News

On Nov. 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, the PSJS XXIII community welcomed to the house Most Rev. Robert C. Evans, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Providence.  Bishop Evans was with us to institute twelve of our seminarians to the Ministry of Reader.   

This ceremony marks an important step towards ordination. Though they may have been lectors in their own parishes or ministries, now they encounter God's Word in a deeper sense. They proclaim the Scriptures and embrace the role of teachers of God's Word.

We recently welcomed PSJS XXIII Alumni back to Weston on October 18-19.  Msgr. Jim Burnett, Class of 1974 of the Diocese of Davenport in Iowa hadn’t been back since ordination! His permanent smile lit up the halls for two days…we think he enjoyed his visit!

The National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors held its Annual Convention in Boston from Sept. 30 - Oct. 7. As a component of the convention, on Wednesday, Oct 5th, the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary community hosted a trolley tour of Boston that ended with a traditional New England Clambake at our Weston, MA campus, generously underwritten by the Seminary Board of Trustees.

Recently at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, Rev. Michael A.J. Alfano, Director of Pastoral Formation, welcomed field education supervisors for a 2016-2017 “kick-off” luncheon and meeting.  Father Alfano works with seminarians on their areas of interest and places them in pastoral assignments where they will learn, as well as put into practice, ministerial skills outside the classroom.  These experiences will train the seminarians for the types of ministries they will encounter in parishes and communities in their dioceses.

On Friday, September 2nd, the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary community celebrated the opening day of classes with a Mass of the Holy Spirit.  We were blessed to have Archbishop of Boston, Seán Cardinal O’Malley, OFM Cap. presiding.  During his homily, Cardinal Seán reflected on the well-known sacrifice of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a prisoner at the Auschwitz Nazi prison camp during World War II, when he stepped forward to take the place of another camp prisoner who was chosen for execution.