By Fr Andrew Connick, Vocations Director
Once a year, just before the beginning of a new seminary year, the seminarians for the diocese gather for the Westminster Students’ Meeting. Aside from our diocesan seminary, Allen Hall, the diocese has seminarians in Redemptoris Mater in London, at the Beda College in Rome and the Royal English College, Valladolid. This occasion sees all the seminarians together for a time of discussion and prayer with their bishop.
This year, Cardinal Vincent invited the seminarians to his home, Archbishop’s House, with Bishop John Sherrington, and celebrated Mass with them in his private chapel. They discussed the death of Queen Elizabeth II and reflected on the qualities of her life and long service, and how those qualities might be lived in priesthood for the benefit of the People of God.
The relationship between bishop and seminarian is a special one, as the bishop and seminarian seek together to understand God’s call, and as the seminarian in his formation has a prolonged and intimate sharing of life with Jesus as experienced by the first apostles. Please pray for our diocesan seminarians in their discernment and preparation for apostolic ministry, and please pray for the Lord to raise up new and holy vocations to the priesthood.
Photo: Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Bishop John Sherrington, Fr Andrew Connick with Westminster seminarians
