A Newsletter for Seminary Alumni & Friends

Seminary Alumni ReunionThe Annual Seminary Alumni Reunion was held October 7-8. One of the highlights of the evening was the Blessing of the John Cardinal McCloskey statue—donated

by alumni from the Diocese of Albany. Archbishop William E. Lori, S’77 (Archdiocese of Baltimore) presided at the Homecoming Mass while Bishop Barry C. Knestout, S’89, was the main celebrant. Bishop Knestout and his classmates celebrated their 25th reunion. Following the Mass, Monsignor Thomas J. Tewes, S’63, received the 39th Annual John Cardinal McCloskey award from the National Alumni Association for his

outstanding service to the Church and to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

DuBois

In this Issue:• Seminary Alumni Reunion

• Ninth Annual Seminary Fami ly Weekend

• Mount Battles to Another Vianney Cup

Championship

• Diocese of Wichi ta

• Mount Seminarians Admi tted to Candidacy

• Mount Seminarians Fal l Break Trip

• Retirement of Carol Houghton

16300 Old Emmitsburg Road

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

Mount Battles to Another Vianney Cup ChampionshipDeacon Kevin J. Dansereau, Fourth Theology, Diocese of Arlington

The Mount St. Mary’s Seminary soccer team traveled to Washington, D.C., on September 27, to compete in the annual Vianney Cup Soccer Tournament with St. Mary’s Seminary (Baltimore, MD), Theological College (Washington, D.C.) and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (Philadelphia, PA). Led by player-coach Deacon Noah Morey (S’15, Arlington), the team of 41 seminarians battled their way to victory to win the championship trophy for the 10th consecutive year.

In the championship game, the Mount battled their way past Theological College by a final score of 2-1.

Reflecting on his six years as a part of the Vianney Cup soccer team, Morey noted, “the tournament provides the opportunity to foster fraternity with the new men each year, and to develop friendships through their weekly practices.”

J.R. Buckley, Second Pre-Theology (Wheeling-

Charleston) enjoyed spending the evening with his parents,

grandparents and brother at the Seminary Family

weekend dinner.

The

Spring 2015, Volume XIX, No. 2 www.msmary.edu/seminary

SEMINARY ALUMNI REUNIONArchbishop William E. Lori, with recipients of the John Cardinal McCloskey Award stand in front of the statue following its blessing. From L-R: Msgr. John Bergamo, S’65 (Scranton); Fr. Michael Roach (Baltimore); Msgr. Thomas Tewes, S’63 (Baltimore); Archbishop Lori, S’79; Fr. Robert Hohenstein, S’68 (Albany); Msgr. James Beattie, S’61 (Washington); and Fr. J. Thomas Connery, S’63 (Albany)

Evan Winter, Third Theology (Lincoln) enjoyed

spending time with his aunt during the weekend’s activities.

Bennett Smith, First Theology (Harrisburg) enjoyed visiting with his mom, Noelle and step-dad,

Barry.

Mount Seminarians Welcome Family Members and Friends at the Ninth Annual Seminary Family WeekendJoshua Quintana, First Theology, Diocese of Colorado Springs

Over the weekend of October 24-26, the seminary community welcomed many of their family and friends for the ninth annual Family Weekend, with the seminary community, showing guests the hospitality for which the Mount has become known. The Family Weekend began as a response to a recognized need to help family members better understand their seminarian’s life and to share some of the seminarian’s experiences with the people in his life who mean the most to him.

The weekend began with Vespers in the Chapel of Immaculate Conception on Friday night, followed by a social in the recreation room. On Saturday, family members participated in one of two events: those who were visiting for the first time or who were curious about the seminary process attended presentations from faculty members about the process of priestly formation here at the Mount. Family members who had attended a previous family weekend participated in a morning of recollection with a focus on the theme of how family members can support their seminarian, presented by members of the seminary deacon class. Many family members also took advantage of the opportunity to visit local restaurants and points of interest such as the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine, and the Gettysburg battlefield.

The evening concluded with Solemn Vespers and a formal dinner in the Cardinal Keeler Dining Room. On Sunday, Monsignor Rohlfs delivered an insightful reflection on a seminarian’s process of discernment in the seminary and how family members can help a seminarian in his discernment. Also on Sunday morning, three seminarians, Lee Brokaw, S’17 (Peoria), Edmund Herzog, S’17 (Wichita), and Luke Agnew, S’20 (Patterson), gave their individual vocation stories.

Douglas Daro, S’18 (Lincoln), experienced his first Family Weekend with his parents this year. “Family Weekend provided my parents a glimpse into my life at the seminary,” Daro said. “Although their visit was short, they now have a better idea of what my discernment process looks like as a whole.”

Tyler Kline, S’19 (Baltimore), whose parents attended their third Family Weekend this year, described an important benefit of the annual Family Weekend:

“ While my parents were always supportive of my priestly vocation, the encounter

they had the first time they came to Family Weekend helped to resolve any lingering

anxieties they may have had.”

Kline said that now his parents look forward to Family Weekend as soon as the semester begins every fall.

The weekend was a prayerful, informative, and entertaining event for the seminarians and their families, and next year’s 10th annual Family Weekend promises to be another inviting community event.

Class of 1989 celebrating their Silver Jubilee at the Reunion Mass.

• The Diocese of Wichita presently has 19 seminarians studying for priesthood at the Mount and has been sending men to the Mount for more than two decades.

• Wichita seminarians are known for their strong emphasis on growing in fraternity with their diocesan brothers at the Mount. During the academic year, men often play basketball and share several meals together weekly. When back home in Kansas, the men attend sporting events such as NASCAR races and Royals games.

• For their annual fall break trip, the Wichita seminarians travel together to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, to socialize and grow closer in priestly fraternity. A Wichita priest accompanies them to celebrate Mass and lead daily prayers.

• During the summer, Wichita seminarians grow in spiritual brotherhood by attending Friday night Mass, evening prayer, and a conference every week.

• Each semester, the Wichita men challenge the Lincoln men to a Pitch competition to increase fellowship between the near-by dioceses.

• Wichita’s new bishop, Most Reverend Carl Kemme visited the Mount last semester, said Mass for the seminary community, and spent some valuable time with his seminarians.

“ Although we are more than 1,000 miles from home, the Mount feels

like home with the great house fraternity that is fostered here.”

-Brian Bergkamp, S’18 (Wichi ta) says of his f irst year at the Mount

IN MEMORIAMFr. Thomas J. KerestusSeminary Class of 1969Diocese of AllentownSeptember 17, 2014

Fr. William GormanSeminary Class of 1973Diocese of AlbanyOctober 23, 2014

Fr. Peter KovarikSeminary Class of 1991Diocese of Rapid CityNovember 29, 2014

Mr. Chijioke Godwin OgbukaSeminary Class of 2010December 8, 2014

Fr. Milton HipsleySeminary Class of 1970Archdiocese of BaltimoreDecember 17, 2014

Fr. Thomas A. YaszczSeminary Class of 1975Diocese of ScrantonJanuary 2, 2015

Fr. Leonard Lang, MDSeminary Class of 1975Diocese of Trenton January 16, 2015

May they rest in peace.

Mount Seminarians Admitted to CandidacyHoward Jankowski, First Theology, Dio-cese of Fort Wayne–South Bend

Eleven Mount seminarians from seven dioceses were admitted to candidacy for ordination to the diaconate, on November 21, the Feast Day of the

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde, Bishop of Arlington, celebrated the Mass with Rector Monsignor Steven P. Rohlfs and seminary priests concelebrating. Family members, friends, and brother seminarians filled the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception for the admission to candidacy liturgy.

Candidacy is an important step in the year leading to a seminarian’s ordination to the diaconate. It is a declaration before the seminary community and before the entire Church in which a man affirms his intention to ask the Church to call him to the altar for ordination to orders. All candidates first wrote to their bishops to seek his permission to profess candidacy.

Craig Borchard, S’16 (Fort Wayne–South Bend) spoke of the significance of candidacy at this point in his seminary formation. “In my experience, receiving candidacy made official and solidified all of the excitement that I have been feeling all year long,” Borchard said. “The most joyous part of candidacy is saying, ‘I do.’ ”

Brian Olkowski, S’16 (Harrisburg) described his profession of candidacy as a great moment in his life. “The day was a sign and a confirmation of my calling,” he said. “It was a very moving experience to have a physical representation of that calling.”

The event was certainly an important day in the movement of these 11 seminarians toward diaconate and eventually priestly ordination. The Mount community joins them in celebration and in prayer for their continued formation and discernment on the road toward priesthood.

Keep up-to-date with happenings at the Seminary

facebook.com/MSMSeminary msmary.edu/Seminary/BlogDiocese of Wichita

Around the Mount Triathlon: April 25, 2015300 meter swim, 12.8 mile bike, 5K run. $85 for an individual or $150 for a team. Race begins at 8 a.m. For more information or to register visit www.msmary.edu/triathlon

Priests Retreat: June 15-19, 2015Retreat Master: Father Michael Champagne, CJC Contact the Office of Seminary Development and Alumni Relations at 301-447-5017.

Upcoming Seminary Events

Mount Seminarians Go Forth on Fall Break to University of Pittsburgh Deacon Kevin J. Dansereau, Fourth Theology, Diocese of Arlington

Eric Silva, S’16 (Bridgeport) led a group of 39 Mount seminarians to the University of Pittsburgh during the seminarian fall break, October 13-15, to invite college students into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

In conjunction with the Pittsburgh Oratory of St. Philip Neri, the seminarians spent time speaking with students at the University of Pittsburgh and nearby Carnegie-Mellon University campuses.

Before meeting with students on campus, the Mount seminarians spent a day in prayer at St. Anthony’s Chapel, which holds a vast collection of relics of the saints. Inspired by the saints and after meeting campus leaders, they mapped out their evangelization plans over the next two days. Following Mass and a holy hour the next morning, the seminarians went out in pairs on campus, engaging in candid conversations with students.

The evangelization trip concluded the following evening with a campus event where students were invited to hear about the relevance of faith in our times. Ben Dunkelberger, S’18 (Harrisburg) proclaimed the kerygma followed by a student testimony and an invitation for all those present to encounter the love of God through a living relationship with Christ in His Church.

Among other things, Silva highlighted the importance of the evangelization trips in providing the seminarians an opportunity to go beyond their “comfort zones” in order to meet their peers living on college campuses, and to share the Gospel with them through personal witness and dialogue.

March For Life

Top: Seminarians on evangelization trip gather in front of St. Philip Oratory in Pittsburgh; Bottom: Doug Daro, First Theology (Lincoln) and Jeff Ellis, Third Theology (Norwich) engage a student in conversation about the faith at the University of Pittsburgh.

“ Being on Mary’s mountain offers certain gifts that I think we often take for granted, and I’ve encountered Mary’s role in the priesthood profoundly in some of our Mount priests.” —Derek Thome, S’18 (Wichita)

Mount St. Mary’s seminarians traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Annual March for Life.

RETIREMENT OF CAROL HOUGHTONThe Seminary bid a fond farewell to Dr. Carol Houghton at the close of the fall semester. Dr. Houghton has taught Canon Law since January, 1985. She has worked with four Rectors during that time, as well as many faculty and staff. Dr. Houghton will continue her position as Chancellor at the Diocese of Harrisburg. The Seminary faculty, staff and seminarians all wish Dr. Houghton a happy retirement and thank her for her many years of service to the Seminary.

Newsletter StaffEdi tor:

• Howard Jankowski, First Theology, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Staff Wri ters:

• Deacon Kevin J. Dansereau, Fourth Theology, Diocese of Arlington

• Joshua Quintana, First Theology, Diocese of Colorado Springs

Photographer:

• Jay Horning, First Theology, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Seminarians from the Diocese of Wichita