The Future of the Church
+JMJ+
Dear Friends in Christ,
Praised be Jesus Christ! Saint John Paul II famously said: “The future belongs to those who worship God in silence.”
This year we welcomed 27 new seminarians to Saint Francis de Sales Seminary – our largest class in recent memory. Most of these men have high school classmates, college friends, and even some of their own family members who have turned away from the faith. Perhaps you yourself have family and friends who no longer go to Mass and so would understand. Yet each day, these new seminarians renew their choice to live radically different from the rest of the world. They have given their lives to Jesus Christ and His Church and are not looking back! And so, every morning they walk down the grand staircase, find a spot in our crowded chapel, and begin each day on bended knee. It is a powerful sight to see as 90 men begin their day in humble silence and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary exists to provide this “future” of the Church which John Paul II spoke of. To ensure we are forming priests who are holy and authentic, we first nurture a man’s love for Jesus Christ. Each seminarian must have a relationship with the Lord that is rooted in prayer. This is why our seminarians begin each day with a 5:45 a.m. Holy Hour. It is there that the Lord forms a man’s heart. The silence of Eucharistic adoration is followed by praise and worship with 7:00 a.m. Morning Prayer and the holy sacrifice of the Mass. It is a sacred encounter with the transcendent.
Fortified for the day ahead, our seminarians then enter into human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation. Classes are carefully tailored for growth in being men of communion, priestly character, mission and evangelization, spiritual fatherhood, and priestly life. Our men are challenged daily on everything from deepening their own interior life to penance practicums. Everything is ordered around Christ and designed to prepare the men to be bold yet compassionate pastors.
There is also real-world experience gained in teaching parishes and societal ministries. These give seminarians the opportunity to put their formation into practice. The men love serving at these sites, because it is a taste of their future lives as priests – working with people in all walks of life!
A seminarian’s schedule also includes community meals, house chores, meeting with a spiritual director and formation advisor, schola or basketball practice, and plenty of studying! As the sun sets on the day, the men gather again in the chapel. The Psalms seep into their souls as they pray vespers together.
With 90 seminarians this year, Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is forming a significant band of brothers to be sent into the world. Their joy is infectious. Their conviction is strong. They have given their lives for the building up of the Kingdom. They yearn to bring the indifferent, the lukewarm, those who have fallen away from the practice of the faith back to Christ.
Thank you for supporting these men. It is because of your sacrificial generosity that Saint Francis de Sales Seminary has been able to keep up with the growing number of men who are answering the Lord’s call at the Salesianum. What a blessing it is to have so many seminarians! Please help us form these future priests – this “future” of the Church who worship God in silence. This is what you can do to bring Christ to those who need Him most. Please give as generously as you can.
Be assured of our prayers, and please, pray for us!
In His Heart,
Fr. Luke N. Strand
Rector
