The Beautiful Seminary

The beautiful Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Lloyd Harbor, Long Island, New York will be celebrating the 80th Anniversary of its opening on Sunday, October 24th, beginning at 4:00 PM. It's going to be a wonderful evening of prayer and celebration. I am very much looking forward to the event. When eighty years ago, Bishop Molloy (3rd Bishop of Brooklyn), dedicated the new Seminary, it was a dream come true for him and a great accomplishment. The Seminary has magnificent grounds and is located on 235 pristine acres on the North Shore of Long Island. From parts of the Seminary grounds you can see the Long Island Sound. Years ago I was on retreat at the Seminary so I've walked the grounds and prayed in the main chapel (many times), which I find to be a very special and holy place. The building itself is an architectural gem, built in the Spanish Romanesque style. I've done fundraising and volunteer work at the Seminary for years, in the hope of preserving the building, the grounds and also to help the wonderful seminarians who live and study there. They are such good guys! By the way, they are also a talented group of men.  

The history of the Seminary is great. On September 28th, 1930, over 25,000 people attended the dedication ceremony. They came by boat (1,000 arrived on the Rensselaer which docked nearby), there were 5,000 cars parked on the Seminary property and according to The Tablet (Brooklyn's diocesan newspaper) over a 1,000 people came by a special Long Island Railroad train, with buses bringing them to the Seminary. 

Everyone involved with the 80th Anniversary celebration is hoping that at least 250 people will attend the event on October 24th.  The evening will include a Holy Hour, Dinner and entertainment (and of course a silent auction and raffles). Both Bishop DiMarzio of the Brooklyn Diocese and Bishop Murphy  of the Diocese of Rockville Centre will attend. 

If you'd like to attend, call the Seminary and ask for Beverly Malone, the Director of Development and she will give you all the registration information or e-mail her at bmalone@icseminary.edu. I'm sure you will enjoy the evening. 

By the way, another reason I love the Seminary is that Mary is the patroness of the Seminary and I have a great love and devotion to Mary. Everything ties together in the spiritual realm. It's truly amazing for people of faith, who have so much spiritual abundance and an awareness of God's grace, it's such an advantage and so helpful on the journey of life. 

"I thank you Mary, my maternal and heavenly Mother, for the many blessings you've given me and the prayer lifted to Jesus and answered for me. Amen. 

Like St. Therese I say too, "I Love You Mary."

NJA