, with 13 individuals attending—despitea large snowstorm the day before.

And our Vocations Liaison, Ken Watts, since the beginningof the year, has fielded 100+ telephone and email inquiriesrequesting information about our “second career” program.

As you can see, for such a significant individual decisionwe rely on the personal approach to find our “few good men”!

Class of 2020 Arriving August 2016

Cardinal Seán Discernment Weekend 2017

Most Reverend FelipeEstévez, the Bishop ofthe Diocese of St. Au-gustine, has five semi-narians in formation atPope St. John XXIII Na-tional Seminary.

“Pope St. John XXIIISeminary has a uniqueskill and charism for nur-turing the vocations ofsecond career seminarians. They accomplish this withan outstanding faculty which is focused squarely onhelping the man discern his vocation, and by treatingthe seminarian's past life experiences as remote prepa-ration and building upon that. All of this is done with-out cutting any academic or formational corners.PSJS's pastoral and spiritual formation works to pro-duce priests who are both holy and approachable andwork well in any parish setting.” —Most Reverend Felipe Estévez,

Bishop of St. Augustine

Bishop Estévez and Rev. Kiely

Eleven Seminarians proclaim their Solemn Oath of Fidelity

Candlelight Vigil at Planned Parenthood

Gifts of $1,000 donated to Toys for TotsCommunity Mass

Blessing of the Chalices Forty PSJS seminarians and faculty at The March for Life

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Class of ‘17 Presents Seminary Gifts

SAVE THE DATE!

The Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary graduationClass of 2017.

As we say a temporary goodbye and celebrate this classthat has contributed so much to the XXIII community,the members of the class were asked to reflect on theiryears of formation and answer the following questions:

• What was your most memorable moment?

• What will you miss most (can’t mention meals!)?

The Class of 2017 Bids Farewell

Cardinal Seán and Class of 2017

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ANTHONY CIPOLLE DIOCESE OF PORTLAND, ME

Prior to entering the Seminary, Anthony worked in the automotive industry and owned a plumb-ing company.

“Thank you to both Bishop Deeley and Bishop Malone for believing in me. I am forever grateful tothe people of the Diocese of Portland and also to Pope St. John XXIII Seminary for providing me withfist-rate formation (Human, Intellectual, Pastoral, and Spiritual). Memorable moments: Fr. Hoppough,C.S.S. explaining how time is a gift from God and the Divine Office is our expression of praise and

thanksgiving.”

Deacon Anthony will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Portland on November 18 at the Cathedral of theImmaculate Conception.

MARK BRANTLEY DIOCESE OF DODGE CITY, KS

Prior to entering the Seminary, Mark was an Air Force KC-135 pilot and also flew commercial aircraft.

“Be merciful. Be Merciful. Be merciful.”

Most memorable moment: “Walking up the hill toward the US Supreme Court on the March for Lifeand looking back and seeing the incredible crowd.”

Miss the most: “The people!”

Deacon Mark will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dodge City on June 3 at the Cathedral of Our Lady ofGuadalupe.

The Class of 2017 has donated a variety of gifts in appreciation fortheir years of formation at PSJS. Class President, John Cronin, and sev-eral other members of the class presented Fr. Kiely with a number ofgifts. Perhaps the most apparent and striking is the new Crucifix hang-ing in the Learning Center. It is visible once one enters the lobby. Thecorpus is beautifully detailed and was hand-carved in Italy.

The Class also purchased four altar cloths fitted to the main chapel altarand refurbished one of the chalices that gets frequent use during com-munity Masses. The class also donated a bench for reflection in frontof the St. Francis statue. Finally, Gloria Gaskin, who has designed vest-ments for the Seminary and priest graduates of PSJS, is working on a white cope and humeral veil.

Around the Seminary...

PSJS 36th Annual Lawn PartyWednesday, September 27, 2017

In November, the Most Rev. Robert E. Evans, AuxiliaryBishop of Providence, installed eleven men in the Min-istry of Reader... the following month, one of our trustees,Most Rev. James Massa, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn,installed fourteen of our men to the Ministry of Acolyte.….Ed Shikina ’18 praying at the Western Wall of the Jew-ish Temple in Jerusalem this past Christmas break. Edplaced the names of everyone in the PSJS community atone of the holiest sites in the world…In late January, theMost Rev. Mitchell Rozanski, Bishop of Springfield, whohas three men in formation here, visited and celebratedMass for the community...In February, the Most Rev.Allen F. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit, was the Princi-pal celebrant and homilist for the Installation of the ThirdTheologians as Candidates for Holy Orders...Msgr.William Fay of the Archdiocese of Boston directed theDay of Recollection on Ash Wednesday...During the firstweek in May, faculty, staff and seminarians participatedin the 2nd Annual Spring Bocce Tournament – manylaughs and lots of strategic competition!...Cardinal SeánO’Malley was onsite and blessed the dedication photo ofMary and Jack Shaughnessy in the Learning Center Pavil-ion……Seminarians continued their Thursday trips toPlanned Parenthood in Boston as witnesses to life, prayingand saying the Rosary… we welcomed a variety of groupsusing our Learning Center for quarterly meetings, and welook forward to having the Catholic Home School Groupconduct their field day on our campus at the end of theirschool year!

Blessing of the new Crucifix

Blessing of the Shaughnessy Pavilion

Sr. Mary Jude...bocce player! Msgr. Fay

Ed Shikina ‘18 praying at the Western Wall

Since the earliest days of theChurch, deacons have exercised asignificant ministerial role.

The origin of the diaconate min-istry can be traced back to the ac-count in the Acts of the Apostles6:1-7 where the early Christian com-munity elected seven men to providefood distribution to the Greek-speaking widows of the Church.Paul the Apostle includes deacons in

the opening exhortation in his Letter to the Philippians 1:1.In his First Letter to Timothy 3:8-13, Paul enumerates thequalities that should characterize the deacon’s ministrywhich included preaching the Gospel. Saint Stephen, whowas among the original seven deacons, was stoned to deathbecause of his preaching and became the first martyr of theChurch (Acts 6:8-15; 7: 54-60).

The Church Fathers provide details about the dea-con’s ministry. They served as assistants to the Bishop,

who appointed them to ad-ministrative duties withinthe community and to di-rect the ministries of char-ity. At liturgical rites, thedeacons served as princi-pal assistants to theBishop, proclaimed theGospel and chanted the in-

tercessions of the universal Prayer. They received from thepeople the offerings of bread and wine and the offerings forthe poor. Deacons administered the Precious Blood to com-municants and provided directions for the participation ofthe people. After the celebration of the Eucharist, deaconsbrought the Eucharist to the sick and they distributed thecommunity offerings to the needy.

Following the directives of the Second VaticanCouncil, Pope Paul the VI issued two documents, SacrumDiaconatus Ordinem in 1967 and Minsteria Quaedam in1972 which brought renewed emphasis to the Ministry ofDeacons and outlined the responsibilities for transitionaland permanent deacons. Candidates for ordination to thepriesthood would be ordained to the transitional diaconateas a time of apprenticeship for priestly ministry. Marriedmen and single men would be ordained to the permanentdiaconate and commit themselves to that ministry for the restof their lives.

Typically, students at Pope St. John XXIII National Semi-nary are ordained transitional deacons at the end of theirthird year of formation. The ordination normally takes placein the student’s home diocese with his own Bishop presid-ing. The new deacons spend the majority of the summerin a parish assignment, under the mentorship of the pastor.They exercise the diaconate responsibilities listed above asa service to the parish community and as a form of appren-ticeship in preparation for ordination to the priesthood.

upon their return for the fall semester, the deaconsserve both the Seminary and parish community. At theSeminary, deacons assist at the daily celebration of the Eu-charist which includes a weekly Spanish Mass. On Thurs-days, the deacon who assists at Mass also offers the homilyand at daily Morning and Evening Prayer, the deacon con-cludes the rite by offering the final blessing and dismissal.Deacons also lead the weekly Holy Hour that includes ex-position and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. DuringLent, deacons lead the weekly Stations of the Cross.

On weekends the deacons serve a wide spectrum ofparish ministries, including inner city, urban and suburbansettings in Hispanic, Asian and African communities. Inaddition to performing the duties listed above, the deaconsparticipate in any parish activity that the pastor determines.

While fulfilling their diaconate responsibilities atthe Seminary and parish, the deacons continue to engagein their final year of studies and daily activities of the Sem-inary.

The deacons at Pope St. John XXIII National Sem-inary exemplify for us Jesus the Servant, who said, “I didnot come to be served, but to serve” Mk 10:45.

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JOSEPH MAALOUF ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI, FL

Prior to entering the Seminary, Joseph worked in the automotive and insurance industries forover thirty years.

“When I began at the seminary 5 years ago, I had one thought in mind “Let Your will be done inme”. Through this time this has remained my central theme and all the events, formation and classeshelped me discern my vocation and calling. Be true to the call and listen to God through it all hasbeen my take away at PSJS.

Every day is special at PSJS; however, the one special event that stands clearly above all was our trip to WashingtonDC for Pope Francis’s visit.

Miss the most: “The brotherhood.”

Deacon Joseph will be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Miami on May 13 at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

MICHAEL PANICALI DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN, NY

Prior to entering the Seminary, Michael was a social worker and music director.

"Pope St. John XXIII has offered me the best three years of my life. I depart for priestly service in theDiocese of Brooklyn with much more in the tank than I came with. There is no other way to describeit -- it has been a true blessing from the Lord. Ordination comes with great joy, and with some sadness.I am going to miss the camaraderie of all my brothers, the faculty, staff, the great city of Boston, and

of course, the phenomenal food! I can say with great fondness that I have been to that place where 'Everybody knowsyour name,' and I am truly grateful to Our Lord and to all of you for it."

Deacon Michael will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn on June 3 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.

JOHN CRONIN DIOCESE OF ALBANY, NY

Prior to entering the Seminary, John had a lengthy career in retail management and elementary education.

“We are nothing without the grace of God. It is He who guided mine and my brothers’ lives to bemore deeply conformed to His Son here at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary. We must alwaysbloom where we are planted in life. And that only happens if we humbly recognize our fundamentalhuman weakness, so that the Power of Christ may be our strength, the only enduring power, the

power of Trinitarian love, always pouring outward. Only by humble receptivity wedded to kenosis can we ever hopeto be made whole. Our hope is in the Lord, Jesus Christ!

What I will miss the most is the unique community life that is beyond price or measure at Pope St. John XXIII. Nomatter how perfect or imperfect the program of formation, it is Christ’s Holy Spirit, incarnated in how these amazingmen relate to Him and through Him with one another that converts us into servants of His priesthood.”

Deacon John will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany on June 17 at the Cathedral of the ImmaculateConception.

The Ministry of Deacons

-Rev. Msgr. James Mongelluzzo,Priest of Worcester, Ordained 1974

Director of Liturgy, PSJS

Most Rev. Allen F. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroitperformed the Admission of Candidacy for ten seminarians

The stoning of St .Stephen by Rembrandt

At a Mass marked byjoy and thanksgiving,Cardinal Donald Wuerlordained Bishop Roy Ed-ward Campbell Jr. as anew auxiliary bishop ofthe Archdiocese of Wash-ington on April 21 at theCathedral of St. Matthewthe Apostle.

“The bishop we ordain today comes also as a nativeson of the Archdiocese – one who received the faith and wasformed in that faith right here and who already brings asense of continuity with the pastoral life of this church,” theCardinal said.

Bishop Campbell, a native of Charles County,moved with his familyto Washington whenhe was young, andlater graduated fromSacred Heart Schooland Archbishop Car-roll High School.After retiring from asuccessful career in banking, he entered Pope St. John XXIIISeminary for his priestly formation and was ordained as apriest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 2007, and 10years later, was ordained as a Bishop for his home diocese.Msgr. Francis Kelly who was Seminary Rector duringBishop Campbell’s formation stated: “It was with immensejoy that I learned of the elevation of Fr. Roy Campbell toAuxiliary Bishop of Washington. I remember Roy in thedays I served as Rector and he exemplified perfectly thenthe qualities of so many of our seminarians---after a longand successful career in banking he was a self-effacing,humble man of deep faith and prayer anxious to give the restof his life in service to God's people. He was a blessing tothe community and respected by all---he will be a greatBishop!”

Sitting in the front sections of the Cathedral weremany of the new Bishop’s family members, along withmembers of St. Joseph Parish in Largo, where Father Camp-bell has served as pastor since 2010, and where he will con-tinue to serve as pastor now that he is a Bishop.

After Communion,the new Bishop, holdinghis shepherd’s staff andwearing his miter, smiledas he walked down theaisle of the Cathedral, of-fering his first blessing asapplause cascaded throughthe majestic church.

Then Bishop Campbell briefly addressed the con-gregation, offering thanks and asking for prayers.

“I’d like to thank God for allowing me to answer Hiscall and serve Him and his church as a deacon, priest andnow a Bishop,” he said, saying that in his new role, he willseek to love and serve God and His people.

Cardinal Wuerl said, “I join my voice to that of yourfamily, friends, the presbyterium, and all the faithful of thislocal Church in praise to God for this wonderful momentthat promises so much good for the Church.”

That sentiment was also expressed by family mem-bers who joined friends at a reception for Bishop Campbellafter the Mass. His mother Elizabeth Campbell, who is Bap-tist, said, “I’m as proud of him as I can be.” That was echoedby his cousin Brenda Nesbitt, who said, “We're so proud ofhim, and he's never been happier.” Another cousin, CynthiaWashington, added, “If I could do cartwheels I’d be doingthem right now!”

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Where Are They Now? DAVID GREEN DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH, PA

Prior to entering the Seminary, David worked many years as an elementary school teacher.

"I have really enjoyed and have grown in so many ways during my four years here at Pope St. JohnXXIII National Seminary, and it has prepared me for the Priesthood. I will remember the many greatpeople I have met and the many blessings I have received. This seminary is very welcoming.

Deacon David will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh on June 24 at St. Paul Cathedral.

ERIC IVÁN GARCÍA CONCEPCIÓN DIOCESE OF MAYAGÜEZ, PR

Prior to entering the Seminary, Eric worked as an executive staff member for the Office of theGovernor and First Lady of Puerto Rico.

“Everything in its time ... I learned to be patient; God is in control. Do not be anxious about anything,He will provide and show you the way. We can only serve if we live in Him. The richness of ourChurch is in its diversity of gifts and when we put it all together we serve Him in its universality.

My academic advisor was Fr. Tom Schmitt; we used to talk and pray in Spanish. When I was going back to PuertoRico my first summer he said goodbye to me as he knew he was terminally ill. He said to me, ‘When you return, I willnot be here, pray a lot, we will be together in prayer and remember this will always be your home.’ He will alwaysbe in my prayers!

There are two things that I will miss. The first is my time in my pastoral assignments. These opportunities helped meto see what it truly means to ‘pastor His sheep!’ The second thing that I will miss is the fraternity that we shared asclassmates. In the Seminary, we have men from many states and countries. We all worked together in one spirit toseek the understanding of the Gospel.”

Deacon Eric will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Mayagüez on August 4 at Centro de EspiritualidadNuestra.

DANIEL OLVERA DIOCESE OF COLUMBUS, OH

Prior to entering the Seminary, Daniel worked as a middle school math teacher.

“My main takeaway is to be open to God's will and trust in Him. Allow Him to form you throughevery experience in life.

My most memorable moment? There are too many to name, but they all involve spending time withthe guys and having fun, be it hiking, retreats, the March for Life, attending concerts, playing games, watching collegefootball, or sightseeing.

What I will miss most are the men and women who have traveled this journey with me at the Seminary and have sup-ported or helped me in any way. The priests, seminarians, faculty, staff, supervisors, sponsors, benefactors, parish-ioners, and many others I've met along the way have all contributed to my formation. I could never thank them enough.”

Deacon Daniel will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Ohio on May 27 at St. Joseph Cathedral.

Episcopal Honors for 2007 Alumnus

Bishop Campbell ’07 joins Bishop Emeritus Lynch ’78 (L) and Bishop Swain ’88 as PSJS alumni

Reference: Catholic Standard, May 2, 2017

Most. Rev. Roy Campbell ’07 is the Keynotespeaker for PSJS Alumni Days in October.

PSJS Class of 2007

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Pastoral Formation for Priestly Ministry

“Major seminaries are necessaryfor priestly formation.Here the en-tire training of the students shouldbe oriented to the formation oftrue shepherds of souls, after themodel of our Lord Jesus Christ,teacher, priest, and shepherd.”(Optatam Totius 4)

The Seminary’s pastoral formationefforts consist of two carefully co-ordinated elements: academiccoursework in pastoral studies and

the co-curricular internship programs. The former includesclasses and practica in pastoral, sacramental and liturgicalministries, counseling, and parish administration. The latterentails off-campus supervised internships for the develop-ment of pastoral skills and for experiencing ministries in avariety of Church apostolates.

The priest serving as full-time Director of Pastoral Ministryrecruits, prepares, and supports the on-site supervisors whoare chosen to work with and mentor the students in theirplacements. Interns meet regularly with their supervisors togather helpful feedback, to assess their learning progress,and to reflect on their experience in light of their faith andtheir growing priestly identity. Formal evaluation of theprogress is conducted twice a year by the site supervisor andthen reviewed by the Pastoral Ministry Program (PMP) Di-rector and other seminary formators.

General Outline of Pastoral FormationFirst year students, on several Sundays during the year, willvisit as a group with nearby parishes. The communities arechosen to represent both a diversity of settings and variedpastoral needs. Each visit includes active participation withthe community celebrating Sunday Eucharist and a tour ofparish facilities, followed by an on-site workshop in whichthe pastor, staff, and parishioners address the gathered sem-inarians and answer their questions. Follow-up discussionback at seminary, led by the Director of Pastoral Ministry,shares students’ impressions from the visit and draws uponimplications of the learning experience, including connec-tions with their spirituality, theological learning, and grow-ing pastoral awareness.

For those students who have participated in these parish vis-its during their Pre-Theology year, a special pastoral pro-

gram is provided for their subsequent First Theology expe-rience. Their participation in catechetical efforts or youthministries serves nearby parishes, guided collaboratively byboth the pastor and religious education leadership. Depend-ing upon parish need, seminarians prepare and offer weeklycatechesis for young people, pre-sacramental programs,youth ministry, family faith formation, and/or adult faith en-richment.

The PMP for SecondTheology students fo-cuses on ministrywithin healthcare set-tings, such as a com-munity hospital,nursing home, assistedliving residence, orparish-based outreachto the homebound.This weekly ministry

experience provides an opportunity for the intern to be pres-ent with and supportive of elders, the sick and/or the dying,as well as with their family members and care-givers. Eachintern is also offered supervision, including regular feed-back and participating in group theological reflection uponhis own experiences of ministry.

In Third Theologythe PMP offers eachseminarian a weeklyopportunity for di-verse pastoral place-ments, in parishwork, ( e.g. sacra-mental or liturgicalministries, catech-esis, youth ministry, evangelization ), college campus min-istry, varied diocesan ministries (e.g. Tribunal, Pro-Life,Catholic Charities ) and a wide range of social justice out-reach ( e.g. homeless shelter or food pantry work, prisonministry ). With supervision and theological reflection, thegoal remains to foster fuller integration of the intern’s pas-toral experiences within the framework of his priestly for-mation.

Fourth Theology finds each seminarian (who has often al-ready been ordained as a transitional deacon by his ownhome diocese or religious community) assigned to and serv-ing within a parish community on weekends. Residingovernight in the rectory, interns focus on liturgical leader-ship, sacramental ministry and preaching as well as fellow-ship with priests and staff. The development of pastoralskills in collaborative ministry and in parish administrationis also promoted. Growth in vocational identity, ministerialcompetence and confidence are the major emphases of thisweekly internship, with the feedback and generous support

of the priest-supervisor, the parish staff, and the parish-ioners.

Each seminarian is also expected to spend at least two ofthe summers between the academic years serving within aparish placement in his home diocese or religious commu-nity. These added practica assist the student in becomingbetter acclimated to the rhythm of rectory living and to hisown diocesan parish life. It also exposes the summer internto pastoral needs that may be specific to his own localchurch.

It is expected that on-site su-pervision and theological re-flection are offeredregularly by the priest-su-pervisor mentoring the sum-mer intern. Additionally,some dioceses / religious or-ders may also choose to provide special programs or learn-ing opportunities for their own seminarian’s vocationaldevelopment. These may include on-going spiritual andhuman formation, Clinical Pastoral Education, language andmulti-cultural studies and/or the mastery of other necessarypastoral skills with sufficient ministerial practice throughmore extended supervised internships working among thePeople of God.

“The whole formation imparted to candidates for the priest-hood aims at preparing them to enter into communion withthe charity of Christ the Good Shepherd. Hence, their for-mation in its different aspects must have a fundamentallypastoral character.” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 57).

Pro Life Ministry

Hospital Ministry

Cor Unum, food pantry inLawrence, MA serving

250 meals/day

Pastoral assignment in Mexico

Pastoral Supervisors Dinner

Sacramental Ministry-Rev. Michael Alfano, Priest of Boston, Ordained 1984Director of Pastoral Ministry, PSJS