A vocations update from Father Hoar

(Courtesy photo of iweta0077)

There has been a lot happening with the men in our formation program. The House of Formation at 93 Park Ave., is closing down and will relocate to the rectories at Holy Trinity and St. Michael’s in Cohoes.

Tom Fallati, Zeph Ogbenna, Arnold Pyram, Anthony Leo and Bob Cieply are in Selma, Ala., for the summer working with the rural poor in the Edmundite Southern Missions. Joseph Hein Pham, Gilbert Kimaro and Alex Turpin (when he returns from Rome) are staying at the Joshua House working with Deacon Gary Riggi at the City Mission (Schenectady). Sam Zuze and Franklin Anyanechi are living at Blessed Sacrament and doing internships through Catholic Charities. Their internships fulfill the requirements for their programs at Maria College. Paul McDonald is studying Spanish in Mexico.

Roland Carpio has returned to the Philippines, Jack Cairns, Patrick Sweeney, Paul Wahome and Louis Namugera have withdrawn from formation.

Deacon Joseph Tuan Pham, Deacon Anthony Onu, Deacon Adam Feisthamel, Joseph Tuan Cao and Alessio Fasullo are all assigned to parishes for the summer.

Deacon Daniel Vallejo, Deacon Eddie Trevino, Tuan Pham, Feisthamel, Onu, along with McDonald, and Fallati, will attend a workshop sponsored by the Pope Leo XIII Institute (Libertyville, Ill.,) in August on understanding the ministry of deliverance and exorcism, something that they have had no coursework during their theological studies.

As Father Dennis McManus explained during his presentation on May 9, the focus of formation has drastically changed. Formation has a more explicit requirement for a strong human formation component as well as a pastoral integration component that may last from one-to-three years. 

The propaedeutic (an introduction to a subject or area of study) component is now required of all in formation before starting theological studies; this also could be for one-to-three years. The reason we are sending our men to St. Patrick’s in Menlo Park, Calif., and St. Francis De Sales in Milwaukee, Wis., is because of their strong human formation programs. Both St. Patrick’s and St. Francis De Sales have already been running propaedeutic programs for several years, while other seminaries are just putting their programs together.

The summer retreat will be held July 31-Aug. 4 at Christ the King Center in Greenwich. The Rite of Sending and Candidacy will be on Aug. 4 at St. Ambrose in Latham.

Father Thomas Francis Hoar, SSE
Director of Vocations and
Clergy Formation