A group of 70 seminarians, faculty and staff from Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology and Borromeo Seminary began a weeklong pilgrimage to Rome on March 2. They are scheduled to arrive early on March 3.
The trip is in conjunction with the 175th anniversary of Saint Mary Seminary, which was established in 1848, a year after the Diocese of Cleveland was founded.
Father Mark Latcovich, president/rector of both Borromeo and Saint Mary seminaries, and Father Andy Turner, seminaries’ vice rector and director of field service at Saint Mary, were among those participating in the trip. Father Latcovich will conclude a decade as head of the seminaries on July 1, when he returns to parish ministry as pastor of St. Ladislas Parish in Westlake.
Father Turner will replace him as president/rector of the seminaries.
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost, who also teaches at Saint Mary Seminary, accompanied the group. Bishop Edward Malesic plans to meet them in Rome this weekend.
The trip will include daily Mass opportunities, tours of St. Peter and other basilicas, a tour of the Vatican, a visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, a trip to the catacombs and other sites of interest in Rome and Assisi, Italy.
The seminary group hopes to meet briefly with Pope Francis early next week.
They will return to Cleveland on March 10. Watch for regular updates and photos from the trip.