The President of the Governorate speaks at the Pastoral Symposium in Mount Angel Seminary, Oregon

“Servant leadership in pastoral ministry” was the theme of the symposium attended by Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State. Organized for seminarians, counselors, students, and the Benedictine monastic community of the neighboring Mount Angel Abbey, the meeting took place on Friday, February 6, at Mount Angel Seminary in Saint Benedict, Oregon, U.S.A.

Sr. Petrini developed the theme “Collaborative Leadership in the Church” and responded to questions posed by the moderators and participants.

Among those present were His Excellency Msgr. Peter L. Smith, Auxiliary Bishop of Portland, Rev. Jeff Eirvin, President and Rector of the Seminary, and the Vice Rector and Coordinator for Formation, Rev. Stephen Clovis.

Mount Angel Seminary is a formative community where seminarians from numerous dioceses and religious communities undertake the important and fundamental task of discerning and preparing for the vocation to ordained priestly ministry in the Church.

As a formative community, all those who participate in the life of the Seminary—the Benedictine monastic community, faculty members, counselors, spiritual directors, supervisors of pastoral field education, local pastors entrusted with guiding deacons in their assigned weekend duties, administrative staff, and service personnel—actively support and contribute to the Seminary’s mission, accompanying seminarians at every stage of discernment and preparation.

Mount Angel Seminary offers not only a place for priestly formation, but also a space in which each seminarian, in discerning his vocation to ministry, continues to learn what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, while seeking to understand the Lord’s calling him to “come and see.”