SEMINAR TO PRIESTHOOD

[Music] mass the divine office and to administer the sacraments the studies and discipline are not any more difficult than at other prep schools it is not necessary to have special qualities to go to the seminary prep you're not expected to be saints and scholars when you start out it's american sports in the prep seminary soccer baseball softball and every sport you like to play are played at the prep seminary you probably wonder why a priest must know so many languages when you learn a language you also learn how to think learning a language can be likened to setting up exercises for these exercises get in shape and condition to play some sport some fellas will ask if the course of the prep seminary is so much like the course of an ordinary high school why should a fellow go to the prep seminary there's a big reason for going at the prep you are constantly reminded of the fact that you are studying to be priests not that you're forced into it but rather the choice is placed before you and you get a chance to see both sides of the question if you have ever thought that you would like to be a priest don't rub out that idea by going to just any school be fair to god and to yourself give the prep seminary a try whether you become a priest or not you won't regret it just to prove there is plenty of fun in the seminary along with the work the cameraman watched for an eraser fight boys will be boys the saying goes the seminary never changes that slogan all the seminary does is to build on that boyhood spirit [Music] within a few years the young man is through with prep seminary and we close our album on this chapter of his life father o'malley's next album shows what lies ahead for those who are to be captains in his army while the cameraman is showing us the beautiful campus let's talk about college and philosophy seminary the students now begin to board at the school for this first year or so of boarding you live in a dormitory with about 40 other fellows boy you have to actually live in a dormitory before you can realize what fun it can be after a year or so in the dorm each one receives an individual room [Music] the chapel is conveniently located between the classroom and living quarters so that the students are able to frequently stop in the chapel and say hello to their leader even now while you are thinking about your vocation it's a good idea to stop by the church often and greet your master in the tabernacle and ask his help in finding your vocation one day not too far off you may be coming down this road the road leading to the seminary [Music] often during the day from the sunrise to the sunset you'll see the seminarians walking over the path leading to the grotto the students build these grottoes themselves every seminarian has great devotion to mary the mother of the first priest and during the month of may the students form a long procession and sing hymns to mary on their way to her grotto it isn't easy to get up early every morning but six o'clock isn't too early after you become accustomed to that hour of rising besides a future priest must be able to make sacrifices and to make them willingly you want to be neat and clean especially since you'll attend mass in a few minutes you begin each day with morning prayers mass holy communion and thanksgiving then after breakfast you begin your day of study you take time out at noon for the angelus dinner and about a half hour of recreation then you have time for study and classes until three o'clock at three you go to the chapel for a 15-minute visit to our lord in the blessed sacrament and after this you are free again for recreation there are all kinds of teams and leads organized so that everyone has a chance to play and then two there are tournaments in pool and in ping pong there's a college orchestra and each class puts on a play every year giving everybody a chance to be a star on the stage there are two glee clubs which provide musical entertainment in connection with the orchestra and in all these different forms of recreation there is one big day in the year there is a big field day for the students to determine the athletic champions of softball tennis and track [Music] after your second year of college you begin to realize more than ever before that you are different from the ordinary fellow for it is after the second year of college that you begin your two or three year course in what is called philosophy and don't be frightened by that name philosophy merely is a subject which points out the reason why things are as they are a lot of it you know already but this course lines up everything in order for you starting with god right on down to the least thing you can think of it's really interesting and important too most people who are trying to cause trouble for the world today do so because their philosophy is bad they don't have the right explanation for things they don't see how everything in this world fits together to make one big picture you learn philosophy so that you as a priest can help them another reason why you look forward to the beginning of philosophy is the wearing of the cassock and collar just like the priests who teach you yes sir from that time on you look just like a full-fledged priest you really are proud to put on these priestly robes and that is not the wrong kind of pride it's the pride that a soldier takes in the uniform of his country for you are really soldiers studying to be captains in the army of christ all in all you spend six or seven years from your graduation day until you enter the major seminary that sounds like a long time doesn't it but if you ask a fellow who has actually lived those years at the prep and the college he'll tell you that they're gone before you know it and what makes the time speed so fast well it's just that there's always something doing your day is buzzing with activity your studies are interesting every fellow enjoys working in the chemistry lab and mechanical lab we like to know what makes things tick and so your classes are mighty interesting and fun too another language that a seminarian studies is greek a priest knows many languages when he finishes his course besides knowing english he learns italian latin greek and hebrew you notice there's a fine comradeship between the professors and the students the priest who is teaching father o'malley knows that someday this boy will be a brother priest and so he feels very close to him for all priests are close friends and so another album is closed on wonderful memories of great and important days in the preparation to be another christ and now for the album that shows the last lap of his studies that was a wonderful day when he entered the major seminary he recalls how he joined his classmates and fellow seminarians in walking around the campus and grounds of the major seminary these days were important ones and there would be plenty of work to be done but he enjoyed being busy especially since it was being busy for christ as the first year men look over the campus they make sure that they don't miss anything here are two of the freshmen of the major seminary noticing the latin phrase over the door of the seminary they translated come my son and hear me and i will teach you fear of the lord the chapel is located in the very center of the seminary building there's a reason for that for the chapel should be the very center of the seminary and the seminary life whenever you think of the chapel you think of prayer that's right isn't it during the day the young men drop in for a minute or more to ask god's help and assistance [Music] the center of the chapel is the altar daily christ comes down on this altar before the seminarians at the consecration of his body and blood the center of the altar is the tabernacle wherein christ resides it is for christ that these young men are studying to be captains in his army a priest has to be as good and holy as he is able because he is striving to be like christ so he has to be interested in praying and in things of god if he isn't holy he can't help others to be holy the mass is one of the most important activities of the day these young men serve at the altar for the priest saying the mass then they begin to realize that the mass is what makes a priest what he is if there were no mass there would be no priesthood therefore these men are anxious to serve mass and follow mass as well as they know how the students follow the mass with their missiles reading the prayers that the priest is reading as they read the prayers in their missiles they can't help looking forward to the time when they will be standing at the altar saying the mass at the present time though they're content to follow the priest saying the masses of the saints and then as the priest reads the gospel the seminarians recall the words going therefore teachi all nations they are obeying the command of christ holy communion is their strength for their work and trials the going gets a little tough once in a while but christ is always in their hearts to help them christ becomes very familiar to them and they begin to grow into other christs for at their ordination they will be other christs [Music] frequently you will find students visiting the chapel to pray to christ and to marry christ's mother mary is a favorite of future priests every mother loves her children and seminarians are fond children of mary their mother she is willing to help them grow up to be like their big brother christ on sundays and feast days there is a solemn mass at the major seminary all the students join in the mass some serve while the others sing the mass to show how closely all take part in the mass all the students proceed from the sacristy ahead of the priests they genuflect before the tabernacle and go to their places two by two [Music] as the bell at elevation rings the future priests raise their eyes to meet the gaze of their lord and god they look forward to the day when they will celebrate their first solemn high mass and then they will say this is my body [Music] they picture the time when they will take the chalice in their hands as christ did at the last supper and say this is the chalice of my blood which shall be shed for you and for many unto the remission of sins yes they too will have the privilege to raise the chalice and offer god to god the blessing is a great gift to these men because they know that this is one of the priests powers to bless and consecrate [Music] just as the students preceded the priest to the altar so they lead the way in a recessional to the sacristy after the completion of the holy sacrifice of the mass [Music] yes there is time for studies too studying becomes pleasant especially at the major seminary for here the students deal with the important works of a priest every class begins with a prayer now the students study scripture the art of preaching and they learn how to administer the sacraments a priest must be an educated man so must be serious about his studies all the studies at the major seminary aim to help in the final and important training of a priest work is required but no more than average ability is expected of you if you get fair grades now you can do well enough to study for the priesthood this is a view of a scripture class at the major seminary knowledge of scripture and the bible is very important for a priest because he uses it a great deal for preaching and instruction the students are very interested in this course as you can see they make notes of the professor's lecture all are attentive as the professor points out on the map the road that christ walked to calvary these men are anxious to learn all they can about christ for christ was the first priest several courses are devoted to learning how to prove the doctrines of the catholic church this is very important because a priest has to be able to defend the church and has to prove the truths of the church when instructing converts by studying more and more about the church the seminarians grow in their love of god and the church they begin to appreciate the great and noble calling they have received for they will be taking the place of christ's apostles who were the first leaders of this great organization the catholic church again we can see how these classes will help the future priest for all he learns will be used in his teaching this teaching may be given either in sermons or instructions to converts or religion classes to teach a course in the major seminary a teacher must study many years most seminaries have a teacher for each special subject and so each professor knows his subject very well some professors call upon their students to review the work of the class and to explain the lectures this gives the student a chance to train himself in speaking before a group and in answering questions and solving difficulties it is a difficult task at first but the seminarian knows that every time he stands before an audience he is taking a step forward in learning how to speak fluently you'll notice how calm and collected he is while speaking to his classmates on the doctrines of christ the young men know that their ordination is not far off when they begin to learn how to administer the sacraments this is one of the most important and interesting studies that they have [Music] what sacrament is this baptism that's right the students use a doll for a baby and while one fellow acts as the priest his classmates act as godmother and godfather for the baptism of this doll whom the seminarians lulu the professor of liturgy calls on several of the clans to practice baptizing this doll once in a while a seminarian might be a little late for a class but you'll never find him late for this course meal time after a full schedule of classes the young men are mighty hungry and you should see them dig in at the table the meals always have a great deal of variety and consist of wholesome foods meal time is a time for enjoyment and so you'll find seminarians having a great deal of fun in their conversation and joking with one another during some of the meals however they do not talk one of the seminarians will read a portion of a book or preach a sermon this way they give their mind something to eat while they're feeding their bodies so you see that the seminarian is always on the job spiritually mentally and physically he seldom wastes a minute for every second spent in preparation for his life as a priest will help him in the care of souls later on at some seminaries the students wear their beretta while eating to continue an age-old custom which began in the monasteries the large monasteries were so cold that the beretta was used to keep their heads warm here is another time when not even a second is lost for everyone is anxious to get out to the field for the game recreation is a necessary part of the seminary day your body needs exercise and the seminary authorities realize this a certain portion of each day is set aside for wholesome activities the mind needs rest especially after a hard day with the books and physical exercise furnishes that rest for the mind [Music] the young men are really happy when the weather permits a baseball softball soccer or football game and there's room for everyone on the teams baseball and softball are favorites with the future priests just as these games are your favorites did you ever pick up the bats like this good trick if you can do it in the autumn the fellows bring out the pigskin and begin to get into condition for football [Music] watch the referee it looks as if they're trying to take him out of that plane [Music] handball is another favorite sport among seminarians and they play at the year round this game provides opportunities for alertness fast action and complete exercise and you can plainly see that it doesn't take these well as long to get a workout [Music] when a seminarian has a friend stop by for a visit he enjoys showing off the place to his guest here you see a service man visiting his brother at the seminary and while they talk together they walk around the campus you'll always find a group of seminarians strolling together around the grounds and for this reason most seminaries have paths running through the campus so that the students can enjoy the recreation and the exercise of walking say what's going on let's take a look yes sir we even have fishermen at the seminary here are some fishermen trying their luck to see if they can catch some of the big ones in the lake they're really out to have a lot of fun they're always sure of plenty of that they hope to catch a fish or two or three but recreation is what they're looking for the lake furnishes a great part of the beauty of the campus and the students enjoy standing by the lake in the summertime they find it so peaceful and calm as they hear the frogs croak and the fish jump to catch something on the water sometimes they catch a fish and once in a while a beretta [Music] before all their games whether it be soccer baseball or basketball the teammates gather to say a prayer they want to win but they know that only one team can win their first reason for playing is for the exercise next for fun and then to win they want to play the game clean and fair but even so someone is always getting a bruised chin and all the players know that this comes with the game so they take it in that spirit out of the closet come the hockey sticks and skates when the lake begins to freeze and there's snow in sight you know how you like to go ice skating you like to think of the log of fire to warm you up and then the gang all together on crack the whip you'll have the same fun at the seminary the greatest thrill on the ice is the fun of a hockey game as soon as the ice freezes you'll always find a game of ice hockey watch these fellas and you can easily see that they're having plenty of fun [Music] not all of us like sports and so we notice that seminarians are also interested in music and photography and other hobbies an orchestra offers great enjoyment for the musicians and for all the seminarians for the orchestra plays at the seminary entertainments [Music] photography seems to be a favorite among priests and future priests snow scenes are naturally what a photographer waits for and so when it snows and nature paints a beautiful white landscape all the shutterbugs start snapping their shutters the grounds of the seminary are exceptionally beautiful in the winter as you'll see from some of these pictures there's going to be a little competition here between the movie camera and the still photographer to see who gets the better shot watch this seminarian he is the ace still photographer at the seminary he'll study the view and pick out the best angle here is our still photographer tinting his shot i think he wins the contest don't you isn't that a beautiful picture let's look around the school and see what some of the other fellows are doing those who aren't taking part in sports or enjoying their hobbies enjoy many other pastimes there are several recreation rooms with radios and there's also a record club seminarians enjoy listening to the ball games comedians and musical programs as much as anyone else of course a little sacrifice is needed once in a while when one fellow wants to listen to a program of music and 10 other fellas want to listen to the ball game and this sacrifice helps the seminarian too because he is preparing for a life of many sacrifices the map on the wall of the recreation room is a map of all of the boundaries of the various dioceses in the united states this leads to many interesting discussions the seminarians never seem to outgrow the fun of chess checkers and other games of mental ability and skill several times a year contests are sponsored and you should see how interested all become over these games some fellows prefer a little light reading of catholic magazines and still others just like to heckle the chess players many games provide fun for a group of fellas and you can imagine the fun they have you know the old saying all work and no play makes jack a dull boy this is very true and it's for that reason that the priests of the seminary insist that the fellows take recreation [Music] everyone away from home wants mail and so too those in the service of the lord the seminarians only see their folks during the summer vacation the christmas and easter holidays so they do like to hear from them and they certainly shout here when their name is called out a letter from home means a great deal especially when a fellow is and needs a check from dad and mother all the students have a share in the seminary store the profits from which are given to the missions the students themselves have charge of the store and they do a fine job the afternoon recreation ends with a student saying their rosaries all love walking around the grounds whispering their hail mary's to christ's mother the mother of priests one of the favorite evening recreations at kendrick seminary is working in the correspondence department this work is not only enjoyable but has many practical advantages people who wish to join the church and have no chance to receive regular instructions from a priest right for advice others who are afraid to approach the priests write for a course on the catholic religion sometimes catholics write for courses on the mass or on marriage the students mail these people the information requested [Music] hmm can this be a nice slow waltz or maybe a little jam session the musicians like to gather around the piano after the evening meal to have some fun you'd probably be surprised to hear the swell arrangements of modern tunes these fellas play these five are really excellent musicians the trumpet player in this scene can match harry james in any jam session there are several pianos around the seminary and while these fellas use one for some swing the quartet is probably gathered at another while a third piano is being used so a student might learn how to sing at a solemn mass there is seldom a dull moment during recreation time while the fellows always think of something to do now we are nearing the goal of every seminarian the priesthood after the years of study and prayer he hears the official call to orders those judged worthy are told that they are to be ordained the president of the seminary reads the names and each man waits anxiously to hear his own name called before ordinations the seminarians spend a few days in retreat this is the final preparation they put aside their ordinary studies sports recreations and hobbies and give their time entirely to god the six days of the retreat are taken up with thinking about the priesthood reading books which deal in a special way with the duties of a priest also forms an important part of the retreat only a few short days separate these men from ordination as sub deacons as you learned in your religion classes there are seven separate steps to the priesthood sub diaconate diaconate and priesthood are the last three when a man has come this far along in his preparation he has only a short time left and you can bet he's pretty serious about his retreat each one is concerned with his own thoughts can you imagine yourself making a retreat just before your ordination you would talk to god and ask him very sincerely to make you a good priest [Music] this is a decisive step in the life of a seminarian before he might have changed his mind and followed some other type of life but now as he freely answers the invitation of christ he dedicates himself to god forever each one answers adsum i am present as his name is called then all those to be ordained prostrate themselves humbly before god's altar while the bishop says the litany of the saints here the bishop is praying for all those he is about to ordain as sub deacons they are to say the office assist the priest at mass and in any other way they can the bishop therefore prays that they will be faithful in their duties and that god will give them all the graces they need after the litany is finished the seminarians arise and approach the bishop two by two they place their hands on the chalice upon the bishop's lap as they touch the chalice he says to them behold what ministry is entrusted to thee therefore i exhort thee so to conduct thyself as to be pleasing to god [Music] the ordination takes place at mass here we see the consecration and elevation of the host in the chalice each of the men ordained is just waiting for the moment when he too will be able to say mass he has just received the subdiaconate and he knows that it won't be long before he will be a priest [Music] each of the new subdeacons receives communion at the mass [Music] god comes to the sub deacon and the subdeacon speaks to god giving thanks for his vocation he takes a little wine to remind him of the day he will change wine to the blood of christ the next order is the diaconate the ceremonies of the ordination are much the same as for the sabdiac in it the privileges of the deacon are much greater the deacon can baptize solemnly preach and distribute communion and then comes the most important part of the ceremony when by the prayer of the bishop the holy spirit is called down on them and they are given the power to preach in the church in the afternoon of this great day the newly ordained deacon has his parents and relatives come to the seminary to celebrate his ordination perhaps your parents and friends will be greeting you like this someday [Music] at last the most joyous day is here these men have anxiously awaited this day for many years of the awe-inspiring powers invested in the priesthood three are given the priest by a special ceremony namely the power to offer up the holy sacrifice the power to forgive sins and the power to bless [Music] again these men humbly prostrate themselves before the altar of god the most solemn moment of ordination takes place when the bishop imposes both his hands upon each to be ordained and after this all the priests present do the same immediately a wonderful change takes place in the souls of these men all is hushed in silence it is as if the heavens opened and the holy spirit came down in visible form to take possession of these chosen persons as the bishop places the priestly vestments on those ordained he praised receive the yoke of the lord for his yoke is sweet and his burden light as the bishop anoints their hands he prays that whatsoever they shall bless may be best the anointed hands are bound together for a short time the newly ordained say the mass with the bishop and after receiving the bishop's blessing they use their power to bless it is a happy moment when the newly ordained priest can stand before his dad and mother and give them his blessing all these years they have been helping him spiritually morally and physically now he feels that he has something they will appreciate he gives them god's choicest present his blessing all of the relatives and friends of the newly ordained priest join him when he celebrates his first solemn mass in his home parish all eagerly respond to his invitation to offer the mass with him on this great occasion now you have seen what it takes to be a priest it isn't an easy path in the seminary but you have to work hard if you want to amount to something in any walk of life the seminarian enjoys his study and work in the seminary because he can actually see how this work helps him prepare for the future you recall the time he gave a recitation in the classroom his work in the classroom of a seminary enabled him to conduct a religious class in any parish school before he was explaining some point of religion to the professor and his classmates but now he is instructing some boys and girls in catholic faith every priest considers it a great privilege to instruct the children the priests are especially fond of preparing the children for their first confession and their first holy communion [Music] when father o'malley was a student he played baseball in the rest of the sports because he wanted the exercise and the recreation he needed this in his course at the seminary even though he was getting exercise and recreation he was doing more than that for he was learning a lot about these sports and how they should be played after he was appointed coach of the school team he was able to help the fellows play softball in the other sports every priest loves to coach the teams and see the youngsters have a you