If you receive the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, you most likely saw the front page article entitled “Failure at the Top” in last Sunday’s edition.  This article, spread out over five pages, outlined how some bishops in our country have failed in their response to sexual misconduct among the clergy over the past few decades.  It is a very disturbing account of mismanagement and disregard for the victims of this abuse.  Again, I ask you to join me in praying for all of the victims, that they may find healing and wholeness in their lives.  And, I ask that you join me in prayer to the Holy Spirit to guide the bishops who will be attending their Annual Fall General Assembly this week so that they can address this issue with courage, honesty, humility and integrity, admit their shortcomings, call the guilty to justice and determine how best to care for the victims.

In the face of the ongoing clergy sex abuse scandal, you might expect that our seminaries would be emptying out.  After all, who would want to join an institution that is seemingly destroying itself from the inside?  Ironically, many seminaries throughout the country, including ours, are experiencing a significant growth as men come to prepare to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord in response to a call they have experienced in their spiritual journey.  I went to the seminary recently for a special dinner with all of the seminary staff and was happily surprised to find them in very good spirits.  I asked a few seminarians why, in the face of this tragic scandal, they are continuing to prepare for the priesthood.  The answer they gave was very strong and reassuring.  They said that they felt called by our Lord to help rebuild the Church and they knew that they had to become especially holy men in order to be part of that rebuilding.  An examination of the history of our Church will reveal many times when its leaders – frail, sinful humans like the rest of us – have been unfaithful to God’s call and have been called back to the Lord, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  The patron of our parish, St. Catherine of Siena, is a wonderful example of someone who was deeply involved in the reform of the Church in her own day.  I recommend that you read up on her if you haven’t already done so.  Her story of a lay woman who challenged the popes of her day is truly inspirational!

Both Monsignor Carroll and I attended St. Charles Seminary and taught there; Msgr. Carroll was the rector of the seminary, as well.  Both of us found our formation at the seminary to be inspirational; we still talk of our years there with great fondness.  Our seminary doesn’t prepare only priests for our Archdiocese.  Ten dioceses throughout the country, as well as the Dioceses of Da Nang, Vietnam and Mymensingh, Bangladesh, along with six religious congregations, send men to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary for formation.  And, the seminary also trains a number of men who are preparing for the permanent diaconate, including Jim White, one of our parishioners.  Additionally, the seminary houses the School of Theological Studies for anyone in the Archdiocese – clergy, religious and lay – who wants to pursue further studies in the Catholic faith.  I received my Masters Degree in Theology there before being sent to Rome for doctoral studies in moral theology.

Like every other registered parishioner throughout the Archdiocese, you should have already received a packet from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary as it holds its annual direct mail appeal.  Support for our seminary is especially important today.  As part of our annual Seminary Appeal, Mr. Steven DiMassimo, a seminarian, will speak at all the Masses next weekend to let you know about the seminary and ask for your continued support.  The motto for this year is: For Today.  For Tomorrow.  For All of Us – a very fitting motto as we look to support the seminary today as it prepares the priests, deacons and laity to serve us for years to come!  Please be as generous as you can in supporting our seminary to ensure a continued bright future for this very important institution of our Archdiocese.