Message from the Rector
September 2025
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19)
Isaiah spoke these consoling words to the people of Israel—exiled from the promised land and bereft of hope. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, as we begin a new school year, we await the Lord “to do a new thing” among us.
Returning seminarians will immediately notice something new: the complete renovation of the high school washroom, begun in spring and completed just in time for their arrival. Those who remember the former conditions will surely appreciate this transformation. This major undertaking required extensive planning, design work, fundraising, demolition, and construction—but it represents far more than improved facilities.
The washroom renovation sparked a broader renewal throughout the Seminary. Study halls received thorough cleaning that has restored their brightness after many years. The recreation room, former shower room, lockers, and dormitories have all been refreshed and revitalized. This wave of renewal reflects our community’s deeper discernment about the purpose and mission of the Minor Seminary in our time.
Through community reflection, we have renewed our appreciation for the Seminary’s vital importance over these 94 years—not only to our community but to the universal Church. We celebrate the abundant fruit of the Minor Seminary: the priests and religious who have walked these halls, and equally the many lay leaders who continue making significant differences throughout the world.
This renewed commitment has culminated in our updated Mission Statement:
The Minor Seminary of Christ the King is a Catholic boarding school designed to provide a safe and encouraging environment for adolescent boys who want to discern a vocation to Holy Orders or religious life. Enriched by the Benedictine charism of seeking God through liturgical worship, fraternal community life, honest work, and dedicated study, the minor seminary integrates the Provincial curriculum with age-appropriate human, spiritual, and pastoral formation, guiding seminarians toward conformity with Jesus Christ, our true King.
The gift of the Minor Seminary lies in its identity as a special sanctuary—a fruitful seedbed for vocations to Holy Orders and religious life. True newness and life flow from the gift of the Holy Spirit and our participation in His life of grace through His manifold gifts. We invoke Him to renew us and all who will attend the Seminary this year. May the Holy Spirit’s light and influence extend outward to families and to all those whom our seminarians encounter.
“Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O Comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.”
(Veni, Creator Spiritus
Rev. Anthony Nguyen OSB
Rector
For a fuller explanation of the importance and aims of a minor (high school) seminary see “Fostering Vocations at an Early Age.”
