Summer 2011 - Companions of the Cross

partners in the Gospel that we have made
there. We trust that our loving and merciful
Lord will keep us united in heart and
that our relationships will persevere for the
glory of God.
But the Lord is always one step ahead and
is never outdone in generosity! Just as we
were struggling with the realization that
we would need to move our formation program
in Houston, we received a call from
the Archdiocese of Detroit. Archbishop Vigneron
was inviting us to take on St. Scholastica’s
parish on the outskirts of the inner-city.
This is a tremendous opportunity
for several reasons. First, the parish is well
suited to our needs and mission. Inner-city
ministry has always been a priority for the
community and the parish itself is ideally
located, has a large church building well
suited to renewal work, and as a former
Benedictine parish comes with a “monastery”
residence with ample space. Secondly,
it is only a 15 minute drive from Sacred
Heart Seminary, which is arguably one
of the best seminaries in North America.
Years ago our Executive Council discussed
the possibility of moving our academic formation
to Sacred Heart Seminary, but it just
wasn’t feasible at the time. The reason we
were so motivated to do so, and the reason
why we are so enthused now, is that Sacred
Heart Seminary is not only providing topnotch
philosophy and theology programs
but is also unquestionably leading the way
in training future priests for the new evangelization.
In fact, our good friend Ralph
Martin who has been a leader in Catholic
evangelization and renewal for decades is
the director of graduate theology programs
in the new evangelization at Sacred Heart.
The commitment to training “heralds of
the new evangelization” in this seminary
is unparalleled. After a community wide
consultation and discernment process we
accepted Archbishop Vigneron’s invitation.
We begin on July first. Most of our
seminarians will be transferring to Sacred
Heart Seminary.
There are also some exciting changes in
Continued on page 20...
f a t h e r terr y’s piCks
Priesthood
Dear Father – A Message of Love to Priests
by Catherine Doherty
A powerful book on the meaning and importance of the priesthood.
Madonna House Publications, 2001, 138pp.
Theology of Priesthood
by Jean Galot, SJ
Comprehensive theological presentation of the priesthood, relationship between
the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood, the priest’s
role as minister of sacraments, as prophet and leader.
Ignatius Press, 1985, 274pp.
The Priestly Office – A Theological Reflection
by Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ
A collection of five lectures on the Catholic priesthood today.
Paulist Press, 1997, 96pp.
The Catholic Priesthood and Women – A Guide to the
Teaching of the Church
by Sara Butler, MSBT
A clear and compelling explanation of the Catholic teaching that the Church
does not have the authority to ordain women to the priesthood. Includes
explanation of the fundamental reasons for the teaching and the theological
explanations for it.
Hillenbrand Books, 2007, 132pp.
Is Jesus Calling You to be a Catholic Priest?
A 32 page guide to discerning the will of God regarding a vocation to the
priesthood. National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors.
www.ncdvd.org/orderdiscernmentjournals.html
Eucharistic Adoration for the Sanctification of Priests
and Spiritual Maternity
2007 Document from the Congregation for the Clergy on Spiritual Motherhood
for Priests
www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/specialitems/adoration_for_
priests.pdf
Vultus Christi (The Face of Christ)
Catholic blog by Fr. Mark Kirby
vultus.stblogs.org/priesthood/
Congregation for the Clergy Website
www.clerus.org
Also, check out our Priesthood and Vocations playlists at
www.youtube.com/CompanionsCross and companionscross.org/vocations/
comeandsee.html