The Rector's Corner
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CornerStoneFall06Final:newsletter 6/22/10 4:07 PM Page 1 Fall 2006 A Newsletter for Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology and our Friends has spent many hours delving into The Rector’s our archives to get a better under - Inside this issue: Corner: standing of this seminary's history. G The Rector’s Corner A Message from Monsignor He has shared some of his more Robert F. Coleman ’74, J.C.D., interesting finds that I have filed G A Leadership Award rector/dean of Immaculate away for future use. for Service Conception Seminary School of Theology. I was recently looking for one of the historical anecdotes that he G The Hiding Place hen I was in high school I shared with me. It was a quote Explored Wwas taught by the Sisters of from the book, Parish Priest , written Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill who staffed Our by Monsignor LeRoy E. McWilliams in 1953. G 2006 Ordinations Lady of the Valley High School in Orange. It Monsignor McWilliams wrote this book in con - was Sister Saint Matthew who taught me Latin junction with the celebrated author, Jim Bishop. G Father Kulig Joins for all those years. She was an extraordinary At one point, the venerable Monsignor shared the Seminary Religious and a great teacher who became a his thoughts about the importance of the priest Faculty dear friend to me in my seminary days and who serves as the rector of the seminary: remained close to me in the priesthood until she returned to her Father in heaven a few years The kind of priest a seminary turns out reflects, G A Multi-Faceted ago. In her classroom above the blackboard she almost mirror like, the type of rector who runs the Graduate placed a quotation from Virgil’s Aeneid: Forsan seminary. He is vested with all the authority of et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. the bishop in regard to the seminary, and he liter - ally holds the power of clerical life and death over Like so many other things that did not make the seminarians. Under his surveillance you work sense in high school, but only after many more out your salvation in fear and trembling. The years of living, this quote reminds us that when slightest deviation from the rules promulgated by we look back on the difficult events in our past, him can, and often does, mean sudden death. He they might actually appear to us as having been is judge, jury, and supreme court. Cardinal Dulles the good old days. There is always the tempta - tion to take a rosy view of days gone by. Part of Life was surely different in the seminary when Delivers Spring 2006 the reason for this is because we forget the pain Monsignor McWilliams was here on campus Gerety Lecture and our memories are often very merciful. The preparing for priestly ordination in the Fall of passage of time lessens the sting. 1918. Monsignor James Mooney was both the President of Seton Hall College and the rector Some of our seminarians have the desire to go of Immaculate Conception Seminary in those back to a time when everything was wonderful days. Times have changed, although I recently in the Church. At least that is what they think. I informed some of the more nostalgic of our look back on my days as a seminarian during current seminarians that if they still wished to the 1970s and I have a fond recollection of my venture back into the good old days, I would be years studying for the priesthood. That does not happy to oblige them. mean that every day was paradise then. In fact, the Church was immersed in the enthusiasm While I was hunting for the quotation above, I for reform that followed the Second Vatican came upon a clipping in the New York Times Council and the seminary was experiencing from 1998. It was an editorial written by one of many changes all at once. We may have a ten - the regular contributors to the newspaper. I had dency to forget the difficulties that were a part marked it for future use, and I guess that the of those days. future has now arrived. The editorial was enti - tled, The Three Questions. His three questions Almost two years ago, I asked Monsignor were political in nature and scope, but I want to Robert Wister, associate professor of Church use these questions as a means of serious reflec - History, to write the history of Immaculate tion on the lives of our seminarians. Conception Seminary for the celebration of its 150th anniversary in 2010. Monsignor has gra - The first question asked whether the President Stewards of the Mysteries of God ciously accepted the challenge and since then was fit to remain in office. If we apply that ques - continued on page 2 CornerStoneFall06Final:newsletter 6/22/10 4:07 PM Page 2 Rector’s Corner continued from page 1 A Leadership Award for Service tion to our seminarians, it may help us to exam - so much in the minds of the people that it will priests at the Last Supper on the night before For the past three years, Father Chica, he and his family were forced to leave. His ine our own attitudes and understanding about be especially difficult for these men to survive He died, words by which He encouraged and Reverend Joseph Chapel, S.T.D., associate dean early education occurred in other towns and the Church and the priesthood. Are the men in the priesthood? comforted them - words by which He encour - of the Seminary, along with volunteers from cities in El Salvador and he graduated high who are here really fit to be in the seminary? ages and comforts the seminarians today, “You the University and the Seminary, journeyed school here in the States. Deciding that God There is no question that the image of the have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you.” If down to that Central American country during was calling him to serve His people as a priest We believe that the grace of God has called priesthood has changed in the mind of the there was ever a time when the Church was in Spring Break. Their purpose was to provide he entered the College Seminary at St. them here. Their presence among us is not people. Unlike in the past when respect was need of saintly priests! the residents a visible and tangible example of Andrew’s Hall, graduated from Seton Hall and simply the result of haphazard chance. given immediately to the clergy by the Catholic Christ working in their midst. was accepted into Immaculate Conception God has them where He wants them to be. people, today’s priests are tried and tested by It well may be that these days are the darkness Seminary. He was ordained a priest for the Everyday God calls them and challenges them their parishioners before they will be willing to before the dawn. Forsan et haec olim meminisse The team, averaging 20 people each year, min - Archdiocese of Newark on May 27, 2006, in to change, to be converted to Christ by letting trust them, to work with them and to love iuvabit . All too often, in our attempt to live our isters to the residents of both an orphanage the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. go of their jealousy and lust, their prideful and them. Unless the people can see for themselves faith, we may tend to accent the efforts we Pictured above: Deacon Oscar Fonseca; Father Juan José, and a senior citizen facility. Father Chica said self-centered seeking after honor, recognition, the sincerity and truthfulness of their priestly make to achieve our own salvation, but the the Pastor of El Mozote; Father Chica; and Father that by now the children and the older people For his role in the El Salvador mission as well Joseph Chapel. praise, power and personal pleasure. This service, all our theological and pastoral forma - Scriptural emphasis is exactly opposite: in the recognize some of the returning team mem - as many other contributions to the community conversion — this formation — this transfor - tion may be in vain. New Testament, the primary thrust is always ouldn’t it be great to go back to the bers and look forward to their arrival. In fact, of Seton Hall, Father Chica was awarded the mation — is essential if they are ever to be given to the work that God has accomplished Wsmall town where you were born, where part of the town’s schedule is now based on Global Student Servant Leader award this past suitable candidates for ordination. Let us read the editorial’s third question: How for us in Christ. “While we were still sinners ...” your family was forced to flee twice due to war, their annual visit. February. When asked what his philosophy do we repair the damage as best we can? And Jesus became human, suffered and died for our and be able to do something positive for the of service was, he replied, “Assuring justice for Jesus challenges them to face the truth, to stop now let us change it again for ourselves. How sins, was raised from the dead and ascended to townspeople? One of our recent seminarians, Originally, DOVE had planned the program to our sisters and brothers is like breathing, lying to themselves. An honest ability for self do we repair the damage to the Church and to reign at His Father's right hand. Reverend Esterminio Chica (Mino), knows that visit another country in the Americas the first without it we die.” appraisal is vital to a mature person, but some the priesthood as best we can? feeling very well.