Last Friday, I was happy to participate in a Come and See vocations retreat with 12 men, held at St. John's Seminary and St. John the Baptist in Quincy.

I gave the men a talk, and afterward, we had a question-and-answer session that went for about an hour-and-half. It was a very good exchange, and I was very impressed by the interest of these young men in learning more about vocation and the life of discipleship.

The Vocations Office staff have recently revised and expanded our discernment retreats to reach more men and to provide for the kinds of encounters they are looking for today. For instance, they have brought the retreats out of retreat houses and into parishes and the seminary, to make it more experiential so people really get to see the life of the priest. Also, they will host these a few times a year. Additionally, they provide other retreats that are more individual to help men have time to pray and make an intentional decision.

We are grateful for the great work of our Vocations Office in organizing these events.

Wedding Anniversary Mass

Sunday afternoon, we celebrated our Wedding Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. There is such enthusiasm for this event that I felt badly that we were unable to hold it last year. But we had a great turnout this year -- including two couples who were celebrating 70 years of marriage!

I told the people that, in my 20 years in Washington, I celebrated more weddings than any other clergyman. So, for me, it's a great joy to be able to celebrate this Anniversary Mass each year. It's an opportunity to thank the couples for their fidelity and the witness of their married life, which is especially important in today's world, where the institution of marriage is under siege. Their witness of celebrating their anniversaries is a very important event for all of us in the community of faith.

Dinner

That night, I attended a dinner at our Redemptoris Mater Seminary for parishioners of Immaculate Conception parish in Marlborough who are benefactors of the seminary.

Father Israel Rodriguez once again made us an excellent paella.

Of course, he told his famous story about how paella was invented by the Israelites, who picked up all the lobsters and clams as they were passing through the Red Sea during the Exodus. (I think there's a certain exegesis that needs to be studied on that matter!)

As they always do, the seminarians sang for us after dinner. This time, they even worked in an Elvis Presley tune. But I made a request for the Salve Rociera, and they were happy to oblige!

CONNECT Boston

On Monday, we hosted a CONNECT Boston event for college students and young professionals at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The event brings them together with local Catholic organizations and faithful leaders from diverse industries and fields.

I gave the young adults a welcoming talk, and the keynote speaker for the evening was Professor Arthur Brooks of Harvard Business School. He gave a wonderful talk on being a Catholic in today's world.