Category: News

When Father Andrzej asked me to celebrate today’s opening liturgy, he asked what readings I would like for this mass. I replied that I thought the readings of the day were perfectly appropriate.

The first reading celebrates the return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. You have returned too, perhaps not from exile but rather from home visits and summer activities, but this wonderful text can fill us with the right spirit as we return to another year of studies and formation at STS. The exiles are returning to build a house for the Lord in Jerusalem and we too return to continue this ongoing building project, building up the Church by forming ourselves. Indeed, it is good to remember that theology studies here at STS are not an individual project, depending on personal desire, capacity and inclination, but rather the project of building up the Church, a Church that can bring all men and women to God. For this purpose, we must constantly study the Word of God and the world of humanity created by God in order to find our place at where the Word and world converge. This convergence depends on our fidelity to the Word and our love and knowledge of the world, a convergence that Cyrus, king of Persia, points to in his epistle that permits the return of the exiles. May this year be a year of inspiration, a return to even more energetic pursuit of knowledge that brings a deepening of faith and a love for God and humanity.

The psalm echoes the theme of return. Indeed, the Lord has brought us back as captives of Zion, like those dreaming. We can and must repeat with the Psalmist: “The Lord has done marvels for us!” We come to learn how to praise and thank Him. Our studies must indeed be a deepening of our thanksgiving for our lives and for the mission entrusted to us. This mission is to speak rightly about God – theology – so that others can believe too. The labor is great but the promise is clear: Although we go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown. We shall come back rejoicing, carrying our sheaves.

The Gospel too seems particularly appropriate to our project of building as we return to STS. Jesus says to us at the beginning of this academic year: “Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” Undoubtedly this is not the promotion of an economic principle of the market place of capitalism: the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer. Rather, it is a crystal- clear reference to our faith and our reason applied to deepening our faith. Let us listen with care so that what we have grows and expands, fills us and deepens our groundedness in the divine life. Let us not miss out on this opportunity.

To conclude, I want to cite from the writings of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon. Today we remember the Korean martyrs, him and his companions, who died for the faith. They were called to one form of martyrdom, we to another – the witness of study. We ask them to intercede for us, as we begin a new year of study and deepening of our faith. Saint Andrew wrote: “In this world of perils and hardship, if we did not recognize the Lord as our Creator, there would be no benefit either in being born or in our continued existence. We have come into the world by God’s grace; by that same grace we have received baptism, entrance into the Church, and the honor of being called Christians. Yet what good will this do us if we are Christians in name alone and not in fact?”

- Rev. Fr. Prof. David Neuhaus, SJ.

September 20, 2021

Allow me to congratulate each of the 4^th year students who have graduated with a Pontifical Bachelor Degree in Theology and all those awarded with a Pontifical Diploma, in Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism, or in Biblical Geography and History. May God be with you and guide you in your coming ministries at the service of the Church and of your Congregations.

May I also take this opportunity to thank everyone with whom I had opportunity to serve here during my first year as the Principal of STS. I would like to thank each academic member, particularly the Registrar, Sr. Angela, the Academic Councilors, all Professors, the Student representatives and all students, for your availability, collaboration and support.

I thank the Rectors of the Seminaries, especially Fr. Stan and Fr Dave, for their constant support and encouragement.

Words of thanks - even if only virtually - go to our Chancellor and Rector Major, Rev. Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, the Dean of the Faculty of Theology Fr. Antonio Escudero Cabello, and the Secretary General, Rev. Fr. Jarek Rochowiak.

With that I may proclaim the End of the Academic Year 2020-21 and I wish you all a serene holiday!

- Fr. Andrzej Toczyski SDB

June 9, 2021

The presenters for the Baccalaureate Exams on June 4th were:

Dc. Amit Xess SDB, he presented and successfully defended his synthesis titled; THE EUCHARIST: THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. He will be ordained in Kansbahal India.

Dc. Nishanth Stephen SDB, he presented and successfully defended his synthesis titled; CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AS THE FULFILLMENT AND THE NEW BEGINNING OF THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION. He will be ordained in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, and will be a teacher in Sayalkudi

June 4, 2021

The presenters for the Baccalaureate Exams on June 3rd were:

Dc. Calvin Akunga M.Afr, he presented and successfully defended his synthesis titled; BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY: THE SUPREME DIVINE COMMANDMENT. He will be ordained in the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Kenya; and is appointed for mission in the Province of Maghreb.

Dc. Steven Demaio SDB, he presented and successfully defended his synthesis titled; CREATED, ACCOMPANIED AND DIVINIZED IN TRINITARIAN FRIENDSHIP. He will be ordained and ministering in New York

June 3, 2021

The Baccalaureate Exams Continued on June 2nd .  The presenters  were:

Dc. Leonard Carlino SDB, he presented and successfully defended his synthesis titled; CONSECRATION AND THE RECAPITULATION OF ALL THINGS IN CHRIST. He will be ordained and ministering in New York.

Dc. Albino Sacanjila Sabonete SDB, he presented and successfully defended his synthesis titled; CHRIST'S OFFERING ON THE CROSS FOR THE SALVATION OF HUMANKIND. He will be ordained in Luanda City, and will be ministering in Huambo City.

Dc. Michal Jeszke SDB, he presented and successfully defended his synthesis titled; CHRISTIAN REVELATION THROUGH THE PARADIGM OF FAMILY. He will be ordained in Rumia Poland, and will minister in Bydgoszcz.

June 2, 2021

The Baccalaureate Exams Commenced on June 1st.  The presenters  were:

Dc. Craig Charles Spence SDB, he presented and  successfully defended his Synthesis titled; SHEPHERDING AT THE HEART OF THE CHURCH FOR THE GOOD OF ALL HUMANKIND.  He will be ordained in New Orleans and has been assigned to teach in Washington D.C.

Dc. Tresor Lulenga M.Afr, he presented and  successfully defended his Synthesis titled; THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OUR SAVIOUR, MODEL OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE. He will be ordained in the diocese of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo; and will be appointed for mission in the province of Ghana/Nigeria.

June 1, 2021

It doesn’t happen every day... it’s hard to convey in one page the beauty of the experience we had together, right at the end of the semester of classes. Southern Israel was still an unexplored land for many of us until recently. Three days were enough to let this corner of the earth, made up of history and nature, into our lives.

We set off on Sunday morning, leaving the mild climate of Jerusalem for the decidedly hotter one of the Negev. The first great fortune we had was to have a guide who is deeply in love with this area of Israel, with its desert, its sea, its history and people. Fr. Piotr was waiting for us at his home, in the parish of the Hebrew-speaking Christian community, in Beersheba. It was from there that we left for our first destination: the archaeological site of Tamar, in the Arava valley, whose layers speak of a history that began in the period of the First Temple (10th century BC) and survived until the Arab period (7th century AD). Accompanying us along the ancient ruins was Yoanan, a young boy who calls this place “home” and whose voice reveals a great passion for archaeology and Bible history. After all, living here, on the edge of the desert, with one’s family cannot be explained otherwise.

It is often thought that a bus trip consists of successive stages, between which nothing interesting happens or is seen. Nothing could be further from the truth in our case. Road 90, which accompanied us to the far south, cuts through the Arava and then the Negev desert and is a perfect observatory for this unique landscape, made up of a plain surrounded by mountains that go from the ochre of sand, to the silver of rock, to the red of copper. Copper! The same mineral that had already attracted ancient civilizations 6000 years ago, also attracted us there, to the mines of Timna. Here, from the marriage between wind and water came to light an incredible scenery, where the red earth takes on the most impressive forms, from the bizarre and giant mushroom to the elegant and majestic arches and pillars of a temple. Evening came and morning followed, the first day.

It does not seem inappropriate to use the same formula here as in the creation story. What we experienced was a real journey through the beauties of creation that are concentrated in this small piece of land. The second day of our adventure was dedicated entirely to the sea and its life. The coral reef of the Red Sea is a unique and precious spectacle and you don’t have to be a diver to witness it. A visit to the Underwater Observatory Marine Park in Eilat kept us busy and “underwater” all morning. Of the many attractions here, two deserved our full attention: an underwater glass-walled chamber and a large
pool with a name as fascinating as it is disquieting: the “shark pool”. Corals and fish of all varieties awakened in us that sense of admiration and meditation on the wonders of creation, which became even more real in the afternoon, thanks to the snorkelling experience. Mask and snorkel and then two hours in the water, spent looking closely at the colours of the fish that we had only seen through the glass in the morning. No sharks, fortunately: those are best seen only in a pool and from a distance! A good dinner at the hotel and a long night’s rest gave us back the energy that the sea had demanded as the price for so much beauty. And so, ready for the third day, we set off on the road back home. Leaving Eilat, a few kilometres away, more animals awaited us in the Wildlife Reserve of Hai Bar Yotvata: no more fish and corals, but ostriches, oryxes, addaxes, gazelles and ibexes. A short safari in this desert area brought us close to these curious creatures, who wanted to get closer to the bus to “see us a bit more closely.” Once again, an immersion in nature, a prelude to the spectacle that was waiting for us... in Makhtesh Ramon. A crater of 40 x 9 km in a red and arid land that gives the impression of having landed on another planet. The view of this landscape from the village of Mitzpè Ramon was as breathtaking as the story the museum tells: that of Ylan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut to give his life on a space journey. All that remained was to conclude with a salute to the true “masters” of the Negev, those men and women who proved that life in the desert is possible: the Nabateans. Today, the city of Mamshit is in ruins, but it gives a glimpse of the splendour of a civilization that knew how to organize its existence to adapt to these scenarios. The signs of Christianity are also present here, in the two churches built when the inhabitants of this and other villages in the Negev became Christian, Byzantine. It is difficult to forget the harmony of these buildings, whose colour and elegance seem to have risen from the desert with almost no effort, naturally.

And so, with eyes full of all this beauty, we returned to Jerusalem, grateful to Fr. Andrzej for having conceived this great project for us and to Fr. Piotr for the passion with which he made it come true.

- Matteo Vignola, SDB

May 14, 2021