The Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, celebrated Mass this morning for our community. Bishop Brennan is on campus with Fr. Joseph Holcomb, Director of Seminarians for the Diocese of Brooklyn, to visit seminarian Deacon Gerardo Tlatelpa ‘25. Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary is proud to serve the Diocese of Brooklyn. Our twenty-seven alumni from this Diocese have served the faithful as parish priests.
Rev. Joseph M. Zwosta, S.T.D., a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn is a member of our full-time faculty. Fr. Zwosta is the Coordinator of Intellectual Formation, Academic Dean and Registrar. Rev. Christopher Heanue who is currently the Rector-Pastor of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph and St. Teresa of Avila Parish is an adjunct professor at the Seminary. Fr. Heanue is teaching Parish Governance over two weeks of intensive on-site classes along with four weeks of classes and presentations via Zoom meetings.
Pope Saint John XXIII National Seminary is always working on the goal to provide seminarians with the best, well-rounded curriculum of studies and formation available so as to ensure their readiness to take on just about any challenge they may face in priestly ministry, starting on ordination day.
The role of the parish priest has changed dramatically in the last century. Changing demographics, the rise in secularism, and decline in priestly vocations presents many challenges to priests in active ministry. Keenly aware of this reality, Fr. Zwosta, in collaboration with Fr. Heanue, created the now required Parish Governance course to give our graduating deacons an occasion to recognize the opportunities and difficulties they will soon face in their priestly ministry. Through the generosity of Bishop Robert Brennan, our seminarians are benefitting from the wisdom of these two fine priests.
