Extreme Makeover
Posted on 08/23/2007 8:03:04 AM PDT by NYer
San Antonio, TX, Aug 22, 2007 / 03:00 pm (CNA).- The Archdiocese of San Antonio has many things to be thankful for, but on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, Archbishop Jose Gomez was able to give it one more reason to express gratitude, a new dormitory for the seminary.
Present for the dedication of the new building were Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, bishops, priests, seminarians, and the laity.
Speaking of how Christians are called to believe in the Gospel, love and live entirely for God, and have missionary hearts as Mary did, Archbishop Gomez dedicated the new Archbishop Flores Residence Hall.
Archbishop Gomez told Archbishop Flores who was present that, “we’re honored today to name this hall for you. It is a tribute to your tireless efforts to spread the gospel of love, to proclaim the great things of God here in San Antonio.”
He continued, “And I can’t help but recall today the words of one of your favorite saints, St. Rafael Guízar Valencia.”
“St. Rafael said: ‘A bishop can do without the miter, the crosier, and even without the cathedral. But he cannot do without the seminary, since the future of his diocese depends on it.’ I believe these words very much. They are an inspiration for my ministry.”
Gomez also recalled how “the atheist government of Mexico persecuted St. Rafael. How they violently forced him to shut down his seminary in Xalpa in 1921” and that it was “through their sacrifices and ministry they helped keep the faith alive in a very dark time.”
Archbishop Gomez said that the Church faces a different type of situation in our country now, which is no less dangerous. “[T]he faith is seriously threatened by our society’s growing indifference to spiritual values. Our culture no longer understands the values of the gospel. And that means it can’t understand the supreme gift of the priesthood. It’s sad to say, but in our culture it simply doesn’t make any sense that a bright and talented man would want to leave behind the promise of career and family to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ.”
In the midst of this culture, “Assumption Seminary is a sign of contradiction”. And a great sign of hope. We have 90 seminarians—33 from San Antonio alone,” said the archbishop. He continued, “[m]y brothers, you are a testimony to the working of the Holy Spirit in America in this new century!”
The archbishop drew inspiration from the late Pope John Paul II who said that “the Church in San Antonio has a very special calling that flows from our history as ‘crossroads’ and ‘a meeting of cultures, indigenous and immigrant’ from every part of the world.”
“I’m proud to say that Assumption Seminary is a pioneer in preparing men to meet that special calling—to proclaim God’s mercy and reconciliation in a society that is both bilingual and multicultural. We are forming strong, prayerful, and virtuous men who have an intimate knowledge and friendship with Jesus Christ.”
As he closed his address, Archbishop Gomez offered a special word of thanks to God noting that August 15 is “very special to me because it is the anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. I thank God Almighty and Our Lady of Guadalupe for the great privilege and joy of my vocation. And I thank you for sharing with me in this special celebration of the Eucharist.”
That is wonderful. The thing that floored me when I was down in San Antonio a month or so ago. Was that Archbishop Flores had reopened the old Missions to be used for Mass and the biggest one is even a fully operational parish. They are currently trying to raise $15 million for renovation work in conjunction with the Texas Park and Wildlife Department.
http://www.lsjunction.com/facts/missions.htm
http://www.archdiosa.org/ParishLocator/ParishInfo.asp?ID=4019
http://www.archdiosa.org/ParishLocator/ParishInfo.asp?ID=4234
The “obvious” thing to do would be to export priests to other seminaries which are operating at 1% capacity. That the diocese invests in training them locally, rather than sending them to Chicago (George’s own diocese!) speaks volumes.
Sometimes establishing orthodoxy takes a few steps, and only the one who takes the final step is recognized by onlookers craving orthodoxy. I have a hunch orthodox worshippers will think more highly of George’s and Maida’s successors.
For all the madness than JP2 seemed to embrace, those inspired to the priesthood by him are renowned for returning the church slowly to orthodoxy, and he left the church in the hands of Benedict, Arinze, etc. I’ll bet JP2 regretted kissing the Koran, also, but the mistake came from the same personality that allowed him to rescue Catholicism from the brink of Marxist-Episcopagan nonsense without tearing the church in two.
(My central meaning to what I wrote is that Flores may not have been so bad... much of what is good happening under Gomez appears to be fruits of whatever Flores did.
The problem is always finding decent seminaries that also have room for them. Arlington (VA), for example, has no seminary. the seminarians go to Mt. St. Marys (overcrowded), St. Charles Borromeo (overcrowded), and even the Pontifical NA University in Rome. They don’t go to St. Mary’s in Baltimore, even though it’s close and has room. There’s a reason for this ...
There’s also a whopping capacity in “the pink palace” in Washington, DC. They don’t go there, either, even though its only about 7 miles from the Arlington Cathedral.
Good things are happening in our seminaries! Thank you, God.
**By their fruits**
In Oregon, there are so many seminarians, that a new hall has been built also, Annunciation Hall. I believe it has both classrooms and dorms.
(And Archbishop Vlazny has not been one of the favorites “conservatives”. So what is happening?
11/22/2006
MOUNT ANGEL — Cardinal William Levada made a special round trip here Saturday night from Rome to bless and dedicate Annunciation Hall,
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