“Priests’ Meeting Draws Cosmopolitan Crowd” (Spring 2002)

From Issue No. 85: Movie Monsters Prove Moral Law (Spring 2002)

“Priests’ Meeting Draws Cosmopolitan Crowd”

Running from February 18th to February 22nd, the annual Priests’ Meeting centered around a well-chosen series of conferences given by the visiting priests and Seminary professors. When this year’s featured speaker, Fr. Calderon, was unable to come to the U.S. at the last moment, his conferences on “The Paschal Mystery” had to be cancelled, and Seminary professors (including the Rector) stepped into the breach with an assortment of conferences ranging from modern art to the history of Afghanistan’s Taliban militia. Added to the already excellent program of conferences, these last-minute substitutions contributed positively to the overall variety of the lineup.

For the priests, the meeting is an ideal time to catch up with colleagues and take a brief respite from the apostolate. For the seminarians, it is a lot of hard, rewarding work, and a good time to develop contacts within the Society should they persevere to the priesthood. Eight months removed from last June’s Ordinations (VERBUM #82), only two of the seven newly ordained, Fr. Emanuel Herkel and Fr. Dennis McDonald, were able to attend the meeting.

Speaking of the differences between attending the meeting for a priest and for a seminarian, Fr. Herkel said, “I’m able to attend all the conferences now,” and he said that it was a change of pace and scenery from the apostolate. Fr. McDonald noted that the meeting was a chance to reacquaint himself with his former fellow seminarians. Overall, the meeting was a success, and the conferences were well received. The priests left refreshed and alert, ready to continue the defense of Mother Church, and to set the stage for the seminarians who will follow in their footsteps.