The joy of Easter invites us to the mission of spreading the good news with confidence that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. We are invited to recollect ourselves knowing that the Lord is present among us until the end of times. In order to reach all the corners of the world, this sign of God’s love requires the exercise of our priestly vocation both, baptismal and ministerial.
The words of St. Paul, “I became your father in Christ through the gospel,” express hope and assure the continual presence of the great gift that Jesus left us in the Last Supper. Throughout the centuries, thousands of holy priests have transmitted this abundant life, making it their own and enabling others to continue to await God’s gifts. In persona Christi captitis, a priest is the man of the future.
St. John’s Seminary mission is to prepare men as candidates for service as Roman Catholic priests in the United States and other countries. These men generously have responded to God’s call to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ by rooting themselves in Word and Sacrament and the Church’s theological tradition, and integrating the spiritual, human, intellectual and pastoral dimensions of their lives to develop skills for ministry, leadership and evangelization in a culturally diverse Church.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who generously have supported this institution, especially CCF-LA for the efforts in building funds to promote priestly vocations. I also wish to express my profound gratitude for your prayers to train our seminarians to become holy priests and emulate the servanthood of the Lord.
