P
Altar Server Appreciation Mass
lease mark your calendars for Sunday, March 26, 2017 at 3:00 pm as we celebrate our annual Altar
Server Appreciation mass at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. All parishes
Inside this Issue: are invited to have their servers and their families attend this mass. During the
mass we will recognize the Altar Servers of the Year from around the diocese. This will Animus...…………………...2 be Bishop Parkes’ first time celebrating this very special mass with us!. We hope to see Seminarian you there! If you do not receive the information, please contact Heidi Varley in the Of Perspec ves………........3 fice of Vocations at (727) 345-3452.
Information has already been sent out to all Pastors and Altar Server Directors. You
can also find the information on the vocations website at:
http://www.dosp.org/vocations/blog/annual-altar-server-appreciation-mass/
February/March 2017
Around the Diocese.....5 Voca on News….……….6 Calendar…………………...7 Our Seminarians……....7 Volume XXIV:II
ANIMUS
opening themselves to service to God and His Church.
Helping our young people see their vocation in life as
a gift from God and a gift to God begins by opening
their hearts to service to and for others. In a very simple way, when a young person says yes to Altar Serving they are beginning an openness to service which
will in turn help to open their hearts to the love God
has for them, in saying yes to God it will lead them to
a life of service, but also to a life most fulfilling and
joyful because it is the life God has created them to
live.
I ask each of you to take the time and thank
each of the Altar Servers you encounter for their service to the Church. I also ask that you continue to
pray for all of young people that they will be open to
saying yes to the vocation God is calling them to live.
The month March is upon us and with it comes
many hopeful and joyful things. March brings the
thawing out of much of the Country as we move from
the cold days of winter into the beauty of spring.
March also brings baseball’s spring training and the
hopes of every major league team and city that they
will be playing baseball in October. March also
brings college basketball’s famous tournament where
the top teams in college basketball compete in, the
termed “March Madness” for the title of National
Champion. In our area March brings throngs of tourists and, of course, college student’s annual pilgrimage
to our beaches for their spring break. With equal anticipation, March brings to the Diocese of St. Petersburg the annual Altar Server Appreciation Mass.
The Altar Server Appreciation Mass has become one
of the most anticipated Masses of the year. The
crowds for the Mass equal that of an Ordination and
surpass even the Chrism Mass in terms of attendance.
It truly is a great day for all of the Altar Servers, but
more importantly it is a great day for the priests, parents, and coordinators to come together with the Bishop to say thank you to those servers who week in and
week out serve faithfully their parishes at the Altar.
The work of an Altar Server goes mostly unnoticed. But their dedication and desire to do their best
does so much more in making their parish Liturgies
meaningful, prayerful, and inspiring. As I said, the
work of an Altar Server mostly goes unnoticed, that is
why this day is so nice. It is a way for us, the beneficiaries of their hard work, to say thank you!
This year’s Appreciation Mass will be Bishop
Parkes first in his new Diocese. I know that he is excited to offer this Mass in Thanksgiving for the ministry the Altar Servers of his Diocese provide. In my
travels with Bishop Parkes to the many Masses he has
already celebrated here, he has commented on how
well prepared, prayerful, respectful, and joyful these
young people are in carrying out the ministry of Altar
Server. He looks forward to being able to publically
thank the servers, parents, and coordinators for their
gift to the Church.
The Office of Vocations has sponsored this
Mass each year since its inception as a way of not only
expressing our gratitude, as mentioned above, but as a
way of promoting the idea of vocation. When one
opens themselves to a vocation from God, priesthood,
religious life, marriage or committed single life, one is
February/March 2017
God Bless you all,
Fr. Carl Melchior
Director of Vocations
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Volume XXIV:II
SEMINARIAN PERSPECTIVES
Kyle Bell
St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary
Counting Down
Ralph D’Elia
North American College
“…TO BEGIN, ALWAYS, EVERY
MOMENT”
I always look forward to the opportunity
that the New Year affords to reflect on all that has
happened in my life over the past year. For me it
has become an occasion to make a concrete judgment on the significance of my experiences as
they relate to my formation for the priesthood. As I have recently
spent time reflecting, I have been struck by the words of the poet
Cesare Pavese: “The only joy in the world is to begin. It is beautiful to live because to live is to begin, always, every moment.” It
seems odd to speak about beginning nearly two years into theology studies, four years into seminary formation, but this word accurately characterizes what I have experienced. In the midst of a
hectic semester, the mundane can all too easily begin to dominate. However, I have been constantly astounded by the newness
that each day brings.
This summer I had the opportunity to spend eight weeks
at a parish in Milan where I worked with the youth, specifically
with college students who were a part of the movement Communion and Liberation. It was not always easy and I faced my
share of challenges. Going in, the greatest barrier was the language. While I had been studying Italian the year before, it was
difficult to move from the classroom to real life. But as the summer came to a close, these challenges proved to be the opening
through which I grew in ways that I would never have expected,
and found joy in the midst surrender.
On my way to the train station to return to Rome for the
beginning of the semester, I asked the parish priest, Don Andrea,
“How is it possible to live this way also in seminary?” My concern was that the profound freedom—the sense of truly living—
that I experienced during the summer would in some way be
dampened after resuming my busy life at the seminary. I knew
that upon returning it would be all too easy to take back some of
the control that I had surrendered to the Lord during the summer.
I will never forget his answer. He said to me, “Ralph, the same
Christ that you have encountered here in Milan will be with you
also in the seminary. The key, however, is to allow this experience to become a help, a point of reference, in seeking Him each
and every day.”
I know now better than ever just how true Don Andrea’s
words are. In my obedience to the commitments of my daily life,
as I strive to attentively embrace every aspect of my formation, I
have seen that my freedom is not bound by the circumstances,
but by my adherence to the One in whose image I am being
formed. As I have endeavored to grow in a deeper understanding
of priestly identity amid the various responsibilities of seminary
life, it has become clear that in seeking Christ in every facet of
my life and in surrendering to whatever may come, it is possible
to live the adventure of beginning “always, at every moment,”
and in doing so, to grow in my identification with the priestly
heart of Christ.
Eleven weeks. Seventy-seven days. As I sit here
at my parents’ dining room table writing this article, that’s how much time is left between right
now and my diaconate ordination. By the time
you read this article, the countdown will be much,
much lower. And as the time dwindles, the excitement grows, as does the anticipation. So how do I feel as I
approach this definitive moment, this life-changing day? There
are many emotions, but to be honest my biggest feeling is one of
gratitude.
You see, I didn’t come to this point in a vacuum. If
there’s one thing that’s crystal clear to me as I count down the
days to diaconate ordination, it’s that the Lord has been shepherding me to this point all my life. He was with me when I was born
prematurely and had to spend the first days of my life in an incubator. He was with me when my parents chose a wonderful Methodist parish as their spiritual home, and had me baptized in February 1985. He was with me as I slowly but surely grew in love for
Him through my Sunday school classes, through youth group,
through college. He was with me when I went to the Methodist
seminary, and He was with me when He grabbed hold of my heart
and made me fall in love with His real presence in the Eucharist.
He was with me when I was received into the Catholic Church at
the Easter Vigil on April 7, 2007. And He’ll be with me when –
right around 10 years after that Easter Vigil – I’ll receive the unmerited grace of diaconate ordination on April 1, 2017.
He’s been with me through these six years of seminary
formation. He was with me when I made the scary decision to first
meet with our vocations director, Fr Carl Melchior, in 2011. He
was with me my first night at St John Vianney College Seminary
in Miami, when I experienced a moment of doubt and fear and
knelt in the chapel and felt His warm love washing over me. He
was with me through the times of loneliness, the times of wondering, the times of questioning whether I could ever actually be a
priest, ever actually promise celibacy, ever actually trust Him that
much.
Of course, what I was missing – the truth that perhaps it
took six years of formation for me to really embrace – was that He
would provide me with the graces I would need. And so He has.
My classmates and I just concluded our Canonical Retreat – a
week of intensive prayer in preparation for our impending ordination. Each man had his own unique experiences with the Lord
over the course of the week, and mine was imbued with this sense:
there is no place for fear here, only trust.
That trust flows from the Lord’s abiding presence, flows
from His promises kept, flows from the lived testimony of His
love in my life. There’s nothing special about my story – Jesus is
always loving every one of us at every moment of every day.
With that in mind, it’s easy to fall in love with the Savior, even
when the trust might be hard.
In eleven weeks, my classmates and I will have an opportunity to declare our trust before Jesus and His Church. On April 1
we will say our definitive lifelong “yes” to the Lord. And on April
2, after the pomp is over and the service begins, He will be with
us, as He has been all along.
February/March 2017
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Volume XXIV:II
SEMINARIAN PERSPECTIVES - CONTINUED
Mark Yarnold
St. John Vianney College Seminary
Reinaldo Jara
St. John Vianney College Seminary
The Journey Continues
After seven semesters at St. John Vianney,
I can finally say that I am in my last semester of
philosophical studies. This year of formation has
been by far the most challenging of my young life,
but it has definitely not been devoid of God’s abundant grace. Like many students, the “new year” is
not necessarily January 1st but rather some time in August. I feel
as though this year really began for me on July 24th as I boarded a
plane to Poland with a group of about 30 other World Youth Day
pilgrims. It was at World Youth Day that the Lord set the stage for
the rest of my year. In the Vianney Magazine last semester, I wrote
an article on my experiences and my encounter with a God of surprises. Well, this God of surprises demanded something of me,
that I allow myself to be surprised! This year, I have focused on
just that: How do I continue each and every day to allow the Lord
to surprise me.
There are times when the Lord breaks through our thick
headedness and our stony hearts and reveals himself to us in a particular way that we would have not before seen or experienced.
When these moments of surprise strike our hearts, we can not and
we must not remain stagnant in them, but rather these are moments
for us to push forward ever more vigorously into our own hearts,
knowing that Christ is right there with us. And so, this has been
my prayer and determination throughout this year of formation:
“Lord grant me the strength to open myself fully to you each and
every day so that I may allow myself to be surprised.”
This opening isn’t easy. It’s a pulling and stretching of
the heart, and it hurts. It requires a dying to myself not just once
but every single day, and trust me, it is uncomfortable. But, the
call of Christ is not to a life of comfort but to a life of giving of
self - which is often the most uncomfortable thing that we can do.
However, I have found that it is often in the most uncomfortable of
situations that I most clearly see the face of Christ assuring me that
all is well. Opening my heart to the Lord demands that I listen to
his call - which ushers me forth into the world each day - and respond to it. When on pilgrimage, it is easy to respond openly to the
Lord calling each day, because it is a special time of grace and
prayer. When back in the “real world” with work overload and
other stresses, this openness is often replaced with my needs, my
wants, and my demands, and therefore, it becomes easy to find
myself no longer being surprised my God. However, it has nothing
to do with God but everything to do with my willingness to be
surprised. No, God is not going to throw me a surprise party everyday or even every week or month, but what he will do is love me;
and I can’t think of a greater surprise than that. Whether it’s the
smile of a stranger or the encouragement of a friend, it is God who
hides behind that smile or encouragement. Whether it is a beautiful
sunset or an evening of enjoyment with friends, it is God who
shines from beyond these things and desires to surprise me; it is he
who desires to love me.
This opening of my heart to the surprises of God’s love is
something that I will continue to strive after for the rest of my life.
The great news about Christianity is that I don’t have to figure it
all out today. All God asks is that I remain open to him, and if
today I have been completely closed off from God, it is the mark
of the Christian to dust myself off and strive once more after
Christ. And this is what I plan to do. Who is with me?
I am nearing the end of my college seminary experience. I will graduate, God willing, in
May. The last two years have flown by. I do not
feel any different but I know I am. My prayer life
has developed and I have grown in friendship with
my classmates. Over the past two years I have got to experience
much. My Spanish is still so, so. I have especially appreciated
the loving staff here at St. John Vianney College Seminary. I
really love and appreciate each and every person here, from the
secretary to the cooks. My professors are also wonderful and
have taught me a lot. Philosophy has been interesting. I didn’t
think I’d like it as much as I do. Although it might not seem useful upon first consideration, it is as one of my teachers put it:
“The question to ask is not, ‘What can I do with philosophy?’ But
what can philosophy do for me?” Indeed it has helped me to
develop an intellectual muscle that assists me in interacting with
the world.
By studying the different philosophies of the ages, we
come to learn how the world’s thought processes have changed
throughout history. We can better understand our own modern
age, with its current struggles and viewpoints. We begin to realize that our way of thinking has been shaped by the ages before
us and has been influenced by presuppositions that we unconsciously carry with us. This is important because we begin to
better understand ourselves and modern man’s way of thinking,
which will be vital in our future ministry as priests.
Philosophy is also important for the next part of our
formation, which will be studying theology in the major seminary. Philosophy gives us language to do theology. It trains us
to use our intellect so that we may give reasonable answers for
the hope within us. It also just feels good when someone asks
what I am studying and I can tell them philosophy. I just feel
smart when I say that. But over and above all that, it actually is
much more interesting than I would’ve imagined.
Right now I am working on my senior project. It is the
final requirement before I graduate. It is open to a topic of my
choosing but must be a philosophical question and at least 35
pages. It’s a good opportunity for diving into a certain topic of
interest more than one could’ve done in class. Even that is actually fun too. As one of my philosophy teachers has said:
“Sometimes, work is more fun than fun.” Sometimes…
For anyone reading this article, I say thank you. We
will continue journeying together towards our common vocation:
holiness. Let us support each other with constant prayers and
may our good works be the light that shines through the darkness
in the world.
February/March 2017
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Volume XXIV:II
VOCATIONS AROUND THE DIOCESE
January and February were very busy months in the Vocations Office!
We had our annual Vocation Promotion Workshop, The
Church, Mother of Vocations, on January 28 at the Bethany Center that was attended by approximately 75 people.
Msgr. Michael Carruthers was our Keynote Speaker and
our panel discussion consisted of five mothers.
We also had our Re-Focus program for 9th graders at four
high schools around the diocese during the month of February.
Focus 11
On February 15 and 16 we hosted our annual Focus 11 Vocations Rally for all of the 6th graders around the diocese.
This year Focus 11 was attended by close to 1,000 children!
Following are some photographs from the various events.
Vocation Promotion Workshop
February/March 2017
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Volume XXIV:II
VOCATION NEWS
Holy Hour for Vocations
Cathedral of St. Jude
Sponsored by the
Serra Club
Every 4th Wednesday of the month (with a couple of
exceptions) the Serra Club hosts the Holy Hour for
Vocations from 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. Please consider attending
one of these holy hours to pray for vocations to the
priesthood and religious life.
Upcoming Events
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Ordinations to the Priesthood
Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle
11:00 am, Saturday, May 20, 2017
Upcoming dates are as follows:
March 22, 2017
April 26, 2017
May 24, 2017
Animae Via
Animae Via is a discernment group for individuals
who are reflecting on God's call in their lives and are
considering the possibility of priesthood or religious
life.
This year we will rotate between four different parishes around the diocese, every other month. Sessions will be from 7:00pm-8:30pm. We will start
with dinner followed by a talk, conversation and
prayer and conclude with Eucharistic Adoration and
Benediction. Without a doubt participation in Animae
Via will help to make God's will in your life clearer!
The evening is open to anyone high school age or
older. Friends are always welcome.
The last meeting for this cycle will be:
March 15, 2017, Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle
(5815 5th Avenue North, St. Petersburg)
Topic: The Courage to Respond to God’s Invitation
Please RSVP to Heidi Varley ([email protected]) or by
calling (727) 345-3452, in order for us to plan for
dinner.
February/March 2017
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Volume XXIV:II
Our Seminarians
Calendar of
Upcoming Events
February 2017
† February 15-16, 2017
Focus 11
St. Lawrence Parish, Higgins Hall, Tampa
† February 22, 2017 (7:00 pm-8:00 pm)
Diocesan Holy Hour (Sponsored by SERRA Club)
Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle
March 2017
† March 10-12, 2017
Come & See Weekend
St. John Vianney College Seminary, Miami
† March 15, 2017 (7:00 pm-8:30 pm)
Animae Via Discernment Group
Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle
† March 22, 2017 (7:00 pm-8:00 pm)
Diocesan Holy Hour (Sponsored by SERRA Club)
Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle
† March 26, 2017 (3:00 pm-5:00 pm)
Altar Server Appreciation Mass & Reception
Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle
April 2017
† April 26, 2017 (7:00 pm-8:00 pm)
Diocesan Holy Hour (Sponsored by SERRA Club)
Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle
St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary
William Augensen
2nd Theology
Kyle Bell
3rd Theology
Deacon Elixavier Castro
4th Theology
Israel Hernandez
1st Theology
Connor Penn
2nd Theology
Louis Turcotte
3rd Theology
Timothy Williford
3rd Theology
Mark “Drew” Woodke
2nd Theology
Pastoral Year
Anthony Astrab
Joshua Hare
Nativity Parish
St. Lawrence Parish
Pontifical North American College-Rome
Ralph D’Elia
2nd Theology
Joshua Bertrand
1st Theology
St. John Vianney College Seminary
Donald Amodeo
Pre-Theology II
Zachary Brasseur
Pre-Theology II
Mark DeSio
Freshman Year
Johnatan Fernandez
Senior Year
Christian Galvan
Pre-Theology I
Peter Gonzalez
Pre-Theology II
Reinaldo Jara
Senior Year
Patrick Lambert
Senior Year
Christopher Marte
Freshman Year
Khalil Selim
Pre-Theology I
Senior Year
Mark Yarnold
Contact Us: Fr. Carl Melchior, Director of Vocations
(email: [email protected])
Heidi Varley, Assistant Director
(email: [email protected])
P.O. Box 40200, St. Petersburg, FL 33743
(727) 345-3452
Website: http://dosp.org/vocations/
February/March 2017
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Volume XXIV:II
2016/2017 Diocese of St. Petersburg Seminarians
February/March 2017
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Volume XXIV:II