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HOLY FAMILY SEMINARY, SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND (1946)Our priests of the North American Viceprovince have been for many yearsevangelizing the remote corners of New Mexico and Colorado in a trulyapostolic and zealous spirit of total self-denial and commitment. Duringthose same years we have been attempting to "nazarethize" both the familyand the home, and through them society itself, by means of a developmentalchildren and youth ministry and a family life apostolate patterned on thefollowership and devotion of the Holy Family. However, during all these yearswe were also hoping to locate ourselves somewhere in the East of the UnitedStates where we would be able to establish our national headquarters and acenter of formation, vocations and propaganda for the nurture andfurtherance of our charisma and mission regarding the Family of Nazareth inthe salvation of God's family scattered throughout the world.Consequently, it was no wonder that, during the canonical visit of 1945,our then Superior General, Fr Martin Millet, set into motion a feasibility studyfor such a Center and House of Formation around the Washington, D.C, area,as close as possible to the Catholic University. He appointed a "Commissionfor Vocations" made up of Fathers Joseph Ruensa and Peter Siguan andallowed his Secretary General, Fr Joseph Rossell, to remain for a while in theUnited States to help out in the project. On his return to Spain, Fr Milletcontinued to push forthis study, carefullyanalysing everypossibility that presenteditself for consideration. The searchingefforts of Father Ruensaand Siguan ended in amost wonderful find,and, it would seem, inrecord time. At the endof February, 1946, theycame across a piece of property outside SilverSpring, Maryland, about12 miles distant from theCatholic University. In hisown words Fr Ruensa gives the following account:"After a lot of looking around —and a lot of fussing with Saint Joseph,Saint Anthony and even with our Founder and martyrs of our Congregation —we at long last found an ideal place, not only appropriate for our students,but also very promising for the future of our Institute. The place is lovely! There is a very well kept house on the premises,more than sufficient for our present needs and number of students. All in all,some 30 acres holding forth a great promise for our future here. It is, though,

somewhat distant from the Catholic University, but there exists a good roadand a better one is planned for the future when the whole area will be fullydeveloped. There is no need of any renovation and we can move inimmediately. It made us sweat a little, but it was not in vain. Thanks be toGod and our holy protectors!"On the 13th of May, 1946, the deed of purchase was officially signed. FrRuensa with the help he received from our priests in the West was able toget it ready for students to begin the following term.Even though at the time Fr Ruensa had left Del Norte only temporarily—he was being substituted by Fr Joseph Rossell while in Washington, D.C. —when the new school term began in the Fall of 1946, he was appointedsuperior and rectorof the new"Seminary" in SilverSpring, Maryland. Fr John Sierra whocompleted hisstudies and hadbeen ordained inRome, Italy, wasreassigned toWashington, D.C, asPrefect of ourincipientScholasticate. The firststudents to enter the new Seminary were the Italians Benedetto Castellucci,Palmo Valente and Nicola Troiano and the Spaniard Sebastian Perez. The firsttwo began the first year of philosophy and the other two the first year of theology. During that first year the small community was joined by BrotherLorenzo Buira and the Italian Benedetto Castellucci returned to Italy.As the weeks became months and the months years, the new Seminarywas gradually transforming itself into the center of life and activity of theSons of the Holy Family in the United States. It was not until 1958, however,when Fr Dominic Morera was transferred to Silver Spring, that the Seminarybecame finally the new headquarters of the North American Delegation. Yet, in 1955, a new development took place in the Seminary. Followingten years of studies and formative preparation in Spain, the second group of young American students —James P. Beiriger, Charles L. Stoeber, Louis J.Hoffman and Donald Douglas — returned to their native homeland tocomplete their theological studies at Catholic University and were ordainedto the priesthood in February of the following year. Soon there-afterwards,other American students, who had already been studying in Spain for severalyears, began also to return, accompanied by fellow Spaniards who wanted tostudy for the priesthood here in the United States. From 1958 to 1966 there

were a total of nine students who completed their theological studies atCatholic University. The third stage of development regarding the Seminary got under wayin 1960. Under the new Delegate, Fr Joseph Pratt, work began on analtogether newfacility that wouldprovide us with aSeminary worthy of our cause andaspirations. The oldhouse no longersufficed for ourincreasing needsand, according toplans, a newbuilding wasconstructed onanother area of theproperty. In thewords of our thenSuperior General,Fr Magin Morera(brother of FrDominic Morera):"In the United States we are taking a great step forward: we are going tobuild what is hoped will become the heart and soul of our Institute in theland of America. It is a daring step, but one ever so worthy of our nazarenecause which the glory of God demands as well as the needs of our apostoliccommitment to the human family." The first part of the project was completed in nine months. Thus, on 3September, 1960, that part of the building was blessed and inaugurated asthe new Holy Family Seminary. The main speaker for the occasion was Fr John Sierra:"When we look upon this building, dedicated to the honor of theAlmighty, for the glorification of the Family of Nazareth and the sanctificationof his people, we begin to realize that his unerring and almighty hand wasthe main factor that brought our superiors here some fifteen years ago. Theypurposely chose this place on the outskirts of the city of Washington, D.C,because they wanted the first mother house of the Sons of the Holy Family inthe United States to come under the benefic influence of and be backed upby the association of the many varied and expert religious Communities andInstitutions which have made Washington, D.C, into a center of coordinationfor the ever expanding activities of the Catholic Church in this country.Keeping in mind the welcoming hands that were always extended to us,even when we were yet undecided as to our move, we can still say, in spite