On Thursday, January 20, the Seminary community marked sixty- two years since the opening of the Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs at Mount St Benedict. While there was not much fanfare, it was an opportunity to reflect on the history of this place of formation for priests of the Antilles Episcopal Conference and to look to the future with confidence.

What was then an Archdiocesan Seminary was founded in 1943 by Archbishop Finbar Ryan and facilitated by Prior Hugh Van der Sanden and the Benedictine Community at Mount St Benedict.

Even as this milestone was being recognised, five of the brothers currently on their Spiritual Year, were making final preparations to depart for parish ministry in the Diocese of Kingstown, St Vincent .

During the Thursday evening community prayer the five, namely Jason Boatswain, Simon Moore and Robert Christo of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Conan Shillingford of the Diocese of Roseau and Leonardo Soncaire of the Archdiocese of Nassau, received a special anointing from Vice Rector, Fr Robert Llanos.

Seminarians Simon Moore, Robert Christo, Conan Shillingford, Leonard Soncaire and Jason Boatswain before leaving for St Vincent

In a short sharing, Seminary Rector Fr Michael De Verteuil called on all of us seminarians to be aware that we are part of an ongoing story that is bigger than each of us as an individual. He expressed thanks to God for the Seminary and for those who have gone before us, especially those who have gone on to become bishops, priests and ministers.

He asked that we also remember and pray for the many benefactors who have contributed to the Seminary in various ways over the years. In praying for those leaving on the spiritual year pastoral assignment he asked the Holy Spirit to continue to guide them along the journey of formation and especially in the various aspects of their pastoral ministry.

The aim of the Spiritual Year is to enable seminarians to better " put on the mind of Christ Jesus " (Phil 2:5), through the integration of the intellectual, spiritual, pastoral and communal life knowledge acquired during pre-seminary and Cycle One. During the first semester of the year, there are sessions on prayer and on various spiritualities, while in the second semester seminarians are engaged in three months of pastoral ministry.

It is hoped that such integration will help the seminarian on his Spiritual Year to continue a mature discernment of his vocation and to know Christ more intimately. Last year five other seminarians gained a wealth of experience from pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Roseau, Dominica. In the years preceding this, seminarians on Spiritual Year engaged in such ministry within the Archdiocese of Port of Spain.

A special farewell dinner was held on the evening of the Jan 20, in honour of those departing for St Vincent .

Activities marking the Seminary's 62nd birthday continued on Friday 21, with the annual "Night of Poetry and Readings ".