Our community came together for a multi-day celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of Mundelein Seminary.
The celebration began on Sunday, Dec. 8 with Solemn Evening Prayer that included Exposition and Eucharistic Procession from the Deacon Chapel to the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. This was followed by a multilingual Rosary, a praise and worship service, Night Prayer and all-night Adoration. The vigil ended on Monday morning with Solemn Morning Prayer and Benediction and a community-wide Mass.
The seminarians began praying their annual novena to the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, Nov. 30. The intention of the novena was to ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon us to renew the Priesthood and our entire community. The community prayed a Solemn Prayer of Consecration to the Holy Spirit during Mass–a beautiful prayer that was recently written through collaboration by seminarians and faculty. You can read the prayer in the gallery below and watch our rector Father John Kartje’s homily from the Mass.
Mary’s presence is visible throughout campus: the grotto, the Column of the Immaculate Conception at the center of campus, and the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception itself, which noticeably lacks a statue of Mary because the entire structure was built in her honor.
