.::Firmum Est::. - - My Heart is Steadfast

Wow! From the Catholic Standard - the outpouring of prayers have been amazing!

Please consider offering one hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, and for the intentions of those to be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Washington on June 14, 9:30 a.m., at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The men to be ordained as priests are: Deacon Jose Raul DeLeon, Deacon Vincent DeRosa, Deacon Juan Esposito, Deacon Mark Ivany, Deacon Kevin Regan, Deacon Patrick Riffle, and Deacon Marco Schad.

Holy Hours for Vocations before the Most Blessed Sacrament are offered at the following parishes:

Washington, D.C.

Cathedral of St. Matthew: June 13, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Church of the Annunciation: June 5, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Epiphany: June 12, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian: June 6, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Holy Name: June 3, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Holy Trinity: June 6, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Immaculate Conception: June 5, 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Incarnation: June 2, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Nativity: June 6, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help: June 5, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Our Lady, Queen of the Americas: June 6, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Evening Prayer in Spanish: 6 p.m.)
Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament: June 5, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Shrine of the Sacred Heart: June 6, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
St. Ann: June 4, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Anthony of Padua: June 6, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
St. Augustine: June 6, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
St. Dominic: June 5, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
St. Francis de Sales: June 3, 11 a.m. to noon and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Gabriel: June 2, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
St. Louis de France: June 6, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
St. Mary, Mother of God: June 2, 11 a.m. to noon
St. Patrick: June 6, 12:40 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
St. Peter: June 2, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
St. Stephen, Martyr: June 6, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
St. Teresa of Avila: June 5, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Montgomery County

Christ the King, Silver Spring: June 6, 10 a.m. to noon
Holy Cross, Garrett Park: June 5, 1 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Holy Redeemer, Kensington: June 6, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Little Flower, Bethesda: June 6, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Mother Seton, Germantown: June 6, 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Our Lady of Vietnam, Silver Spring: June 2, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Our Lady of the Presentation, Poolesville: June 1, 7:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
Our Lady of Mercy, Potomac: June 3, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Our Lady of the Visitation, Darnestown: June 5, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Our Lady of Grace, Silver Spring: June 4, 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Our Lady Queen of Poland, Silver Spring: June 6, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Andrew Apostle, Silver Spring: June 6, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Bartholomew, Bethesda: June 14, 9 to 10 a.m.
St. Bernadette, Silver Spring: June 1, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
St. Catherine Labour, Wheaton: June 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
St. Jane de Chantal, Bethesda: June 6, 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
St. Patrick, Rockville: June 6, 9:45 to 11:45 a.m.
St. Paul, Damascus: June 4, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
St. Peter, Olney: June 6, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
St. Raphael, Rockville: June 5, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.
Shrine of St. Jude, Rockville: June 3, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Prince George’s County
Ascension, Bowie: June 7, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Holy Redeemer, College Park: June 8, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Holy Spirit, Forestville: June 6, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Mt. Calvary, Forestville: June 7, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Sacred Heart, Bowie: June 6, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
St. Bernardine of Siena, Suitland: June 7, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
St. Edward Confessor, Bowie: June 13, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Jerome, Hyattsville: June 7, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
St. John the Evangelist, Clinton: June 2, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
St. Joseph, Largo: June 6, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
St. Mary, Piscataway: June 6, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and June 13, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Mary of the Assumption, Upper Marlboro: June 4, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
St. Pius X, Bowie: June 4, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Southern Maryland
Holy Angels, Avenue: June 3, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Holy Ghost, Issue: June 6, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Immaculate Conception, Mechanicsville: June 6, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Jesus the Divine Word, Huntingtown: June 13, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Jesus the Good Shepherd, Dunkirk: June 5, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Solomons: June 3, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Our Lady Help of Christians, Waldorf: June 6, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Our Lady’s Church at Medley’s Neck: June 6, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sacred Heart, La Plata: June 1 and 7, 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Sacred Heart, Bushwood: June 8, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
St. Francis Xavier, Newtowne: June 5, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. George, Valley Lee: June 6, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
St. Ignatius, Chapel Point: June 6, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
St. John, Hollywood: June 6, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
St. Joseph, Pomfret: June 6, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
St. Joseph, Morganza: June 4, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Mary, Newport: June 14, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
St. Michael, Ridge: June 1, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Providence happened a few weeks back. In a completely random place, I ran into two friends from the Sister Servants of the Lord - Sr Trinite SSVM & Sr Revelation SSVM.

I was introduced to the SSVM’s when a friend, Ruth Gaes from Sacred Heart in Bowie, returned from a Pilgrimmage to Rome during the 2000 Jubilee Year and entered the novitiate. They were unknown to me at the time. But they have been growing leaps and bounds and soon they were very much a part of my life and a help to my vocation through their service and prayers. Now Ruth is Mother Mary of the Sacred Heart and serving as the mother of the Novices. Another friend, Sister Ostra Brama is here assistant at the novitiate - now in Upper Marlboro, MD.

When I was in College, they started their Noviate in Bowie and the novices would come to Mass everyday at Sacred Heart’s Chapel on the Hill. When I came to Rome, I would see them everywhere - in the streets, at St Peter’s and at the Angelicum. When I came home last summer for my pastoral placement at Holy Comforter-St Cyprian, their Juniorate house was in the old convent and they would come to daily Mass. Now they are praying for my preparation to the Priesthood as they sew some vestments for me. I could go on … but I think that is enough.

Primarily, I wanted to present a video that I found on them [here]. Enjoy!

Just before Easter, CNA published a story on Diocesan Priests living in Community. I though this would be interested to share and point out. The charism of the  Companions of Christ, originally established in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, has been established by seminarians in Denver to formFrom the mission statement:

The Companions of Christ is a fraternity of diocesan priests and seminarians of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.  While serving as priests of the Archdiocese the Companions of Christ live in community, where they are able to pray together, share meals, and support each other. In their life and ministry as priests, the Companions of Christ offer three emphases:
Diocesan priestly consescration expressed through the observance of the evangelical counsels
Commitment to fraternal life
Dedication to the “new evangelization” including ministries of catechesis, spiritual renewal and the fostering of vocations.

From CNA:

In response to a call from Vatican II for priests to share a common life, four seminarians for the Archdiocese of Denver have decided to begin a priestly community that will eventually be opened up to any priest or seminarian in the archdiocese.
Currently, the Companions of Christ is an association of seminarians established in the Archdiocese of Denver.  Once the four founding men are ordained, they will live together as priests in a rectory close to their pastoral assignments in the Archdiocese of Denver.
The priests will strive to live with three emphases: “Observance of the evangelical counsels in the context of the diocesan priesthood, commitment to a common life of prayer and fraternity, and dedication to the New Evangelization, including catechesis, spiritual renewal, and the fostering of vocations,” according to their website.
The Companions of Christ have already received the blessing of the Archbishop of Denver, Charles Chaput who established the fraternity “canonically” on December 12, 2007, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Our priests today face immense challenges: larger parishes, fewer priests to assist them, and a more secular culture that is at times hostile to both the Gospel and the priesthood,” said the archbishop.  “Grouped in rectories in various parts of the Archdiocese, they strive together for the ideal of the priesthood, giving mutual support and holding each other to a strict accountability.”
Noting the difficulties priests face, Father Michael Glenn, Rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary added, “All priests want to live a committed and zealous life, but the demands of ministry, human weakness and the difficulty of their work can often discourage them, revealing a life far different than what he expected while in the seminary.”
The Companions of Christ will directly address the problems priests are currently facing and will offer encouragement.  “Fraternal life offers unity in prayer and identity, as well as strength and support for Christ’s mission.  God has truly blessed us with a model of life that will help Companion Priests and many others to be holy, joyful, and healthy shepherds in their service and leadership of God’s people.  Nothing promotes vocations, invites to prayer, or enlivens a parish more than dynamic, fulfilled priests who love the life they live.  Strengthened as brothers in Christ, priests are ready to step forward in leadership for the New Evangelization.”
Companions of Christ is comprised of four Denver seminarians: John Nepil, Matt Book, Brian Larkin, and Mike Rapp who will be ordained in the next two or three years.
Plans for the group began after one seminarian learned about a similar community in St. Paul, Minnesota.  The seminarians there “insisted that it wasn’t a new idea, just something that had been lost, that the Church was seeking to recover.”
After years of prayer, three other seminarians were drawn to the idea of the fraternity.  “The four men spent the next year together quietly praying and sharing meals, all the while fully immersed in the life of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.”
Since the announcement of the community, the Companions of Christ have been received with support and encouragement.

From John Allen:

When Benedict lands at Andrews Air Force Base on April 15, the United States will become just the second nation visited by all three modern popes who have travelled outside Italy: Paul VI, John Paul II, and now Benedict XVI. Can you guess the other one without looking it up? In any event, the distinction won’t last long, because Australia is set to join the club in July when Benedict XVI arrives for World Youth Day.

To date, the only other nation to be visited by Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI is Turkey. Interestingly, even after adding Australia to the list in view of Benedict’s scheduled July visit, not one of these countries has a majority Catholic population. That’s symbolic, perhaps, of the desire of modern popes to engage not just the Catholic flock, but the entire world, in the church’s capacity as what Paul VI called “experts in humanity.”

from Washington Times
March 3, 2008

By Sterling Meyers - The inaugural basketball game yesterday at the Verizon Center between D.C. and Baltimore priests and seminarians was not exactly a nail-biter. The DC ‘Hood team cruised to an easy 44-21 victory over Baltimore’s Men in Black, but more was at stake than victory or bragging rights.

Organizers hoped the event would help them close a nationwide priest shortage by showing priests and seminarians as average guys who like to play sports and are passionate about more than religion.

“These are normal guys who like to play basketball and do other things, but also feel called by God to live this special life,” said Monsignor Robert Panke, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Washington.

The number of U.S. priests decreased from about 59,000 in 1965 to about 41,000 last year, according to several reports, including one from the Life Cycle Institute at the Catholic University of America in the District.

Despite the national trend, the number of priests and seminarians entering the Washington Archdiocese has increased from 28 to 73 over the past nine years, spokeswoman Susan Gibbs said.

But in past years, the church has “just stopped asking young people to join,” she said.

The archdiocese has roughly 580,000 parishioners in 140 parishes that cover Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties.

For its victory yesterday, the D.C. team did not even have to go to the bench for its secret weapon: 6-foot-5-inch Bishop Martin D. Holley.

The 53-year-old bishop was the captain of his high school basketball team, then played at Alabama State University.

Yesterday, he shot a basket with the hometown team before the game, then, dressed in his clerical collar, he sat on the bench with a big smile and cheered for his team.

He said the game was a good way for the seminarians and priests to exercise, have fun and promote the priesthood.

About 550 people filled two sections of the 22,000-seat downtown arena, where the Wizards later played. Tickets for the game were also good for the NBA game. Some of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Office of the Youth Ministry and Catholic Youth Organization.

Mary Pat MacMillan, 16, and her sister, Elizabeth, 20, came to cheer for Father Gregory S. Coan of St. Peter’s Parish in Olney.

The sisters blew kazoos and joined in the “D.C. ‘Hood” chant that Mr. Coan started when a loose ball bounced near the group of his parishioners.

The 6-foot-4-inch Father Charles Sikorksy had a fan club that included almost 10 family members and a co-worker. His family cheered for his team, though they hail from Baltimore.

Father Sam Young, of the Baltimore team, has played basketball with other priests and seminarians for the past 10 years. Mr. Young pastors St. Joan of Arc Church in Aberdeen, Md., and said people need to see more to the priesthood than Mass.

Ray McKenna, founder of Catholic Athletes for Christ, helped promote the game and hopes to help other areas of the country start similar programs.

Father Greg Schaeffer compiled the D.C. team in 2004 and before the pre-game shoot-around yesterday said it was the players’ first practice together in more than four years.

“The event is great for families and it builds a lot of community,” he said. He also said the D.C. team has a busy spring schedule with four games in April and May.

An update from University of Maryland Catholic Student Center

Students at the Catholic Student Center are trying to infuse the present-day Mass with some customs from the past.

For the past two months, students at the CSC have gathered each Wednesday before the evening Mass, or the Catholic worship service, to learn prayers and portions of the service in Latin, the formal language of the Catholic Church. During the same time period, four students learned the traditional songs and chants of the church as part of the Schola Cantorum, an all-male choir with a name that means “school of song” in Latin.

The semester’s work culminated in an extra Mass celebrated Nov. 30 in Latin with music provided by the schola. Approximately 25 students attended that Mass, said the center’s chaplain, the Rev. Kyle Ingels.

Ingels, who taught the Latin translations for the service, said he decided to start the informal classes because he wanted the students to learn the official language of the church. Teaching the Latin traditions is also a way to diversify the activities offered at the center, he said, which helps the center reach out to a wider variety of students.

“There is a lot of interest these days in learning about some of the more traditional aspects of the faith, Latin being one of them,” Ingels said. “Latin is a beautiful language, a beautiful tradition, and it is still the official language of the Catholic Church throughout the world.”

The students are learning the modern Mass translated into Latin and accompanied by the traditional Gregorian chants rather than the older regimented Tridentine Mass, Ingels said. The Tridentine Mass, celebrated entirely in Latin, was discontinued in the mid-1960s after Catholics expressed concern that it had become too impersonal. Some churches have added Tridentine Masses since September, when Pope Benedict XVI decreed that they could be celebrated once more.

The schola was taught by Dominican Brother Louis Senzig, who has long had an interest in traditional music, Ingels said.

Students who learned the Mass in Latin said they have benefited from it.

“It is a return to tradition,” said sophomore government and politics major Martino Choi. “It is a way to praise God in a vocal manner, which appealed to me.”

Learning the ancient language is a way to separate everyday life from spiritual life, senior philosophy major Josh Guenther said.

“The saints talk about how spirituality is separate from the world, and Latin is separate from our everyday conversation, and I think that makes the Mass said in Latin all the more special,” he said.

Have you ever felt called to the priesthood? If so, consider attending the annual Mass and discernment dinner with Archbishop Wuerl, November 25, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., St. Peter, 313 Second Street SE, Washington, DC. Participants should be single men in their 20’s – 40’s who are practicing Catholics. If you are looking for a sign, this is it. ”Come and see” why the priesthood is such a gift.

For more information and to register, contact Msgr. Robert Panke, director of priest vocations, at 301-853-4580 or vocations”at”adw.org.

On Thursday October 4th, at the Altar of the Chair in the Basilica of St Peter, I was ordained to the Order of Deacons. It was a blessed event filled with many joy and graces. For one, from the twenty-one of us ordained, there were two other men from Washington ordained that same day - Vincent De Rosa and Patrick Riffle.
Two other brothers, Marco Schad and Mark Ivany, who were ordained in May by Archbishop Wuerl, were able to join us for the celebration. The five of us together with two more are scheduled to be ordained on June 14, 2007.

The festivities began on Sunday afternoon as people from all over America arrived at the College. The rest of the week was very busy. Luckily it had been preceded by a week of silent prayer at Rocca di Papa in the Colli Albani, the hills south of Rome. This time of prayer was a chance for my heart to truly rest in the Lord. And my Heart rejoiced continuously over the past two weeks.

I have many more things to write about - but I share with you pictures first. Please click “Photo” at the top of the page. I will be adding more pictures and reflections over the next few days.