McGivney Propaedeutic House of Formation Welcomes Inaugural Class
Very Rev. Daniel F. Moore, PSS, Archbishop William E. Lori, Rev. Shawn D. Gould, PSS, and Fr. James Yeakel, OSFS, with the inaugural class at the Covenant Mass on August 28, 2024, at St. Mary’s Seminary & University.
In August, McGivney House welcomed eight men from Baltimore, Buffalo, Erie, Scranton, and Wilmington to begin their formation for the priesthood. After Mass and a dinner with their families, we dove into an orientation to seminary life, followed by an opening retreat led by Fr. Ron Witherup, PSS, that invited us to look at the development of our relationship with the Lord through the eyes of St. Paul.
The propaedeutic stage is a leveling-up experience designed to transition the new men from their varied family, educational, work, and religious backgrounds to sharing the basic knowledge, skills, and virtues on which seminary life depends. They all share a love of the Lord and His Church, and they are learning to live with and help each other acclimate to seminary life. We quickly settled into the horarium that structures our days. We begin at 7 a.m. with silent prayer in the chapel followed by Morning Prayer. Except for the apostolate days, the men have class in the morning followed by Mass. Their courses comprise introductions to scripture, the spiritual life, the basics of Catholic doctrine, and the skills of human formation. The afternoons are free for spiritual direction, formation advising, reading, and other activities. We come back together at 5 p.m. for a period of adoration, followed by Evening Prayer and dinner. Some evenings we have conferences on a variety of topics related to life in the Church. In the fall, for example, Fr. Thomas Ulshafer, PSS, gave us a masterful overview of the styles of architecture used and developed by the Church over the course of the centuries. Most days end with Night Prayer at 9 p.m., which starts a period of silence that continues until chapel the next morning.
While the site at Paca Street was being completed, St. Mary’s very graciously hosted us. Then in January we were able to move in.
Archbishop William E. Lori blessed the common area of the new Blessed Michael J. McGivney Propaedeutic House of Formation.
On January 23, Archbishop William E. Lori blessed our new house and the altar for the oratory, accompanied by a number of the confrères, key people involved in the planning and construction of the new house, and representatives of Baltimore and our Seton Hill neighborhood. Mr. Patrick Kelly, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, also attended the blessing and presented a portrait of our patron, Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney to the House.
Archbishop William E. Lori blessed the Oratory while Rev. James Bors, Pastor of Our Lady of the Chesapeake, Lake Shore, St. Frances, and Riviera Beach, seminarian, Drew Meisel (Archdiocese of Baltimore), and Patrick E. Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, join in the prayers.
Patrick E. Kelly, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus presented a portrait of Blessed Michael J. McGivney to Very Rev. Daniel F. Moore, PSS, Archbishop William E. Lori, and Rev. Shawn D. Gould, PSS, Director of the McGivney House.
The year is moving quickly to its conclusion. We’re looking forward to our capstone experience—a Marian and priestly pilgrimage in France, with a retreat led by Fr. Lawrence B. Terrien, PSS. Please keep us in your prayers!
Shawn D. Gould, PSS
Director, McGivney Propaedeutic House of Formation
Tyler Tate, President of Lewis Contractors, David Gaudreau, Managing Principal of EwingCole, and Gino Gemignani, the Sulpician representative, joined with their colleagues to celebrate the completion of the project.