MY
We were very blessed to spend five days in Maria Stein, Ohio, at the Maria Stein Shrine and Retreat Center. It was good for all of us to get our noses out of textbooks, papers, and laptops and to spend some time in silence, prayer, and reflection in the woods of Ohio during the peak of Fall.
Although we're currently back in classes and have returned to the challenges of academia, we have some wonderful All Saints celebrations coming up, beginning with solemn Vespers this evening, an All Saints costume party, a solemn mass tomorrow, and an All Souls procession around the grounds and the on-campus cemetery.
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Midterms week always takes its toll on the seminarians. I notice it in myself, I've heard guys (myself included) struggling with chanting. Tensions have been a higher, guys skipped or cut some meals short, and everyone squirreled themselves away in their rooms. While every student at every school gets stressed during midterms, seminaries encourage seminarians to respond differently. We relax together in community, watching movies, or doing activities. Some guys are going to a demolition derby at a county fair this evening to celebrate "crushing it" during midterms week. More importantly, all of us philosophy students and some of the theologians will be spending next week on silent retreat, praying and deepening our relationships with the Lord. We work hard, but the good fruits and the struggles of our work go straight back to God.
Habemus Papam!
I have had this last weekend in mind since the beginning of the semester. Family weekend and the famous flag football game between the College and Theology houses (called the Mudbowl) is one of the biggest and most fun events we have all year. Team spirit is high and the week prior is stuffed with event planning and light-hearted smack talk between the Collegians (who adopted all the incoming seminarians into their team) and the Theologians (who are sad because they aren't Collegians. This is an example of smack talk.) But I had my eye on one yearly tradition in particular: the election of the Mudbowl Pope. The College team, called the College of Cardinals "elects" from among the junior class a seminarian to be the team mascot. Since I'm a junior this year, I couldn't help but wonder whether it would be me. And because I'm so popular, and definitely not because the only other junior was coaching the football team, the people rejoiced at the election of Cardinal John Paul Gan to the papacy. And the papacy of Pope Pulchritudinous I was a glorious one. On the eve of the mudbowl, the faithful gathered in front of the college building, where the third floor window opened so the papal flag could be hung. A Cardinal appeared at the window, announcing the election of the Mudbowl Pope. Amidst cheers and applause, the new "Pope" appears at the window and waves. Ok, some context is required. The real Pope usually delivers a speech greeting the faithful and asking them for prayer before delivering his first Urbi et Orbi blessing. The Mudbowl Pope, not being ordained and clearly being just a mascot and a fun tradition, delivers a speech to rouse the College to action and to poke a little fun at the Theology team. It's completely ridiculous and filled with inside jokes, but it's good fun all around. After the speech, the Pope and Cardinals makes a "solemn" procession to our communal game room and everyone follows for a fun social. Even though we didn't win the football game, I still greatly enjoyed the whole event. We had good food, a great game, and it breathes a lot of life into the seminary whenever families come to visit. We had 200 visitors! I'll leave you with the last lines of my papal address. All ridiculousness aside, it expresses my favorite part of the Mudbowl. The Mudbowl brings the greater seminary family together, even if it's not under the rule of a fancy mascot. "This divide between the houses serves the Cardinals no longer. Christ himself prayed in the Garden "that they may be one." Our illustrious founder, Monsignior Jessing, did not call this blessed institution the Pontifical Theology Josephinum but the Pontifical College Josephinum! Like the great egyptian Menes, who conquered the upper and lower kingdoms, so shall the echo of our triumph cross the street and liberate every seminarian under the fist of one, mighty papacy. And we, the victorious, shall dwell in true unity. Our Lady of Victory, Pray for us! Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for them!" |
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Catholic. Archives
July 2023
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