Seminary Adventures. In This Edition. The Life of a First-Year Theologian at the Pontifical North American College By Patrick Agustin

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1 Seminary Adventures The Life of a First-Year Theologian at the Pontifical North American College By Patrick Agustin In This Edition 2 4 IPF 2016 Seminarian Program When in Rome 6 Back to School 8 Holidays Abroad 10 Installation of Lectors 11 More Photos The three first-year NAC seminarians from the Archdiocese of Washington in front of Saint Peter s Basilica (L-R: Nate Anderson, me, and James Glasgow) The Next Chapter Thank you for checking out this next edition of Seminary Adventures. What a whirlwind past couple of months it has been! After learning a little bit of Italian, I no longer confuse the C on the faucet for cold anymore (it actually stands for caldo or hot!) I m putting this newsletter together on the heels of wrapping up my first semester of theology studies here in Rome. It has been an incredibly busy few months, but very much blessed the Summer Seminarian Program in Omaha, NE, and the transition to Rome and everything that comes along with that. There s a lot of stuff to cover, so I hope you enjoy reading! Here we go! 14 Closing Words Above: Patroness of the NAC, Our Lady of Humility NAC House Photo 250 seminarians from all over the United States and Australia

2 This past summer, I spent nine weeks at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, to participate in the Institute for Priestly Formation s Summer Seminarian Program. The program brought together 160+ seminarians from all over the U.S. and Canada to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord through an eight-day silent retreat, different courses and lectures, volunteering at various local organizations, and growing in fraternity with other young men who are on the same journey towards priesthood. This past summer was life-changing and turned out to be one of the best summers of my life. Classes During the nine weeks, the seminarians took courses that would enable us to grow in greater self-awareness and understand different facets of the priestly identity. These classes were entitled Christian Prayer and Virtue, Human and Spiritual Foundations for Receiving Celibacy as a Generative Gift, Prayer and Priestly Identity, and The Mystery of the Liturgy: Receiving in Celebration and In Life. Each course was comprised of reading various articles, in class discussions, videos, and written homework as well! We also had lectures on the discernment of spirits given by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV. Above: View from my room at Creighton that could rival the sunsets in LA! Left: My brother seminarian Richard and I at Holy Family Shrine in Omaha, NE Eight-Day Silent Retreat As we entered the second week of the program, the seminarians participated in an eight-day silent retreat on campus. Unlike previous silent retreats I had been on, this was a full eight days of silence! I was used to a few days of silence, but when the third day came around, I definitely felt the silence starting to get to me! Each seminarian was assigned to a spiritual director whom he 2

3 met with daily to share graces and struggles that arose during the retreat. The spiritual director was the only individual the seminarian was allowed to speak to during the week. I told my spiritual director, Fr. Derek - Father, I don t know if I can do this. I still have five more days of this?! He laughed. I m grateful to have had that time alone with the Lord. In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, I realized how much of a gift it was to have those eight days for prayer and reflection. It is in the silence that we can really hear the Lord speak and be more attentive to the movements of the Holy Spirit. Apostolate at Franciscan During the last five weeks of the program, each seminarian was assigned to do apostolic work (i.e., volunteering at a local organization to encounter God s people). I was assigned to the Franciscan Adult Day Care Center. There were about 30 individuals present each time, mainly elderly, and some of them struggled with disabilities like Alzheimer s, dementia, or Down syndrome. At the day care, a group of us from the program conversed with the participants, played Uno with them, led the Rosary and interfaith Bible studies, helped them to play sports, and led them in sing-alongs of their favorite songs (including some Frank Sinatra and Elvis!). We even helped throw a Strawberry Festival Party, which included small animals for pet therapy and bicycles that the participants were able to ride on! Pocahontas, IA Another highlight from the summer was spending a weekend at the Wasko Family Farm in Pocahontas, IA. My friend Angela, whom I knew from my parish Saint Monica in CA, invited me and my brother seminarians to see another part of Midwest living that I m sure none of us city boys had ever seen before! A few of the things we got to do: milk cows, ride ATVs around the farm, take a few tractors out for a spin, go fishing, shoot guns over cornfields, visit the Grotto of the Redemption, and serve Sunday Mass at the Waskos parish. I can continue to tell you all about it, but it would be better to show you! Check out this awesome video Angela put together of the DC seminarians visit to Pocahontas. It ll only take 3 minutes of your time! Top left: St. John s Church on Creighton s campus; top right: our favorite ice cream spot, Ted & Wally s, in the Old Market neighborhood of Omaha; middle top: Franciscan Adult Day Care Center apostolate group (L-R: Bill, Evin, Phil, Hank, me, and Senovio); center top left: me and my spiritual mom Jan; center bottom left: 4 th of July celebration at the park; center right: DC seminarians with the Wasko family at Resurrection of Our Lord parish; bottom: DC seminarians and Angela on some sweet tractors! 3

4 Images from around the NAC. Left: Refectory (dining hall). Center: Immaculate Conception Chapel. Right: Campo Sportivo (field). When in Rome New City, New Seminary, New University, New Courses, New Brothers, New Adventures The Big Move On August 17, I moved for the third time in two years, although this time it was going to be abroad. I hopped on a red eye flight at Dulles International Airport headed for Rome, where I would be attending a new seminary, the Pontifical North American College (NAC). It is here where I will spend the next five years completing my priestly formation and theology studies. The three DC seminarians (Nate, James, and I) joined 52 other seminarians from all over the U.S. and Australia (yes, we do realize they are not part of North America!) as Rome s newest residents. This class of 55 became part of a large house Fresh off the plane at Fiumicino Aiport (L-R: Nate, me, and James) seminarians in total! While it s quite a big house, the orientation team (comprised of the 2nd-year seminarians) did a lot to make this place seem not so quite as big. They kept us busy with tons of activities inside and outside the seminary to get us acclimated to this new city and our new home. Fraternity Weekend in Assisi During our second weekend here, the New Men (as we are known until the end of the year) traveled to Assisi, where Saint Francis lived and is buried. This weekend gave us the opportunity to get to know each other a little better and to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare. We also had the chance to meet with a number of priests to see if they would be a good fit for spiritual director for us during our time in formation at the NAC. Along with visiting the beautiful churches in the area, my favorite part of this weekend was praying at the tomb of St. Francis. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Franciscans View of Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi allow pilgrims to pray before the saint s tomb, which is a bit more difficult to do during the daytime when there are hundreds of other people there! Before departing, we had the opportunity to pray Night Prayer in Italian with the friars there. 4

5 Italian Language Studies During the month of September, the New Men spent four hours each day for four weeks studying Italian in preparation for living in Rome, and for some, studying theology in the Italian language. The seminary brought in a number of instructors to teach us the language. It was intense an intense month, but thankfully the four hours were broken up by a pausa, or a break, for coffee. Italians love their pausas and their espressos! Canonization Mass of Mother Teresa of Calcutta On Sunday, September 4, many of the NAC seminarians attended the Canonization Mass of now St. Teresa of Calcutta. We joined +100,000 pilgrims from all over the world in St. Peter s Square to celebrate the life and work of this saint. It was a beautiful Mass, and we also got the chance to see Pope Francis ride around in the popemobile afterwards. My section for Italian language studies with our instructor Maria The crowd in St. Peter s Square for the Canonization Mass of Mother Teresa The view in the little town of Greccio Diaconate Ordination at St. Peter s On Thursday, September 29, the fourth-year men at the NAC were ordained deacons at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter s Basilica. Cardinal Sean O Malley, Archbishop of Boston, ordained 40+ men to the transitional diaconate, the last step before priesthood. It was a joy to see my DC brother seminarian Bobby Kilner be ordained a deacon and to be able to join the seminary s Schola to sing for this joyous occasion. New Men Retreat in Greccio During the month of September, each class takes turns going on a fiveday silent retreat in different parts of Italy. After a few weeks of Italian studies, the New Men were ready for a bit of a break. We headed to Greccio, about a two-hour drive outside of Rome. Greccio is a quaint little town situated on the side of a mountain and served as the first location of the first live Nativity scene set up by St. Francis in A church now sits above the cave where St. Francis set up the scene and is definitely worth a visit! Greccio is an incredible place to feel St. Francis presence and to appreciate God s creation (because it s so far outside the city!). There are tons of trails for hiking and for getting away for prayer. The theme for the retreat was discipleship, and the different conferences highlighted a specific Apostle. At the end of the five days of silence, we came together as a class to share the graces received. The following day, newly ordained Deacon Bobby preached his first Mass at Santa Maria della Pace, where the headquarters for Opus Dei is located. The chapel is actually located underground, but the way it s lit makes it appear as if we were above ground. It is definitely one of the most beautiful chapels I have ever been in! Seminarians at Deacon Bobby s Mass of Thanksgiving at Santa Maria della Pace Under the altar is the tomb of St. Jose Maria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei. It was a beautiful Mass, attended by many of Deacon Bobby s family members, friends, and seminarian brothers (all of whom served in the liturgy in some capacity). Please pray for Deacon Bobby as he prepares for priestly ordination this June. 5

6 So what does a typical day look like? Here s what my personal horarium looks like: Back to School While I receive my priestly formation at the NAC, I take my academic theology courses at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum. Here I am working towards a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (STB) then eventually a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). Thankfully my courses are in English! Left: Walking to school on my first day at the Angelicum. Middle right: Christian Archaeology class field trip to the Roman Forum. 5:30am 6:15am 7:15am 7:30am 8:30am 12:15pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:45pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 10:30pm Wake-up Community Morning Prayer and Mass Colazione (breakfast) Leave for Angelicum Classes begin Last class ends Pranzo (lunch) Open for meetings w/ formation advisor or spiritual director Holy hour Study Gym Community Evening Prayer Cena (dinner) Study or evening events (e.g., choir practice, formation conference, etc.) Bedtime Not only were the New Men juggling transitioning to a new seminary, but we were also trying to adjust to a whole new education system. The European school system is a bit different than that of the states. Some of the biggest differences: We start classes about a month later (our first day of academic courses was Monday, October 3rd) Our days consist of four 45-minute class periods (8:30am - 12:15pm) with a 15-minute pausa or break after each period. A typical class will meet for two periods a day, so we have two classes each day. Most professors prefer to lecture by reading straight from their notes For some classes, the final grade is determined by a 15-minute oral exam at the end of the semester Here s a summary of the classes I took this semester (borrowed from each class syllabus course description): Pentateuch and Historical Books of the Old Testament: The course will entail a survey of these books, tracking major themes against the background of ancient Israel s history and institutions. It will include an introduction of the principal exegetical methods, diachronic and synchronic, employed in the study of these texts in order to get a sense of the origin and development and to grasp their significance and the modality of their reception within ancient faith communities. 6

7 History of the Ancient Church: A survey of the major events in the Church s history from its beginnings through the end of the eighth century: the birth of the Church in a Jewish-Hellenistic context, expansion and persecution, Constantine and the establishment of a Christian Empire, heresy and the early ecumenical councils, the local churches, the rise of monasticism, the fall of the Empire in the West, the impact of barbarian invasions, the spread of Islam and the emergence of Byzantium in the East. The Mystery of the Living God: This course offers a theological investigation of the mystery of the Holy Trinity. We will first consider what can be known of God by human reason: that is, God s existence, goodness, immutability, love, justice, and providence. Then we will study the mystery of God as Trinity which we know through the light of faith: processions in God, real relations, Divine Persons. The infinite love and compassion of God will be considered in the light of the revelation of the Trinity and the further revelation of this mystery in the Incarnation of the Word. Fundamental Theology: After a presentation of the history of fundamental theology, the course focuses on specific issues such as revelation and its transmission, reception in the faith, and the need for the same virtues to accept what God reveals, and the nature of theology. Introduction to Theology and Theological Methods: After an exposition of the nature and the tasks of theology according to documents of the Magisterium, we will review the main approaches: historical, systematic, and practical. Finally, we will focus on the "nexus mysteriorum," examining the plan of the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. Christian Archaeology: The course aims to reconstruct the history of the Church and of ancient Christianity through the testimony of the monuments where you can catch the echoes of political, social, historical, and theological ideas that accompanied the life of these communities. We will examine the development of the primitive places of worship linked to the evolution of the Eucharistic celebration: the "domus ecclesiae (the basilicas), with particular reference to Rome, as well as visiting the catacombs. The Duomo in Florence The ceiling in Chiesa di Sant Ignazio di Loyola Inside the dome of the Duomo in Florence 7

8 Holidays Abroad Being abroad for the holidays isn t ideal, but the NAC has a way of making it a bit easier for us. Read below to see what Thanksgiving and Christmas were like over here Thanksgiving Thanksgiving marked the first major holiday away from home. For many of us, new man or not, you really begin to feel the pinch of missing home. As such, the NAC plans a great weekend full of activities to bring the whole community together. Thanksgiving Day started with a Turkey Trot that boasts to be the only 5K to go around a sovereign nation (the Vatican). Afterwards, the different corridors in the seminary got together to make an American breakfast in their respective hallways. After a few hours of rest, we attended Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Patron Wong. We then headed to the refectory for our Thanksgiving Banquet that included all the staples of an American Thanksgiving - turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin ravioli, and of course, pumpkin pie! My brother seminarians up early for the annual Turkey Trot 5K around the Vatican On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the New Men gathered together for our class dinner in the student kitchen. The food was delicious - we had walnut salad, pork chops, asparagus, rosemary potatoes, and for dessert, a ricotta cheesecake. We have some excellent chefs in our class! On Saturday, one great NAC tradition is putting on presentations for the rest of the house, which we call the New Man Show and the Old Man Show (original I know). The New Men put on a 45-minute show filled with skits, videos, and music, poking fun at different aspects of NAC life. We have some really talented and creative guys in our class! We opened our show with a musical number called Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof, rewriting the lyrics to poke fun at the many traditions here at the NAC, some of which we don t know why we have anymore! One act I was a part of was a trio that sang a version of Sherry by the Four Seasons, though we changed the words around slightly to pay tribute to our Vice Rector, Fr. Kerry. The house loved it. DC seminarians at the Thanksgiving Banquet On Sunday, following Mass, we headed to the Campo Sportivo for the annual Spaghetti Bowl flag football game between the New Men and Old Men. While the New Men played well, we lost to the Old Men. Still, it was a great day and weekend for bonding! 8

9 Advent, Christmas, and New Year s Before we knew it, the Advent and Christmas seasons were upon us. We have some great traditions here at the NAC - each corridor competed against the others in a hall decorating contest (the winning hall had a Donald Trump theme I ll leave that to your imagination). The Schola also hosted an evening of Lessons and Carols. We sang a few hymns (even one in German!), and a few of the seminarians read from Scripture. It was a great way to enter into the season of Christmas. After classes concluded, the house dispersed on their own travel excursions for Christmas. While I couldn t be New Men putting up the Christmas Tree home for Christmas, I did get to travel to Germany to celebrate the Lord s birth with my cousin Realynne and her family. We had a great time visiting the Christmas markets, watching Our seminary schola at Lessons and Carols Christmas movies, and eating delicious food. My nephews and niece gave me some hand drawn pictures of me as a priest, which I have hanging over my desk at the seminary. We attended midnight Mass at Ramstein AFB with the military and their families. After a few days in Germany, I took a train to Strasbourg, France, to meet up with my brother seminarian Joe. Strasbourg was never on my radar, but Joe had heard that it was a beautiful town to visit, influenced by the French and Germans. It was a quaint, picturesque town - like something you d find on the It s a Small World ride at Disneyland. The cathedral - Notre Dame de Strasbourg - was EPIC. The gothic-style church towered over all the buildings in Strasbourg. When it was lit up at night, it almost looked like a painting. I would highly recommend visiting this town, especially before Christmas as they are known for their own Christmas markets! After 3 days in Strasbourg, Joe and I headed to Paris to ring in the New Year. Paris has become one of my favorite cities. So much to see, so much to do. We did a lot of the touristy stuff - attended Mass at Notre Dame (and saw Martha Stewart there too), visited Sainte-Chapelle, saw the Eiffel Notre Dame de Strasbourg so beautiful! Tower, walked the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, and spent a few hours at the Louvre and Orsay Museums. On New Year s Eve, we met up with two other NAC seminarians at Saint-Gervais to ring in the New Year with Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. At our AirBnB, we hosted a few Joe and I at the Eiffel Tower more seminarians for dinner, where I got to catch up with my friend Enrique, whom I met at Omaha, who was in town on pilgrimage. It was a wonderful and restful break and a great Inside Sainte-Chapelle in Paris a must see! opportunity to see Europe. 9

10 Installation of Lectors (Originally submitted for the Archdiocese of Washington s Semantics blog) 49 men instituted as lectors with our rector, Fr. Harman, Bishop Tighe, and Cardinal Harvey The community praying for us before being installed On Sunday, January 15, the first-year theologians at the North American College in Rome received the Ministry of Lector. Bishop Paul Tighe, Adjunct Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, instituted 49 men, including three from the Archdiocese of Washington: Nate Anderson, James Glasgow, and me. For men in priestly formation, receiving the Ministry of Lector is an important step on our way to the altar. Lector is the first of those ministries conferred upon seminarians in their preparation for priestly ordination and allows them to proclaim the readings at Holy Mass. The Institution of Lectors took place during Sunday Mass before the rest of the NAC community and some guests. Before we were formally installed, we all lined up two-by-two in the center aisle of our chapel and knelt on the marble as Bishop Tighe led the entire seminary community in praying for us. It was a surreal moment for me. Just as the Ministry of Lector brought me one step closer to Me being instituted to the Ministry of Lector priesthood, the act of kneeling was one gesture closer to the marble that, God-willing, I will be lying prostrate upon the day of my ordination. In that moment, I was filled with tremendous gratitude for the gift of the priesthood, but in particular, this ministry. As I knelt before his excellency, he handed me the lectionary and said, Take this book of holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God, so that it may grow strong in the hearts of his people. I responded with a resounding, Amen! I was officially a lector! Before his final blessing, Bishop Tighe shared his episcopal motto: Estote factores verbi, which translates, Be doers of the word. He reminded us that being a lector is not merely reading at Mass; rather, the ministry of lector is a ministry of service. Proclaiming the Word of the Lord involves our very selves being transformed by this Word and living out His truths in our daily lives. Please pray for these newly installed lectors, that we may proclaim God s Word faithfully and joyfully! 10

11 More Photos from the Summer Top left: Met up with my former high school president and principal Mrs. Gossart and Dr. Clark; Top right: Visiting my friend Dave and his family in Omaha. Dave was a FOCUS missionary during my time at the University of Maryland. Middle left: DC seminarians with Angela at the dairy farm in Pocahontas, IA. Middle right: Catching some fireworks on top of the parking garage at Creighton with my brother seminarians Mark and Raffy. Bottom left: DC seminarians attempting to recreate The Beatles Abbey Road album cover in a cornfield! 11

12 More Photos from Abroad New Men group photo following our silent retreat in Greccio Look who was in Rome! With Fr. Richard Sunwoo from my days at St. Monica Didn t think I d see this guy for a few years! With my brother seminarian Enrique from IPF in Paris With my good friend Ted following the Angelus in St. Peter s Square 12

13 Prayer Intentions I d really appreciate it if you could keep the following intentions in your prayers: For all those discerning a vocation to the priesthood and religious life, in particular for me and my brother seminarians here at the NAC and from the Archdiocese of Washington For the health and well-being of my family and friends, especially each of you reading this newsletter How to Pray for Vocations The Mother Teresa Vocation Society (MTVS) is a prayer apostolate that asks for your commitment to pray daily for vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. The MTVS was founded in 2004 through the Office of Priest Vocations of the Archdiocese of Washington following the beatification of Mother Teresa in The society is a prayer apostolate that promises a daily commitment to prayer for an increase in the response to God s call and for the perseverance of priests, deacons and those in consecrated life. For the overall mission of IPF, as well as its priests and alumni For the parishioners of Saint Columba For the parishioners of Saint Monica s For the parishioners of Saint Bartholomew s For those who have no one to pray for them It requires a daily commitment to prayer. There are no dues or meetings. For more info, or if you d like to join, visit the following link: Mother Teresa Vocation Society With fr. Vianney and fr. Joachim, Norbertine friars and classmates of mine, following Lessons and Carols Altar of the Miracle in Sant Andrea delle Fratte in Rome. In God s Providence I stumbled into here while exploring the city. On the right you ll see a bust of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who celebrated his first Mass at this altar. My hope is to celebrate Mass at this altar one day, as St. Maximilian Kolbe is my confirmation saint. 13

14 Closing Words If you ve made it to the end of this newsletter, congratulations and thank you for reading! I know it was a lot to get through, but I do hope you enjoyed reading! I m looking forward to what s coming up these next few months Lent in Rome, more theology courses, teaching catechesis to third and fourth graders at St. Francis International School, and learning more Italian (so hopefully by the time you all visit, I ll be bit more proficient!). God is very good (He is Goodness Itself!), and He never ceases to surprise me with His abundant generosity, especially when it comes to incredibly supportive family, friends, and even strangers. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. May God bless you all. Ciao, ciao! - Patrick Top: Saint John Paul II alumni at Castel Gandolfo. Bottom: New Men class picture in front of St. Peter s Basilica on our second day in Rome. Mailing address: Patrick Agustin Pontifical North American College Vatican City State Europe (we appreciate the snail mail!) Looking for other ways to see what I m up to? Check these out: facebook.com/pontificalnorthamericancollege flickr.com/photos/pnac/albums dcpriest.org facebook.com/dcvocations youtube.com/dcpriest Other ways to reach me: patrick.s.agustin@gmail.com Facebook WhatsApp (U.S. # ) imessage/facetime (patrick.agustin@icloud.com) Google Hangout (see address) Ciao Papa Francesco! His Holiness riding in the popemobile following St. Teresa of Calcutta s Canonization Mass 14