Bulletins

September 25, 2022

When Mauricio was accepted into the seminary for the Diocese of Arlington in July 2015, he left St. John the Beloved and our Ameri-can shores as a pioneer. He was the second participant (after our very own Mauricio Portillo) in the pilot program between the Dio-cese and the Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso in Madrid, Spain. In addition to philosophy and theology studies there, he lived in the seminary Hogar Sacerdotal Padre Laforet. The pilot program for native Spanish-speaking seminarians took advantage of what our Vocations Directors described at the time as the best ecclesiastical institution in the Spanish-speaking world.

After four years there and with a Bachelor’s in Sacred Theology under his belt, Elder continued the study of theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. This Thursday, September 29, at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City State, Elder will be ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Arlington after making promises of celibacy and obedience.

I attempted to organize a group pilgrimage to the Eternal City for the occasion. There are fewer flights these days and no available plane tickets coded for group rate. Several weeks ago my trusty tour director told me something I had never heard from him, “I can’t do it”. What we can do is what St. Monica told her son St. Augustine to do as she approached death in the Roman port city of Ostia far away from their home soil of northern Africa: “Remember be at the Lord’s altar wherever we may be.

Elder is very grateful for your prayerful support. Please lift him up frequently. You may send cards, letters and gifts to:

Rev. Mr. Elder Maldonado
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State
EUROPE

May the Good Lord and His Blessed Mother always be well pleased in the sacrifice of their willing servant./p>

Rev. Christopher J. Pollard

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