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CCD + free will + Bruce Almighty + prayer
Today in 10th grade CCD we did “free will” and prayer using clips from Bruce Almighty. We had a great debate of “free will” verses God’s “all-knowing” nature. Also discussed angels, being that today is the feast of the Archangels. It was a great day!
Here are most of the clips on “Free Will” from Bruce Almighty:
Another clip from Bruce Almighty:
golf cart labor Jefes + Bishop’s Day Off
WORKLIST — On Wednesday afternoons we all have a Work List Job that involves some kind of manual labor around the seminary campus. The job changes each semester.
This semester, I’m the Work List Coordinator Assistant (that’s why I can’t drive the golf cart). My job changes depending on the needs of all the areas of work but looking cool in a golf cart is the most important job description. : )
BISHOP’s DAY OFF — With all our work we’ve done over the last couple weeks, and most especially yesterday’s celebration for Bishop Noonan’s 25th Priestly Anniversary, we were given a DAY OFF under special dispensation by the Bishop himself … which is this Friday! — We LOVE our Bishop Noonan! (not just for the day off, but that’s nice too!)
legendary “Tree of Vocational End” @ SJVCS
Here at St John Vianney College Seminary (Miami, FL), there is a beautiful and gigantic tree outside the Library building with a legend attached. Apparently any seminarian that has tried to climb the tree has left the seminary [and not become a priest]. I’m not one for superstitions, but knowing that now may make the tree a temptation during a time of spiritual “desolation” or just on one of those “stressful” seminary days that forces the question, “Why am I here again?” I hope I don’t do something that extreme [and immature] to actually consider an avenue of “vocational suicide” in a moment of weakness. Fortunately for me, I have a long walk to that “tree” from the Pre-Theology houses … and I know my fellow brothers are there to keep me from “myself” in those moments. — Thank God today is a “good” day : ) lol
my SJVCS bros Anthony A & Michael H
Our seminary website here at St John Vianney College Seminary has a new blog that features 2 of my brother seminarians posting “a day in the life” of a seminarian. Check them out! Anthony Antuono (2nd Year Sophmore) and Michael Hartley (1st Year Sophmore).
Click their pictures for their blog posts!
my SJVCS bros Anthony U & Greg V
Our seminary website here at St John Vianney College Seminary has a new blog that features 2 of my brother seminarians posting “a day in the life” of a seminarian. Check them out! Anthony Ustick (2nd Year Junior) and Greg Visca (2nd Year Sophmore).
Greg is also the one in charge of the new blog, so let him know what you think.
student government
Today was our first Student Council meeting for the year. We elected Deans and Vice-Deans for each class level. We also discussed several open forum issues with lots of feedback. — hear ye hear ye
Cup + new jefe + happy holy hour
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS — At this morning’s Mass, 14 of us Seniors & second-year Pre-Theology (me) seminarians were installed as Eucharistic Ministers to our seminary community here at St John Vianney College Seminary. We’ll be assisting especially with distribution of the Cup of Precious Blood at Mass. An honor and reminder of our greater role to lead and be example to our fellow brothers in priestly discernment.
NEW WORK LIST JOB — Every Wednesday 1:30 to 3pm, we each have a “job” to do for the community. This semester I am the “Assistant Work List Coordinator.” I drive around with my “jefe” coordinating needs and supplies for each area of Work List (Carroll Building, McCarthy House, Chapel, Library, Offices, etc.).
other DOTS — Wendy’s 4 — Rector personal intro meeting — joyful Holy Hour — Cuban dinner — John Adams part 5
27 new seminarians @ SJVCS, Miami
Today, we got an email from our Rector at St John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, FL. This week starts New Student Experience for new incoming seminarians. There are 27 new guys! That should put our total house count at 61 seminarians … a nice full house! I’ll definitely be praying for them, especially for safety on the FIU Ropes Course and patience on their 4 day Silent Retreat next week. Returning Students are due back next Thursday Aug 21st.
BBQ + water balloons + movie night
With today being the last day of final exams, we celebrated with a dinner Bar-B-Que, a water balloon fight and movie night with unlimited desserts
Final exams week
This week is final exams. I probably won’t be posting much until Friday.
Monday — Thomas Aquinas in the 20th Century, Ministerial Practicum
Tuesday — Intro to New Testament
Wednesday — no exams, (Kitchen Appreciation Lunch)
Thursday — Intermediate Spanish, Medieval Philosophy, (Semester Evaluation PM)
Friday — Contemporary Philosophy
compline + Our Lady of Guadalupe
In this Jubilee Year of the Archdiocese of Miami, there are 2 paintings of Our Lady of Guadalupe traveling throughout the diocese spend a week in each. This week, St John Vianney College Seminary has one.
As a group, the Pre-Theology seminarians had our regular Thursday night Compline (Night Prayer) before Our Lady. We also did a rosary with the Luminous Mysteries (as the lights of the Chapel got brighter). — brotherhood in prayer before Our Lady … 🙂
Pre-T chapels blessing
Our off-campus Pre-Theology homes were finally ready to have their individual chapels blessed. Each of the 2 homes have room designated as an adoration chapel with the Blessed Sacrament exposed (not yet … that’s Saturday morning Mass in our back yards). We have a red candle holder, holy water font, alter and tabernacle in each, so far.
Us 12 Pre-Theologian seminarians had Night Prayer together and then blessed each chapel seperately (with some book delays). — Beautiful.
next year’s schedule
Today, I registered for classes next semester, starting August 25th (if I pass my end-of-semester evaluation next week, God willing). Other guys say it’s a pretty hard schedule next semester …
On Mon/Wed/Fri, I’ll have Fundamental Ethics (Fr Vallee), Social Ethics (Dr Santos), and Metaphysics (Dr Solis).
On Tues/Thurs, I’ll have Pre-Theology Seminary (Fr Santos) and World Religion & Literature (Fr Joseph).
Here is the TENTATIVE SJV COLLEGE SCHEDULE for next year:
August 07 — New Men Arrive
August 21 — Returning Students Arrive (–that’s me)
August 24 — 11am Mass of the Holy Spirit / Dean’s Award Dinner
August 25 — Classes Begin
September 19-20 — Day of Recollection
September 27 — Parent Day
October 06-10 — Mid-Semester Exams
October 07 — Solemn Mass, Archdiocesen Golden Jubilee (Bank Atlantic Center)
October 10-17 — Mid-Semester Break
October 18-19 — Day of Recollection
October 20 — Classes Resume
November 07-09 — Vocation Awareness Weekend
November 10 — No Class
November 26-30 — Thanksgiving Break
December 01 — Classes Resume
December 05 — Pre-Christmas Mass & Dinner
December 08-12 — Final Exam Week
December 12 — Gaudeamus (of new guys)
December 13 to January 4 — Christmas Break
January 05 — Spring Classes Begin
January 19 — Martin Luther King Day / No Class
February 16 — Mid-Semester Exams
February 20-26 — Mid-Semester Break
February 26 to March 01 — Retreat
March 02 — Classes Resume
March 13-15 — Vocation Awareness Weekend
March 16 — No Class
March 20 — Fides et Ratio Conference
April 03-13 — Holy Week Break
April 14 — Classes Resume
April 16 — Humanities Projects Presentations
April 17 — Senior Interviews @ St Vincent DePaul Major Seminary (–that me)
April 23-24 — Senior Projects Presentations
April 25 — Diaconate Ordination @ St Vincent DePaul Major Seminary
April 27 to May 01 — Final Exam Week
May 05 — Gaudeamus (on graduates)
May 06 — Graduation
Jubilee monstrance pilgrimage @ SJV
Tonight ends a 2 week pilgrimage in the Archdiocese of Miami of a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II to encourage vocations, especially in this Golden Jubilee year. Today at 8pm, here at St John Vianney College Seminary, we had a full chapel of visitor for Compline (Night Prayer) with benediction & adoration with the visiting vocation monstrance. Auxiliary Bishop Noonan had a good reflection and I was lector (a bit pro-active) for a great experience.
SJV St Raphael Chapel mural
As I start feeling the end of the year coming (2 more weeks), I realized how attached I’ve become to the beautiful mural in our main St Raphael Chapel here at St John Vianney College Seminary. The mural is done by Gabriel Loire.
I asked a brother seminarian to take a picture and had it blown up to fit in a 16″ x 20″ silver frame so I have it during our summer break. We had to add a top & bottom border to fit the frame size. A link to the bigger picture is below if you’d like to make one too.
Enlarge picture of Gabriel Liore mural (Sam’s Club): $7
16″ x 20″ silver frame (Target): $15
Prayerful meditation on Chapel mural during breaktime: PRICELESS
Elvis on Univision
Tonight at 10pm, we watched Elvis, one of our brother seminarians from the Archdiocese of Miami, in an interview on a special featuring the Catholic Church and vocations on a Spanish show on Univision. It also featured our Miami Vocation Director, Fr Manny Alavarez along with some video of our campus and small groups of our brother seminarians. — Elvis is famous! I tried to find a video clip to put here, but couldn’t find it.
Little Flower Catholic Church in Hollywood, FL
About 1 Sunday each month, all of us seminarians here at St John Vianney College Seminary visit a different parish of the Archdiocese of Miami. Our Rector started the tradition last year and I thinks it’s a great idea. It exposes us to different parish life as well as makes us visible to the community as a living vocation poster.
Today, we all drove up to my ‘hood to Little Flower Parish in Hollywood, FL. (My parish of St Bernadette is also in Hollywood.) The pastor Fr O’Dwyer was one of the priest how interviewed me during my seminarian application last year. The parish was very inviting and provided great food after Mass with lots of conversation with parishoners. I even found a family to practice my Polish with. — Definitely, a great tradition I hope we continue.
Senior rockers gift
After our Rector’s Conference (a summary of all conferences throughout the year), the graduating Senior & Pre-Theology 2 classes presented the rest of the “house” with a gift. They gave us 4 wooden rocking chairs to surround our “Philosophy” hangout table outside the library. Each has a small plaque with last year’s theme, “Men of Communion” in 4 different languages … English … Spanish … Creole … Latin. — a great idea for something we’ll all use regularly … Thank you!
SJV Class of 2008 picture
Today we took our 2008 graduation class picture for St John Vianney College Seminary here in Miami, FL. I’m right in the middle. — this isn’t the “official picture” … thanx Javi for this one!
CCD @ St Catherine of Siena
Since we’ll be assigned “apostalic work” next year, we’re observing other fellow seminarians in different current assignments for the last few Mondays of the semester. Today, I observed an 8th grade CCD Confirmation class at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Miami, not too far from the seminary.
We were greeted by Pastor Fr Sosa and served an awesome dinner. (Patricio’s Monday meatloaf will have to wait.) His dog was also very friendly. — the class went great!
A week before Easter, the parish church building was set on fire by a couple local teenagers. About one million dollars in damage. While repairs are being done, Mass is done outside under the overhang area of the church entrance. — We’ll definitely keep them all in our prayers.
SJVCS Seminary Life Album
July '09 -- hospital chaplains @ IPF
Easter '09 -- Miami SJVCS friends
the Son always finds a break in let the clouds
Feb '09 -- school vocation talks @ AMHS
Feb '09 -- cold breakfast with brothers (Matias, Fenly & Randy), now at SVDP and Imad (at SJVCS)
Superbowl '09 -- eating great @ SJVCS
Sept '08 -- Worklist Coordinators?
St Raphael Chapel mural @ SJVCS
Sept '08 -- retreats @ SJVCS
"It's not easy being green"
Catholic Kermit 
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