Our Schedule

I may have mentioned before that seminarians are exceptional complainers. Thus, when we whine about being busy, it probably means that we are no busier than anyone else. Nevertheless, I recently received an email update reminding us of events that will be occurring in the next several days. It is a little daunting. I have reproduced that schedule below:

* Wednesday April 23. CHANGE IN NORMAL SCHEDULE: Instead of normal
11:35am mass, it has be rescheduled to 12noon. Spiritual formation
conferences have been canceled.

* REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: Wednesday, April 23 - Owens Science Hall, 3M Auditorium - 7:30 p.m. PAUL VI AND EVANGELIZATION. Most Reverend Vincenzo Paglia, Bishop of the Diocese of Terni, Italy. President of Committee for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Italian Bishops' Conference; Member of Community of Sant'Egidio.

* REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: Thursday, April 24 5pm. SMC. EP and Distinguished Alumni Award. ATTIRE: formal.

* Thursday, April 24, - O'Shaughnessy Educational Center - 7:30 p.m. PAUL VI's HUMANAE VITAE: A PROPHETIC DOCUMENT. Janet E. Smith, Ph.D., Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Ethics, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit. Comments by Monsignor James Mulligan, Director of the Office of Priestly Life and Ministry, Diocese of Allentown, PA.

* Friday, April 25. 8pm-9pm. SMC. Holy Hour for Ordinands.

* REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: Saturday, April 26. 10am Cathedral of Saint Paul. Ordination to the Priesthood. ATTIRE: liturgical (if good weather, meet outside the front steps of the Cathedral; if bad weather, meet in St. Mary's Chapel at the Cathedral).

* REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: Monday, April 28. 7pm SMC. Mass and Reception in appreciation of Teaching Parish Committees. NB. No 11:35am mass. No 5pm Communal EP. ATTIRE: formal with nametag

* REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: Sunday May 4. 10am. SMC. Friends Mass and Breakfast. ATTIRE: formal with nametag. NB. Please refer to the email memo from Ann Serdar dated 04/21 about specific class responsibilities for that morning.

Also included in this list should be the Masses of Thanksgiving and Receptions for the Ordinandi, as well as the Ordination Mass for those who will be ordained to the transitional diaconate in a little more than a week.

This schedule is hectic, but as the year comes to an end, there is great joy. The Church is blessed with new priests and deacons. Many men have moved on step closer to realizing that same end. Likewise, there are so many people deserving of our thanks and appreciation. They deserve some acknowledgment as well. So, during these times, we just have to allow ourselves to be swept along by the whirlwind, and give thanks to God for the opportunity to do so.