on foreign seminarians

Dear Jesus,

I ask you today to bless, in a special way (phrase used with permission from Fr. Brian Nolan), those men who agree to leave their families and home countries to come to the U.S. to become priests. I ask for this special blessing because these men make a special sacrifice of their lives, one that reminds me of the apostles themselves: they must leave behind (in a more tangible way) their former lives in order to become acclimated to a new culture and to become conversant in a foreign language or foreign languages. They must then complete their philosophical and theological training, a feat difficult enough in one's native language, in this foreign language. It is evident that these men do this out of love for you and the church, and I thank you for that example.

In this upcoming exam week, I ask you to keep sharps the minds and memories of our foreign seminarians, and that you not allow language to be an obstacle to them while they take their exams. I pray especially for those whom I am blessed enough to call friends: Roberto, Dawid, and Henry.

St. Charles Borromeo, take this prayer to the Lord!

Amen.