Saint John's Seminary Begins New Academic Year with Mass of the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

The Mass of the Holy Spirit takes place at the beginning of each school year, and is celebrated so that the seminary community might seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the coming academic year. During the Mass the seminary faculty made a Profession of Faith and made their Oath of Fidelity. The Mass was celebrated in the seminary chapel by Cardinal Sean on August 30, 2023 followed by a barbecue for the seminary community.

It was a great joy to welcome our new seminarians earlier this week. Saint John's has been blessed with 14 new seminarians representing four dioceses (Archdiocese of Boston, Diocese of Worcester, Diocese of Providence, and the Archdiocese of Hanoi) and two religious communities (Benedictines and the Capuchin Franciscans).

Saint John's is also pleased to welcome four men into our inaugural Propaedeutic Year.

"The seminary exists so that God's people can have have shepherds that reflect the love and the compassion of The Good Shepherd... We are here to serve, and to give our lives as a ransom for many", said Cardinal Sean O'Malley in his homily to the seminary community.

The work of the seminary is central to the life of the whole Church. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI pointed this out in a plenary assembly of the Congregation for Catholic Education, when he called seminaries “one of the most important [formative institutions for which the Congregation is responsible] for the life of the Church” (February 7, 2011). As our seminarians and students begin another year of formation, please keep them and those responsible for their formation and education in your prayers. Our mission to form your future parish priests and lay ecclesial leaders depends on the support of Catholics from across the New England region and beyond.

We invite you to join us in prayer every 27th of the month for the continued success of our mission.