In the past month of February, the Maria Mater Ecclesiae Seminary of Brazil commemorated the 20th anniversary of its founding. During the main celebrations, several priests who are alumni of the seminary were present.
The Maria Mater Ecclesiæ Seminary of Brazil began its activities in February 2000 at the Novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ, in São Paulo, with only 13 seminarians. In 2005, the seminary moved to its current building located in Itapecerica da Serra, in the Diocese of Campo Limpo.
The seminary offers formation based on Christocentrism, proposing Christ as the center, criterion, and model of the priestly life of the seminarians; seeking to lead them to their vocational fullness in the intimate encounter with God because He is «God, the patient and merciful artisan of our priestly vocation» (Pope Francis, October 7, 2017).
The image of the potter offered by the prophet Jeremiah teaches us about the fragility of our vocation, but at the same time, the care with which God molds each of us. For this reason, the formation of diocesan seminarians touches on the fundamental point of the Congregation’s mission: «Forming apostles, Christian leaders at the service of the Church» (CLC 4).
Father John Connor, L.C., in his message of congratulations for the XX anniversary, thanks the bishops and seminarians for trusting the formation offered to them. Addressing the formation team, he thanks them for dedicating «their lives and ministry so that this work of extending the kingdom of Christ is carried out each day in their lives and in the lives of the future priests of the Church in Brazil». He also invited them to have «the certainty that God will reward them for all the silent good they do day by day in this formative house».
Over these 20 years, 340 priests have been ordained belonging to 30 dioceses in Brazil.
