September, 2019

Adsum
Adsum is published by the seminarians of Mater Dei Seminary for the enjoyment of our families, friends, and benefactors.

LETTER FROM THE RECTOR

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

This month marks the 30th anniversary of Mater
Dei Seminary (1989 to 2019). The seminary originally
began in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in the early 1970’s.
It was in 1977 that Mount St. Michael’s in Spokane,
Washington, was purchased from the Jesuits and the
seminary was relocated there. As the Mount is a very
large and beautiful facility, the seminarians over a
period of time became more and more involved in its
maintenance. And it was in 1989 that it was decided to
move the seminary to Omaha so that the seminarians

The new Deacon reads the Gospel

together with the Bishop
could exclusively focus on their studies for the
priesthood. Over the past 30 years, 27 seminarians
received their formation and education at Mater Dei
Seminary and were ordained to the holy priesthood.
In more recent years a number of those ordained were
graduates of our Mater Dei Academy and since their
ordination they are now teachers in the school they
once attended.
On August 24, Rev. Joseph Pham was ordained
to the Diaconate. He originally was a Novus Ordo
“priest” from Vietnam and, by the grace of God and the
Rev. Joseph Pham (Vietnam) intercession of Our Lady, has recognized the bad fruits
receives the Diaconate
of Vatican Council II together with the destruction of See of St. Peter was vacant. For he clearly recognized
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (1969) and the invalidity that the Novus Ordo Missae was not a valid Mass and
of the New Rite for the consecration of bishops (1968), the errors of false ecumenism, religious liberty and
both promulgated by Paul VI. In a recent issue of modernism promulgated by the Conciliar Church of
the Reign of Mary, Rev. Joseph Pham addressed a Vatican II contradicted what the Catholic Church had
letter to his former modern “bishop” and the “clergy” definitively taught by past Popes and Councils. To
of his diocese in Vietnam, in which he explains his support this declaration Bishop Thuc listed the papal
theological position in defense of the true Catholic documents to defend his position. Among them he
Faith and in opposition to the erroneous teachings joined the Council of Trent, Session XXII; Missale
of Vatican II. Rev. Joseph Pham will be ordained Romanum of Pope Pius V (De Defectibus Formae);
together with Rev. Michael Sellner (Minnesota) and the brief Adorabile Eucharistiae of Pope Pius VII;
Rev. Joseph Appelhanz (Colorado) this December. the encyclical Quanta Cura by Pope Pius IX; the bull
While on the topic of Rev. Joseph Pham from Unam Sanctam of Pope Boniface VIII; the bull Cum
Vietnam, it is truly appropriate to consider the motto of Ex Apostolatus Officio of Pope Paul IV; the decree
the late Bishop Peter Martin Ngo-Dinh-Thuc—Miles Lamentabili and the encyclical Pascendi of Pope
Christi (Soldier of Christ). It was for his love for the Pius X; the 1917 Code of Canon Law, Canon 188
Catholic Faith that Pope Pius XI appointed him his n. 4 and Canon 1322; and Pontificale Romanum De
Apostolic Legate on the 15th day of March, 1938. consecratione electi in Episcopum: Forma Juramenti
He had the courage and fortitude to defend the Faith and Examen. Thanks to his courage, we have valid
and to declare publicly on February 25, 1982, that the Orders and Sacraments today.
With my prayers and blessing,
Most Rev. Mark A. Pivarunas, CMRI

 Reflections on the Life of a Seminarian
by Abbot Marmion
The years of study and preparation pass quickly. The all his hopes and dreams. “...On that blessed morning,
young philosophy student is received into the clerical the young Levite, overwhelmed by the sentiment of his
state with the Tonsure, which sets him apart as the chosen own unworthiness and weakness, prostrates himself
of the Lord. The two Minor Orders of Porter and Lector before the bishop who represents the heavenly Pontiff;
follow. He learns to care for the visible Body of Christ, he bows his head under the imposition of hands by the
the Church, and the Word of God in the Sacred Scripture. consecrating prelate. At this moment the Holy Ghost
The study of Theology leads him to the Minor Orders descends upon him and the Eternal Father is able to
of Exorcist and Acolyte. These bestow upon him power contemplate with ineffable complacency this new priest,
over the devil and introduce him into the sanctuary itself. a living reproduction of His beloved Son; “Hic est Filius
As a Subdeacon, the young Levite dedicates himself meus dilectus.” While the bishop holds his hand extended
irrecovably to the service of God and Holy Church. He and the whole assembly of priests imitate his gesture,
takes upon himself the obligation of the daily recitation the words of the angel addressed to the Virgin Mary are
of the Divine Office and of perpetual celibacy. His years accomplished anew: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon
of study draw to a close, and, kneeling before the Bishop, thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow
he receives for the first time the imposition of hands as thee” (Luke 1:35). At this moment, full of mystery, the
he is ordained to the Diaconate. Thus the young Levite Holy Ghost takes possession of this chosen one of the
ascends to the altar of God by several steps—Tonsure, Lord, and effects between Christ and him an eternal
Porter, Lector, Exorcist, Acolyte, Subdeacon, Deacon, resemblance; when he rises, he is a man transformed:
until finally dawns that day which is the fulfillment of “Thou are a priest forever according to the order of

The Divine Office to the particular liturgical season and feasts of the saints.
The Divine Office is also divided into “hours”
by a seminarian according to the different hours of the day. Matins and
Lauds are prayed first. The word matins comes from the
Have you ever wondered what the black book is Latin word, matutina, which means morning; the word
that is inseparably found in the hands of your priest? lauds means praise. Matins and Lauds combined make
That black book is called the breviary and it contains the up the longest hour.
Divine Office, the daily prayers which priests and major The little hours of Prime, Tierce, Sext, and None
order clerics (deacons and subdeacons) are obliged to represent the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours of the
pray under grave obligation. day when they were ordinarily prayed. Prime (first) was
After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the recitation prayed at 7:00 a.m.; Tierce (third) at 9:00 a.m.; Sext
of the Divine Office is the most important prayer that (sixth) at noon; and None (ninth) at 3:00 p.m. This time
the priest offers to Almighty God during the day. The system reminds us of the Jewish system in Our Lord’s
office is chanted by monks in monasteries from large time when we read that Jesus hung on the Cross from the
books with musical notations, called Gregorian Chant; Sixth to the Ninth hour.
however, the simple parish priest has a “small version” Then comes the holy hour of Vespers. Vespers comes
of the Office in a book which contains no musical from the Latin word for evening, for this part of the Divine
notation—thus it is called the breviary (from the Latin Office is ordinarily said in the evening. The last hour of
brevis, for short.) the Office is Compline, so called because it is the last or
The Divine Office is made up of the 150 psalms of completing hour of the day.
the Old Testament, so divided throughout the seven days When the priests and clerics recite their Divine
of the week, that all the psalms are recited in one week. Office, they are praying the same prayers used for
The psalms are prayers written in the Old Testament. centuries in both the Old and New Testaments. They are
They made up the prayers of the Israelites. The principal using the same prayers used for centuries in both the Old
author of the psalms was King David who wrote under and New Testaments. They are using the same prayers
Divine inspiration. which the Israelites used in the Old Testament, which
Besides the psalms, there are readings from Sacred Our Divine Lord and His Apostles used, and which the
Scripture, commentaries on Sacred Scripture from the Catholic Church has used from the beginning.
Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and short accounts of What praise and glory is given to God by His priests
the Lives of the Saints. These readings follow according not only in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass but also in the
 Father Connell Answers Moral Questions
by Very Rev. Francis J. Connell, C.SS.R., S.T.D., LL.D., L.H.D.

Catholics Assisting at an invalid Marriage

Question: If a Catholic assists at the attempted marriage of a Catholic before a non-Catholic

clergyman does he incur the same excommunication that is incurred by the Catholic party
of the marriage? The reason for believing that he may incur this penalty is the statement of
Canon 2231 that in certain circumstances those who concur in the perpetration of a delict
incur the same penalty as the chief culprit.
Answer: According to Canon 2231 only those co-operators incur the same penalty as the principal offender
who co-operate in the ways mentioned in Canon 2209, §§ 1-3. Now, the mere assistance at an attempted
marriage of a Catholic before a non-Catholic clergyman would not put one in any of the categories mentioned
in these paragraphs; though it would do so if it constituted an inducement to the marriage so that otherwise
the Catholic party would not attempt it.
However, it is well to remember that, even though a penalty is not incurred, the assistance of a Catholic at
the attempted marriage of a Catholic before a non-Catholic minister, except in very rare cases, is so proximately
a cause of grave scandal and even a manifestation of contempt of the authority of the Church that it must be
regarded as a grave sin. A decree of the Congregation of the Propaganda in 1874 stated that regularly such
attendance is forbidden, though it added that it could be tolerated for the sake of civil duty only (civilis officii
causa tantum), provided there be no scandal, danger of perversion, or contempt of ecclesiastical authority
(Collectanea S. Cong. e Prop. Fide, n 1410). In our country today the danger of scandal and contempt of
ecclesiastical authority are almost always present. Hence, when priests are asked about the lawfulness of
attending the marriage of a Catholic relative or friend in a non-Catholic church, the answer should practically
always be “No.”
Davis says: “Assistance at a mixed marriage in a Protestant church would not be tolerated, since this would
be co-operating in violating a serious church law which forbids mixed marriages without dispensation, and
such a marriage would now be invalid.” (Moral and Pastoral Theology [London, 1956], I, 286). Treating
the subject more fully, Bancroft says: “It is certain that Catholics may not be present at such marriages when
their presence contains, manifests or implies an approval of the marriage. It seems that, barring other dangers
and a sinful intention, friends and distant relatives may be present for a more grave reason in proportion to
the greater danger and scandal. Near relatives, and especially parents, brothers and sisters, however, would
seldom have a reason justifying their presence, because of the grave scandal necessarily connected with it,
because of their obligation to admonish the one who is sinning, and in some cases, because of contempt for
the regulations of the Church” (Communication in Religious Worship with non-Catholics [Catholic University
of America Press, Washington, D.C., 1943], p. 129).

Adsum, a publication by the seminarians of MATER DEI SEMINARY for the reading enjoyment of friends
and benefactors, is sent free of charge to all who request it. If you are interested, please provide your name
and mailing address to:
MATER DEI SEMINARY
7745 Military Avenue
Omaha NE 68134-3356
www.materdeiseminary.org