Mass Offered for Seminarians on September 1 2019

A Mass was offered today for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are the future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help. 

We have been periodically featuring different seminarians on the first of the month by inviting them to share something of themselves - a beautiful sharing of faith and love of Our Lord. We will be featuring Rev. Seminarian Francis Sserwadda. He is a seminarian from Lugazi Diocese in Uganda. He is studying in a Major Seminary in Kampala and is in Year 2 Philosophy.  

Rev. Seminarian Francis Sserwadda

Rev. Seminarian Francis Sserwadda was born on May 16th 1996. His mother died when he was just 6 years old. Finances were very difficult. He was not able to attend a Catholic school due to the fees but instead went to the free Muslim school. Yet he did not forget his Catholic faith. His cousin suggested priesthood but the idea seemed to slip away for some time. 

Francis shared an experience while visiting his uncle that had a profound effect on him. His uncle had told him that he would pray for him and then:

"After two days it was around noon when I had come back from the garden. I don't know what took me to my uncle's archive of old religious stuff. Before even washing my feet because I had dust from the garden. When I opened it I looked on the piece of paper which had the heading, "The United Hearts of Jesus and Mary."!! I picked it closed the archive and went and sat in the shade to read through. After reading I was inspired by an unknown power to draft a time table of saying the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary thrice a day: that's early at 5:00 AM, midday and evening. I did it everyday plus reciting the prayers on the other piece of paper that I got from the archive. This inspired me so much to love the Mother of God in two months."

Francis went on to join the Legion of Mary. This seemed to be a pivotal moment in his vocation journey and as he put it, "ignited my journey to the Seminary". On September 7th 2018 he joined St. Mbaaga's Major Seminary and this year was promoted to second year Philosophy.

We were able to visit Rev. Seminarian Francis Sserwadda during our trip to Uganda. The photo taken above was at our meeting in Jinja at the source of the Nile River. We were able to share with him some rosaries at our meeting. He just recovered from an illness with typhoid and now hopes to begin a new Children's Rosary in his home parish in Lugazi. We ask for your prayers for Rev. Seminarian Francis Sserwadda on his journey to priesthood.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Featured Seminarian

Recent interview about Africa Journey

How to Start a Children's Rosary

Don't forget to unify prayers with the children during their meetings. A schedule of meetings is present on our website. By clicking "Join in Prayer" you can add your gold flashing light to our View from Heaven map.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH OUR NEW VIDEO:

A VIEW FROM HEAVEN 

UNA PERSPECTIVA DESDE EL CIELO

For more information about the Children's Rosary visit our website: www.childrensrosary.org

Visite nuestro sitio web en español para obtener más información: www.rosariodeninos.org

Pour plus d'informations sur le Rosaire des Enfants, visitez notre site Web:www.rosairedesenfants.org

New Prayer Initiative for the Children's Rosary

PRAYING FOR OUR SEMINARIANS

The second year of the Children’s Rosary was dedicated to renewal of family prayer.   Over 40 Masses were said for this intention.  Seven Hundred and seventy individual Novenas were said to different saints for renewal of family prayer by members of the Children's Rosary.  Over 500 read Aloud Children's Bibles have been given away as part of this effort.  For when our families are strong then our Church will be strong, too.  As we have just celebrated our third birthday on April 10th there was a feeling that we should continue these efforts as this is an important part of the Children's Rosary.

Recently in prayer, Our Lady seemed to be pointing to another area where she would like our help.  A novena of 9 Masses was begun on April 1st for Our Lady's Intentions with the hope that she would clarify her wishes.  In many very small ways she has continued to put things in place that reinforce this first inspiration that she wishes for us to pray for: her seminarians.  Just as Our Lady in her wisdom started with the children to increase prayer in families and parishes she is now looking to the priests for healing.  But to begin, she is going to those early years while they are still young and in formation.  These young men are the future shepherds of our Church and our children are the future flock.  It is my hope that the Children's Rosary this year can be a source of prayers for these young men studying to become priests. How beautiful are the plans of Our Lady which weave these two groups together. 

These efforts are three-fold:

A Monthly Mass will be offered on the first of the month for all seminarians that they may grow in holiness and lead us all in love.

Children's Rosary groups will pray over all of the names of individual seminarians that they may grow in holiness and lead us all in love.

Members of the Children's Rosary will have the opportunity to choose a seminarian to pray for daily in their home.  

St. John's Seminary in Boston MA

More than a month ago we began these efforts by reaching out to a seminarian that the children knew well as he had been my son's music teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School.  He is now a first year seminarian at St. John's Seminary in Boston, MA USA.  We shared the Children's Rosary book with him and inquired whether the seminarians would be interested in having the children pray for them in their rosary groups and also have individual children pray for them as well.  They overwhelmingly welcomed the partnership. Beginning on April 4th Children's Rosary group leaders were sent close to 100 names of seminarians from St. John's Seminary with the intention that they may grow in holiness and lead us in love.  The seminarians which attend St. John's are from different Dioceses and Archdioceses both in the United States and abroad.  

In the coming weeks children will be given the opportunity to choose a seminarian to pray for in their home as well as correspond with if they feel inclined. 

We are beginning with St. John's Seminary but would like extend to other seminaries.  Additionally if any seminarian would like us to pray for him please contact us and we would be happy to include him in the list being prayed over by all our Children's Rosary groups.  We will also be happy to pair him with a child who will pray for him as well.

Yesterday Pope Francis released his prayer intentions for the month of May.  He included as one of his two intentions to pray for seminarians.  This was such a happy thing to read as we move forward with our new prayer initiative.

Mass Offered on June 1, 2026 for Seminarians

A Mass was offered on June 1, 2026 for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month, we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are their future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help with their prayers.  It is our goal to feature a different seminarian on the first of the month every month by inviting him to share something of himself and giving all our readers the opportunity to pray for him. This month, we are featuring Zachary Phelps, a seminarian from the Archdiocese of Hartford (shown above). He has been assisting in the home parish for the Children's Rosary in West Hartford, Connecticut. 

"My name is Zachary Phelps and I am a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Hartford. When I was young, I would have pretend Mass in my kitchen and ask my mom questions about the priesthood. But for quite a while, I lost interest in the priesthood, but God did not lose interest in calling me. I remember being at a conference and in a time of prayer hearing the word “priest” in my mind and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. I wanted to be like everybody else by getting married and having a family. Even with my initial and stubborn “no”, God did not give up so easily. He kept gently and lovingly reminding me that this was something he wanted me to pursue. Through friends, random people, and my own prayer, God would slightly tap me on the shoulder, reminding me of this call. 

After graduating college, a major shift happened. I started attending a group called Crossroads for Christ. This was a group of young adults who spent time discussing the faith, growing in fellowship, and most importantly spending time together in Adoration with our Lord present in the Eucharist. I believe that in many ways through this group, the Lord fostered and nurtured my call and softened my heart to want to say “yes” to his plan for my life. I even remember praying for God to align my desires with his desires. Over time, becoming a priest became a burning desire of my heart, sometimes bringing me to tears. The Holy Spirit gave me the courage to take that first step and call the vocations office. 

That was just over two years ago. Now I will be headed to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in the fall. The journey of discernment has been quite an interesting one, but one that has been so beautiful and healing for me. The Lord has done a lot of work in my heart through this process and allowed me to grow closer to him by trusting more deeply in his love and mercy and recognizing that I am a beloved son the Father. This time of my life has helped me tremendously, not only in the hopes of being a good and holy seminarian and priest but just being a good and holy man. This, of course, will be a blessing no matter where the Lord leads me. 

I have also grown deeply into a relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Mother Mary has been such a source of comfort, confidence, and peace. This has come to me especially through the rosary and Marian consecration. I have placed my whole entire vocation into her hands. I placed my whole life there and through her hands everything is offered to God. She has crushed many fears and provided me with help in fighting many evils deterring me from this path. Our Heavenly Father placed Jesus into her hands, so what better place could all my intentions and every part of my heart and life be? The loving gaze and help of this mother that the Lord has provided for me has helped me on my journey and she has shown me a beautiful side of our Lord’s love and heart. 

I am so thankful for this wonderful gift and the many blessings the Lord has given me as I have taken steps to hear his voice, listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, try more and more to fully surrender to his will and say “yes” just like Mary did. Because of the way the Lord has shaped my life the past two years, I think every Catholic man should at least ask God about and be open to the call to the priesthood. Being open to God’s will brings many needed graces to be the saints God is calling us to be. I’m so excited for the journey ahead. I know Mary and all my saint friends will be by my side and Jesus, the Good Shepherd will always lead me. Please keep me in your prayers. Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever."

We humbly ask that you please keep Zachary Phelps in your prayers.

Our Lady Makes up for Our Deficiencies

Feast of the Assumption of Mary

About six weeks ago my son Kostin leaned over at Mass and said he had made up his mind what he wanted to be when he grew up.  I said what is it.  He said a priest.  Although Kostin had spoken about this for some time there was a new deeper conviction in his voice and a certainty.  He said he had some questions and wished he could read a book about priests and ask some questions.  That weekend there was a notice in our bulletin about vocations with a contact number.  I left a message and for many days Kostin kept asking if the priest ever called back.  Time went by and I had forgotten about the call and I believe Kostin had forgotten as well.  Then last week the phone rang and it was Fr. Dolan who coordinates vocations for the diocese.  I told him about Kostin and his interest.  I mentioned that one of Kostin's Teachers had annonced he was going to be leaving the school to enter the seminary.  Kostin was fond of this teacher and I wondered if he might in the future be a nice mentor.  Fr. Dolan mentioned that  this young seminarian would be in his office this past Monday and did I want to bring Kostin in to meet him.  I had a doctors appointment some distance away so unfortunately this would not work.  Fr. Dolan also mentioned that Kostin's teacher would be in a seminary in Boston 2 hours from us.  As I do not drive with my disability it seemed unlikely we could make the drive to visit him anytime soon.  Fr. Dolan did offer to meet with Kostin possibly on Thursday of this week. 

Meanwhile, during the past two weeks tensions have been high here at home with Kostin our son.  Life at home seems to go in waves.  There are moments when for a moment all is at peace.  Then one child seems to want to test the waters.  Mercifully this usually brings with it better behavior from the other children as they take pleasure seeing their sibling getting in trouble. 

These past two weeks it has been Kostin who has been butting heads with myself and his father.   It is at these moments that I feel dissapointed with myself as a mother.  I remember a priest once told me to ask our Lady to make up for the love we are not able to give to our children each day.  

With all the drama with Kostin I began to feel this wasn't a good idea that he meet with the priest. 

Last night I had a thought that instead of going to my normal Parish maybe I could join a friend who likes to go to the Cathedral for 12:10 Mass on Wednesdays.  I had never been but thought as I was on vacation this might be a nice time to visit the Cathedral.  She mentioned a nice older priest, Fr. Liptack often says Mass. 

As we entered the Chapel almost all the seats were taken, only the front row seat was empty.  We all filed into the row.  The Mass began and who should walk out as the assistant for Mass but Kostin's old teacher who had entered the seminary. Kostin lit up.  He was radiant and smiling.  I thought through the Mass at how wonderful that our Lady should give Kostin this gift on her Feast Day.  After Mass we spoke with his teacher and at the end of the conversation he said I have to run because Father Dolan is going to give me a ride.  As the seminarian left I was stunned, had it been Fr. Dolan who had just said the Mass.  I had spoken to him on the phone but never had met him face to face.  I brought Alina and Kostin with me and we headed to the back of the chapel.  I found the seminarian and a priest there.  I asked if that was Father Dolan.  Indeed it was.  I introduced myself.  As soon as he heard my name a huge smile came across his face. I introduced him to Kostin.  I mentioned that this was my first time at the Cathedral.  He told me it was the first time the seminarian had assisted Mass.  I said to him that this meeting seemed like a gift from Our Lady: bringing us all together on her Feast. He said it is funny how she does that.

Because of my insecurities as a mother and the struggles I was having with Kostin I had given up on bringing Kostin to meet Fr. Dolan myself.  I also did not see how it was possible for Kostin to see his old teacher as he was leaving shortly for Boston.  Our Lady had made up for my deficiencies and saved the plan.  In reflection I realized that it was important that a connection be made between the vocation director, Kostin and also with Kostin's teacher.  I am not sure how things will turn out in the future but I do feel that the meeting was important. Our Lady sees everything.  She was able to bring us together at the Holy Eucharist on her Feast Day.  Although this story seems very long winded and I have retold it quite badly let me conclude by saying Our Lady made it very clear to me today that she is present and active in our lives.  When we are weak she helps her children.  If we give ourselves to her and her Son we have nothing to fear.  We know from Revelation that she wins the battle with satan and although he is strong and beats against us Our Lady is there to protect us. 

A Mass Was Offered on September 1, 2024 for Seminarians

A Mass was offered on September 1, 2024 for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month, we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are their future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help with their prayers.  It is our goal to feature a different seminarian on the first of the month every month by inviting him to share something of himself and giving all our readers the opportunity to pray for him. This month, we are featuring Andrew Schmitz, a seminarian from Los Angeles, California, USA. 

My name is Andrew Schmitz, and I am twenty-seven years old. I am a second-year seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, currently studying philosophy at the Catholic University of America. I live and receive formation at the Saint John Paul II Seminary. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and attended the University of Notre Dame for my undergraduate studies. Before Seminary, I worked in the management consulting industry here in Washington, DC, where I discerned a call to the diocesan priesthood. 

Growing up, my family attended Mass every Sunday and saw our parish as the center of our spiritual and social lives. I even routinely played Mass with my siblings as a young boy! Upon entering college, I was set on pursuing a career in business and starting a family. For three years, I sought the “normal college experience” but had reduced my faith to a matter of routine and obligation. Later on, a set of philosophy courses I took challenged me to choose between Christ’s saving Truth and worldly doctrines of subjectivity. Of even greater significance, thanks to God’s grace, I had made several friends who aided me in turning away from sin and pursuing virtue. I ultimately started attending daily Mass and frequenting the sacrament of Confession more often. My upbringing, and the social, spiritual, and intellectual parts of my life were finally converging. 

When I moved to DC, I got more involved in activities with Catholic young professionals and began hosting apostolic activities at my apartment. While I was happy with my job and life in the city, I sensed a restlessness in my heart. I felt God was asking me to use my talents and desires in more direct service to Him as I matured in my faith. While all people are called to holiness, I was attracted to the ministerial priesthood and its full, direct, and explicit witness of the Truth. I ultimately was accepted to Seminary and entered formation just one year ago! 

As a priest, I hope to bring this saving Truth of the Gospel to souls encountering the everyday happenings of ordinary life. Great joy is achieved in pursuing a life of self giving and commitment - I want to share this with others! Our world so badly needs this Truth and is quickly ripening to receive it. It’s a great time to be a seminarian and a Catholic. Thank you for your prayers!  

We humbly ask that you please keep Andrew Schmitz in your prayers.

Mass Offered for Seminarians on February 1, 2024

A Mass was offered on February 1, 2024 for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month, we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are their future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help.  It is our goal in 2024 to feature a different seminarian on the first of the month every month by inviting him to share something of himself and giving all our readers the opportunity to pray for him. This month, we are featuring Gregory Meyer, a seminarian from Southbury, Connecticut, USA. 

My name is Gregory Meyer, a native of Southbury, Connecticut, and a seminarian in the priestly formation program for the Archdiocese of Hartford in Connecticut. I am twenty-seven years old and in my third year of formation at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minneapolis, with three other men from the Hartford Archdiocese.

I grew up in a Catholic family and my life of faith started at a young age. In college, I came to know the Lord in a much deeper way through being encouraged by a friend to confront some sins in my life and turn to God for His help and mercy. I also learned so much more about our faith through reading the Bible and through Bishop Barron opening me up to the rich intellectual tradition of the Church. Throughout this time, I was encouraged by a priest to consider the priesthood. I noticed a sense of adventure when I thought about the mission of the priesthood in being able to serve the faithful in this unique way as an ordained minister. I also noticed God had given me different gifts that could be used for Christ's Church. Also, celibacy seemed like a sacrifice I was able to make for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven, and as our Lord said concerning this, "Let the one who is able to receive this receive it" (Mt 19:12). In 2020 after working for two years, I was accepted as a seminarian for my Archdiocese. And it has been quite the journey ever since!

As a priest, I hope to bring to the faithful a strong sense of Catholic identity that is nourished by God's grace through the sacraments and beautiful liturgical worship. I hope to reach the people who have drifted away from God or who have never known Him and bring to them the saving message of Christ. Please continue praying for priests and seminarians, and may Our Lady of the Rosary always intercede for us! 

We humbly ask that you please keep Gregory Meyer in your prayers.

Mass Offered for Seminarians on April 1, 2024

On April 1, 2024 a Mass was offered for all seminarians, that they will grow in holiness and lead us in love. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are their future flock, our monthly intention for these men called by God is a beautiful way for the children throughout the world to help with their prayers. As we mentioned last month, we will feature a different seminarian on the first day of the month throughout 2024. This month we introduce Andrew Mullaney, a seminarian from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA.

My name is Andrew Mullaney, and I am twenty-four years old. I am a seminarian studying for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I am in my first year of Theology at Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. I attended four years of college seminary after high school in Winona, Minnesota. I am the middle of five siblings. When I have down time, I enjoy ice fishing and throwing a baseball or football around.

I grew up as a cradle Catholic receiving all the timely sacraments. As a young boy, my sisters and I would play Mass, and I would act as the priest. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I started to look at what I wanted to do with my life. I thought about playing football or being a teacher until I went on a retreat where I participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist in a renewed way. Upon receiving these sacraments, I came to a deep belief that my sins had been forgiven by Jesus’ death on the cross. My relationship with God was rekindled by daily prayer, and I sensed and heard Him call me to Himself as His priest for His people. Following this prompting, I visited the seminary and the same peace and conviction that I had received prior in the sacraments was present again. The reality of God calling me to be a priest was the answer to what God wanted for my life. I believe He created me to ultimately be in a loving relationship with Him and serve Him as a priest.

I hope the priesthood God has called me to live is marked by faithfulness, mercy, and inspiration. I want everybody to know that they are never too far from God’s love and mercy. May all who I encounter also receive a renewal in the sacraments they receive and come to know Jesus as friend, savior, and Lord. St. Faustina…pray for us! Fr. Damien the Leper…pray for us!

We humbly ask that you please keep Andrew Mullaney in your prayers.

Mass Offered for Seminarians on March 1 2017

A Mass was offered today for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love.  Every month we have a Mass offered for this intention.  As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are the future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help. 

We have been periodically featuring different seminarians on the first of the month by inviting them to share something of themselves - a beautiful sharing of faith and love of Our Lord.

The Seminarian we share today is from the Parish where the Children's Rosary began. His name is Gabriel.  Indeed even his name bespeaks good news! 

The following is a little background about Gabriel which he shared with us for this post:

I grew up in central Connecticut, where I went to private school. After high school I attended Princeton University, majoring in computer science. Having graduated from Princeton in 2015, I moved to New York City and worked for a year as a software developer for a small finance company.

I first felt a call to the priesthood from an early age, about 7 years old, but was unsure of what to do about it for a long time. When I got to college I thought that a career in technology would be fulfilling, so I majored in computer science. But by senior year, I could no longer ignore God's call to consider the priesthood. So after working for a year, I decided to apply to the Archdiocese of New York to begin studies for the priesthood. I'm now in my first year of seminary, studying philosophy. I very much enjoy the life of a seminarian, with it's focus on prayer and study.

One of my favorite quotes: "God is quicker to forgive than a mother to snatch her child from the fire."  - St. John Vianney
 

We are grateful to Gabriel for sharing how he heard God's call. It is beautiful to see how such awareness of his vocation came at such a tender age. 

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
Supporting the Prayer Lives of Our Children When their Faith is Tested
Release of the Children's Rosary Book in French!

Mass Offered for Seminarians on June 1, 2024

On June 1, 2024, a Mass was offered for all seminarians so that they will grow in holiness and lead us in love. As our future shepherds, the seminarians need our prayers, and what a beautiful way for the children throughout the world to support these men called by God. Many people throughout the world have been inspired by the vocation stories we are featuring each month, and so we gratefully continue publishing our featured seminarians’ stories. This month, we introduce Jayron Pilante, an incoming seminarian from the Province of Aklan in the Philippines.

Hey there! My name is Jayron Pilante, an incoming seminarian at Saint Paul Seminary in Silang Cavite. I’m 21 years old, and I’m from the Parish of Saint Joseph the Worker in Malay, Aklan, in which I had established a Children’s Rosary Group way back in October of 2017.

My Vocation Story:

So, where do I begin? Way back when I was a young child growing up …I would watch certain TV shows on the Catholic faith such as EWTN or any local shows on the faith. I can clearly recall that certain times when TV Mass would be on air, I would get my blanket, put it on myself, and would follow the ways that the priest was doing in the Holy Mass such as the consecration. Looking back, I have laughed about it because a child who would play as a priest was an unusual thing (maybe I was around 6 or 7 years old). Being a priest has always been my number one dream.  

In high school, I had a very rough time because of certain obstacles in life, but I came out of it strongly and boldly. When I was 15 years old, I began a Children’s Rosary in my parish. Being inspired by the Holy Spirit after watching the Children’s Rosary and browsing on the website, I was fascinated to help in making children as prayer warriors for our world. In addition at this time, I had been active in serving the Lord in His Church as an altar server, catechist, choir member, and many more. This also boosted my faith in the Lord. 

The turning point came when I started college. This is when the “calling” of the Lord began to show its presence. I attended college at the Aklan Catholic College in Kalibo, Aklan, and I took Education as my course. There were sleepless nights, and I had the feeling of no satisfaction in what I was doing. So, like any other days after school or if I had the opportunity, I would go to the Adoration Chapel beside the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Kalibo, Aklan. I clearly remember the day, December 7, 2023, and without knowing the time, I knelt, cried and prayed for almost three hours due to my confusion of my heart in wanting to become a priest. And so I asked the Lord for a sign and to have passing grades in college. 

I was using social media when I came upon an advertisement for Saint Paul Seminary. The Society of Saint Paul known as Paulines, a religious congregation consisting of priests, brothers and sisters, was founded by Blessed James Alberione with aims to proclaim the good news of God through the means of technology. There was a feeling of mine that this congregation may be the one, for I want to help evangelize the Good News with the help of modern means of communication.  I took my entrance exam, and thanks to the good Lord, I was able to pass and will begin my formation at the Seminary on July 10, 2024 at Silang, Cavite.

I’m asking for your prayers that I will persevere, and if it’s God’s will, that soon I will be one of his shepherds to guide his flock. Maraming Salamat po!

We humbly ask that you please keep Jayron Pilante in your prayers!

Mass Offered for Seminarians on May 1, 2024

 

On May 1, 2024, a Mass was offered for all seminarians so that they will grow in holiness and lead us in love. As our future shepherds, the seminarians need our prayers, and what a beautiful way for the children throughout the world to support these men called by God. Many people throughout the world have been inspired by the vocation stories we are featuring each month, and so we gratefully continue publishing our featured seminarians’ stories. This month, we introduce John Anthony Buono, a seminarian from Arlington, Virginia, USA. 

Hi! My name is John Anthony Buono, a seminarian for the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, in my second year of formation at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. I am 24 years old and originally from Arlington. After I complete my second year of philosophy this year, I will continue at the Mount as I begin the first of four years of theology studies. 

My vocation journey began when I was a senior in high school. During the summer right before my senior year, I attended a service camp in my diocese called WorkCamp. It is a program for high-school boys and girls that offers Daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Praise and Worship, and serving the poor communities in the diocese through small home improvement projects. I thankfully grew up in a very solid, Catholic family, and so these kinds of things were not very new to me. I truly enjoyed the camp because of the combination of prayer, service, and community it provided. During Eucharistic Adoration on one of the nights, I felt a deep sense of peace in my heart, while still feeling like adrenaline was flowing through my body. In that moment I asked the Lord, “What do you want me to do with my life?” That was the first time where I truly felt as though the Lord may be calling me to the priesthood. I went home from that camp on fire and really excited to explore this possibility of priesthood, but I also wanted to start college and study Accounting. I began studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in Fall of 2018. Throughout my time in college, the Lord kept trying to pull me towards Seminary even if I tried to run away from it. I even switched majors to Sales because at the time I was not particularly interested in Accounting. During the summer going into my senior year at CUA, I had a fantastic Sales internship for a software company called Nutanix. I was eventually offered a full-time position, which I was tempted to take, but after praying deeply about it, I felt at that time that the Lord had better plans for me. I graduated from CUA in Spring 2022 and entered Mount St. Mary’s that Fall. 

As a priest, I want to simply save souls and share the Love of Christ with others. The priest is called to be an “Alter Christus,” another Christ, so that through the Mass and Sacraments, Christ can enter the hearts of everyone the priest encounters. If you are curious about what the Lord is calling you to do in life, do not be afraid, trust in Him and rely on Our Lady to guide you! May God bless you all and know of my prayers! I humbly ask that you continue to pray for me as well. 

We humbly ask that you please keep John Anthony in your prayers!

Mass Offered for Seminarians on September 1 2017

A Mass was offered today for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are the future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help. 

We have been periodically featuring different seminarians on the first of the month by inviting them to share something of themselves - a beautiful sharing of faith and love of Our Lord. The first seminarian we will feature this month is Jay Aaron Sulit pictured above. The second is Danny Dilone pictured below.

Jay Aaron Sulit

My name is Jay Aaron Sulit and I am a diocesan seminarian studying for the Archdiocese of New York. Born and raised in the Bronx, I was not always a practicing Catholic until 4 years ago. Since then, the calling of the priesthood started slowly dawning on me. First going to college for computer science and then nursing, I ended up entering in the seminary in the Fall of 2016.

As the years go by, I try to pray to God and Mary to help discern my vocation and become holy (although, that’s really tough!). Along the way between the studying and praying, I love to DJ, listen to music, do kickboxing, photography, and shenanigans with other fellow seminarians and friends. I just do hope that God keeps me In Christ through Mary and uses all of those things and all of me for God’s Greater Glory and for the Salvation of Souls!

Danny Dilone

I was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in St Philip Neri in the Bronx (although I am a Red Sox fan). I graduated from Brooklyn College in 2016. My major was Physics and I am also very interested in the intersection of faith and science. I am studying to be a diocesan priest for the Archdiocese of New York.

We hope that those of you reading this will keep these young men in your prayers.  If we want holy priests we need to pray for them. They are undertaking a difficult journey for Our Lord and souls.  We thank them for their, "Yes".  

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Featured Seminarians from April 1 2017

"70 Years Ago My Sister and I ... learned the Rosary"

How to Start a Children's Rosary

Don't forget to unify prayers with the children during their meetings. A schedule of meetings is present on our website. By clicking "Join in Prayer" you can add your gold flashing light to our View from Heaven map.

For more information about the Children's Rosary visit our website: www.childrensrosary.org
Visite nuestro sitio web en español para obtener más información: www.rosariodeninos.org

Mass Offered for Seminarians on April 1st 2020

A Mass was offered on April 1st 2020 for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are the future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help. 

We have been periodically featuring different seminarians on the first of the month by inviting them to share something of themselves - a beautiful sharing of faith and love of Our Lord. We will be featuring Santiago Gabriaguez. He is a seminarian from San Lorenzo, Paraguay. 

I am Santiago Gabriaguez Ojeda, I am 20 years old, and I am from San Lorenzo, Paraguay. I am a seminarian of the Congregación Rogacionista de Corazón de Jesús, and I now am in the second year of philosophy. 

I felt my vocation from when I was very little, I always attended Mass and said, "I want to be like the Father that leads the Mass." This restlessness I conveyed to the Parish Priest and there he presented me with the figure of our founder, Saint Anibal as a model to follow in following Jesus. I began to be an altar server at the tender age of 6, since then I have never separated from this beautiful service on the altar. At the age of 11 I began to carry out the vocational experience in the seminary until I finished High School in 2017. I entered the Congregation in 2018. 

I want to be a religious serving the Church in the priesthood. I want to be a worker of the harvest closest to my town, bringing the Gospel wherever it is necessary, to serve and educate, to show the love of God in forgiveness and relive each day the sacrifice of the cross. 
I count on your prayers.

Send, Lord, Holy Apostles to your Church!

Santiago Gabriaguez O.
Seminarista Rogacionista

We are very excited that Santiago Gabriaguez Ojeda reached out to us with an interest in spreading the Children's Rosary in his native country of Paraguay. We recently sent him a box of rosaries and Children's Rosary materials, which successfully arrived.

We humbly ask that you please keep Santiago Gabriaguez Ojeda in your prayers.

Mass Offered on March 1, 2026 for Seminarians

A Mass was offered on March 1, 2026 for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month, we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are their future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help with their prayers.  It is our goal to feature a different seminarian on the first of the month every month by inviting him to share something of himself and giving all our readers the opportunity to pray for him. This month, we are featuring Br. Gabin Brice Tayrou, a seminarian in Cameroon. Asher was able to meet Br. Gabin during his visit to Yaoundé, Cameroon (see picture below). Br. Gabin is a member of the order of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles. In addition to generously facilitating Asher’s stay in Cameroon, the MSA order has also helped to get Children’s Rosary groups up and running in and around Yaoundé. They are an Oder whose charism is the formation of priests, which they do for both dioceses and religious orders.

My vocation as I remember it 

It all started between 2001 and 2002 when my family moved to Mballa II, a neighborhood in Yaoundé. My mother quickly got into the habit of taking us to the 7 o’clock Mass at the nearest parish: Saints Peter and Paul of Mfoundi-Assi. It was during this Mass that I fell in love with the liturgy. At first, it was only admiration; until my mother took the initiative to enroll my older brother Daniel and me in catechism. From catechism, we were asked to join a parish group. That’s how the two of us joined the altar server group. What I admired, I could now experience. Shortly after beginning the Mass service, we left the initial catechism because the schedule conflicted with the group’s activities: we then dedicated ourselves exclusively to the Mass service. It was during those first years, more precisely in 2005, that I felt for the first time the call of the Lord. The triggering event was the funeral of the one who is today Saint John Paul II. I cannot explain how, but during that period I felt like a call to continue the work of the Holy Father, since he was no longer there. When I had to take the CEP and the entrance exam for 6th grade, I told my mother that I wanted to go to the minor seminary. But she explained to me that it was possible and preferable to first obtain the Baccalaureate and enter directly into the major seminary. She did not leave me much choice. I then took the entrance exam for Jean Tabi College, which I passed by the grace of God. It was also in that year, 2007, that my father began to express his reservations about our parish activities and my vocation. But with my mother's encouragement, I continued to attend the parish. When I got my baccalaureate in 2014, my father clearly refused for me to enter the major seminary. Not being of age and without his authorization for the major seminary, I resigned myself to pursuing studies in industrial robotics engineering for 5 years at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering in Douala (2014-2019). It was during my final year of study that I met the Society of Missionaries of the Holy Apostles, to which I belong today by the grace of God for already 7 years.

 

Mass Offered for Seminarians on March 1, 2024

A Mass will be offered this evening in Rome by Fr. Denis Ssenkasi for all seminarians so that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month, we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are their future flock, it is a beautiful way for the children to help. As we mentioned last month, it is our goal in 2024 to feature a different seminarian on the first of the month every month by inviting him to share his vocation story and give all our readers the opportunity to pray for him. This month, we are featuring Brendan Finnegan, a seminarian from South Windsor, Connecticut, USA. 

My name is Brendan Finnegan, and I am twenty-five years old and in my third year of priestly formation for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut. I grew up in South Windsor, Connecticut, in a loving family. I entered seminary formation for the Hartford Archdiocese in August of 2021 and completed my philosophy studies at the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. I am currently enrolled at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University, both in Rome. 

My journey to the priestly formation started around the time of my Confirmation when I was 15 years old. I had been enrolled in religious education since I was a young boy, and as Confirmation approached, my soul yearned to understand exactly what I was being confirmed into. The grace deeded to me during my Confirmation brought the idea of diocesan priesthood to mind for the first time. Though a hunger to learn more about our faith remained during my high-school years, the Lord’s call to priesthood started to get clouded out by other desires and aspirations that I possessed. During my undergraduate years at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, my focus was on laying the groundwork for a successful business career and enjoying a “normal college life." However, through semi-frequent participation in daily Mass and getting to spend time with many holy, zealous, and joyful priests of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, the sense that God was calling me to emulate those priests, whom I so admired, would not go away, even while I was dating in the long-term pursuit of matrimony.  Reflecting, my “yes” to the priesthood started a few years into college when I was at a conference with a consortium of international college students being mentored by high-level leaders. During that weekend, what kept coming to mind was that the only way to “build the future” like we were discussing was through Jesus and his Church. The Lord made it clear to me that the fruit I would bear would not be of this world but instead be directed toward the salvation of souls by offering the Sacraments of the Church. A year later, the Covid-19 pandemic gave me the space and silence to better ask the question, “What should I do with my life, Lord?”  His answer was clear, “Come follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men” (Mt 4:19). From there, it was a quick process of accepting the Lord’s will for my life and starting priestly formation for the Archdiocese of Hartford.  

I am greatly looking forward to preaching God’s word to the future flocks with whom I am entrusted. St. John reminds us that the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). As a future preacher, I hope to unpack the divine Word into human language that makes the hearers of my preaching become emboldened to accept that the coming of God in the flesh is the crux of human history and the core of their own being. Please continue to pray for me as I continue my formation, and continually ask our Blessed Mother to send us a new generation of priests modeled unto her own Immaculate Heart. 

We humbly ask that you please keep Brendan Finnegan in your prayers.