“Our seminarians are joyful, energetic, diverse, participatory, and intellectually curious. It is my great honor and privilege to assume responsibility as their new rector,” began Rev. Gerald McBrearity, P.S.S., at the outset of his address to over 30 bishops attending the TC-sponsored breakfast. More than half of the attending bishops send men from their dioceses to the seminary and were able to visit these students the morning of November 15th. Father McBrearity went on to describe TC’s integral role in supporting the missions of the national Church, the dioceses, and Catholic University, through its work in forming priests for the future. The next speaker, Mark Kowalski (President of the Student Government Association), concurred with the rector: “TC is a very joyful house this year, with many men taking active leadership and service roles.” He described how the student government’s various committees “have all worked very hard to serve the house and to promote this spirit of joy.”
The bishops sat for breakfast with over 20 seminarians to hear their stories and to learn more about the formation work and life at TC and CUA. Invitations for the breakfast went to all bishops, not only those who send seminarians to Washington. The men were able to meet and learn from other prelates, such as Most Reverend Yousif Habash of the Syrian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark, who shared, “My area of Iraq no longer exists; it was wiped out by Isis. It is so good for me to be here at the Conference. The solidarity of the bishops and the entire Church is incredibly important to us. And we from Iraq, the first Church, are important to them!”
