Archbishop Buechlein, in a very gracious move, spent three days this past week at St. Meinrad meeting with each individual seminarian for about an hour each. Not many dioceses have a bishop willing to do something like that, so we were really excited about it.
For Jeremy and I, the focus was not so much on our seminary lives (since we have four more weeks at St. Meinrad) as it was on where we might end up as priests. The Archbishop is also very kind in trying to work with his priests in figuring out where everyone will end up each year. Trying to make all those puzzle pieces fit each year is not a task I am envious of!
We should know sometime in the next month or so where we will probably end up as priests. For now, conversation will continue to take place among the decision makers, and Jeremy and I both offer it up to God!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Spring Break!
Spring Break has begun at St. Meinrad! Spring Break is always a two week break for us, but it actually is a fairly busy time as well.
For at least five days, every seminarian must make a personal and directed retreat at some point before the Chrism Mass (Tuesday before Easter). For the Triduum (Holy Thursday - Good Friday - Easter Vigil) every seminarian is expected to be in their parish serving the liturgies.
The Triduum is the high point of the Church's year, and I invite all of us to try and make it the high point of our own personal year as well. I've found that the more I put into the Triduum, the more I get out of it. It can be an amazing experience if we enter into it with joy and sincerity. God bless all of you during this holiest of weeks which is coming upon us next week!
For at least five days, every seminarian must make a personal and directed retreat at some point before the Chrism Mass (Tuesday before Easter). For the Triduum (Holy Thursday - Good Friday - Easter Vigil) every seminarian is expected to be in their parish serving the liturgies.
The Triduum is the high point of the Church's year, and I invite all of us to try and make it the high point of our own personal year as well. I've found that the more I put into the Triduum, the more I get out of it. It can be an amazing experience if we enter into it with joy and sincerity. God bless all of you during this holiest of weeks which is coming upon us next week!
Notre Dame Scandal
I have been a fan of Notre Dame since I can remember. I can still see in my mind the first time I got to visit the campus when I was about 9 years old. I knew there was something special about the place even then. I grew up watching Notre Dame football and wanting to play there (until I realized I had no shot!). My mom let my brother Matt and me stay in the car and miss the beginning of 5:30 Mass so that we could listen to the end of the miracle game of 1993 when Notre Dame beat undefeated and number 1 in the country Florida State. My Mom said she felt guilty until she saw the holiest man in the parish - Frank Svarzkopf - walk into Church at the same time Matt and I did! It was the only time we ever were allowed to miss the beginning of Mass.
All of that love for Notre Dame is gone today.
Notre Dame has offered an invitation to President Barak Obama to speak at commencement this May. That, in and of itself, would be a violation of the Bishops' of the U.S., who in 2004 issued a statement denying specifically CATHOLIC COLLEGES from providing platforms for any politician who takes openly hostile approaches to Church teaching. Not only has Notre Dame spat in the face of the Bishops on this issue, what is an even bigger joke is the fact that they are presenting him with an HONORARY LAW DEGREE. The man who is working to rewrite the very rule of law in our country on abortion, the man who is working to see to it that every doctor in the country MUST provide abortion on demand, no matter what their personal stance on the issue is, the man who has cleared the way for federal funding to be used throughout the world on abortions and contraceptives - that man IS GOING TO HAVE A DEGREE OF LAW FROM A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY HANGING IN THE OVAL OFFICE!!
Seminarians at St. Meinrad and Catholics around the country are letting the university of Notre Dame hear their voices. This is a disgrace, and I will never again offer my support or cheer for or put the slightest interest into anything that occurs on or stems from the University of Notre Dame until this action is either publicly rescinded or, if they go through with it, until a sincere, thorough and public apology is issued to the Catholics of this country.
An online petition is being signed which has over 200,000 names attached. Add your name at www.notredamescandal.com
Or, even better, write president Jenkins a letter. It costs 42 cents, but it is so effective in the fact that it is hand written - and everybody reads notes sent to them by hand.
All of that love for Notre Dame is gone today.
Notre Dame has offered an invitation to President Barak Obama to speak at commencement this May. That, in and of itself, would be a violation of the Bishops' of the U.S., who in 2004 issued a statement denying specifically CATHOLIC COLLEGES from providing platforms for any politician who takes openly hostile approaches to Church teaching. Not only has Notre Dame spat in the face of the Bishops on this issue, what is an even bigger joke is the fact that they are presenting him with an HONORARY LAW DEGREE. The man who is working to rewrite the very rule of law in our country on abortion, the man who is working to see to it that every doctor in the country MUST provide abortion on demand, no matter what their personal stance on the issue is, the man who has cleared the way for federal funding to be used throughout the world on abortions and contraceptives - that man IS GOING TO HAVE A DEGREE OF LAW FROM A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY HANGING IN THE OVAL OFFICE!!
Seminarians at St. Meinrad and Catholics around the country are letting the university of Notre Dame hear their voices. This is a disgrace, and I will never again offer my support or cheer for or put the slightest interest into anything that occurs on or stems from the University of Notre Dame until this action is either publicly rescinded or, if they go through with it, until a sincere, thorough and public apology is issued to the Catholics of this country.
An online petition is being signed which has over 200,000 names attached. Add your name at www.notredamescandal.com
Or, even better, write president Jenkins a letter. It costs 42 cents, but it is so effective in the fact that it is hand written - and everybody reads notes sent to them by hand.
New Constitution
A few weeks ago, the seminarians at St. Meinrad voted to approve a new constitution which will regulate how student representation is handled. Jeremy and myself, along with the other class representatives, helped lead the student body through the process. At the heart of the change was a desire to make the seminary operate more like a parish given that the rector (Fr. Denis Robinson) has offered to meet with student leadership once a month.
Many drafts, revisions, and meetings took place before the document was finally approved. It was an interesting process for both Jeremy and myself, and I think we both learned a lot in the process that will serve us well as priests.
Many drafts, revisions, and meetings took place before the document was finally approved. It was an interesting process for both Jeremy and myself, and I think we both learned a lot in the process that will serve us well as priests.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Holy Week
Jeremy and I know our Holy Week assignments for this year.
For Holy Thursday Jeremy will be one of the deacons at the Cathedral with the Archbishop. Jeremy will also have the honor of giving the homily at that Mass. I will be at Nativity, I believe giving the homily at Nativity. I am very excited about that, as I'm sure Jeremy is as well, because Holy Thursday is the celebration of Christ giving us the Eucharist and also the priesthood. As we will both be about two months away from becoming priests, I think it will be a tremendous privilege to preach about the priesthood.
On Good Friday, we'll both be at Nativity.
For the Easter Vigil, I will be one of the deacons at the Cathedral. I will be chanting the Exultet, which is an ancient Christian hymn which essentially begins the Easter Vigil liturgy, just following the holy fire. Jeremy will be the deacon at Nativity, and will be chanting the Exultet at Nativity.
Both of us should be at one or both of the liturgies on Easter morning at Nativity.
May we all hold one another and Nativity parish in prayer during this wonderful season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, and may this time allow all of us to strip away habits and hurdles that prevent us from drawing nearer to our Lord!
God bless,
Dcn. John Hollowell
For Holy Thursday Jeremy will be one of the deacons at the Cathedral with the Archbishop. Jeremy will also have the honor of giving the homily at that Mass. I will be at Nativity, I believe giving the homily at Nativity. I am very excited about that, as I'm sure Jeremy is as well, because Holy Thursday is the celebration of Christ giving us the Eucharist and also the priesthood. As we will both be about two months away from becoming priests, I think it will be a tremendous privilege to preach about the priesthood.
On Good Friday, we'll both be at Nativity.
For the Easter Vigil, I will be one of the deacons at the Cathedral. I will be chanting the Exultet, which is an ancient Christian hymn which essentially begins the Easter Vigil liturgy, just following the holy fire. Jeremy will be the deacon at Nativity, and will be chanting the Exultet at Nativity.
Both of us should be at one or both of the liturgies on Easter morning at Nativity.
May we all hold one another and Nativity parish in prayer during this wonderful season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, and may this time allow all of us to strip away habits and hurdles that prevent us from drawing nearer to our Lord!
God bless,
Dcn. John Hollowell
Lent and Waiting For Our Assignments
Well, it is Lent. Our Holy Father has a fantastic and short reflection to kick off Lent 2009 which I think is definitely worth a read. It can be found at:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20081211_lent-2009_en.html
Lent for us here at St. Meinrad is off and running. Since we don't have classes on Wednesday anyways, Ash Wednesday is always converted into a day of prayer for us seminarians such that we all stay here instead of going to our ministry assignments.
This year's Ash Wednesday day of prayer was toned down from past years. In the past, it felt like at times that we were more busy during our "day of prayer" running from one event to the next, but this year was very calm and reflective. It will likely be our last chance for an Ash Wednesday like that for a long time. Ash Wednesday is supposedly the third most well attended day after Easter and Christmas in most Catholic parishes. Anyways, most of us took advantage of the day and grew in prayer.
May your lent be blessed!
Jeremy and I are now awaiting very anxiously and excitedly for our first assignments. Probably in about a month we'll know where we will be assigned for our first year of priesthood. It is very exciting to be sitting here not knowing quite literally where in the world I will be next year. I think I will probably be in one of the Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese, but there is no garauntee on anything with regards to assignments. Please pray for us as we get ready to transition to the next phase of our lives.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20081211_lent-2009_en.html
Lent for us here at St. Meinrad is off and running. Since we don't have classes on Wednesday anyways, Ash Wednesday is always converted into a day of prayer for us seminarians such that we all stay here instead of going to our ministry assignments.
This year's Ash Wednesday day of prayer was toned down from past years. In the past, it felt like at times that we were more busy during our "day of prayer" running from one event to the next, but this year was very calm and reflective. It will likely be our last chance for an Ash Wednesday like that for a long time. Ash Wednesday is supposedly the third most well attended day after Easter and Christmas in most Catholic parishes. Anyways, most of us took advantage of the day and grew in prayer.
May your lent be blessed!
Jeremy and I are now awaiting very anxiously and excitedly for our first assignments. Probably in about a month we'll know where we will be assigned for our first year of priesthood. It is very exciting to be sitting here not knowing quite literally where in the world I will be next year. I think I will probably be in one of the Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese, but there is no garauntee on anything with regards to assignments. Please pray for us as we get ready to transition to the next phase of our lives.
A New Paint Job
First of all, sorry it has been so long! We've been busy with things here at school, but it is good to be posting again!
Two weekends ago, I (John) went to visit a good friend of mine, Father Jonathon Meyer, who is now the pastor of two parishes near Seymour. St. Joseph's and St. Anne's in North Vernon are his two parishes. St. Anne's just finished renovating the interior of their church, and Father asked if I would come and deacon the Masses with him for the weekend.
The Mass at St. Anne's was beautiful, and the parishoners were rightly very proud of their newly renovated interior. Mass was actually celebrated ad orientem, otherwise known as everyone, including the priest and servers, facing east, the direction that Christian prayer has been carried out for the last 2000 years. It was my first time deaconing a Mass facing the altar, but it was very beautiful. I'd often heard the phrase growing up that "before the Second Vatican Council, the priest celebrated Mass with his back to the people." I've been reading Pope Benedict and others on the topic, and I've since realized that in none of the language or documents of the council does it ever say that Mass is to be celebrated with the priest "facing the people" and in fact the sacramentary that we use today says in several places "the priest turns to face the people and says..." Anyway, I hope that the Church continues to examine which changes that have arisen since the council were actually called for and which were simply added in a rush to change things by those not actually at the council.
Anyways, here are some pictures from inside the newly repainted and restored St. Anne's parish.
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