Seminarians come out of isolation for eucharistic procession

Story and photos by Beth Donze

In a show of prayerful solidarity with the people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, more than 100 seminarians and priests currently in communal isolation inside Notre Dame Seminary took part in a short eucharistic procession around the circular drive fronting the seminary’s South Carrollton Avenue campus.

The procession followed a residents-only Mass in the chapel celebrating the March 19 Feast of St. Joseph.

“We’re not quarantined, but we are on somewhat of a lockdown, so we’ve been following all the protocols that allow us to be together,” noted Father James Wehner, seminary rector, explaining that the communal lockdown allows only residents to enter seminary buildings.

“We didn’t want to make (the procession) public by way of inviting people, because we want to respect the rules the government has put into place," Father Wehner said. "The idea was to bring Christ publicly out into the front (entrance) here.”

Members of the media and others who happened upon the procession were asked to keep a reasonable distance from the action.

During the benediction, Father Wehner offered prayers for the swift recovery of those afflicted by the pandemic; for the repose of the souls of the dead; and for “a serenity and a peace” in these days of high anxiety.

“We recognize that the peace of Christ is the authentic peace of God himself,” he said.

Father Wehner reports that 35 of his seminarians opted to go home to be with their families during the pandemic, while 110 seminarians and 10 resident priests chose to remain in their seminary lodging. The seminary is closed to all non-resident faculty, staff and visitors.

“The resident priests are still teaching, and the seminarians who did go home are joining us by Skype, email and social communication, where the lectures will continue – because we don’t want to fall behind,” said Father Wehner, describing morale as “very positive.”

“The work of priestly formation is continuing,” he said. “The governor said all restaurants, gyms and movie theaters are all shut down, (but) we have all of those here, in a sense,” he said. “Most importantly, we have the Eucharist, so we can worship as a community – because we’re isolated and we’re hunkered down.”

Mass is live-streamed from the seminary chapel on the seminary's Facebook page weekdays at 11: 45 a.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.

Beth Donze can be reached at [email protected].