CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF THE ROME EXPERIENCE

Given the challenges of the priesthood in the USA, several bishops gathered together in 2007 to establish a program for the formation of their seminarians that would help them develop a clear priestly identity and generous spirit of dedication to serving the people entrusted to them. As a result, the first summer program of The Rome Experience was launched in 2009.

The Rome Experience program seeks to complement the formation in seminary and to help seminarians learn how to swim in troubled waters, especially as future priests, by focusing on key characteristics of priestly identity:

• A priest is a priest forever
• The importance of contemplation and prayer and how to practice is daily
• A priest is of the world but not worldly–not matter where he is, even when resting or on vacation, he is called to maintain the dignity of the priesthood
• The remedy for everything is personal holiness

Each year on the program these characteristics are fostered through: a spiritual retreat, academic courses, daily prayer and liturgies, spiritual direction, closeness to the Holy Father, visits to Vatican Congregations, fraternity among brother seminarians from all around the USA, and pilgrimages to holy sites in France, Spain, and Italy.

The program also helps to emphasize the importance in the first years of the priesthood to have a plan of life— a daily schedule for prayer, Holy Mass, ministry, work, friendship with brother priests, rest, and sports/exercise.

OVERVIEW SINCE 2009

• 231 Alumni
• 55 Dioceses
• 113 Alumni Ordained to the Priesthood
• 223 Scholarship Awards – Total $1,352,625
• Countries visited Italy, France, and Spain

TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

On June 13, 2019, a Mass of Thanksgiving and dinner were celebrated in Rome to mark the special occasion (click on photo album below). We are grateful to all of our supporters, alumni and friends who have helped us to reach this benchmark and who continue to help make the program possible for future seminarians. Thank you!