Quigley Preparatory Seminary - La Petit Seminaire Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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Spiritually spealting, St. James Chapel is the Seminary around which the school proper func- tions. It is the soul of the school's spirituality and activities. ln the chapel are centered all the physical occupations and intellectual endeavors which, combined with true sanctity, make up the true seminarian and future priest. Set apart from the noise and activity of daily school life, the chapel presents a serene spiritual setting affording solace to the troubled semi- narian. lts lofty Gothic windows with their pointed arches symbolize true deep devotion and loftiness of one's prayers and ideals. The sun- light, richly streaming through windows and tempered by the rich hues of the beautiful stained glass, shines upon the students in prayer- ful union with God. These windows, together with the famous rose Si. JHMiS EHHPH window, the beautiful altar, the inspirational architecture malce up the physical chapel. It was modelled after the famous Sainte-Chapelle in Paris erected in 1248 at the request of Louis IX. as a shrine forthe relics of the crown of thorns and a piece of the true cross. The altar, cons'r.ncted of Caen stone, rich ivory in color, was donated in memory of Mayor john Hopkins. Above the tabernacle is the statue of St. James, to the left stands a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the right are the two statues of St. joseph and St. John the Evangelist. The windows are the main physical attractions of the chapel. lnto these windows are stained the complete story of the Catholic faith, from the moment of the existence of Adam, through the lncarnation and Redemption of Christ, up to the lives of the saints themselves.

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51,19 A PRIEST SHQULD HAVE A LOETINESS QE SPIRIT, A PURITY QF HEART AND A SANCTTTY QE LIFE BEHTTTNG THE SOLEMNITY AND HQLINESS QE THE QEFICE HE HQLDS For this, as We have said, malces the priest a mediator between God and mon, a mediator in place, and by the command of Him Who is the 'One Mediator between God and men, Himself man, Jesus Christ' The priest must, therefore, approach as close as possible to the perfection of Him Whose vicar he is, and render himself ever more and more pleasing to God, by the sanctity of his life and of his deeds, because more than the scent of incense, or the beauty of churches and altars, God loves and accepts holiness. 'They who are the intermediaries between God and His people,i says St. Thomas, imust bear a good conscience before God, and a good name among men'.i' The Catholic Priesthood, P. Pius Xl. .,-

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From the moment a future priest enters Quigley he is able to see that one sort of priest stands out from the rest in aiding him spiritually. There are three such priests at Quigley, Fathers Graff, Fitzgerald, and Mohan. These are the spiritual directors. They have charge of the spiritual exercises of the seminarians while the students are at Quigley. The saying, a young man according to his way, even when he is old, he will not depart from it, shows the need for the proper spiritual care of seminarians to make them holy priests. Careful above all should be the choice of a superior and professors, and in a special manner, of the spiritual father, who has so delicate and so important a part in the nurture of the priestly spirit. Yet it should not be forgotten that all the professors at Quigley also share in the forma- tion ofa Christ-lilce character in the seminarians. They do this by their example and any hints they may pass along in class. Assuredly, Holy Mother the Church has really seen to the imparting in her candidates for the sanctuary a training correspondingly superior. She has shown for nothing all through the ages ci more tender solicitude and motherly care than for the training of her priests. She is not unaware that, as the religious and moral conditions of peoples depend in great measure upon their priests, so too, the future of the priest depends on the training he has received. And it is through just such reverenced and reverential men as Quigle-y's professors and spiritual directors that the Church effects the demanded training and piety.