September 20, 2020
Month of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
Dear Friends in the Lord:
As I write to you today, I not only give thanks fr our new rector, the Most Reverend James Massa, but also for the exemplary leadership of Monsignor Peter Vaccari, rectory for the past eight years, and to Father William Cleary who has been serving in interim rector this year.
Whenever I receive letters from parishioners, no letter delights me more than when I read how much the faithful love their priests. And as you know, many were educated and formed at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie.
Our seminarians are not only the future shepherds of our flock, but they will also be spiritual guides and leaders in our wider communities. We must be sure that they are as well prepared as possible to service the Church in New York. And for the last 124 years, Dunwoodie has been that place of formation. Thousands of holy, dedicated and faithful priests have been ordained over these years. It is nationally renowned, held in the highest regard by bishops from around the country. Each year, other dioceses and religious orders send their candidates to our priestly formation programs,
As I write to you today, I ask you to consider, in your own prayer, a sacrificial gift to the Annual Seminary Appeal. It will be collected on the weekend of September 27, 2020. Your support will provide tuition, room and board, academic training and spiritual formation for about 25 seminarians of the archdiocese studying here. (If you include seminarians from other dioceses and religious orders, the total population is 64). In a word, your support will help prepare young men who will inspire those letters of admiration that I receive daily about so many of our great priests.
The priesthood is a life of sacrifice and service. As you know, we do not have as many men making the commitment to serve as priests as we did years ago, and I am so grateful to those who accept the Lord's call. Please help me in providing for our seminarians who will hand on the life and traditions of the Church as they embark on their training to become your priests. To learn more visit www.dunwoodie.edu.
With gratitude and prayerful best wishes, I am,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York