The chapel used during the conference can be seen here, the main chapel of the Roman Minor Seminary. Today, vocations have died and there are now only eleven seminarians who study and live here, from all over Italy. The seminarians were impressed with the new altar arrangement seen above which was set up for the conference, with a tabernacle once again in this sanctuary. The chapel is dedicated to the first Roman martyrs, i Santi Protomartiri Romani.
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ReplyDeleteFrancisco Acedo Fernández Pereira CSP
Because of the collapse in vocations in recent years, for the Holy Year 2000 they made a larger part of the property a hotel, another part a primary school and another small part is still the minor seminary, with the main chapel there.
ReplyDeleteI've done alot of research into religious Orders, and seminaries. Apparently, those communities which have remained or returned to being somewhat traditional (Nashville Dominicans, etc.), have survived the vocations crisis fairly well. However, as we all know- seminaries, monasteries, convents of nuns, friaries etc. which embraced the "Spirit of Vatican II" enthusiastically, and discarded all Catholic tradition and the habit, have collapsed. Lastly, those Orders founded expressly for the Tridentine Latin Mass, or those who have returned to it on a daily or regular basis as part of their seminary or monastery life are flourishing, and doing the best vocations wise of all. This is true not only in the USA, but elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI can count 5 new Orders in the USA (granted, they are small), which use only the Tridentine Latin Mass but have more novices (4-5 in formation), than the large liberal Orders nearby have had in 40 years.
This Roman minor seminary apparently falls into catagory #2--with the worse case scenario.
Sounds just like the seminaries most everywhere.
If a seminary or Order wishes to revive and attract vocations, the Novus Ordo (even if celebrated well) doesn't work. Only a re-introduction of the Tridentine Latin Mass either in whole or in part to seminary life will generate vocations.
Look at the Franciscans of the Immaculate, or indeed the Trappists of Mariawald Abbey in Germany( which has returned to the Tridentine Latin Mass and monastic disiplines). They have more postulants (3) this year than they had in the last 30 years....and indeed have more postulants than nearly all the other Trappist monasteries in Europe except perhaps that of Sept Fons, in France...which is not a traditional house.
The conference was magnificent, and the photos likewise. It proves that the hope of the Church is a return to the past.