La Plata, Argentina, Nov 28, 2012 / 12:42 pm
In a message to seminarians, the apostolic nuncio to Argentina said that in today's society the Catholic Church is in dire need of "well formed" and holy priests.
During a Mass to mark the 90th anniversary of St. Joseph Seminary in La Plata, Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig drew a parallel between the formation of seminarians and the healing of the ten lepers in the Gospel.
"Of the ten, only one returned to give thanks to the Lord. Not only was he cured, but the fundamental encounter with Christ transformed his life and saved him."
"Seminarians are called to work for the best possible human, spiritual and intellectual formation, always remembering that they should turn to the Lord. Christ should be everything for you," the nuncio said.
"This seminary of such prestige, which has given so many vocations to the Church, proudly displays its history," he added.
"And it is preparing for the new challenges of these times. The Church needs well formed and holy priests now more than ever."
Archbishop Hector Aguer of La Plata, who is celebrating his 40th anniversary as priest, concelebrated at the Mass, together with other bishops of the region.
After the Mass, he blessed a six foot-tall crucifix erected on the grounds to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the seminary.
The occasion also marked the 90th birthday of Msgr. Gustavo Ponferrada, a professor and counselor at the seminary, who has been a priest for over sixty years.
The anniversary celebrations will continue with the ordination of two seminarians on Nov. 30. The Archdiocese of La Plata will have a total of eight new priests by the end of 2012.