The “Hand of God” at Work in Adult Catholic Priestly Formation: Holy Apostles College & Seminary, 1956 – 1995

Robert L. Anello, MSA

Mar 2015 · Robert L. Anello

About this ebook

Fr. Eusèbe M. Ménard, O.F.M., was gifted with a visionary perspective regarding God's call to adults for ministry in the Catholic Church, specifically, priestly vocations.  In the mid-1940s, Ménard proposed an innovative idea for training men called to serve God through the priesthood: college seminaries for "belated vocations."  As he defined it, a man with a belated vocation had not heard God's call in his early years or, having heard it, did not or could not act upon it at that time.

The events leading to the formation and development of Holy Apostles College & Seminary proved challenging and, at times, painful for those people who joined Ménard in this enterprise.  Still, it appeared from the start that the "Hand of God" was truly at work in the concept, acquisition, and development of Holy Apostles.

This study documents the founding and initial development of Holy Apostles and highlights several significant events from the first forty years of its service to the Catholic Church.

About the author

Robert L. Anello, M.S.A., a member of the Society of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles, participated in priesthood formation at Holy Apostles College & Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity degree and a Master of Arts degree in Church history prior to his ordination as a Catholic priest in 2007.  In 2011, Anello received his Ph.D. in Church history at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.  He is Associate Director of Human Formation at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Franklin, Wisconsin.