Conception Abbey |
Tower Topics ~ Spring 2007 |
|
HOME What's New at Conception Abbey? Conception Abbey Conception Seminary College Location Giving Gateway Abbey Guest Center Printery House Events Prayer Schedule Oblates Spiritual Reading Links |
Familiar face takes on new role as rectorBy Jarrod Thome During a papal conclave, Rome announces the selection of a new pope via white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. While changes in administration here at Conception aren't quite as elaborate, one could still say that the fire's been burning. On March 9th, Abbot Gregory announced that he was honoring the request of Fr. Benedict Neenan, President-Rector of the seminary, for a change of assignment. He also announced the appointment of Fr. Samuel Russell - current Vice-Rector, Dean of Students, and chaplain - as President-Rector, effective at the end of the current academic year. Fr. Daniel Merz, a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City who has served as a teacher and chaplain for the past six years, will take Father Samuel's place as Vice-Rector and Dean of Students. Working in the field of priestly formation is a weighty responsibility. In a modern world that can be rather hostile toward our Faith, it is understandable that the Church would view the cultivation of her future pastors as a task to be undertaken with great care. The rector, as the chief administrator of a seminary, plays a major role in overseeing this task. The Program for Priestly Formation states, “The rector, always a priest, serves as the pastor of the seminary community. He sets the direction and tone of the seminary program.” Conception has been blessed with a history of talented rectors who have and continue to guide the program in a positive direction and with a tone of holiness. Fr. Benedict is no exception. He is now finishing his last semester as President-Rector, leaving behind him an 11 year legacy that is greatly appreciated and will surely be missed. Fr. Benedict succeeded Abbot Gregory as rector in 1996, shortly after finishing a doctorate in Church History from the Catholic University of America. During his tenure, Fr. Benedict has accomplished a great deal and has witnessed many important changes that have taken place at Conception Seminary College. Under his leadership, enrollment has increased, despite a drop in the number of college seminarians nationally. The Language, Culture, and Church (LCC) Program was established an continues to thrive, of which Fr. Benedict says, “It's something I'm very proud of-the introduction of more students from different countries and cultures that reflect the present and future Church of the United States.” In addition to these accomplishments, he has also led the college through successful reaccreditation, an Apostolic Visitation, and the renovation of St. Maur Hall-the school's main academic and administrative building. These accomplishments were made possible because Fr. Benedict developed a pastoral capacity which he says he will carry with him to future endeavors. Part of this involves the ability to work with a large number of people - the most challenging yet most rewarding part of his job. He states the challenge lies in “working with so many different people simultaneously - seminarians, faculty, staff, bishops, vocation directors, the monastic community, benefactors, and the wider Church - all of whom have an idea of what a seminary should be, and then trying to pull all of that together, all the while maintaining both unity and forward direction.” Fr. Benedict goes on to say, “The satisfying part is that I came into contact with a lot of very interesting, very good, very committed people, not least of whom were the seminarians. And that's probably the most rewarding part: working with the young men who represent the future of the Church and from whom I learned a lot about what the future will be.” Anyone who has known Fr. Benedict through his work as rector will echo the words written by Abbot Gregory in a recent letter to the bishops that send seminarians to Conception: “His untiring zeal in the work of priestly formation, and his dedicated service to the faculty, staff, and seminarians, has been truly admirable…I know that you share my own sense of deep gratitude to him for the spirit with which he has carried out this important ministry, both for the Conception Abbey community and for the larger Church which we serve through our apostolic endeavors in priestly formation.” ***Fr. Samuel, even though he has been in seminary formation for most of his monastic career, would say that he is “a convert to priestly formation.” “I initially didn't envision working in the seminary,” he states, “but I began to see that it's a very good work and I became very convinced that we do a good service for the Church and I really do believe in what we do.” His career in the seminary started in 1983 when he became a chaplain, an assignment he holds to this day. He has also served as administrative assistant to the president-rector from 1987-1991 and became the Dean of Students in 1995 and Vice-Rector in 1996. In addition to this long track record of service, he received a master's degree in Pastoral Studies ('91) from Loyola University in Chicago and an S.T.B ('92) and S.T.L. ('93) from the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant' Anselmo in Rome. Fr. Samuel's belief in the mission of the seminary seems to have burgeoned from the roots of his pastoral spirit, consistent with the line of rectors before him. This is easily apparent in conversation with him. Seeing, along with Fr. Benedict, that the most challenging part of his current job goes hand-in-hand with the most rewarding part, he says, “The hard part of being Dean of Students has been, not so much being the enforcer, as much as dealing with the complexity, at times, of human situations and working through sometimes very delicate situations…the hardest thing for me has always been how we human beings can be such a mixture of good intentions and not-so-good inclinations, how good and evil can cohabitate and vie for dominance in each of us…But the best part is always to see when a young man does turn a corner, to see when a seminarian grows and thrives, and sometimes struggles through things to achieve some clarity of vision and purpose.” Fr. Samuel is hopeful for the future of Conception Seminary. In addition to continuing a solid program of formation, he feels that it will be important to continue fostering unity in a country and Church on the move in terms of an increasingly diverse population. He believes we can identify with this by looking to the deeper meaning of the Latin phrase “sentire cum ecclesia”not only thinking with the Church, but also really feeling with the Church and being in sync with what is going on in the heart of the Church. By calling attention to this, his hope is that it will ultimately promote a more unified presbyterate within dioceses, which is essential to accomplish the Church's mission. Ongoing challenges will include fostering in the seminarians a love for learning, a desire for sacrificial service and consistent habits of prayer, both communal and personal. Upon asking Fr. Benedict and Fr. Samuel what their experiences were working with each other, they had nothing but good things to say. On working with Fr. Benedict, Fr. Samuel said, laughing, “Well, I'd rather that he continue being rector. I thought he did fine, and I thought we both worked together very very well and… I have a great deal of respect for him and feel respect from him too, so I'm thinking, why do we have to change this?” Fr. Benedict, in a separate interview, offers an assuring word: “The people who have worked with Fr. Samuel, including Abbot Gregory and I… would tell you that he is ready for this, he is well suited for this. His style will be different, his personality is different, as mine was different from Abbot Gregory's, and he will have a learning curve as we all did; but his record and his talents and his abilities have prepared him well for this responsibility.” Paragraph 322 of the Program for Priestly Formation reads, “…The rector should be a model of priestly virtue, able to live himself the qualities he encourages in students. A man of sound and prudent judgement, the rector should give evidence to a love of and dedication to the Church's service.” It doesn't take much asking around to discover that both Fr. Benedict and Fr. Samuel fit this definition; and if the future priests who come out of Conception Seminary College learn, in any way, by the example of their rector, then the Church can expect good things from them in the years to come. We welcome your comments: |
© 2000 by Conception Abbey, Inc. All rights reserved. Site last revised 14 March, 2007. |