Vocations for missions in the heart of Cordoba

Three of the five deacons ordained on December 8, Angelo Bruno (from Italy), Jesús Romera Fernández (from Murcia) and Blas Sánchez Villarejo (from Pozoblanco), belong to the Diocesan Missionary Seminary. Redemptoris Mater Saint John of Avila.

The building, in Plaza del Cardenal Salazar number 1, a few meters from the Cathedral, attracts attention the facade from the church and in the alley which leads to the Bullfighting Museum the entrance door to the seminary.

Over there thirteen young people They are shaping their religious vocation to become missionary priests in the not-so-distant future. The property had several renovations until it became what it is today, in accordance with current uses, with the hall, a meeting room, a large patio, the dining room, connected to the laundry room and the kitchen, the bedroom area, the church and the Word Room.

The rector, originally from Huelva Jacob Martin Rodriguezaccompanies ABC in its visit to the house and the temple that make up this seminar which began there in 2000 with Mgr Javier Martínez. Martín Rodríguez has held this position since 2018 and previously spent a decade as vice-rector.

How do you define this seminar in a few words? He does not hesitate to respond that “he has the particularity of being international and missionary on entry and exit because they come from all over the world and because we go to any part of the world.

Availability

In fact, current seminarians come from Venezuela, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Angola, Italy and Spain. We also ensure that there is a core of the Cordobans so as not to lose their peculiarity, but always from the first minute they instill the desire to go anywhere on earth.

The young people of the Redemptoris Mater of Cordoba always come from communities neocatechumenals, of a coexistence which takes place in September at the start of the course with those who wish to enter the seminary.

The ages of those currently living there vary between 18 years old and 31with a preparation period that generally lasts around ten or eleven years. To receive lessons, they go daily to the San Pelagio Conciliar Seminary, on Amador de los Ríos Street.

“Academic studies and ordinary rhythm It’s the same thing as at San Pelagius: six years of study, two of philosophy, theology and the different rites that are performed, admission, acolyte, lectorate, diaconate and priesthood, are the same, specifies the rector.

To the common training is added that of the missionary aspect with at least two years of mission accompanying a priest in his work or a traveling team of the Neocatechumenal Path in the world, or in the Domus Galileo“a house that we have there which welcomes pilgrims to the Holy Land”, we therefore insist on availability, the character of the new evangelization and catechization with weekend outings to be full of these values.

The church of San Pedro de Alcántara It is their chapel and they celebrate daily mass there. Next to it is the Hall of the Word, dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament and the Word of God, to emphasize what was said at the Second Vatican Council that, along with the Body and Blood of Christ, the Word must also be venerated.

Around the tabernacle there is a fresco with paintings of the Annunciation of Saint Gabriel to the Virgin (which suggests that the word becomes flesh) and around her they sit to pray the different prayers, with the stained glass windows which are full of symbology of the word, and the lamps which resemble drops of rainwater.

The year 2000, with Javier Martinez As bishop, it was he who marked the beginning of the seminary in this building, on February 14 they began to live there. This was the time when the 17th century building which housed the Franciscan Daughters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd was free for this new use.

In 2012, ambitious works were carried out to modernize it and the church, under the episcopate of Demetrio Fernández, ceased to be the canonical seat of the University and the Rocío de Córdoba brotherhoods. On the ground floor there is a living room, dining room, laundry room and kitchen. From there you access the patio, where a cypress, orange trees and an olive tree reign.

This is the place where you can see the windows of the seminarians’ rooms. Luis Rubén Díazfrom Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, is in sixth grade and Isaac Daniel Britofrom Colombia, is in his second year. Luis Rubén Díaz indicates that in his neocatechumenal community he discovered his vocation and after the meetings and coexistence in 2019 he entered the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Santo Domingo and a year later he was sent to Córdoba.

daily rhythm

He admits it’s difficult being away from his family, but “I’m very thrilled at the seminary and with everything that the Lord has given me during all these years. Every day, the bell wakes them up at half past six in the morning to pray Lauds at seven o’clock.

Then, breakfast and recovery from bed to go to classes in San Pelagio at 8:30 a.m. Before noon at two groups Organized people take care of the kitchen, set the tables and clean the common areas.

Then they have lunch, pray and free time begins to play sports or take a nap. 4:30 marks study time until eight o’clock mass arrives. At half past nine they have dinner and say morning prayers complete marks the end of the day. Twelve o’clock in the evening indicates the time of rest. Other days, they go to catechize and evangelize, sometimes in the towns of the province.

Isaac Daniel Brito explains that being in the seminary “is a constant Get lost“, be prepared to do what you have to do every day and be constantly aware of yourself.”

The seminary formators and additional members of a neocatechumenal community of brothers (in their case, those of San Francisco and La Sagrada Familia) “help usthis happens among many people. Catechists Miguel Ángel and Maripaz also help us, we are not alone on this journey of faith,” says Luis Rubén Díaz.

History

The building they live in was built in the 17th century as a convent Franciscan Alcantarino and then the church was built. Its main altarpiece, in red, black and white marble, presents an iconography of Dominican and Franciscan saints and the respective shields of these two orders: Saint Dominic and Saint Bonaventure, as well as Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua. In 2011, all his paintings and images were dismantled to be restored in the Regespa workshop. The painting of the Crucifixion and the image of San Pedro de Alcántara are very precious.

Others two altarpieces On both sides they are made of wood imitating marble and on one of them there is a beautiful image of Saint Teresa of Avila, the work of Pedro de Mena. In this temple, contemporary artists represent the image of San Juan de Ávila, patron of the Spanish clergy, doctor of the Church and owner of the center, and that of San José, in lime wood, as the first rector of a seminarian, who was the Child Jesus, as explained by Jacob Martín Rodríguez.

The five continents have the presence of 116 seminars Redemptoris Mater and “arise under the leadership of Saint John Paul II with the organizers of the Way, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández “to help the first families who left the Neocatechumenal Path towards areas where the Church had not yet arrived, in certain regions of South America or Northern Europe and who needed priests to administer the sacraments”. To help families in evangelization, these seminars were created.

The three recent deacons are added to 30 ordained priests all this time at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Cordoba. “Most of them are in different parts of the world and are interested in this reality.” Almost every year, after visiting the parishes of the diocese of Cordoba, the bishop lets the priests go. to the mission. Zambia, Cameroon, Quebec, Czechoslovakia and Chile are some examples. Others are rectors in Paraguay, Luxembourg and Burgos.

Fourteen Among them, they are in the parishes of Córdoba, Rute, Priego de Córdoba, Lucena, Pozoblanco and Peñarroya. The seminary lives and is maintained “mainly thanks to the neocatechumenal communities of Cordoba. We live from what they give us, providence appears through the people who give their financial contribution every month, they help us a lot”, underlines the rector. “The Bishopric normally helps us with academic registrations and the Cathedral Chapter, on two specific occasions, helped us restore the church and carry out the latest extension which was carried out.”