Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
September 11, 2002
Archdiocese opens first parish-based housing for seminarians
Former St. Mary Magdalene Convent now home to 11 seminarians and a priest
By Roxanne King
On Sept. 2, Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., blessed the first facility off the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary campus to house seminarians. St. Mary Magdalene Parish House, a renovated convent at 2771 Zenobia St. in Denver, is home to 11 seminarians and a priest.
The parish-based seminary formation house is the answer to increasing enrollments and, therefore, tighter accommodations at St. John Vianney, said seminary Rector Father Michael Glenn. And it is part of the original plan for the seminary, which is based in part on the "Paris model" of seminary formation initiated by Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger of France. In that model small communities of about a dozen seminarians under the leadership of a priest live in parish-based homes.
Originally built for nuns serving St. Mary Magdalene Parish, the roomy facility was most recently used by retired Dominican priests. It was renovated this summer for less than $250,000, said Ruth Gonzales, construction manager for the archdiocese. Jim Greenfield was the architect. Builder was Palace Construction.
Tucked behind St. Mary Magdalene Parish, the brick house has graceful arches, a prayer garden and more than two dozen rooms, including 16 rooms for seminarians, two suites for priests, two guest rooms, a living room, kitchen, formal dining room and two offices. The facility also has a chapel, which the parish and seminarians will share.
The 6,000-square-foot facility can comfortably house up to a dozen seminarians, two priests and a guest. "The goal of this is to provide a smaller kind of experience of Christian community for the seminarians to live in," Father Glenn said. "It also will give them an opportunity to reflect on parish life — it's blessings and challenges. Their study of philosophy and theology can be done with an eye toward their final goal of being parish priests."
Because the parish house is the first for the diocese, seminary administrators are taking a wait and see approach before committing to opening others.
"It's our hope that as the seminary grows we'll have an opportunity to open more parish houses; it depends on our board of trustees, growth and sufficient donations," Father Glenn said. "It's a very pragmatic solution to our (space) problem. It's far more inexpensive to renovate existing parish properties than to build an addition."
Now beginning its fourth year, the seminary is growing both in number of seminarians and programs, the rector said. It's added the final year of theology and welcomed a dozen new seminarians.
"They are not all for Denver, and they're not all in the same year," Father Glenn said.
Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary, the other school sharing the campus at Arizona and Steele streets, also is expecting new seminarians in a few weeks, administrators said.
Seventy-four men are in formation for the Archdiocese of Denver, most of them at the two diocesan seminaries.
"In a big institution it's easy to become anonymous," said Father Gerard Beigel, a theology professor at St. John Vianney and priest formator at St. Mary Magdalene House. "In a smaller setting it's easier to form real relationships and friendships. It's also good to be in close proximity to a parish because you can participate in the parish life."
The model will enable seminarians to observe catechesis of children and adults and parish programs serving the poor, Father Beigel said. All seminarians do parish work, he added, usually in the summer. Some of those housed at St. Mary Magdalene House will likely serve that parish, he said.
"One of the seminarians here is a (transitional) deacon and he'll assist Mass as a deacon on Sundays and sometimes preach," Father Beigel said, adding that he himself will celebrate some of the Sunday Masses.
Deacon Richard Vieira will continue as the parish's pastoral administrator, the seminary officials said. Msgr. Walker Nickless, V.G., is the administrator.
The seminarians at St. Mary Magdalene will remain involved in the greater seminary community via their daily classes, attending noon Mass and meal there, and joining its evening prayer and adoration three days a week.
"I would ask people to pray for us here," Father Beigel said. "One of the great needs in priestly life today is to experience brotherhood with their fellow priests. Parish work can put them in a situation where they're the only priest and they can experience isolation. What we're trying to do here is give them an experience of brotherhood so they can have a good foundation for achieving priestly brotherhood once they're ordained."
Not all seminarians will be housed in parish-based homes, Father Glenn said.
"Spirituality-year seminarians will be (at St. John Vianney) and the first- and second-year philosophy students," he said. "Since those are the newer students it gives the entire faculty and the rector a chance to get to know them before they go to the houses."
Additionally, a seminarian's stay in a parish-based house will be limited to one or two years, administrators said.
Seminarian Peter Mussett, 25, is among those making the change after having lived at St. John Vianney the last three years.
"So far, it's a truly wonderful experience, " Mussett said. "It's like living in a house with your best friends who are all meantime striving to become holy by love of God and all people.
"It's a very human, family-like situation," he added.
Changes include waking earlier to commute, eating family-style meals rather than restaurant-style at the refectory, and giving up the incredible view and surroundings the seminary's John Paul II Center location affords.
"It will be different in that we are going to be called out of the larger community of the seminary in some ways to form a new community," the first-year theology student said. "Still, this is a picture of our worldwide Catholic Church — small communities that come together as a whole every time the sacraments are celebrated."
Fellow resident, seminarian Joe Williams, 25, is also beginning his fourth year in the seminary. Describing the house as "beautiful" and "comfortable" he said Father Glenn made sure the seminarians at St. Mary Magdalene "were well taken care of."
"The smaller community will afford us the opportunity to develop closer relationships that will hopefully continue into our ministry together as brother priests," Williams said.
Showing interest in the project were numerous priests who attended the blessing and subsequent barbecue sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
"I'm excited to be part of the beginning of this experiment with the 'Paris model,'" Father Beigel said. "There's very good enthusiasm in these seminarians. They've shown lots of zeal for making this a good house of formation and to have a good experience of brotherly union here.
"Archbishop Chaput, at the inaugural blessing of this house, quoted from Pastores dabo vobis, an apostolic letter of John Paul II, that says seminary formation should offer seminarians a chance to relive the experience of the 12 apostles with Jesus," he said. "So we hope that that vision of seminary formation would happen here."
The innovative seminary formation house combines traditional and modern elements, Father Glenn said.
"Denver is blessed in that we can rethink every aspect of the seminary and try to have a seminary which will form men as priests for the new evangelization as called for by Pope John Paul II," he said. "We want to make sure this seminary draws from the very best of Catholic tradition and new means and methods of forming priests for a changing world."
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