St. Augustine’s SeminaryNewsletter

Spring 2016

of Toronto

Blessed With Ordinations

It is an exciting and blessed year for St. Augustine’s and the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary as we have eight

men to be ordained to the priesthood and nine men to the permanent diaconate.

Of the eight men being ordained to the priesthood, two are for the Archdiocese of Toronto – Rev. Mr. Tom Kluger and Rev.

Mr. Julien Malenfant. Toronto ordinations take place on April 30, 2016 at St. Michael’s Cathedral.

The deacons will be ordained May 28, 2016 at St. Paul’s Basilica (see Diaconate Ordinations page 2). All nine diaconate can-didates are for the Archdiocese of Toronto.

The priestly Ordinandi were feted March 1,

2016 at the annual Ordinandi Dinner, an event organized by the Serra Club, a Catholic lay organization dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life. Each of the men shared their vocation stories with those in attendance.

Meet the new Priests

Rev. Mr. Tom Kluger, a native of Scarborough, was not raised in the faith. He even called himself an atheist as a teenager. But in his late twenties he began to seek a deeper meaning to

life, which led him to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) . He joined Madonna House, a community of laymen and women and priests, where he stayed nine years before accepting the call to priesthood.

Rev. Mr. Julien Malenfant, of the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary, was born in a small town in eastern Quebec. He felt a prompting from the Spirit to enter the seminary while

at World Youth Day in Germany in 2005. A year later, he began his formation.

Rev. Mr. Tavis Goski of Ottawa first heard his call to the priesthood through his encounter with Catholic Christian Outreach, a Catholic group on univer-sity campuses across

Canada. He was accepted as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Ottawa in 2011. He is part of the first class from Ottawa to have done the spiritual year program at St. Augustine's.St. AuguStine’S OrdinAndi ClASS Of 2016 (Front Row, left to right): Rev. Mr. Tavis

Goski, Rev. Mr. David Reitzel, Rev. Mr. Ronald Angervil, Rev. Mr. Julien Malenfant. (Back Row, left to right) Rev. Mr. Andrew Handrahan, Rev. Mr. James Fleming, Rev. Mr. Tom Kluger, Rev. Mr. Stephen Innamorati. (photo: Emanuel Pires/Archdiocese of Toronto)

Continued page 2

Rev. Mr. Ronald Angervil is a native of Haiti. It was in high school in Welland, Ont., that he started to think seriously about the priesthood. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy at St.

Philip Neri Seminary before entering St. Augustine’s in 2011. He will be ordained for the Diocese of St. Catharines.

Rev. Mr. Stephen Innamorati will also be ordained for his home Diocese of St. Catharines. He attended Catholic schools but unsure of what he wanted to do after

graduation, he returned to school for another semester. It was during this time he began to hear the call to the priesthood.

Rev. Mr. James Fleming was born and raised in St. John's, Nfld. He was living in California in pursuit of a PhD in Organic Chemistry when he experienced his call to the priesthood. He

began his formation at St. Augustine’s in 2010. He will be ordained for the St. John's Archdiocese.

Rev. Mr. Andrew Handrahan grew up in the small town of Tignish, PEI. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at New Brunswick’s St. Thomas University. He felt his call

to the priesthood while working in Fredericton. He will be ordained for the Diocese of Charlottetown.

Rev. Mr. David Reitzel was born in Waterloo, where he studied engineering. He felt a calling after a friend invited him to visit a seminary during his second year of university. In 2008,

he entered the philosophy seminary for the Diocese of Hamilton. He graduated from St. Philips Seminary in 2012, before coming to St. Augustine's to finish his studies.

Diaconate Ordinations

Nine permanent Deacons will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Toronto May 28, 2016 at St. Paul’s Basilica. Top row: (4th year Deacon Candidates) Roy Emmanuel, Bruce Stewart, John Colletti, Ignacio Mateo, Alban Soares, Paul McCourt, David Quail, Bosco D’Couto, and Don McMillan. Front Row: (Deacon Candidates Wives) Meera Emmanuel, Lynn-Fern Stewart, Serina Colletti, Ana Mateo, Sharon Soares, Lisa McCourt, Elisabeth Quail, Camilla D’Couto and Debra McMillan.

(photos: Emanuel Pires/Archdiocese of Toronto)

Pope Names Rev. Hector Vila Bishop of Whitehorse

In late November of last year Rev. Hector Vila, rector of the Redemp-toris Mater Missionary Seminary of

the Archdiocese of Toronto, had been appointed Bishop of Whitehorse by His Holiness Pope Francis. He was ordained bishop on February 7, 2016.

All the seminarians from the Redemp-toris Mater Missionary Seminary, where Bishop Vila served as rector for eighteen years, travelled to Whitehorse for this special celebration to show their gratitude and to support Bishop Vila as he begins his new journey in service of Christ and His Church.

(from left to right) His Eminence Gérald Cardinal Lacroix, ISPX (the Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada), His Excellency Most Reverend Hector Vila (Bishop of Whitehorse), His Grace Archbishop Gérard Pettipas (Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan), His Grace Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi (Apostolic Nuncio to Canada).

Fr. Greg Carruthers, SJ A Reflection on my Time at St. Augustine’s “Farewell, O Most Holy Trinity”

The diocesan priesthood is the back-bone of the mission of the Church. When that backbone is both firm and

flexible—a work of grace—then the mission of the Church flourishes “bearing much fruit ... fruit that will last.” (John 15:5,8,16)

It has been both a blessing and an honour for me to have spent by far the greater part of my priestly ministry helping to form seminarians at St. Augustine's Seminary for diocesan priesthood.

In the theology courses which I have taught, I have had the privilege and the joy of exploring with the seminarians some of the greatest mysteries of faith by which we are saved, e.g. Trinity, Christology and Grace.

In the spiritual direction of seminarians, I have always felt I stood on sacred ground. The burning bush is that place deep within the seminarian's desire where the Holy Spirit and his spirit encounter each other (Rom 8:16).

My part is to help the seminarian become familiar with how the Holy Spirit works in him forming him for priesthood, and how he in turn is invited to work with the Holy Spirit. In this service, I consider myself more a gardener than a director—watering the soil

with encouragement, pruning away obstruc-tive branches, and keeping the plant always turned toward the Light.

When I tell my friends that many of the greatest graces of my life have come to me during my ministry at St. Augustine's, they look somewhat puzzled and say, “Surely you mean in a parish or on the missions, but in a seminary?” My response is always: “if you are where the Lord wants you to be and doing what he wants you to do, without any effort on your part you find yourself standing un-der a waterfall of Divine love and grace.”

In forming seminarians for diocesan priesthood, I have found that my own Jesuit priesthood in Christ has itself ever more deeply matured in Him.

Those who have taken any of my courses know that my all-time favourite Father of the Church is St. Gregory of Nazianzus (330-390). In his last homily in the great basilica of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in

Constantinople where he had been Patriarch, he concluded his ministry there with the following words. I would like to conclude my ministry here at St. Augustine's Seminary with those same words: “Farewell, O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, my life, my blessing and my glory.”

Congratulations Fr. Charles Anang

Fr. Charles Anang marks 25 years in the priesthood this year. He joined the seminary faculty in 1998, and became the seminary's Director of Spiritual Formation in 2000.

Diplomain

Theological StudiesDiploma

inLay Ministry

instituteof theology

St.Augustine’s

Masterof

Theological StudiesMaster

ofReligious Education

St. Augustine’s Seminary2661 Kingston RoadScarborough, ON M1M 1M3

Phone: 416.261.7207Fax: 416.261.2529Email: ioft@sastoronto.org

For more information about thedegree and diploma programsavailable through St. Augustine’sInstitute of Theology, visit:

http://www.staugustines.on.ca

Applications are now being accepted for the Master of Religious Education, Master of Theological Studies, Diploma in Lay Ministry and the Diploma in Theological Studies.

Classes will be held in Toronto, Aurora, at the Seminary and online.

For more information, email ioft@sastoronto.org or call 416.261.7207 x-235.

Registration Now Open

The entire seminary community is thankful for Fr. Greg's twenty-five years of selfless dedication and wish him many blessings as he begins a new ministry in St. John’s, Nfld., among his fellow Jesuits.

St. Augustine's Seminary of Toronto2661 Kingston Road, Toronto, ON M1M 1M3Tel: 416-261-7207| Fax: 416-261-2529www.staugustines.on.ca

Charitable Registration Number: 852191683RR0001

Thank You For Your Generous Support

Please keep the Seminarians in your prayers

Spiritual Year Seminarians Take Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

As part of their Spiritual (Propaedeu-tic) Year of formation, a group of seminarians from St. Augustine’s

traveled to the Holy Land for a pilgrimage retreat this past February.

The pilgrimage is part of the non-academic Spiritual Year of studies, where seminarians focus on developing and nourishing their spiritual life and intensifying their discern-ment. Seeing and experiencing the places of the bible in person helps bring the scriptures to life.

The group of 10 seminarians who made the journey this year were accompanied by Fr. Edwin Gonsalves, Rector, St. Augustine’s; Fr. Peter Marr, Director of Pastoral Forma-tion and Coordinator of the Spiritual Year; and Fr. Roy Farrell, Pastor of St. Lawrence Martyr parish in Scarborough.

An ASh WedneSdAy tO remember as seminarians and faculty said mass on a boat on the Sea of Galilee during their Spiritual Year Holy Land trip. (From left to right) Front Row: Kris Gardiner, Fr. Edwin Gonsalves, Kevin Adriano; Middle Row: Fraser McLaren, Fr. Roy Farrell, Fr. Peter Marr; Back row: Kevin Pettit, Chris De Facendis, Paul Taylor, Doran Anchikoski, Michel Quenneville, Andrew Taylor, John Choi.

Fr. Peter Marr preaches at the Chapel of St. Jerome, just a short walk from the Grotto of the Manger in Bethlehem. It is believed that St. Jerome translated the Scriptures from Greek to Latin (the Vulgate Bible) in this cave. In the stained glass window you can see a depiction of him receiving inspiration.

Your Support and Prayers Sustain Us Thank You

As we approach the conclusion of our academic year, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude for

the generous support you have given the Seminary, both financially and in prayer. Your generosity was particularly evident dur-ing our Christmas appeal, helping us double our previous year fundraising efforts. Your support enables us to maintain and upgrade our century-old facility as well as continue our all-important mission of forming priests, deacons and lay people in their call to serve our Lord.

Legacy Society St. Augustine’s hosted the annual Legacy Society appreciation event on April 20, 2016. The Legacy Society was created by the Arch-diocese of Toronto as a means to thank those who have included their parish or favourite Archdiocesan charity, such as St. Augustine’s Seminary, in their will. If you feel prompted by the Spirit to include St. Augustine’s in your estate plan, please contact Samantha Koon at skoon@archtoronto.org, or 416-261-7207 ext. 266.

Cardinal Collins at last year’s Legacy Society Luncheon.