Sister Katarina Schuth, OSF, of theSt. Paul Seminary School of Divinityat the University of St. Thomas inMinneapolis, MN, spoke to themembers of the Seminary communi-ty on the topic - Priestly Ministry inMultiple Parishes: An EmergingPhenomenon.

Sr. Katarina holds the EndowedChair for the Social Scientific Studyof Religion at St. Paul Seminary. In2004, she was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Humane Letters fromBoston College.

In 2000, she won the Catholic BookAward for her work, “Seminaries,Theologates, and the Future ofChurch Ministry: An Analysis ofTrends and Transitions.”

During her presentation, Sr. Katarinareviewed changes in Catholicparishes from 1965 to 2005. Theseincluded an increase in the overall

number of U.S. Catholics - fromapproximately 45 million to morethan 64 million people.

However, during this same timeperiod, the total number of priestswas reduced by more than 15,000men. As a result, many priests arecurrently serving multiple parishes.

Sr. Katarina praises formationprograms, such as that of ourSeminary, which provide seminari-ans with a clearer idea of the reali-ties of life in today’s parishes.

Funding for this special event wasprovided by a grant from The LynchFoundation. A portion of the fundsfrom this $1 million grant are usedto invite nationally-renownedscholars, such as Sr. Katarina, tospeak to the Blessed John XXIIISeminary community.

Blessed John XXIIINational Seminary

Newsletter Winter 2008

Blessed John XXIII National Seminary, 558 South Avenue, Weston, MA 02493 - www.blessedjohnxxiii.edu

From theRector’s Desk

The new year has begun with anumber of events for our semi-narians. On January 14th nationallyknown author Sr. Katrina Schuth,OSF, of St. Paul Seminary ofMinneapolis addressed our entirecommunity on her researchregarding the evolving nature ofparish ministry.

On January 20th, a large number ofour community traveled by motorcoach to Washington, DC torepresent the seminary at theAnnual March for Life.

At the Cathedral of the Holy Crosson Saturday, February 2nd, CardinalSean ordained three of our semi-narians to the Diaconate for theArchdiocese of Boston. These menare among a class of 15 FourthTheologians who are preparing forordination to priesthood for 11dioceses across the country thiscoming spring.

Please enjoy this issue's articleshighlighting the Installation of thenew acolytes, the new deacons fromOklahoma and Springfield, as wellas other articles on our seminarians.

Your support of our mission is muchappreciated. Please keep us inprayer as we beseech the Lord toabundantly bless you and yoursthroughout this new year!

Father Peter J. UgliettoFather Peter J. Uglietto

Rector

Nationally Known Author,Sister Katarina Schuth, OSF,

Speaks to theBlessed John XXIII

Seminary Community

Sister Katarina’s presentation was well-attended by seminarians and facultymembers.

Five seminarians from the class of2008 were ordained as transitionaldeacons this winter. These includeArthur T. MacKay, Joseph M.Mazzone and Paul V. Sullivan, fromthe Archdiocese of Boston, Sean T.O’Mannion from the Diocese ofSpringfield, Massachusetts andChristopher H. Tran, from theArchdiocese of Oklahoma City.

Seminarians receive ministries eachyear during their formation. In thefourth year ordinations into theDiaconate and Priesthood takeplace in their home dioceses.

During the ceremony for the transi-tional diaconate, the seminarianslay prostrate before the altar andpromise obedience to their Bishops.The ordination takes place with alaying on of hands by the Bishopsand the men are vested with a stoleand dalmatic, presented with theBook of Gospels, and are greeted bydeacons in attendance during the kissof peace.

The first ordination took place onDecember 1, 2007, when SeanO’Mannion was ordained at OurLady Seat of Wisdom Chapel at theNewman Center in Amherst. Seanentered the Jesuit Novitiate in 2001,where he ministered to addicts inprison and worked on the Rosebud

Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.In 2004, Sean was accepted intoBlessed John XXIII Seminary.

On December 27, 2007 ChristopherTran was ordained as transitionaldeacon at the Catholic PastoralCenter in Oklahoma City.Deacon Tran was born in Hue,Vietnam. His home parish is SaintAndrew Dung-Lac Church inOklahoma City. For more informa-tion on Chris’long and difficult jour-ney to the seminary, please see hisprofile on page 3.

On February 2, 2008, three menfrom the Archdiocese ofBoston were ordained astransitional deacons at theCathedral of the HolyCross in South Boston.They were Paul Sullivan,Joseph Mazzone andArthur MacKay. A fourthseminarian studying for theArchdiocese of Boston,Deacon Joseph G.Arsenault, had served asdeacon prior to enteringthe Seminary.

He will join the other three Bostonseminarians for their ordination tothe priesthood in May.

“The reality of what you aredoing really sinks in . . . you’regiving yourself to Christ and

His Church,”DeaconJoseph Mazzone saidafter the ceremony.

Three seminarians from Blessed John XXIII were among six men ordainedas transitional deacons at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in South Boston.Pictured at the cathedral are (far right to center), Paul V. Sullivan, Joseph M.Mazzone and Arthur T. MacKay. Photo courtesy of The Pilot Newspaper

Winter 2008

2

Five Seminarians Ordained to Transitional Diaconate

Sean T. O’Mannion is presented with the Bookof Gospels by Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell

of the Diocese of Springfield

With a “laying on of hands”,Christopher H. Tran was ordained by

Most Rev. Eusebius J. Beltran,Archbishop of Oklahoma City

January - February 2007

3

Ministry of Acolyte

On December 7, 2007, seven mem-bers of the class of 2011 receivedthe Ministry of Acolyte.

They included Michael S. Bodzioch,Archdiocese of Washington, DC;Anthony F. Cardone, Diocese ofWilmington, DE; Raymond TuckerCordani, Diocese of Springfield,MA; Rene Alejandro Diaz,Archdiocese of Washington, DC;Thomas M. Harvey, Archdiocese ofBoston; Charles N. Okeke,Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA andMichael J. Peterson, Archdiocese ofKansas City, KS. Deacon Rodolfo A.Salinas, also a member of the classof 2011, was ordained deacon in theArchdiocese of Washington, DCprior to entering the Seminary.

An acolyte is a liturgical ministerappointed to assist at liturgical cele-brations. At Blessed John XXIII,seminarians receive the ministry ofacolyte during their first year of for-mation.

His Excellency, Most Rev. TimothyA. McDonnell, Bishop of Springfield,MA, was the principal celebrant.The Masters of Ceremony wereJames D. Boccabella, class of 2009and Silverio P. DiFazio, class of2010.

Following the Pontifical Mass, aMemorial of Saint Ambrose, thenewly ordained acolytes celebratedwith their family, friends and fellowseminarians during a festive dinnerat the Seminary.

“Christ is everything for us. If youwish to cure a wound, he is doctor;if you burn with fever, he is fountain;if you are oppressed by iniquity, heis justice; if you are in need of help,he is strength; if you fear death, heis life; if you desire heaven, he is theway; if you flee from darkness, he islight; if you seek food, he is nourish-ment.”

Saint Ambrose of Milan

Winter 2008

Portrait of aSeminarian

In 1975, after the fall of Saigon,Chris Tran’s father was arrested.As an officer in the Army of theRepublic of Vietnam and a friendof the Americans, Colonel Tran wasan immediate target. It was only amatter of time before Chris, his eld-est son, would share a similar fate.

Thus, at 15 years of age, Chrisbecame one of 77 “boat people,”who traveled for days upon the seawithout food or water, huddledtogether down in the hull of a boatto avoid discovery. Upon arriving inIndonesia, Catholic refugee servic-es awaited them and within a fewweeks, Chris was flown to theUnited States where he was adopt-ed by a family in New Jersey.

Chris adapted to American life in arelatively short time. He graduatedfrom high school and continued onto college where he majored inInterior Design and Art History.

However, since childhood Chrishad wanted to become a priest. Asa young boy in Vietnam, Chris hadbeen confirmed by the famousCardinal Nguyen Van Thuan. In1975, Van Thuan was the Arch-bishop of Saigon and was targetedfor this faith by the Communistgovernment, who tortured andimprisoned him for over a decade.

(Continued on page 4.)

Christopher TranClass of 2008

Members of the class of 2011 receive the Ministry of Acolyte. Pictured aboveare (left to right), Rene Alejandro Diaz, David B. Rosenberg - who served asDeacon of the Eucharist; Charles N. Okeke, Thomas M. Harvey, Father PeterJ. Uglietto, Rector; Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, Bishop of Springfield -who was Principal Celebrant; Raymond Tucker Cordani, Michael S. Bodzioch,Michael J. Peterson (rear), Anthony F. Cardone, Sean T. O’Mannion (rear) -who served as Deacon of the Word and Deacon Rodolfo A. Salinas.

Winter 2008

4

After college Chris wanted to pur-sue his interest in becoming apriest, but his father had beenreleased from a political prison inVietnam for poor health and Chrisdecided to bring his family to theUnited States.

By 1987, Chris became anAmerican citizen and began to workhard in order to sponsor his familyto join him in New Jersey. The joyof their reunion did not make theeconomic and social adjustments toa completely different culture anyless; however, Chris says the fami-ly’s great faith in the BlessedMother, St. Joseph and St. Martinde Porres helped them through.

By 2004, the Trans had moved toOklahoma City and were an estab-lished American family. It was dur-ing that year that Chris was finallyable to realize his dream of accept-ance into a priestly formation pro-gram.

Chris says his experience atBlessed John XXIII has fulfilled allhis expectations and that he con-siders the Seminary communitypart of his extended family.

“My religion is very simple.It is a relationship withGod, an intimacy with

Jesus . . . who has beenmy companion on thejourney and given mestrength, wisdom and

comfort,”saysChristopher Tran.

This is an excerpt of an article onChris Tran. The complete article maybe found on our website -

www.blessedjohnxxiii.edu

Seminarians Attend 35th Annual March for Life

On Tuesday, January 22, 2008,a large contingent of seminariansfrom Blessed John XXIII NationalSeminary attended the 35thAnnual March for Life inWashington, DC.

During the event, tens of thousandsof people from across the countrymarched in our nation’s capitol sothat their pro-life message would beheard.

On Sunday, January 20, more thanthirty seminarians from BlessedJohn XXIII traveled to the event on

a bus generously provided by theMassachusetts Chapter of theKnights of Columbus. SeveralKnights also accompanied the men.

The next day, the seminariansattended the Vigil Mass for Life atthe Basilica of the National Shrine ofthe Immaculate Conception. By6:30pm the basilica was filled tocapacity and there were no moreseats.

It took more than 30 minutes for thecardinals, bishops, deacons, semi-narians and priests attending theevent - about 1,000 men - toprocess into the sanctuary. Theseminarians who participated in theprocession found the experienceinspiring.

“It was an awesome experience . . .words fail to describe it,”saidSamuel Futral, a seminarian in thePre-Theology Program at BlessedJohn XXIII.

On Tuesday, thousands of marchersgathered on the National Mall inthe drizzling rain. Once assembled,they formed a procession ontoConstitution Avenue and marchedthrough the streets, ending at thesteps of the United States SupremeCourt building.

4

Seminarians from Blessed John XXIIIparticipated in the procession during theVigil Mass for Life at the Basilica of theNational Shrine of the ImmaculateConception.

Portrait of aSeminarian (cont.)

Winter 2008

5

Meeting Future Needs . . .

The Seminary has expanded itsplanned giving program and thechange has generated quick sup-port.

Planned gifts take many forms, suchas charitable gift annuities or pro-ceeds from a donor’s estate. Thesetypes of gifts enable the Seminary tofulfill its mission to form holy andwell-prepared candidates for priestlyservice.

Trustee Jim Mahoney chose to funda charitable gift annuity. A gift annu-ity provides the donor with a fixed,guaranteed source of annualincome that is derived from theannuity’s investment earnings.

An annuity, funded with a minimuminvestment of $5,000, is adminis-tered by independent investmentprofessionals. When the donor isdeceased, the Seminary receivesthe proceeds from the residual valueof the annuity.

“A charitable gift annuity pro-vides a financially attractiveoption for supporting BlessedJohn XXIII. It’s a mutuallybeneficial option for both adonor and the charity - andthat’s a sound investment,”said Mahoney about hisdecision to fund an annuity.

Trustee Jack Shaughnessy is alsocommitted to funding a facultyendowment from the proceeds of hisestate. The Shaughnessy Chair willcover the costs of the position ofacademic dean. Endowments areparticularly beneficial because theyrelieve the pressure on escalatinglabor and benefits costs by fundingthese types of costs in perpetuity.

For further information on plannedgiving, please contact VincentShea, Director of Development, at781-894-4910 or email him atvshea@blessedjohnxxiii.edu.

Save The Date

Upcoming Special Events:

Monday, May 19, 2008

16th AnnualBlessed John XXIIIGolf Tournament

at Weston Golf Club

Wednesday,September 17, 2008

27th Annual Lawn Party

For information about theseupcoming special events,please contact Kate Folan -

781-810-1923kfolan@blessedjohnxxiii.edu

The proceeds from these eventssupport the formation program

for our seminarians.

Blessed John XXIII Development Trustees, (left to right), Jim Mahoney andJack Shaughnessy recently met regarding planned giving initiatives at theSeminary.

Please consider remembering Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in your estate planning.For details, contact the Development Office at 781-899-5500 or vshea@blessedjohnxxiii.edu.

BLESSED JOHN XXIII NATIONAL SEMINARY

558 South AvenueWeston, MA 02493

781-899-5500 - www.blessedjohnxxiii.edu

RETURN POSTAGE REQUESTED

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPlymouth, MAPermit No. 55

Rev. Robert Kelleher, ‘06 -named Pastor of All Saints Parish66 Willow StreetPlymouth, PA 18651

Rev. Joseph Whittel, ‘03 -named Vicar for Ministry forthe Diocese of NorwichOur Lady of Perpetual Help63 Old Norwich Road, PO Box 329Quaker Hill, CT 06375-0329

Address changes:Ch. Major Kevin Cody, ‘93Post Office Box 5221Shaw AFB, SC 28152-0221

Rev. Kenneth Heberlein, ‘717811 Rollingbrook DriveHouston, TX 77017

Rev. Thomas Kingsley, ‘03Nativity Church1061 Folly RoadCharleston, SC 29412

Rev. Thomas G. Sarnecki, ‘02Post Office Box 5005Bay Pines, FL 33744

Rev. Bruce Siket, ‘07Corpus Christi Parish70 Pleasant StreetWaterville, ME 04901

Rev. James Vasil, ‘74 (Retired)2900 Seminary DriveGreensburg, PA 15601

Alumni News

Winter 2008

Save The Date!

Alumni Days 2008

October 21st & 22nd

Come home toBlessed John XXIII

to renew friendships andmeet the seminarians.

Contact Kate Folan -781-810-1923

kfolan@blessedjohnxxiii.edu

Details to follow in summer mailing