Two seminarians from the Diocese of Northampton, Chris Colaco and Renver Pena, participated in the Jubilee of Seminarians held at the Vatican as part of the Holy Year celebrations. The event brought together seminarians from around the world for a day of pilgrimage, prayer, and reflection on their call to the priesthood.
Chris is currently in his fifth year of formation, and Renver has completed his first year; both are in formation at St Mary’s College, Oscott.
The Jubilee included an address by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who greeted the seminarians and their formators warmly. He thanked them for their presence, joy, and enthusiasm, and affirmed their role as “witnesses of hope” in the Church.
In his message, Pope Leo encouraged the seminarians to embrace their formation with humility, courage, and a deep interior life rooted in prayer and discernment. “Your first job,” he said, “is to work on your interior life… because it is in the heart that God speaks to us.”
The Pope emphasised the importance of cultivating emotional and spiritual maturity, listening to the needs of the world, and being attentive to the voice of God in the heart. He invited seminarians to follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “holding together” the experiences of their lives through prayer and reflection.
The Holy Father concluded by encouraging the seminarians to be “passionate about [their] preparation for priestly life,” and to allow the Holy Spirit to shape their hearts in generosity and compassion, in service to Christ and His Church.
The Diocese of Northampton gives thanks for the presence of Chris and Renver at this international celebration and continues to support them and all our seminarians in prayer as they respond to God’s call.
