Cardinal Wuerl and John Marous to be honored at Seminary Alumni Day

Saint Vincent Seminary will honor two outstanding members of its Board of Regents at its forthcoming Alumni Day Mass and Banquet, scheduled for Monday September 19, 2011. Tribute will be paid to His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, a member of the Board of Regents for 24 years, and Dr. John C. Marous, Jr., retired chairman of the Seminary's Board of Regents and a member for 20 years. The Alumni Day Mass will begin at 4 p.m. in the Archabbey Basilica, with Cardinal Wuerl serving as Principal Celebrant and Homilist. The Mass is open to the general public.

From: http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

Br. Thomas Colucci's 9/11 Experience

From: cny.org

At about midnight on Sept. 12, 2001, an exhausted Lieutenant Thomas Colucci, FDNY Engine 3, found himself sitting on top of a colossal pile of smoldering rubble that had been, until about 14 hours earlier, one of the two twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Click here to read more: http://cny.org/stories/911-Experiences-Pointed-Three-Men-to-Priestly-Vocation-,6040

Saint Gregory the Great!

On September 3 we celebrated the feast of St. Gregory the Great, one of the greatest Fathers in the history of the Church, one of the four Doctors of the West who was an Benedictine monk and later Bishop of Rome from 590 to 604 and who earned the traditional title Magnus (the Great!).

St. Gregory was born in Rome around 540 into a wealthy family known for their adherence to the Christian faith. Gregory entered early into an administrative career which reached its climax in 572, when, during chaotic times, he became Prefect of the city. Yet this life could not satisfy him. He decided to leave every civil assignment in order to withdraw into monastic life and spend his time in dialogue with the Lord and listening to his Word.

Cloistered withdrawal did not last long, however. Gregory was universally respected for his civil administration, and his good reputation induced Pope Pelagius to ordain him and send him to Constantinople in order to help bring about a solution to the Lombard invasions. When the plague took the life of Pope Pelagius in 590, Gregory was the unanimous selection as his successor. He tried to resist, even attempting to flee, but to no avail. Recognizing the will of God, the new Pope immediately set to work, especially in regards to the Lombard invaders, dedicating all his energy to peaceful resolution. He saw the Lombard people with the eyes of a good pastor and was concerned with proclaiming the Word of salvation to them and establishing fraternal relationships based on mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

St. Gregory’s desire for God was always alive in the depths of his soul, and precisely because of this he was always close to his neighbor, to the needy people of his time. Indeed, during a desperate period of havoc, he was able to create peace and give hope. This man of God shows us the true source of peace from which true hope comes. Thus, he becomes a guide also for us today.

From: Pope Benedict XVI General Audience on Wednesday, 28 May 2008

Fresh Campus Minister

Fr. Killian Loch, O.S.B. has been named director of campus ministry at Saint Vincent College, according to an announcement by Br. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president.

Fr. Killian joins the Saint Vincent staff after making his first vows as a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey. A native of Wilkes-Barre, he previously served in the Diocese of Scranton.

“I look forward to this assignment since a significant part of my background has been involvement in Catholic schools,” Fr. Killian said. “My assignments involved full and part time teaching and administration in diocesan high schools, and my parish assignments included parish elementary schools. I was also involved in several diocesan commissions and studies of the Catholic school system. I look forward to interacting with the students as campus minister. Saint Vincent has an outstanding campus ministry program of spiritual activities, service opportunities and social and educational activities. These already involve a large number of the students so I don’t anticipate making any immediate changes. As I become more familiar with the spiritual needs of the students, I may explore new programs and activities in the future.”

“Relationships are very important to college students,” Fr. Killian said. “I want them to have a good relationship with God, in which they will view him not as a distant deity, but as someone who desires a close relationship with them.”

Fr. Killian is very interested in the various lay ecclesial movements in the Church today, one form of associations of the faithful of the Catholic church. “The late Blessed John Paul II recognized the importance of ecclesial activity in the new millennium and encouraged the development of various ecclesial movements including Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Cursillo Movement, L’Arche, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, and others. He believed that the new evangelization will come through these movements. I will look for opportunities to connect our students with these on campus. After students graduate, I think it is important for them to be ready to be active in the broader Church.”

Fr. Killian joins current campus ministry staff including assistant directors Fr. Anthony Grossi, O.S.B., Fr. Jean-Luc Zadroga, and Dr. John Aupperle, secretary Jody Marsh, and music coordinator Mary Ellen Lang.

“I am very happy to be part of the Saint Vincent Benedictine Community,” Fr. Killian concluded. “For me, the community aspect is very important,” Fr. Killian noted. “The monks have a wonderful sense of community and it’s impressive to see this diverse group of men gather for prayer, meals and other interaction. It’s part of the broader Saint Vincent community which includes the Parish, Seminary and College, all of which have a great commitment to Saint Vincent. I have been so impressed with what people are willing to do for Saint Vincent.”

Fr. Killian earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Scranton before completing a master of divinity degree at St. John School of Theology and a master of education degree at Boston College. He served in various pastoral assignments including director of religious formation and procurator at Bishop Neumann High School in Williamsport and later acting principal and principal of Bishop Hafey High School, Hazleton.

---

Daughter House of Saint Vincent Makes Land Breaking Pro-Life Move

Image Copyright Douglas Johnson (http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinadoug/3714061461/)

June 20: Room At The Inn Breaks Ground On The First College-Based Maternity And After-Care Residential Facility In The Nation

from bacroads.com

Land donated by the Benedictine Monks of Belmont Abbey

Room At The Inn, a safe haven and source of hope for pregnant mothers and their children since 1994, will break ground on January 20th on the first college-based maternity and after-care residential facility of its kind in the nation.

The facility will be built on four acres of land donated by the Benedictine Monks of Belmont Abbey and located adjacent to Belmont Abbey monastery and the campus of Belmont Abbey College. Confirmed attendees for the groundbreaking ceremony include Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, and President of the National Pro-Life Religious Council; Mr. David Bereit, National Campaign Director for 40 Days for Life; Ms. Serrin Foster, President of Feminists for Life; the Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte; and the Right Reverend Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B., Abbot of Belmont Abbey and Chancellor of Belmont Abbey College.CLICK HERE to see the invitation.)

The 10,000-square-foot home will provide single pregnant college women the option of continuing their educations while having their babies in a caring and supportive environment before, during and after their pregnancies. The program will be free of charge for up to two years. Participants don’t have to be Catholic or Christian or students at Belmont Abbey College to be accepted. *It is the first college-based facility in the nation to provide this extensive array of services.

“Many young women in college facing unexpected pregnancies believe they have to give up everything to keep their babies – but they don’t,” said Room At The Inn Executive Director Jeannie Wray. “Room At The Inn can give these young women the opportunity to continue their educations, have their babies, make a positive impact on society and fulfill their hopes and dreams.”

The new facility will have two residential wings – one for maternity and one for after-care – that will be home to 15 mothers, 15 infants and 8 toddlers for up to two years. Each mother will have a private bedroom and bathroom and share the kitchen, dining room and laundry room with other residents. Administrative and counseling offices and quarters for residential managers also will be on site.

Expectant mothers interested in Room At The Inn must go through several months of counseling before being accepted into the free program, which Wray describes as “fairly stringent” and filled with classes and counseling to prepare young mothers with the skills they need to be successful in life.

Participants are required to be in school, adhere to a curfew, sign in and sign out, pass room inspections, submit goal sheets and take classes in life skills, parenting, cooking, meal planning, financial planning and non-denominational Bible study, among others. In exchange, they receive free room and board and counseling, as well as everything they need for their babies from car seats and playpens to clothes and nursery furniture.

“Many of the young women we see are beaten down, hopeless, abandoned and have no earthly idea how they are going to put one foot in front of the other – they’re just looking for the light,” said Wray. “Room At The Inn can offer them help, hope and possibilities, so by the time they leave, they are prepared for their lives, more mature and eligible to come to our outreach program for as long as they like.”