Gaudete!

In honor of Gaudete Sunday, here is a clip from a recent “Lessons and Carols” concert of the seminarians from the St. John Neumann residence in Yonkers, New York:

The Neumann seminarians gave several other performances at different parishes around the Archdiocese as a fundraiser to help defray the costs of traveling to World Youth Day in Spain in 2011. Not only was the music beautiful, but it was tremendously encouraging to see so many fine young men seriously discerning priesthood here in New York.

The St. John Neumann residence is the college seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. The men of Neumann either work towards bachelor’s degrees at local Catholic colleges or take in-house Philosophy classes in preparation for their four years of theologate (major seminary).

You can see other clips of “Lessons and Carols” on the St. John Neumann residence’s YouTube channel. (And If you happen to be interested offering financial support for the New York seminarians’ World Youth Day trip, you can contact the Neumann vocation directors/formation advisors via their Vocations website.)

Seven New Novices for the Sisters of Life!

It’s always a joy to see religious communities flourish in your home diocese! Here is a photo of the newest novices for the Sisters of Life, sent to me by Archdiocesan Vocation Director Fr. Luke Sweeney.

(The new novices, left to right, are: Sr. Virginia Joy; Sr. Annunciata Maria; Sr. Cecilia Rose; Sr. Avila Marie; Sr. Mariana Benedicta; Sr. Mary Sophia; and Sr. Faustina Maria Pia.)

The Sisters of Life are an apostolic congregation of women religious founded in the Archdiocese of New York in 1991 by the late archbishop John Cardinal O’Connor. Through prayer and various apostolic works, the Sisters of Life support women in crisis pregnancies and strive to foster a culture where human life is respected and reverenced.

Please remember these new novices in your prayers!

Women of Mystery, Women of Hope

Here is a short, seven-minute film I found on the blog “Roman Catholic Vocations.” I liked it because it struck me as being almost like a Fishers of Men for women’s consecrated life.

Although unfortunately there are no consecrated virgins in the film, it is set in New York!

And, it features three of our best-known religious congregations: the Sisters and Life and the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal, both of which are diocesan communities; and the Missionary Sisters of Charity, who have a formation house in the Bronx.

Women of Mystery, Women of Hope also has its own website: http://www.mysteryandhope.org/

Seven New Priests for the Archdiocese of New York!

This past Saturday morning, May 15, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, seven men were ordained for the Archdiocese of New York. The new archdiocesan priests are Fathers James Ferreira, George La Grutta, Steven Markantonis, Fredy Patiño Montoya, Thomas A. Roslak, Enrique Salvo, and Daniel Tuite.

Three were also ordained for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (the CFR’s), who are based in the Bronx and serve in the archdiocese, in other U.S. dioceses and overseas: Fathers Albert Karol Maria Osewski, C.F.R., Charles-Benoît Rèche, C.F.R., and Isaac Mary Spinharney, C.F.R.

You can read their vocation stories here, on the website for the archdiocesan newspaper, “Catholic New York.” For more pictures, see here and here on Dunwoodie seminarian Paul Zalonski’s blog, “Communio.”

Let’s all joyfully remember these new priests in our prayers!