Aquinas Academy Alumni Religious Vocations

Seminarians

Please pray for all who are discerning their Religious Vocation, especially the following seminarians who are Aquinas Academy middle and/or high school alumni:

Sean, HS ’17, is in his third year of the college program, studying at Saint Paul Seminary and Duquesne University.

John, HS ’13, is in his pastoral year at the St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Holy Spirit, St. Thomas A'Becket, and St. Clare of Assisi grouping in the South Hills. He is working in the RCIA program, an adult education program about the Mass, serving at Masses, and visiting the parish school.

Br. Stephen Mary Waruszewski
Franciscan Friars, T.O.R.

Brother Stephen Mary, HS ’09, is studying to be a priest of the TORs (Franciscan Third Order Regulars, franciscanstor.org ). Brother Stephen Mary professed his solemn vows in July and was ordained to the Diaconate on September 14, 2019. Br. Stephen will complete his final year of seminary at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He hopes to be ordained to the priesthood in the summer of 2020.

Priests

Please pray for all of our priests, especially Aquinas Academy Middle School Alumni, Fr. Daniel Waruszewski:

Rev. Daniel R. Waruszewski
Diocese of Pittsburgh

Fr. Daniel Waruszewski, MS ’01, was Ordained to the Priesthood on June 24, 2018. During his first year as a priest, Fr. Dan served as parochial vicar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Washington and part-time chaplain to Washington & Jefferson College. On October 15, 2018, Fr. Dan began his new assignment as parochial vicar of the parishes within the Butler/Center/Lyndora/Meridian grouping, namely: St. Andrew Parish, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen Parish, St. Michael the Archangel Parish, St. Paul Parish, and St. Peter Parish. Fr. Dan is enthusiastic about working within the new parish group to revive its ministry to youth and young adults.

Prayers

Prayer for Vocations

Please pray for an increase in vocations to the Religious life:

Lord Jesus, as you once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come, follow Me!

Give young men and women the grace of responding quickly to Your voice, Support our bishops, priests and consecrated people in their apostolic labor.

Grant perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are carrying out the ideal of a life totally consecrated to Your service.

Awaken in our community a missionary eagerness. Lord, send workers to your harvest and do not allow humanity to be lost for the lack of pastors, missionaries and people dedicated to the cause of the Gospel.

Mary, Mother of the Church, model of every vocation, help us to say Yes to the Lord who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation.

— Pope Saint John Paul II

A Prayer for Priests

Please pray for our priests:

Keep them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord,
   Keep them, for they are Thine —
Thy priests whose lives burn out before
   Thy consecrated shrine.
Keep them, for they are in the world,
   Though from the world apart;
When earthly pleasures tempt, allure, —
   Shelter them in Thy heart.
Keep them, and comfort them in hours
   Of loneliness and pain,
When all their life of sacrifice
   For souls seems but in vain.
Keep them, and O remember, Lord,
   They have no one but Thee,
Yet they have only human hearts,
   With human frailty.
Keep them as spotless as the Host,
   That daily they caress;
Their every thought and word and deed,
   Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.

Imprimatur: ✝D. Card Dougherty, Arch. of Philadelphia

Our Father Hail Mary Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for them.

Pieta Prayer Booklet. Miraculous Lady of Roses (MLOR), 2003, p. 67. Used with permission from Miraculous Lady of Roses (MLOR), telephone: (269)731-4490.

Read about other Aquinas Academy Alumni in the Spotlight