Edward LooneyDiocese of Green Bay, WI
Week of March 15th-21st
This past week the seminary saw visitors from four different dioceses. Fr. Tom Long, the vocation director for the Diocese of Green Bay, WI visited their three seminarians here at Conception and brought along three other vocation prospects. Fr. Chris House, Vocation Director for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, visited his seminarians at Conception in the middle of the week. Fr. Joseph Tatro, the chaplain at Newman University and associate vocation director for the Diocese of Wichita , KS bought three guys for seminary visits to Conception. (Fr. Tatro continued on from Conception to Mount Saint Mary in Emmitsburg, MD for an alternative spring break trip.) Fr. Aaron Spexarth, an alumnus of Conception Seminary, visited the seminary for a personal retreat but also spent time with Wichita Seminarians, celebrating a private Mass for them on the feast of St. Joseph. Lastly, the Diocese of Omaha, NE welcomed two visitors discerning their vocation.
With the feast of St. Joseph, residents of St. Joseph Hall did some spring cleaning and opened their doors to visitors from St. Michael’s Hall and the Monastery to see their rooms. The kitchen provided snacks on each floor for the influx of visitors.
The Seniors and Pre-Theology II students left on Thursday for the annual Rector’s Pilgrimage to Chicago, IL and St. Louis to visit theological seminaries and historical churches in those respective cities. The men attended a Chaldean Rite Mass (an Eastern church in union with the Holy See, originating in Iraq) in Chicago, explored the cities on their own a bit, and also toured Fr. Samuel’s childhood haunts. As in past years, a high point of the pilgrimage was getting to know the Sisters of St. Casimir, at whose Motherhouse they enjoyed first-class hospitality.
The NCAA March Madness has begun here at the Seminary! Brackets have been made and the games are being watched in the Seminarian TV Lounge in St. Maur’s. Some students were mournful of the defeat of KU yet the games continue and students are sure to be tuned into the big games leading up to the Final Four!
Lastly, students looked forward to their three day weekend as there were no classes on March 22nd in honor of the Transitus of St. Benedict or his passing into eternal life. Abbot Gregory celebrated the Liturgy and students attended 2nd Vespers with the Monks Monday evening.