40 Hours Devotions and St. Charles Day

By: Rick James
Seminarian, Third Theology


Forty Hours in
St. Martin Chapel, 2010

Since the 1840’s, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary has been celebrating Forty Hours Eucharistic devotions every year. This great celebration begins every year on the Solemnity of All Saints. For three days the seminary community is blessed with extended adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. This cheerful and solemn time is both looked forward to as well as remembered throughout the years. Nobody who has studied at St. Charles would be able to forget the unique and holy experience. Many priests, some ordained for decades, are filled with happy memories of St. Charles Forty Hours—many of them consider their happiest memory of their time at the Seminary.

The Rector, Fr. Shaun Mahoney celebrates mass for
the community on the 3rd day of 40 Hours celebration

 St. Charles has been long known for its splendid celebration of liturgy. There is much careful planning by the ceremonies crew, masters of ceremonies, sacristans, musicians/choir and the priests to make Forty Hours a memorable and prayerful experience.


Dan Kravatz, 1st Theology
getting ready at Mass

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered with high solemnity, expressing the great splendor and beauty of the Roman Rite—all of which witness to the greater glory of God Himself, and His presence with us in the Blessed Sacrament.

Fr. Bongard celebrates Mass
on All Saints Day

 The seminary’s celebration of Forty Hours begins on November 1st (All Saints Day). At the very beginning of this sacred time at the seminary, we invoke the intercession of all the saints; to pray for us that we too may gaze upon our Heavenly Father’s face. Father Joseph Bongard was the principal celebrant and homilist. He asked us in his homily to reflect deeply on the words in the Canon of the Mass “For ourselves, too, we ask some share in the fellowship of your apostles and martyrs, with John the Baptist and Stephen”— to share in that same communion with these great saints who gave their entire lives for Christ. To add greater solemnity to the day, the Seminary’s treasury of relics of various saints was displayed on the St. Joseph altar for public veneration. At the end of Mass the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and remains so until the closing of Forty Hours. For the next three days, anyone is able to visit the Blessed Sacrament at any hour of the day or night.

[Panis Angelicus Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SkdKniABZg {Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament following All Saints Day mass opens this years Forty Hours Celebration}
 

At Vespers, Bishop Daniel Thomas
offers benediction with the Blessed Sacrament.

  That Evening Bishop Daniel Thomas, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, led the celebration of Vespers and gave Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. [Magnificat Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdXrw2FnxeU {The chanting of the Magnificat at Vespers on All Saints Day}



James Harper at the Organ
on All Souls Day



Mass on All Souls Day

 

The 2nd day of Forty Hours is All Souls day. Rather than the pomp and loud hymns of previous day, the Holy Mass begins with the ancient introit: “Réquiem aetérnam dona eis, Dómine, et lux perpétua lúceat eis.” (Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon them). The singing of this chant unites us in prayer for the souls that have gone on before us, and remind us of our own place in our journey to eternity.




Fr. Mahoney offers Mass
on the feast of St. Martin De Porres

 

The final day of our Forty Hours devotions falls on the memorial of St. Martin de Porres. Our Rector, Father Shaun Mahoney was the principle celebrant and homilist. In his homily, he recalled St. Martin's devotion and unswerving love for his sick brethren. He then called the seminary community to consider what God reveals to us in the physical and spiritual suffering and sickness of humanity. Following the homily, Father Mahoney invited the whole community to pray for the seminarians and faculty who are currently afflicted with serious illness—and there was a celebration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for the seriously ill at the seminary. 



The Eucharistic procession moves into
Immaculate Conception Chapel



 The closing of Forty Hours falls on the eve of the Patronal Feast of the Seminary— St. Charles Borromeo. At the end of the chanting of Vespers, the high point of the celebration of Forty Hours concludes with the solemn procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the whole assembly from St. Martin's Chapel to Immaculate Conception Chapel for Benediction. The seminary community led by the cross and candles processes while the rector, bearing the Holy of Holies in the Monstrance follows— all the while being incensed and reverenced by the ringing of bells and chanting of St. Thomas Aquinas' great Eucharist Hymn, Pange Lingua.

[Procession Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHKgWm154vM {A clip of the procession as it moves through the campus of St. Charles Seminary}



The Closing of Forty Hours
in Immaculate Conception Chapel

 

Upon the entire assembly's arrival in Immaculate Conception Chapel, the conclusion of that great hymn of St. Thomas is sung: “Tantum ergo Sacraméntum..”. Finally benediction with the Blessed Sacrament is given to all assembled and the annual celebration of Forty Hours concludes. [Tantum Ergo Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzorpzznFbw {Incensation Hymn at Benediction of the closing of Forty Hour}

  


Cardinal Rigali offers
St. Charles Day Mass

 


The next day, The Feast of St. Charles Borromeo is celebrated with much joy by the community. The Archbishop of Philadelphia, Justin Cardinal Rigali, offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the entire community—and also presides over the Rite of Admission of the men in the 1st year of Theology to Candidacy for Holy Orders.



Dan Kravats and Mark Searles
listen to the readings at mass

 

Three men from the Diocese of Allentown received the call to Candidacy by Bishop John O. Barres, and officially expressed their intention to prepare for and receive Holy Orders before Cardinal Rigali this year: Dan Kravatz of St. Catherine of Sienna Parish- Reading, Mark Searles of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish- Easton, and Kevin Lonergan of St. Patrick Parish- Pottsville. [Picture 11] {Kevin Lonergan chants the Responsorial Psalm} During this Feast Day mass, these men express their resolution to prepare themselves in mind and spirit to give their lives in faithful witness to Christ. The whole community is invited to pray for them, that God's work may be brought to completion in the Holy Spirit.

To the right, Allentown Priests Msgr. Stephen Radocha, and Fathers Andrew Gehringer, Joel Kiefer, Gene Ritz concelebrate on St. Charles Day, and visit with the seminarians receiving candidacy from their parishes.

During the feast day, the much awaited 'Upper-side/Lower-side' football game is played. All the sems displayed great eagerness and resolve to play despite the rain—in fact, they even seemed more excited than if it were sunny! In a wet and muddy field, both teams gave it their all— at the end, covered in mud as they were— the theologate (upper-side) was victorious!




View of the Chapel of St. Martin of Tours

 

Following Solemn Vespers, the community came together for a wonderful dinner-- truly engaging the great feast day. As always this was a blessed time of the year. A holy and enjoyable time to pray, rest, and celebrate the great gift of our Lord in the Eucharist—as well as His presence here at the Seminary.





Experience of Cassock Day

By: Daniel C. Lisella
Seminarian, First College

Picture in your mind you are a 5 year old whose birthday it is and your parents are going to throw you a surprise party. All the relatives come early and hide in the house while you are out with one of your parents. You show up late at the house tired from a long birthday morning with your mom and grandparents. You walk into the house completely unaware of what is about to happen. All of a sudden people come out from everywhere, friends and family, shouting “Surprise!” hugging you and kissing you and picking you up. That is what Cassock Day at St. Charles Seminary feels like since that happened to me at my 5th birthday party.

I cannot tell too much of the story for the New Men who will be attending St. Charles next year will probably read this. All I can say is, it will be a day I will never forget for the rest of my life. How great I feel that God has called me to serve his people and give me such an opportunity to be with family and spend time with my new brothers of the St. Charles community. I woke up tired that morning because of the excitement I knew was coming the next day. We had Morning Prayer in the morning followed by the blessing of the cassocks. Following the blessing, mass was held, and it was the most special mass I have ever seen in my entire life because it was God’s gift to us that day. Sharing the fellowship of fraternity with our brothers and the resident priests was the best part of the morning. In the afternoon, our families and friends came to share the day with us by giving them a day in the life of our community explaining what we do and walking around to various points of the Seminary. I didn’t expect this, but I had two of my teachers show up from my high school to visit me that day which was probably a gift from God showing me how much I am appreciated by others for what I do. Vespers was said in the evening followed by going out and share fellowship with all of our families and friends since we haven’t seen them in a while.

There are many more events I could describe from that day, but the other events that did take place I cannot use words for. They have touched me in so many ways I cannot begin to describe. I will quote my Rector Fr. Mahoney from what he heard “…it is not about the touch that you take, rather about the touch you give.” To all of you I wish you many blessing and happiness from our Lord and to the New Men who are discerning their vocation for the Diocese of Allentown you are being prayed for everyday. I hope that one day you will join me along with my other brother seminarians at St. Charles and share in this fellowship that, God willing, you will feel the same. Finally, may Christ be with all of you and please continue to pray that more young people discern their vocation to the priesthood or religious life. God bless you!

Deacon Stokes Preaching at the Seminary

By: Deacon Jason Stokes
Seminarian, Fourth Theology

Today is October 21 – we are half-way through the fall semester of the 2010-2011 academic year, or if you are on a quarter system – it is roughly the end of the first quarter.


This is a good time to sit back and take stock of where we are in the school year. What is it we are trying to accomplish in school this year? What is the goal?

If you ask 100 people that question I would bet that at least 80 people would answer – to gain knowledge.

Yet what is it that St. Paul tells the Ephesians? He says that the love of Christ surpasses all knowledge – this is what truly satisfies us.

Paul is praying to God the Father for the Ephesians pleading that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith and that they be rooted in and grounded in love.

This prayer of Paul is paralleled by Jesus proclaiming in the Gospel: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”

To a non-Christian this might seem a little problematic – is this god of the Christians some type of pyromaniac?

What is it that Christ wants to burn the earth with?

The answer is quite easy – he wants to burn the earth with his love.

He offers us this love, but not everyone accepts it – and this is what Christ so very much desires, yet he will not force it upon us – he will love us no matter what, but he will not make us love him in return.

Jesus goes on to say that he must undergo a baptism, and he will anguish until this baptism is complete.

The baptism Christ is speaking of is his crucifixion. He knows the pain he will endure in his Passion and Death.

Yet he is willing to do it so that he may set the world ablaze – the wood of the cross will become the kindling to set the world on fire with his love.

Look at the Cross – what do you see? One word should jump out at you from the Cross – LOVE! Christ gave himself for you and for me because he loves us – he died out of love for us.

Christ loved me enough to die for me, what must I do in return? The answer is the same as the one as the word jumping out at us from the Cross – LOVE. Our response to the love of Christ must be love. Love for him and love for each other.

St. Paul of the Cross, whose feast we celebrated yesterday wrote the following: “It is very good and holy to consider the passion of our Lord and to meditate on it, for by this sacred path we reach union with God… Be constant in practicing every virtue and especially imitating our dear Lord, for that is the summit of pure love… When you become true lovers of the Crucified you will always celebrate the feast of the cross in the inner temple of the soul.”

My brothers and sisters, we must immerse ourselves in the cross of our Lord. We must attempt to realize the great love our Lord has for each of us in his willingness to die for us.

Jesus loves you, and if you were the only person on earth, he would still have died for you. You are so very precious to our God. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. Never forget this.

This love gives us our true satisfaction – it is what fills us and fulfills us.

Therefore, let us always recognize the love our Lord has for each of us and then let us respond with love; love for God and for each other.