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On Saturday, June 28^th, the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Father Anselm Flores, OSB, a monk of Mount Angel Abbey, was ordained to the priesthood during the Mass of Ordination in the Abbey church, surrounded by his brother monks, concelebrating priests, his family and friends, and friends and employees of the Abbey and Seminary. Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, was the principal celebrant and ordaining prelate, and Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, was the principal concelebrant.

In his homily, Archbishop Sample spoke directly to then Br. Anselm and affirmed that Jesus had chosen him to be a priest out of “pure love … He wants you to abide in him, to live in his love.” The archbishop reflected on the relationship between the ministerial ordained priesthood and Christ’s presence in the Church and how the two cannot be separated.  “It is the priest who stands at the altar in the person of Christ, the High Priest, offering the eternal sacrifice of our salvation, making present the Paschal Mystery in the offering of the Body and Blood of Christ,” said Archbishop Sample. In a word of encouragement, the archbishop reflected on the way that Christ chooses weak and sinful men to make himself present, none of whom are truly worthy to exercise the office of Christ’s priesthood. “But Christ loves us anyway,” he said. “And when we fail, when we fail him, he is always there in his merciful love … He continues to give himself up for us.”

Following the homily, then Br. Anselm made the priestly promises before the archbishop and then prostrated himself between the choir stalls during the chanting of the Litany of Saints. After the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination, now Fr. Anselm was vested with the priestly stole and chasuble with assistance from Abbot Jeremy. Archbishop Sample anointed Fr. Anselm’s hands with the sacred chrism, so that the newly ordained priest “may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.” Members of Fr. Anselm’s family presented the bread and his chalice with wine to Archbishop Sample, who gave them to Fr. Anselm and exhorted him to “imitate what you will celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.”

After concelebrating the Eucharist for the first time with Archbishop Sample, Abbot Jeremy, and his brother priests, Fr. Anselm distributed Holy Communion to the faithful, sharing the first fruits of his priestly ministry through the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. At the conclusion of the ordination liturgy, Fr. Anselm offered his first priestly blessing to Archbishop Sample and Abbot Jeremy, who both kissed his hands out of reverence for the gift of Christ’s priesthood in him.

On Sunday, June 29^th, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Fr. Anselm celebrated his first Mass of Thanksgiving in the Abbey church. During his homily, he reflected on “the mystery of the repentance of Peter and Paul,” something that all Christians can imitate. “The glory of Peter and Paul is not founded on their feats or labors, but on their glory-making repentance and trust in the one who forgives,” said Fr. Anselm.  “It was precisely through their great failures that they were brought into the incomparably greater love that Jesus has for each and every one of us sinners, no matter how great or terrible our falls.”

Please pray for Fr. Anselm as he begins his priestly ministry among his brother monks and in the larger community. May God who has begun the good work in him bring it to fulfillment.

Click here to view more photos from Fr. Anselm’s priestly ordination.

—Ethan Alano

“Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” These words, proclaimed at the dismissal of Mass, have a particular resonance for Mount Angel Seminary graduates who will be serving in several different capacities this summer. Their ongoing formation will continue in various contexts, but each assignment involves applying what they have received spiritually and academically at Mount Angel, especially the Seminary’s curriculum of Communion Ecclesiology.

Stephen Correia (right) with Deacon Owen F. Cummings

Stephen Correia, a lay graduate from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Albany, received his Master of Arts in Theology. At the request of his pastor, Fr. Maro Escano, Correia will begin coordinating elementary school religious education on July 1. He will also develop adult catechesis programs, help teach OCIA, and serve with the parish’s bereavement committee. Discussing Mount Angel’s curriculum, Correia said, “I especially appreciated that my classes were tied back to the Eucharistic celebration. All classes were centered on this theme. I found this to be very appropriate and useful when taking this information home to the members of my faith community.” Correia plans to continue taking classes at the Seminary this fall, especially in Sacred Scripture, the liturgy, and the sacraments.

Father Ed Burke, Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau

Father Ed Burke, of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, helped his sister and her horse move from Atlanta to Wasilla, Alaska, on a 4,264-mile road trip after receiving his Master of Divinity degree. He then made his canonical retreat in Alaska before his priestly ordination by Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, CM, in Anchorage on May 30. Fr. Ed said he is most looking forward to hearing confessions in his priestly ministry and finds it heartbreaking when there aren’t enough priests for Reconciliation. Fr. Ed will begin serving as the parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wasilla beginning on July 1.

Deacon Martin Umeatuegbu (left) with Archbishop John Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe

Deacon Martin Umeatuegbu, of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, received his Master of Arts in Theology and was ordained to the transitional diaconate on June 5 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Although this was Deacon Umeatuegbu’s first year at Mount Angel, he described the curriculum’s impact saying, “One element of CE (Communion Ecclesiology) which has drawn me to the liturgy is the principle of gravitas which enables me to see the liturgy as the holiest and most solemn prayer where I will be sanctified. It is my hope that people discover that how we live our lives must draw strength from what we celebrate.” Deacon Umeatuegbu is particularly looking forward to the proclaiming and preaching aspects of the diaconate and their ability to guide people towards the sacraments.

Jose Juarez, Diocese of Orange

Jose Juarez, a seminarian for the Diocese of Orange, received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy this May and will be serving in the diocesan Office of Life, Justice, and Peace in Orange County this summer. He described his assignment saying, “I am confident that this summer will continue to form me in many ways, especially in fostering a fatherly heart.” Juarez will also be going to Jamaica for a mission trip with 16 other missionaries from the diocese to serve with the Missionaries of the Poor. Juarez discussed this ministry of accompaniment’s impact: “I believe the Lord is calling me to grow pastorally by encountering the needs of others and walking closely with them in their struggles and hopes.”

Father Martín de Jesus Ortega, Diocese of Fresno

Father Martín de Jesus Ortega, of the Diocese of Fresno, was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph Brennan on May 24 after receiving his Master of Divinity degree. Fr. Martín described his upcoming pastoral responsibilities saying, “The Lord is entrusting me not only with my own life, but also with his people — to accompany them, to guide them, and to care for them.” Celebrating the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist are two elements of the priesthood Fr. Martín is most looking forward to. He explained, “I also look forward to being present to people in their daily lives, walking with them in both joyful and difficult moments.” Fr. Martín mentioned “the rhythm of prayer, the peaceful atmosphere, and the strong sense of fraternity among the seminarians and monks” as three aspects of life at Mount Angel he will miss. His first assignment is at the Shrine of St. Therese in Fresno.

—Br. Alexander Delsman

The 2025 Mount Angel Seminary Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises marked significant beginnings and endings for the Seminary community. Held on May 10, this year’s commencement was the first under the leadership of Fr. Jeff Eirvin as President-Rector of the Seminary. The 2025 commencement also marked the retirement of Deacon Owen Cummings and the end of his tenure as professor of theology at Mount Angel Seminary after 30 years of generous service. For many of the 21 graduates in the Class of 2025, commencement signified the end of their time at Mount Angel Seminary and the beginning of the next chapter in God’s plan for them.

During his homily at the Baccalaureate Mass, Archbishop John Wester, of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, emphasized that while commencement may be an ending to the graduates’ time at Mount Angel, what continues is their relationship with Jesus Christ that they have cultivated here. “Jesus calls you friends,” said Archbishop Wester, “and he invites you to continue your journey now toward the heart of his Father where he abides.”

In his commencement address, Deacon Owen Cummings, the Distinguished Regents’ Chair of Theology, also spoke about this theme of friendship, calling Jesus’ Last Supper discourses in John 15 “the finest commencement speech I have ever read.” Addressing the entire Hilltop community, Deacon Cummings continued, “You here today, the entire community, graduates and continuing students, academic colleagues and staff, those who began here who now serve in so many different places, and those who sleep in the cemetery below, friends all: you are my glory. Friends all.”

Following the conferring of degrees, Deacon Martín de Jesus Ortega Ascencio, of the Diocese of Fresno, gave the senior farewell, a heartfelt expression of gratitude for all those who made his and his fellow graduates’ seminary formation possible. “Mount Angel is not only a seminary; it is a family, a school of the heart, a place where stones are not stuck but shaped and carved,” he said. Turning to his fellow graduates, he said, “The Church is waiting for you … bring joy, embody Mount Angel … preach Christ.”

After the senior farewell, Fr. Jeff Eirvin presented Deacon Cummings with the Lumen Gentium award, “the most distinguished award given to those involved in priestly formation and education here at Mount Angel Seminary.” The formal citation for the award described Deacon Cummings as a “faithful and luminous servant of Holy Mother Church and steward of the mysteries of God, who as deacon, dean, and teacher serves with the gentle heart of the Good Shepherd.”

After a standing ovation for Deacon Cummings, Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, Chancellor of Mount Angel Seminary, approached the podium and expressed his personal gratitude for Deacon Cummings. “The last 30 years of my monastic life, working side by side with you, is one of the great graces of my life as a monk of this house, to have had you as a friend and colleague,” said Abbot Jeremy. “I thank you, and thank you for announcing together that Jesus Christ is the light of the world.”

The following seminarians received their Bachelor of Arts degrees from Mount Angel Seminary’s College of Liberal Arts: Oscar Contreras Marañón, Diocese of Monterey; Roman Espitia, Diocese of Fresno; Jose Trino Juarez Reyes, Diocese of Orange; Elias Miguel Lopez Corona, Diocese of Monterey; Maliko James Madden, Archdiocese of Seattle; and Anthony Alexis Rizo, Diocese of Reno.

The following student received his Master of Arts (Philosophy): Michael Erin Hamilton.

The following transitional deacons received their Master of Divinity degrees from Mount Angel Seminary’s Graduate School of Theology: Deacon Edward Burke, Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau; Br. Anselm Flores, OSB, Mount Angel Abbey; Br. Francis Lai, CSJB, Congregation of St. John the Baptist; Deacon Edgar Yair Lozano Cuevas; Diocese of Sacramento; Deacon Martín de Jesus Ortega Ascencio, Diocese of Fresno; and Deacon Kenneth Ray Parsad, Diocese of Salt Lake City.

The following students received their Master of Arts (Theology): Stephen Arthur Christopher Gregory Correia; Br. Anselm Flores, OSB, Mount Angel Abbey; Br. Ignatius of Antioch Olivarez, OSB, Mount Angel Abbey; Fr. Michael Shrum, OSB, Mount Angel Abbey; Fr. Anthony Scott Shumway, Diocese of Salt Lake City; and Martin Nchedo Umeatuegbu, Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

Three students received their Doctor of Ministry degrees: Cory Adam Baker; Todd Aaron Cooper; and Fr. Peter Thomas Tynan, OSB, Saint Martin’s Abbey.

To view photos from the 136^th Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises, visit Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary’s Flickr album.

On March 11, 2025, 16 seminarians representing 7 (arch)dioceses and 2 religious communities were instituted as lectors and acolytes during the annual Ministries Mass at Mount Angel Seminary. Bishop Jaime Soto, bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento, was the principal celebrant and instituting prelate. Other concelebrants included Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, abbot and chancellor of Mount Angel Seminary, Fr. Jeff Eirvin, president-rector of Mount Angel Seminary, vocation directors and visiting priests, and priests from the monastery and the Seminary.

The readings for the Mass were the daily readings for Tuesday of the First Week of Lent, which providentially resonated with the ministries of lector and acolyte at the service of the word and the altar, respectively. The first reading from Isaiah described the power of God’s word that “shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). The Gospel from Matthew was Jesus’ teaching on the Lord’s Prayer, prayed at every Eucharistic liturgy which the acolyte serves. Reflecting on the Lord’s Prayer, Bishop Soto shared that “knowing what these words meant for Jesus and where they would lead Jesus, our hearts should tremble when we bring his words to our lips.” Addressing the seminarians receiving ministries, he expressed that the Lord’s Prayer is “how you conform your life to the priestly image of the Lord Jesus.”

Following the homily, those seminarians receiving the ministry of lector were called forward by name. Bishop Soto prayed that “as they meditate constantly on your Word, they may grow in its wisdom and faithfully proclaim it to your people.”

Those instituted into the ministry of lector were Tyler Matthew Alt, Diocese of Orange; Br. Thomas Buttrick, OSB, Mount Angel Abbey; Joseph Ryan Canepa, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; Đavid Huy Đỗ, Archdiocese of Seattle; Br. Pachomius Hamor, OSB, Saint Martin’s Abbey; Edward Joseph Huber, Diocese of Orange; Robert Kelly, Archdiocese of Santa Fe; Seth Mitchell London, Diocese of Orange; Fernando Mendoza Lemus, Diocese of Fresno; John Thien Nguyen, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; and Cody Wilson Schurter, Diocese of Orange.

After the seminarians receiving the ministry of acolyte were called forward, Bishop Soto prayed that “they may be faithful in the service of your altar, and in giving to others the Bread of Life, may they grow always in faith and love and so build up your Church.”

Those instituted into the ministry of acolyte were Marcos Ricardo Alvarado Trasmonte, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; Victor Fernando Amador, Diocese of Sacramento; Kinnzy Dorcely, Diocese of Yakima; Alan Matthias Hoetker, Diocese of Orange; and Adalberto Montes Contreras, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.

All 16 seminarians who were instituted as lectors and acolytes are in the configuration stage of seminary formation at Mount Angel Seminary. The Program of Priestly Formation, 6th edition, describes the conferral of lector and acolyte as “appropriate during this stage, marking the progressive deepening of this self-configuration to Christ both liturgically and in catechesis, evangelization, and active service to the poor.” Please pray for these seminarians as they exercise these ministries in service to Christ and his Church.

Mount Angel Seminary, established in 1889 by the pioneer monks of Mount Angel Abbey, is the oldest seminary in the western United States. It is the only seminary in the West that offers a four-year college and graduate school of theology, and one of only a few in the nation that offer degrees at all levels, baccalaureate through doctorate. Since its foundation, Mount Angel Seminary has educated and formed thousands of priests and many religious and lay women and men for service to the people of God in nearly 100 dioceses and religious communities across the country and around the world.

View more photos from the Ministries Mass on our Flickr.

The Mount Angel Seminary community began the 2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with a celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the Seminary’s St. Joseph Chapel. On January 18, the Seminary welcomed Father Richard Janowicz, pastor of Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Springfield, Oregon, to the Hilltop along with other Ukrainian Catholic clergy and lay faithful. Among the Ukrainian clergy who assisted in the liturgy was Father Deacon Justin Coyle, PhD, who serves on Mount Angel Seminary’s faculty as associate dean and professor of theology. Father Jeff Eirvin, president-rector of Mount Angel Seminary, concelebrated the liturgy along with Father Chi-Nhan Vo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and Mount Angel Seminary alumnus.

During the homily, Father Janowicz reflected on the beauty of the Church’s unity in the diversity of her rites and liturgies. For many, this was the first Divine Liturgy they had experienced, so Father Janowicz shared about some basic differences between the Latin Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, such as the liturgical posture of standing throughout the Eucharistic prayer, the manner of receiving Holy Communion, symbols used during the Divine Liturgy, and the structure of the liturgical year.

The vast majority of the Divine Liturgy is sung, and a choir of seminarians led by Dr. Myrna Keough, professor of sacred music at Mount Angel seminary, helped lead the congregation in Eastern chant. All these chants are sung a cappella. A powerful moment was the chanting of the Jesus Prayer throughout Communion.

This expression of the Church’s unity in the diversity of liturgy and rite invites a deeper call to prayer and dialogue for that fullness of unity among all Christians.

On January 11, the Holy Father Pope Francis announced the appointment of Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for a period of five years. The main responsibility of the dicastery is the promotion of the sacred liturgy according to the liturgical renewal of the Second Vatican Council and advising the Holy Father on liturgical matters.

Until this recent appointment as a member, Abbot Jeremy had served as a consultor for the Dicastery for Divine Worship for 20 years, having first been appointed a consultor by Pope St. John Paul II in 2005. Pope Benedict XVI renewed that appointment as consultor in 2010, and Pope Francis renewed that appointment again in 2015 and 2020.

Article 15 of Pope Francis’s Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium (2022) on the reform of the Roman Curia now allows those who are not cardinals or bishops to be appointed members of Vatican dicasteries. This means that Abbot Jeremy’s appointment as a member is an historic first for the Dicastery for Divine Worship. In his letter to Abbot Jeremy, Arthur Cardinal Roche, prefect of the dicastery, expressed his “delight in receiving notification of these nominations” and that he “look[s] forward to working alongside [Abbot Jeremy] during the course of the next five years.”

Abbot Jeremy is one of three Americans who have been appointed as members, the other two being female professors of theology: Mary Healy, a biblical theologian and professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, and Donna Lynn Orsuto, a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli, master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations and head of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir, was also appointed as a new member of the dicastery.

Abbot Jeremy is the 12th abbot of Mount Angel Abbey, having been elected by the monastic community in March 2016. He made his first profession of monastic vows on September 8, 1974, and was ordained a priest in 1981. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant’Anselmo in Rome. He is a published author and conducts conferences and retreats throughout the United States and beyond. In addition to his work at the Vatican, Abbot Jeremy serves as a consultant to the Bishops Committee on Divine Worship for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In February 2024, Abbot Jeremy was one of three main speakers at a plenary assembly of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and presented Mount Angel Seminary’s curriculum to cardinals, archbishops, and bishops from around the world.

Ten Mount Angel seminarians from five dioceses were received as candidates for Holy Orders during Mass in the Abbey church on October 23, 2024. Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, served as principal celebrant for the Mass. Other concelebrants included Archbishop John Wester (Archdiocese of Santa Fe), Bishop Jaime Soto (Diocese of Sacramento), Bishop Kevin Vann (Diocese of Orange), Bishop Liam Cary (Diocese of Baker), Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, chancellor, Fr. Jeff Eirvin, president-rector, priests from the Seminary and monastery, and vocation directors and superiors from Mount Angel’s sending dioceses and religious communities.

In his remarks before the Mass, Fr. Eirvin said that candidacy marks the seminarians’ preparations “to offer themselves in loving service to the Lord and his people as ordained ministers in the Church.” According to the current Program of Priestly Formation, seminarians are normally admitted to candidacy as they begin the configuration stage of seminary formation, where “the seminarian models his life on the self-donation of Jesus Christ, Shepherd and Servant” and he acquires “a proper priestly spirituality” (135-136). For seminarian Shawn Daniel of the Archdiocese of Portland, receiving candidacy reminds him “to remain cognizant of the commitments and responsibilities that I am taking on, appreciative for the opportunity to serve, and honored for the trust placed in me by the Church.”

Archbishop Sample preached directly to the seminarians on the themes of grace and stewardship found in the Mass readings of the day from Ephesians and the Gospel of Luke. “Be good stewards of the graces and the gifts that have been given to you, not in service to yourself, but in service to the People of God one day,” said Archbishop Sample. For seminarian Fernando Lemus of the Diocese of Yakima, he experienced God speaking to him personally through the homily. “[The archbishop] told us that every ministry is an undeserved gift from God, and he stressed that if we are here, it is because God has chosen us. Thank you, God, for the gift you have given us in view of the priesthood,” said Lemus.

After the homily, Deacon Ed Burke of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau called each seminarian by name for admission to candidacy. “When my name was called, I felt God calling me to surrender myself to him and to accept the mission entrusted by Christ. The Lord has called me, and I have answered,” said seminarian John Nguyen of the Archdiocese of Portland. The rite itself was simple with three questions from the archbishop to the seminarians, who responded with their assent to each one. Despite its brevity, it was a powerful experience for those receiving candidacy. “Hearing the words ‘Beloved sons, the pastors and teachers in charge of your formation, and others who know you, have given a favorable account of you…’ from Archbishop Sample was a real gift and a great grace that stoked the fires in my heart for this vocation,” said Eddie Huber of the Diocese of Orange.

The following men were admitted as candidates: Tyler Matthew Alt, Diocese of Orange; Sean Kerwyn Crepin, Diocese of Spokane; Shawn Raymond Daniel, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; Kinnzy Dorcely, Diocese of Yakima; Edward Huber, Diocese of Orange; Seth Mitchell London, Diocese of Orange; Fernando Mendoza Lemus, Diocese of Yakima; John Thien Nguyen, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; Jose Francisco Orozco Cardenas, Diocese of Fresno; and Cody Wilson Schurter, Diocese of Orange.

– Ethan Alano

To view more photos from the Mass of Candidacy, visit Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary’s Flickr album.

On August 26, during the opening Mass of the academic year at Mount Angel Seminary, Fr. Jeff Eirvin was installed as the Seminary’s 10th president-rector by Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, abbot and chancellor of Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary. Fr. Eirvin, a priest of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and an alumnus of Mount Angel, said, “I’m very excited to lead this flock of seminarians, now entrusted to my care, into deeper communion with Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, whose image and likeness they will be configured to on the day of their ordination.”

Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Portland in 2012, Fr. Eirvin began his priestly ministry at Sacred Heart Parish in Gervais, Oregon, less than 10 miles from Mount Angel Seminary. Archbishop Alexander K. Sample appointed Fr. Eirvin as Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Portland in 2014. During his eight years in that position, Fr. Eirvin also served in leadership positions in the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD), including as president.  From 2014 to 2017, Fr. Eirvin taught at Mount Angel Seminary as an adjunct professor. He has participated in spiritual direction training and taught courses at the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF), in which he is a member of the IPF Priests of St. Joseph. Before he was appointed president-rector, Fr. Eirvin served as pastor of St. Therese Parish in Portland, Oregon. Based on this wide array of pastoral and vocational experience, Abbot Jeremy expressed that Fr. Eirvin has “the requisite virtues and qualifications necessary to assume the responsibilities of the office of president-rector.”

As president-rector, Fr. Eirvin looks forward to “watching these men come alive in Christ” and “having the front seat in this drama that unfolds of men being configured to the Heart of Jesus.” Drawing from his experience with IPF and the importance of the interior life, Fr. Eirvin says that “his first call as rector is to remain rooted in the Lord and to drink deeply from him in shared communion.” Amid the administrative responsibilities of his new role, Fr. Eirvin hopes to model for the seminarians how “our most important work is to remain in relationship with God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

At the conclusion of the Mass, Fr. Eirvin thanked Abbot Jeremy for this appointment and expressed his gratitude to work with him and the monastic community in this important work of priestly formation. “I have great confidence that the Holy Spirit will do amazing things through each one of us in the years ahead,” said Fr. Eirvin.

Mount Angel Seminary is a primary work of Mount Angel Abbey, a community of Benedictine monks established in 1882 in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Seminary was established in 1889 at the request of the Archbishop of Oregon City and serves more than two dozen dioceses and several religious communities across the western United States.

– Ethan Alano

The first-ever Fellowship of Scholars sponsored by the Mount Angel Institute was held from May 29 through June 1, 2024, at Mount Angel Abbey’s guesthouse.

The gathering of more than 20 scholars was unique for many of those participating in the discussions due in part to the presence of Msgr. Piero Coda, full professor at Sophia University Institute in Italy and Secretary-General of the International Theological Commission. Using Msgr. Coda’s method of “doing” theology as a respectful dialogue with an openness to the Holy Spirit, the discussions focused on Msgr. Coda’s teachings on Trinitarian Ontology. All of this may sound intimidating, but Msgr. Coda’s method is simply a way of doing theology that invites the participants to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they present their views and listen to one another. In this spirit of openness and receptivity to the other,
a rich dialogue can emerge, which many participants felt was a key difference from other academic conferences they had attended. The conference at Mount Angel was also important in bringing the thought of Msgr. Coda to the English-speaking world of theology, where he is still largely unknown.

Dr. Liam de los Reyes, professor of moral theology at Mount Angel Seminary, speaks further on the significance of this event. He says it was an opportunity for participants to “intentionally situate their scholarly and intellectual interests within their spiritual vocations to life in Christ,” something often missing in the wider academic field of theology. Regarding Msgr. Coda’s method, de los Reyes notes that the Fellowship offered scholars “a reprieve and an opportunity for slower discussion, more in-depth conversation, and time and space to think about the implications of the papers they are hearing and the discussions they are having.” And on a personal note, he was also glad for the opportunity to stretch his thinking outside of his usual field of study in a relaxed atmosphere, and for “opportunities to reconnect with friends and acquaintances and renew friendships around our common love of theological inquiry.”

Br. Anselm Flores, OSB, coordinator of the Mount Angel Institute, worked with de los Reyes and other Mount Angel Seminary faculty members in planning and hosting the event. In his own words: “I had thought that I would be the one benefiting most from listening to some of the conversation around the table. After all, these scholars were the very authors I was reading in seminary! But I realized that they were also benefiting from us, from the space we offered, from monks, and even from me. I was humbled that some of my heroes looked up to the monks, and I felt proud and happy of my vocation. At the same time, I felt the responsibility. God has given Mount Angel a gift and charism. The Fellowship of Scholars was a brief and strong epiphany of our vocation as a monastery.”

Indeed, this event was an exceptional opportunity to practice many of the rich ways Mount Angel seeks to be a light for both the local and worldwide Church, an opportunity from which we will undoubtedly continue to reap the fruits in the months and years to come.

– Br. Matthew Sislow, OSB

Participants in the Fellowship of Scholars 2024

Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, Mount Angel Seminary
Msgr. Piero Coda, Sophia University Institute
Peter Casarella, Duke Divinity School
Fr. Khaled Anatolios, University of Notre Dame
Scott Ables, University of Portland
Rev. Sarah Coakley, University of Cambridge
David Turnbloom, University of Portland
Taylor Timpane Ross, Fordham University
Jonathan Ciraulo, Saint Meinrad Seminary
Andrew Cummings, Mount Angel Seminary
John Rico, Mount Angel Seminary
Grant Kaplan, Saint Louis University
Rev. Justin Coyle, Mount Angel Seminary
Christopher Hackett, Saint Meinrad Seminary
Ted Papa, Mount Angel Seminary
Roberto de la Noval, Mount St. Mary’s University
Matthew Vale, Boston College
Ross McCullough, George Fox University
Karen Kilby, Durham University
Liam De Los Reyes, Mount Angel Seminary
Fr. Brandon Gallaher, University of Exeter
Jordan Daniel Wood, Belmont University

His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the US (center, first row), joined Mount Angel Seminary’ 135th graduation ceremonies, May 11, 2024. The presence of His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre at this year’s Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises elevated the celebrations in a unique way.

At the invitation of Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B., Chancellor of Mount Angel Seminary, Cardinal Pierre agreed to come to celebrate the Pontifical Baccalaureate Mass and give the commencement address. He did so in honor of the Seminary’s 135th anniversary, in recognition of Msgr. Joseph Betschart’s twelve years of service as president-rector which concludes this year, and to congratulate Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange on his graduation from Mount Angel Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program. In his homily at the Baccalaureate Mass, Cardinal Pierre spoke to the graduates directly: “How do you see yourself living your vocation, a vocation which your studies have intended to serve? Ask the Father to meet your desire with his desire. Ask the Father in Jesus’ name, as a child of God in Christ, to fulfill his plan for your life and to help you serve those to whom your mission calls you.”

After the conferring of degrees, Msgr. Joseph Betschart addressed the Mount Angel Seminary community for the last time as president-rector, encouraging the graduates and expressing gratitude for his service in the Seminary. “Mount Angel is truly a special place to encounter the Lord Jesus, to fall ever more deeply in love with him, his priesthood, his Church, and her people,” shared Msgr. Betschart.

The following seminarians received their Bachelor of Arts degrees from Mount Angel Seminary’s College of Liberal Arts: David Huy Do, Archdiocese of Seattle; Robert T. A. Kelly, Archdiocese of Santa Fe; Seth Mitchell London, Diocese of Orange; Luis Angel Meza, Diocese of Fresno; Tomás Salomon Tanuz, Archdiocese of Santa Fe; Br. John Terron, M.Sp.S., Missionaries of the Holy Spirit; Blake Joseph Thamer, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; and Ramses Robert Yates, Diocese of Yakima.

Three seminarians received their Certificate in Philosophy: Tyler Matthew Alt, Diocese of Orange; Br. Simeon Chung, O.S.B., Prince of Peace Abbey; and Patrick John Ryan, Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

Two students received their Master of Arts (Philosophy): Juanpablo Macias, Archdiocese of Las Vegas, and Victor Goranov.

The following seminarians received their Master of Divinity degrees from Mount Angel Seminary’s Graduate School of Theology: Magnus Igbokwe, Archdiocese of Las Vegas; Deacon James Patrick Webb Ladd, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; Deacon Maximiliano Muñoz, Archdiocese of Seattle; Nemesio Santana, Diocese of Fresno; Deacon Anthony Scott Shumway, Diocese of Salt Lake City; Deacon Michael Tyrell Williams, Archdiocese of Las Vegas; and Br. Robert Sempijja, O.C.D., (Dec. 2023), Order of Discalced Carmelites.

Five students received their Doctor of Ministry degrees: Fr. Bryan Edward Dolejsi, Archdiocese of Seattle; Edwin E. Ferrera; Manolito Sabado Jaldon, Jr.; Myrna Jeannette Keough, D.S.M.; and Bishop Kevin Vann, J.C.D., D.D., Diocese of Orange.