As St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver prepares for a change in leadership, there is gratitude and excitement in the air.
Father Daniel Leonard, the outgoing rector, is preparing for a well-deserved sabbatical following eight years of dedicated service to the seminary community. Under his leadership, 54 men were ordained priests, 63 men were ordained permanent deacons, thousands of individuals around the world were formed in the faith through the seminary’s Lay Division, and countless projects and initiatives have come to fruition, including the Monsignor Michael Glenn Recreation Center.
As he begins his sabbatical, the Archdiocese prepares to welcome Father Angel Perez-Lopez as the seminary’s new Rector.
The former Vicar for Clergy and pastor of St. Cajetan Parish in Denver brings with him a wealth of experience, having published seven books and 18 articles, taught both philosophy and theology at St. John Vianney for over a decade and worked in various parishes in the archdiocese.
When he is installed as the fifth Rector on Mar. 19, he will become the first former student of the seminary to take the helm.
“I am happy and full of gratitude to God and to Archbishop Aquila for this assignment,” Father Perez-Lopez said. “I hope that the Lord continues to help me, as he has always done in all my previous assignments, so that I can teach seminarians, by word and example, how to become holy priests.”
As he prepares to take on his new assignment as Rector, Father Perez-Lopez can’t help but see the similarities between his work at the seminary and his ministry in the parish.
“Practically speaking, a rector is like the pastor of the seminary,” he shared. Stemming from the verb meaning “to rule,” a rector is meant to govern or rule “with the power of Truth, in imitation and collaboration with God,” rather than a ruling of this world, Father Perez-Lopez explained, pointing to Jesus’ rebuke of the pharisees in Matthew 20:25.
“My ministry as Rector is to be a servant of the Truth. In this way, I will collaborate with God and serve seminarians, priests assigned to the seminary, teachers and other lay members of the seminary staff,” he continued.
In this apostolic age, in which many do not know Christ, Father Perez-Lopez’s role of equipping seminarians to go on mission as future priests is vital to the Church's mission.
“The formation of holy priests is one of the most essential components of the mission of the Archdiocese,” he explained. “They are close collaborators of Christ in his redemptive mission of rescuing men and women for eternal life and, ultimately, for the glory of the Father.”
First, though, they must come to know and love Jesus in profound charity — that is, intimacy with the Trinity.
“Spiritual priestly formation is all about charity as friendship with the Trinity. This dimension of priestly formation is like its soul. It animates all the studies we do at the seminary so that they become a putting on of the mind of Christ, not conforming to the mentality of this world,” Father Perez-Lopez said, citing Romans 12:2. “This same spiritual friendship with God configures the heart of the (future) priest to the heart of the Good Shepherd. This is the essence of priestly pastoral formation. Finally, human priestly formation is all about education in the virtues as perfected by charity, by this same spiritual dimension above mentioned.
“Only after being with Christ in all these ways can we be send on mission as ordained priests,” he added.
Father Perez-Lopez will take the helm at St. John Vianney in a formal installation on Mar. 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, a fitting feast on which to assume the responsibility of spiritual fatherhood to future spiritual fathers. Leading up to the blessed challenge, Father Perez-Lopez is asking for the faithful’s prayers and support, especially in building a culture of vocations throughout Northern Colorado and the global Church.
“Above all, readers can pray for me and for the whole seminary. They can also cultivate the vocations of their children in their families from an early age. After all, seminarians are not born in seminaries! They are born and raised in families,” he concluded.
