Thursday, November 4, 2010

Feast of St. Charles Borromeo

Today, for our seminarians, it is a special day of celebrating and calling to mind the example of St. Charles Borromeo.  This man, coming from a world of utter privilege, chose, instead, to sacrifice the comforts of this life and embrace the cross of following Christ, in love.  What is particularly interesting about the life of this Saint, is that it closely mirrors that of a Mercedarian.  St. Charles was an avid preacher and defender of the Truths of the Faith, in the face of Protestant opposition.  Being one of the keen minds in the writing of the Catechism and the development of formal institutions of priestly formation, Borromeo recognized that the fidelity of living the Faith depended heavily, if not solely, on the cooperation of the priests in the work of grace, in handing on solid formative and catechetical teaching.

Our seminarians study at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA.  Thus, today, there is a solemn Mass with the Cardinal Archbishop of Philadelphia, Justin Rigali.  Those priests who have graduated from "the Brook" know what the festivities entail.  Please keep the seminarians in your prayers as they strive to model the fidelity and witness of Charles Borromeo, especially those seminarians who will receive Candidacy for Holy Orders.

No comments: