News

Seven accepted as candidates for Holy Orders

October 25, 2018

Seven theology students of Mount Angel Seminary presented themselves and were accepted as candidates for Holy Orders in the church of Mount Angel Abbey on Thursday, October 25.

The Liturgy with the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders took the form of a concelebrated High Mass, with the Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland as the principal celebrant. Archbishop Sample was joined by a host of bishops and religious superiors as concelebrants, including the Right Reverend Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B., Abbot of Mount Angel Abbey and Chancellor of the Seminary, and Reverend Monsignor Joseph Betschart, President-Rector of Mount Angel Seminary.

The seminarians admitted to candidacy were Joseph Bernard Baltz, Archdiocese of Santa Fe; Josué David Jiménez, Diocese of San Diego; Ryan Patrick Mahar, Diocese of Sacramento; Michael John Rizzo, Diocese of Orange; Phillip Jeffrey Shifflet, Diocese of Orange; Dominic Joseph Sternhagen, Diocese of Salt Lake City; and Thomas Viet Tran, Archdiocese of Seattle. The Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders signals a commitment by each man to enter the final phase of preparation for service to the Catholic Church as an ordained minister in the Church.

In his poignant homily directed to the seven accepted candidates, Archbishop Sample told the men they were an answer to the prayers of the Church.

“Jesus in the Gospel today gives us a command to pray that the Lord will send many laborers into his harvest, a harvest that is abundant and rich and waiting to be gathered in. This is one of the few occasions in the Gospel where Jesus gives us something very particular to be prayed for.

“You are part – and a major part – of the Lord’s answer to the peoples’ prayers. You have heard the call of the harvest-master and you have responded.”

Archbishop Sample continued. “Yes, this is a difficult time, but don’t be discouraged . . . You will be part of the solution for rebuilding, purifying, and renewing God’s Holy Church. That is your call.”

The seven men will, in the near future, be ordained to the transitional diaconate, which is typically held in their respective home dioceses. Their ordination to the priesthood will come after the completion of their fourth year of theology at Mount Angel Seminary.

Mount Angel Seminary is the oldest and largest seminary in the western United States. It was established in 1889 at Mount Angel Abbey to form men for the priesthood. The Seminary serves both graduate and undergraduate seminarians from dioceses around the western United States, the Pacific Islands, and beyond, as well as students belonging to various religious communities and the lay faithful.

– Steve Ritchie

Categories: Seminary

God’s grace revealed

October 24, 2018

God’s grace comes through community

An important element of the spiritual formation program for the men in pre-theology and theology at Mount Angel Seminary is regular participation in Jesus Caritas prayer groups. Inspired by Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916), Jesus Caritas is a worldwide fraternity made up of small groups of diocesan priests who share prayer and developments in their lives. A steady witness to the importance of these groups is Fr. Richard Keolker, director of the Jesus Caritas groups and a spiritual director at Mount Angel.

Fr. Keolker has been a part of the spiritual formation program at the seminary for 27 years. But his personal Jesus Caritas group of fellow priests has met regularly for 45 years for mutual prayer and support. He is, as one seminarian recently described him, “The manifestation of Caritas. He lives it out in his life.”

“There were Jesus Caritas groups already active at Mount Angel when I got here in 1991,” noted Fr. Keolker. “I worked with them, and in 2004 they became a part of the program for theology and pre-theology students.” The groups meet once a month to share dinner, Scripture reflection, a review of life, and evening prayer.

Luke Stager, currently in his second year of theology, studying for the Archdiocese of Portland, admitted that he initially thought the regular prayer meetings were “one more thing to add to the list of the million things we have to do.” This changed, however, during his first and second summer parish assignments when he learned that the pastors in both parishes participated regularly in Jesus Caritas groups. They do so, as Stager explained, “to fortify and encourage each other, and to pray together.” Seeing their commitment to Jesus Caritas changed his whole attitude, he admitted. “All of a sudden,” he said, “this wasn’t just one more thing we have to do in seminary. This [sense of spiritual fraternity] is something important that we build here.”

Third-year theology student studying for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Dominic Sternhagen attests that participation in Jesus Caritas is “essential to my vocational journey.” He had arrived at Mount Angel in the middle of a year and with some experience living in a religious community. He was humbled by the way the students in one group reached out and invited him to join them. “Even with someone they didn’t really know yet,” he said, it was a time of “authentic sharing.”

That sharing of joys, struggles and graces providing mutual support is a critical component of Jesus Caritas, said Peter Laughlin, also in his third year of theology, studying for the Archdiocese of Portland. He points to the importance of camaraderie and fellowship formed in the group. “While many people can have windows into our world as seminarians, no one quite fully understands another seminarian or another priest the same way as other seminarians and other priests can,” he said. “There’s a similar direction, and areas of growth we share as we aim for the priesthood in the service of God and discernment of his will together.” One realization Laughlin says he has had through the prayer group is that, “While God interacts with us individually, he is not isolated to my personal experiences. Rather,” he added, “God’s grace is revealed communally, to be shared amongst one another.”

Picking up on the theme of brotherhood, Deacon John Mosier, in his fourth year of theology, studying for the Diocese of Boise, said he sees a comparison between the strength he receives from his Jesus Caritas group to the “armament of God,” referenced in the Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6. The sacred text, said Deacon Mosier, “suggests that we put on the shield of faith.”

Referencing first century Roman soldiers, Deacon Mosier explained, “It wasn’t the individual soldier himself; it was the man to the left and the man to the right, with shields interlocked, that provided the true defense.”

“As others have mentioned,” he continued, “it is this interlocking dependence that is important not only for our life of faith as seminarians, but for the lives of those we want to one day serve. It’s that interlocking faith, not of the shield, but of our faith lived out here at Mount Angel that makes the Caritas groups work.”

– William Gerard

Categories: Monastery, Seminary

Commencement at Mount Angel Seminary

May 16, 2018

The students of Mount Angel Seminary’s graduating class of 2018 celebrated their Baccalaureate Mass on Friday afternoon, May 11, and Commencement exercises the following morning. Most Reverend Robert W. McElroy, Bishop of San Diego, presided at the Mass and gave the Commencement Address.

Speaking to the graduates and assembly gathered in Mount Angel Abbey’s church for Commencement, Bishop McElroy began his talk with the inspiring story of the 2015 free ascent of El Capitan by Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell. The successful completion of the ascent was almost anti-climatic compared to the struggle of Jorgeson to conquer the 15th pitch and the steadfast accompaniment of his teammate, Caldwell, who refused to continue the ascent without his partner.

Caldwell, said Bishop McElroy, stayed with Jorgeson “even at the cost of sacrificing his own life’s dream.” He continued, “That example lies at the center of the formational experience which you have had here at Mount Angel. And it constitutes a pivotal foundation for the life of priesthood and all true service to the Church.”

Bishop McElroy reminded the graduates that Pope Francis has repeatedly called the entire Catholic faith community to accompaniment. Quoting Pope Francis, he said, “We need a Church capable of walking at peoples’ side, of doing more than simply listening.” Commencement, he said, “is not a moment of termination, but of new beginnings in a life of discipleship and service to the Gospel.”

In presenting the Senior Farewell, Reverend Mister Brent Crowe, from the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, noted that the commitment to accompaniment and letting oneself be open to discipleship can be a terrifying endeavor. He likened it to a young child on a roller coaster with his mother. The mother symbolizes the Holy Spirit and is filled with joy and laughter during the wild ride. The face of the young child, instead, is filled with terror and he is hanging on tightly to the support rail.

That young child, Deacon Crowe told his classmates, is “you.” Seminary life, at times, felt like that roller coaster ride. But in spite of having come from all walks of life and many diverse cultures, he and his classmates learned to accompany one another. “God,” he reminded his friends and fellow graduates, “writes straight with crooked lines.”

There were 38 in the 129th graduating class of Mount Angel Seminary, with a total of 52 degrees and certificates awarded, including 14 Bachelor of Arts degree; five Pre-Theology certificates; five Master of Arts (Philosophy); 10 Master of Divinity; eight Master of Arts (Theology); and six Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology.

Mount Angel Seminary offers fully accredited degree programs at all levels, including a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy; Master of Arts (Philosophy); Master of Arts (Theology); Master of Divinity; Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, offered in affiliation with the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome; and a Doctor of Ministry. The Master of Arts (Theology) and the Doctor of Ministry programs are open to both seminarians and lay students.

Mount Angel Seminary, established by the pioneer monks of Mount Angel Abbey, began forming men for the priesthood in 1889. It’s the oldest and largest seminary in the western United States and the only seminary in the West that offers both a college and a graduate school of theology. Since its inception 128 years ago, Mount Angel Seminary has educated and formed thousands of priests for service to the people of God in nearly 100 dioceses and religious communities across the country and around the world.

Categories: Seminary

Annunciation Dinner 2018

March 19, 2018

On Tuesday, March 13th, students, faculty, staff, and guests of Mount Angel Seminary gathered in the Aquinas Dining Hall to celebrate the annual Annunciation Dinner. At the dinner, guests shared fellowship and honored particular members of the community for their contributions and achievements. The awards and their winners are listed below.

The Saint Benedict Award for outstanding progress in both graduate and undergraduate human formation was presented to graduate student Deacon Nathan Dail (Theology 4) of the Diocese of Boise, and joint awards for undergraduate students Ian Gaston (College 4) of the Diocese of Orange and Abundio Colazo Lopez (College 4) of the Diocese of Tucson. The award is given to those seminarians who best exemplify the highest formational ideals of the seminary, who model the Benedictine charism, who live the values of the Kingdom and actively proclaim the Good News, who love the Church, and who manifest servant-leadership in the seminary community.

The St. Anselm Award was awarded jointly to John DePalma (Pre-Theology 2) of the Archdiocese of Seattle and Sebastian Richardson (Pre-Theology 2) of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, in recognition of those philosophy students whose love of learning, excellent academic record, appreciation of philosophy and the liberal arts, rigorous self-discipline, active classroom participation, and outstanding leadership ability have gained them the respect of the faculty and the admiration of their peers.

The Saint Thomas Aquinas Award for outstanding academic achievement from a theology student was presented jointly to Deacon Joseph Lustig (Theology 4) of the Diocese of Boise and Stephen Kenyon (Theology 3) of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. This award is given in recognition of those students whose love of learning, excellent academic record, outstanding ability to articulate Catholic theology, rigorous scholarly research, active classroom participation, generosity with time and talent, and strong leadership ability have won the respect of the faculty and the admiration of students.

Deacon Brent Crowe (Theology 4) of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, received the Saint Paul Award for outstanding progress in developing preaching skills. The award is based on the ability to proclaim the Word of God, call to conversion those who hear the Word, and the ability to possess a comfortable presence at the ambo.

The Saint Bonaventure Award for outstanding contribution from a faculty member was presented to Dr. Andrew Cummings, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of philosophy at the seminary. The award is based on the ability to teach effectively and generosity with time and talent which have inspired students and won the praise of colleagues.

This year the Saint Michael the Archangel Award for special contributions to the seminary and its programs, was awarded to the Frassati Group. This award is given to a student or students, who have contributed significantly to the life of the seminary by establishing something new and beneficial or, through exceptional fidelity, commitment, creativity, and good will, have furthered something already established.

In honor of the Most Reverend Thomas Connolly (d. 2015), past Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, the Bishop Connolly prize is awarded in recognition of those seminarians whose submitted projects were recognized as commendable by the faculty. For his essay entitled “Liturgical Mysticism as the Path to Trinitarian Theosis”, the faculty awarded the graduate prize to Dominic Sternhagen (Pastoral Year) of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. For his essay entitled “‘Come, Lady, Die to Live’: Humility and Redemption in Much Ado About Nothing and King Lear”, the faculty awarded the undergraduate prize to Matthew Knight (College 4) from the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.

Mount Angel Seminary began forming men for the priesthood in 1889 and is now the oldest and largest seminary in the western United States, and the only seminary in the West that offers both a college and a graduate school of theology. Since its inception 129 years ago, MAS has educated and formed thousands of priests, and many qualified religious and lay men and women as well, for service to the people of God in nearly 100 dioceses and religious communities across the country and around the world.

Categories: Seminary

Eleven seminarians admitted as candidates for Holy Order

October 31, 2017

The church of Mount Angel Abbey reverberated with the sounds of the full seminary choir and pipe organ as 11 seminarians were admitted to Candidacy for Holy Orders on the morning of October 26, 2017.

The men, all in the third year of theology at Mount Angel Seminary, processed into the Abbey church for the Mass followed by about 40 bishops, religious superiors and vocation directors who were present to concelebrate the Mass and participate in the annual Episcopal Council meeting that followed. Admitted to candidacy were Benjamin Bray of the Archdiocese of Seattle; Viane Ilimaleota of the Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago; Stephen Kenyon and Kurt Ziehlke of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; Nathan Lopez and Timothy Meurer of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe; Dean Marshall and Steven Wood of the Diocese of Sacramento; John Mosier of the Diocese of Boise; and Raymond Philip Napuli and Michael O’Connor of the Diocese of San Diego.

The principal celebrant was the Most Rev. Alexander K. Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Other concelebrants included the Rt. Rev. Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B., Abbot of Mount Angel Abbey and Chancellor of the Seminary; Rev. Msgr. Joseph Betschart, President-Rector of Mount Angel Seminary; and members of the seminary faculty.

The Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders is “a day of great joy,” said Archbishop Sample in his homily. The rite marks the point in each man’s vocational discernment when he publically declares his commitment to enter final preparation for service to the people of God as an ordained minister in the Church. The Church, through the bishop, accepts the candidate and publicly affirms the candidate’s acceptance to continue on the path toward ordination.

The next step for these men will be ordination to the transitional diaconate, typically held in their respective dioceses in the spring. The ordination to priesthood would then normally follow, again in their respective dioceses, upon the successful completion of the fourth year of theology at the seminary.

Mount Angel Seminary is the oldest and largest seminary in the western United States, established in 1889 at Mount Angel Abbey to form men for the priesthood. The Seminary serves both graduate and undergraduate seminarians from dioceses around the western United States, the Pacific Islands, and beyond, as well as students belonging to various religious communities and the lay faithful.

Categories: Seminary

A New Scholastic Year Begins at Mount Angel Seminary

August 28, 2017

As they have since 1889, the monks of Mount Angel Abbey, the faculty of Mount Angel Seminary, and friends and staff of the Abbey welcomed seminarians for the new school year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the

Abbey church on Monday morning, August 28.

Listen to Abbot Jeremy’s homily

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Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B., chancellor of Mount Angel Seminary, presided at the concelebrated Mass and gave the homily. Invoking the Holy Spirit and welcoming all the students to the hilltop, Abbot Jeremy reminded the congregation that August 28 is also the feast of St. Augustine. He described St. Augustine as “an absolute giant of the Catholic theological tradition.” The Abbot told the students that they “will hear of [St. Augustine] in our pursuit of philosophy, of the arts, of pastoral practice, of rhetoric, of spiritual growth.”

But, what is truly important to know about St. Augustine is this: “What the Holy Spirit found and molded in Augustine is the same basic ‘stuff and material’ that exists in every human being — student, faculty, monk, employee, guest.”

As the school year begins, each student may have different talents academically, but all are called to respond to the gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit. “We are to praise the Holy Spirit for the gifts he poured out on [St. Augustine] for the sake of the Church, for the sake of the world,” said the Abbot. “We pray to the Holy Spirit today for the same gifts.”

Categories: Seminary