Holy Spirit Mass Starts New Academic Year at Seminary

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Late afternoon sun streamed through stained-glass windows bathing the chapel in warm shades of gold as Bishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre welcomed students, seminarians and non-seminarians back to another year of study at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie.

During the Sept. 3 Mass of the Holy Spirit, which celebrates the start of the new academic year, Bishop Murphy told the seminarians they could expect to be questioned about their choice to enter the seminary.

“Today, and it was probably true throughout the history of the world and throughout the history of the Church, many people in our society will say to you: Why are you doing this? What do you think you are going to accomplish?” said Bishop Murphy in his homily.

“You and I know that each of us can give many answers depending on our own backgrounds and experiences. But across all our personalities and all our individual motivations there has to be one fundamental reality that brings us to study here... It is a response to an inner voice that holds out to you a promise and an invitation. It is God’s wish that you hear. And it is his word that informs you of his will. He promises you a share in his son’s servant priesthood and he invites you to respond freely.”

Bishop Murphy also gave the seminarians five points to consider during their upcoming year of formation as they prepare for their eventual ordinations: the centrality and importance of the Mass “in the life of the Church and in our lives,” chaste celibacy as “a gift from God for our priestly identity,” maintaining a “priestly way of living,” avoiding “clericalism, do not hitch your priestly identities to non-essentials,” and being careful in the use of social media.

“It can seduce you by excesses that almost always reduce rather than elevate,” the bishop said.

Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Murphy were seminary faculty and recent graduates.

Among the special guests was Bishop Thomas Mar Eusebius of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Apostolate Exarchate in the United States. Msgr. Peter Vaccari, rector of St. Joseph’s, welcomed fellow priests, seminarians, lay students, members of the seminary’s board of trustees, faculty and other guests to the grounds during an informal outdoor reception and barbecue following Mass.

In November 2011 Archbishop Dolan, Bishop Murphy and Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio signed a joint operating agreement creating a single priestly formation program for their three dioceses, which culminates at St. Joseph’s Seminary. The community now includes more than 100 seminarians, hailing from around the globe.

Daniel Johann, a second-year seminarian for the Archdiocese of New York who had only arrived on campus a day earlier, described his first two days at St. Joseph’s as “awesome.” But he didn’t use that adjective in the way it has come to be used in the vernacular of American youth culture.

“I know young people in America use that word a lot,” acknowledged Johann who came to the United States from the Black Forest of Germany to study at the minor seminary in Douglaston, Queens, a year ago. “I mean it in the original sense. It creates a certain sense of awe moving towards that building. It’s so beautiful! So the first impressions were really just the surroundings. I was there by myself and it was wonderful, full of promise and it was exciting.”

Cody Bobick, a first-year seminarian from the Diocese of Rockville Centre, admitted to a few first-day jitters.

“Certainly I was nervous about starting the new chapter of formation,” he told CNY. “But the classes were very manageable. The faculty has been very supportive. Upperclassmen have been very accommodating and willing to assist me and my other brother seminarians in any way that we needed help.” He described Bishop Murphy’s homily as challenging but said he felt he was up to the challenge.

“The crux of his homily…was that we are meant to be formed to be people of God, to be available to our people and not to let any personal roadblocks or obstacles get in the way of that,” he said. “We’re meant to be bridges and not obstacles to people and their meeting with God.”

For fourth-year seminarians Sean Magaldi, of Albertson, and Stephen Ries, of St. James, Long Island, their final year combines anticipation for what comes next with a deepened sense of responsibility to their brother seminarians.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Magaldi acknowledged. “You’re always waiting to start the next year. And now after this year I’ll no longer be in the seminary. I’ve watched a couple of classes go before me. And now sitting in their shoes and realizing that I’m almost at ordination it’s very exciting and very surreal.”

“November 1 is the big day for us becoming deacons,” Ries added. “After many years of hard work, it’s really good to be here and sort of taking the role of leading the house and the community. I always found that the guys in fourth theology set the tone for the house. We help to kind of lead it by example. For me personally it’s focusing on the ministry. I think Pope Francis is calling us keep in the forefront of our mind that the people of God come first.”