News & Events

Cardinal Sean blogs on Serra Chartering

July 4th, 2009

Cardinal Sean posted a blog about the recent chartering ceremony for the Serra Club of Boston:

On Friday, there was a Mass at St. John’s Seminary and a dinner to charter a new Serra Club for Boston.

We are hoping that promotion of priestly vocations and vocation recruitment will be a very important part of the Year for Priests.

Serra Club takes its name from Blessed Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest who founded a number of California missions in the 18th century.

I have always had a special spot in my heart for them. My dad joined Serra in 1960 and was a very active member his whole life.

The first president of the Boston club is Loretta Gallagher, who worked very closely with our Director of Vocations, Father Dan Hennessey on establishing the new chapter.

Read the full post at: Cardinal Seán’s Blog: Serra Club comes to Boston

Posted in Events

Feast Day of Blessed Junipero Serra

July 1st, 2009

July 1 is the official Feast Day of Blessed Junipero Serra.

The Liturgy of the Hours supplement offers the following prayer on this feast day:

God most high,
your servant Junipero Serra
brought the gospel of Christ
to the peoples of Mexico and California
and firmly established the Church among them.
By his intercession,
and through the example of his evangelical zeal,
inspire us to be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Happy Feast Day to Serrans worldwide!

Posted in Events

Vatican announces Jubilee Year for Priests

June 19th, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI announced that the universal Church will celebrate a Jubilee Year of the Priest, beginning June 19th, 2009, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of the saintly Cure D’Ars.

On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy –, I have decided to inaugurate a “Year for Priests” in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the “dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide…

I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity? And how can I not praise the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as “friends of Christ”, whom he has called by name, chosen and sent?

Read the full letter from Pope Benedict XVI at: Vatican web site:
Letter of His Holiness Benedict XVI proclaiming a Year for Priests

Other media coverage of this event can be found at the links below:

Finally, the video below from RomeReports shows the Pope’s speech as he declares the Year for Priests: