On November 21st, the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Major Penitentiary, inaugurated the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Pontifical International College Maria Mater Ecclesiae in Rome with a Eucharistic celebration in the College’s chapel. Participating in the celebration were Father Óscar Turrión, rector of the PCIMME, Father Juan Manuel Dueñas, who was the first rector of the College, the other members of the formation team, and some alumni and invited priests.

At the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration, a brief history of the College was recalled, along with the fruits that, thanks to God, have been gathered over the first quarter of a century. To date, 1,170 seminarians have been formed at the College, including 890 priests and 5 bishops from 266 dioceses in 57 countries around the world. In his homily, Cardinal Piacenza thanked God and reflected on what these concrete fruits of the College represent for the Church. He also encouraged those present to always seek closeness to Christ so that contact with Him transforms into a life coherent with the Gospel and a demanding pastoral response to the needs of so many souls thirsty for God’s love.

As part of the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the College’s founding, on November 26, 16 seminarians received the ministry of acolyte and 25 received the ministry of lector at a Mass presided over by Mons. Vittorio Lanzani, delegate of the Fabric of Saint Peter, in the Chapel of the Choir of St. Peter’s Basilica, alongside Immaculate Mary, mother of priests, and in the presence of relics of Saint John Chrysostom, also recognized for his doctrine on the priesthood.

Mons. Lanzani, after emphasizing the importance of the ministries on the path to priesthood, urged those present to embrace the gift they were receiving and to live it with true dedication and love for Christ and the Church.

On December 4, Father Eduardo Robles-Gil presided over a Eucharistic celebration of thanksgiving to God for this anniversary. During his homily, he referred to the liturgy of the second Sunday of Advent and emphasized that God intervenes in each person’s small story, reveals His merciful love, calls to conversion, and invites participation in His divine life. “We thank God today for all the priests who have been formed in this College and who are now instruments of God’s mercy for so many souls,” said Father Eduardo. “May the Spirit guide our lives. We are witnesses and ministers of mercy and redemption. We are His instruments. We also thank Mary, the Mother of the Church, the mother of this College, because She has always been with us and helps us. She teaches us to welcome the Lord into our lives,” Father Eduardo concluded.

At the end of the celebration, Kevin, a seminarian from the Syriac-Malabar diocese of Chicago, USA, commented: “The Mater Ecclesiae has allowed me to deepen the need I have as a future priest to cultivate an intimate relationship of love with Jesus. In these years of formation, I have learned that without this daily encounter with Him, I cannot give anything to my parishioners; I would be giving myself. The morning prayers, the morning celebration of the Eucharist, help me perceive that the starting point of my day as a seminarian and future priest is Christ, and this daily love encounter with Him is what fills me with strength to give myself to others, to serve the Church.”

“Another aspect in which the Mater Ecclesiae has enriched my priestly formation is discipline. Having a schedule, learning to plan, prioritize my responsibilities, and being disciplined in these aspects gives me confidence that I will later be able to carry out my duties as a parish priest responsibly, caring for the people God entrusts to me,” Kevin said. He added, “During these years, I have also learned that the formation team is at our disposal to help us, and I have always noticed a sincere effort on their part to help us become better priests and men of God, but ultimately, the formation depends on how much I want to take advantage of it.”

“The encounter with the diversity of cultures has been, for me, the greatest gift and blessing from God, and also a great cross. There is always an effort to share, to understand what pleases or displeases in other cultures, to learn the richness of each one. Sometimes, in conversations, we also share and learn about the challenges and difficulties the Church faces in other parts of the world, which leads us to intensify our prayer, to feel and suffer with the suffering Church, and to prepare ourselves as best as possible to respond to the challenges of this world that seems to drift away from God. It comforts me to see that Jesus unites us. He must be our starting point and our destination,” Kevin commented.

In the following months, events will continue at the Pontifical College Maria Mater Ecclesiae as part of the anniversary celebrations.