It was an honor for Saint John's Seminary to host a meeting of the Knights of Malta this morning. These are the words with which I welcomed them:One month ago today, Pope Benedict XVI Celebrated the 900th anniversary of the Knights of Malta, encouraging your more than 13,000 members in 120 countries to continue your ministry of assisting the elderly, handicapped, refugees, children, homeless, those with terminal illness and leprosy.
It is a great joy to welcome you to Saint John’s Seminary, although we are much younger than you. For a mere 128 years we have been forming Priests for service to the Church in the Northeastern United States. But in that time, more than 3,000 men have prayed, studied and grown in Christ in this place in order to be ordained for service to you and to your families.
Today Saint John’s Seinary is full...not an empty room in the house, as more than one hundred and thirty men, each filled with a passionate love for Christ and for his Church, sit in the same seats you occupy right now and pray in that same Chapel we prayed in this morning in order to discern their vocation.
Pray for them. Think of them often. For they are preparing to serve you and your children and your grandchildren for years to come.
Saint John’s is growing at an unprecedented rate with three campuses and a Theological Institute preparing more than 150 lay men and women for ministry in your parishes as Deacons and DRE’s, Pastoral Associates, chaplains and teachers of the Catholic faith for the New Evangelization.
At your places you have copies of the latest issues of the magazines of our Seminary and Institute divisions which will share even more about the exciting growth of Saint John’s Seminary. If you would like to receive complimentary copies of our magazine in the future, there is a card provided which you can just leave at your place.
So I’m so delighted to welcome you to Saint John’s Seminary. We are honored by your presence and hope you will always feel at home in this holy house.
