Greetings and welcome to St. Patrick’s Seminary & University located in beautiful Menlo Park California. St. Patrick's is an institution dedicated to the initial and ongoing formation of priests for service in the Roman Catholic Church. St. Patrick's serves dioceses throughout the western United States and the Pacific Rim. The priests of the Society of St. Sulpice have dedicated themselves to this ministry of preparing diocesan priests here at St. Patrick's since 1898 when the first Sulpicians came to San Francisco.
God continues to bless St. Patrick's in so many ways. Amidst so many rich gifts and experiences the Lord teaches his disciples of today, just as he taught his first disciples, telling all to focus only on the tasks he gives each to do. This sets the stage at the outset of another academic year. As St. Patrick's welcomes new men the community is humbled by the work of the Holy Spirit and the action of God in the lives of these individuals. The seminary focuses on cultivating the seeds of faith sown by their parents, family members, pastors, religious, vocation directors, catechists, friends, lay faithful and countless others. All are reminded to be very conscious of the sacrifice of those who have sowed the original seeds of faith in the hearts of the men who come to the seminary. Those who come here who desire to study and be formed into priests of the Lord Jesus Christ do so moved by the example of saints all around them and ultimately motivated by the One who provides for the growth. As the evangelist St. John records, "For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work." (John 4:37-38) In the name of the seminary community I welcome our new men, our returning students, as well as our new Sisters of Jesus the Priest. May the Lord of the Harvest bring to fruition the good work he has begun in all of you.
The men of our time studying for the priesthood aspire to a noble enterprise. They will certainly need selfless and positive energy in these challenging and yet wonderful times. Many of these new priests will take assignments wherein they will be responsible for ministering to people in multiple locations. They will also be blessed to be ordained into service of a church that encourages the people of God to assist them in the tasks of addressing the many needs of their brothers and sisters in their communities. In light of this reality the seminary is further convinced about the need to form pastors in the seminary today rather than simply parochial vicars who would, in previous decades, be named pastors later in their years as priests.
This requires ever renewing focus and ongoing research and study. Thus, “a day in the life of a seminarian” necessitates daily reflection on the stark and real challenges facing priests today. The programs of the Vatican II Institute also promise wonderful support to these new priests in their ministry. The Mantle of Elijah program, for example, prepares experienced priests and pastors in the dioceses to serve as mentors to the new priests. The mentors are formed to provide crucial insights, guidance and support to the new diocesan priest. The programs for new priests and pastors, including study days, also provide opportunities for priests to further equip themselves for the ongoing demands of their ministry.
The seminary administration is currently preparing for this eventuality in lean economic times, trying to prepare additional living space for potential applicants. The goal is to turn away no potential seminarian and future priest. At the same time, the seminary is thankful to the many good people of the local church who have been extremely generous in the past. For example, recently, the Vietnamese Catholic Community of the Bay Area generously organized and hosted a fundraiser on the campus of St. Patrick’s which generated tens of thousands of dollars to help the seminary meet its budgetary requirements for the current fiscal year. Many of our alumni priests were present for the Mass and dinner on May 2, 2010 and were a great source of encouragement for all in attendance. Again, St. Patrick’s problem of space and deferred maintenance is real but there is hope that many of you will continue to be generous. The community is extremely grateful for the many new friends and regents that are coming forward. Hopefully, in light of this friendship and support, the seminary will soon be able to undertake a major capital campaign to address these many pressing issues. One way that many of you may help the seminary is to attend and support our annual GALA which, for the first time, will take place on the campus of the seminary. The September 18, 2010 evening promises to be elegant and beautiful beginning with the celebration of vespers in the main chapel, tours of the seminary and concluding with a festive dinner. Please contact the seminary or consult our website for further details and for ways that you can support this year’s event. Thanks for all you do for SPSU and for priests!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. James L. McKearney, S.S.
President/Rector