St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary

10/13/2026

"In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." (John 16:33)

Would you prayerfully consider a gift to support future priests? https://www.svdp.edu/fos2026-donation

A word of welcome from Father Alfredo Hernández, Rector/President of SVDP Regional Seminary.

It takes courage to say yes to the priesthood today. 130+ men in formation here at SVDP have this courage. Sent to us by 13 dioceses across the Southeast, they are committing themselves to the discernment and prayer that lead to the yes of Holy Orders and to serve one day in your parish.

That courage does not begin with them. It rests on the promise Christ made to the apostles at the Last Supper, and it grows stronger through everyone who prays for these men and stands behind them.

This Friday, October 16, our campus will be full for the Friends of the Seminary Gala, which welcomes over 250 guests this year, along with our Bishops and Board of Trustees. Together we will celebrate our SVDP awardees who truly empody our mission, all in support of the work of forming future priests. Though every seat this year has been claimed, you can still support our mission and the future priests studying hereon our campus.

Thank you for standing with our men. Please keep them in your prayers.

May God bless you for your prayerful support. https://www.svdp.edu/fos2026-donation

Archdiocese of Miami Diocese of Palm Beach Diocese of Venice in Florida Diocese of Orlando Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine (official) Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee Archdiocese of Atlanta Diocese of Savannah Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston Diocese of Raleigh Catholic Diocese of Beaumont St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago USA

10/09/2026

On Wednesday, October 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, our seminarians, priests, and faculty prayed together the rosary in procession throughout our campus to honor our great Mother Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and the gift of this powerful prayer we have in the rosary.

Do you know the origins of this Feast Day? In 1571, the Ottoman fleet of nearly 300 ships carrying nearly 90000 men was pressing west across the Mediterranean toward Christian Europe. Pope St. Pius V called on the faithful everywhere to pray the Rosary for the outnumbered ships of the Holy League under Don John of Austria, and he led a Rosary procession in Rome himself. While Don John of Austria and the outnumbered Christian fleet clashed at sea with the invaders, Christians everywhere prayed in their towns and villages. On October 7, at the Battle of Lepanto, the Holy League won a decisive victory that stopped the Ottoman advance on Christian Europe.

Tradition holds that at the very hour the battle ended, Pius V set aside his work in Rome, went to a window, and gazed toward the east. Then he turned and said, “A truce to business; our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Christian army.” Those present marked the hour. Messengers did not bring the news to Rome for more than two weeks. Pius V gave the credit to Mary’s intercession and established the feast of Our Lady of Victory, which the Church now keeps as Our Lady of the Rosary.

St. John Paul II in his apostolic letter on the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (October 16, 2002), wrote that, “With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ." For men preparing to be priests, there is no better school. We entrust our men in formation, their families, and all who pray for them to her care.

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

10/07/2026

Today, on the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, we received the sad news that Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop Emeritus of Venice in Florida, has passed away at the age of 76.

Bishop Dewane served on our Board of Trustees from 2006 until his retirement, and as its Chairman from 2014 to 2017, during the years of our major building project and the expansion of our seminary programs. The seminarians of the Diocese of Venice were formed here under his care, and we are grateful for his support of priestly formation in Florida.

On this feast, we ask the Blessed Mother to embrace him on his journey to the Father's house. Pope St. John Paul II called the Rosary a "compendium of the Gospel," a prayer that lets us walk the path of Jesus in the company of Mary. We invite you to pray a Rosary today for Bishop Dewane, his family, and the faithful of the Diocese of Venice. Funeral arrangements will be shared by the Diocese of Venice.

Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

09/30/2026

09/29/2026

Today the Church honors the Three Holy Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
They show us throughout scripture the personal involvement God has with us through his holy angels and their care for us.

Though they are spirits, the Holy Angels inspire us who are to be sent in much the same way. This is true especially for our seminarians who, God willing, one way as priests will stand at the altar and be given for others. On this feast we ask heaven's help for that work of formation and purification, and we pray as the Church has long prayed:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Please pray with us today: for our men, for holy priests everywhere, and for the intentions of the Holy Father.

09/29/2026

Family Weekend at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary was a gift to our whole community.

On Saturday, at Vespers, our men were admitted to Candidacy for Holy Orders. It was a moment of prayer, gratitude, and quiet joy, with the Church affirming what God has been doing in their lives. On Sunday, other men were instituted as Lectors and Acolytes, called to proclaim the Word and serve at the altar.

Between the liturgies, the campus filled with the people who have carried these men here: parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends. We shared dinner together, and the weekend ended with a talent show that had the whole house laughing. Seminary is a serious work, and it is also a family.

To every family who traveled to be with us, thank you. Behind every vocation stands a home that said yes first. Please keep our men in your prayers as they continue their formation.

09/27/2026

Please join in for our livestream today of the mass in which our seminarians receive the ministries of Lector and Acolyte!

These two instituted ministries are real milestones on the road to the priesthood. As Lectors, these men are entrusted with proclaiming God's Word at Mass and helping prepare the faithful for the sacraments. As Acolytes, they take on a special role assisting at the altar and in the Church's Eucharistic worship. Please keep them in your prayers as they take this next step toward Holy Orders!

SVdP seminarians in the 1st and 2nd Configuration stages receive mi...

09/23/2026

Our Propaedeutic class spent an unforgettable evening at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach last Saturday, joining Dr. Antonio Balson, Director of SVDP's Language Department, for a vibrant all-Spanish program featuring the music of Antonio Carlos Gomes, Joaquín Rodrigo, Richard Strauss, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Afterward, the class continued the celebration with dinner at a Peruvian restaurant, savoring the gastronomy of the Land of the Incas.

Moments like these are part of forming well-rounded men for the priesthood, equipped with the cultural fluency to serve the Spanish-speaking Catholic communities of the Southeast.

09/21/2026

This Sunday, our seminary hosted a showing of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries newest film with Bishop Robert Barron, Heaven in Stone and Glass. Inspired by the call of beauty, Thomas Hammen and our St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary Student Council took the bold faith of reserving a whole theatre at Regal Cinema in the Diocese of Palm Beach, believing that we could share this event with others! We are grateful to all the guests who said yes! The theater was sold out! May the beauty of our faith continue to inspire newness and conversion throughout the world!

If you haven't seen the film, there are still showings nationwide this Wednesday Sept 23, 2026. You can find tickets and showings here: https://www.heaveninstoneandglass.com/

Shoutout to Fathom Entertainment for producing so many great Catholic films lately promoting our faith and values on the big screen!

09/14/2026

Report from the Sidelines from SVDP soccer Coach Dr. Antonio Balsón wrote:

In a famous scene from The Princess Bride, Billy Crystal’s character, Miracle Max, tells Iñigo Montoya and Fezzik that Westley is “mostly dead.” Well, we “mostly won” the Fall Interseminary game against St. John Vianney Seminary in Miami on Friday.

The game began with both teams at full speed on a hot and humid Miami afternoon. The Miami men held possession but couldn't pe*****te our tenacious defense, led by captain Heath Fulmer. They broke through five times, but midfielder-turned-goalie Ben Kieler stopped them. The SVDP men, as usual, played an elegant game, moving the ball to our offensive midfielders and strikers. Still, we were unlucky until, that is, forward Lam Vo, wearing legendary midfielder Drew Navarro’s bequeathed boots, scored by flicking a header in right before halftime.

Just as Assistant Coach Thomas Hammen was encouraging the team in the halftime huddle, the lightning warning went off, forcing us all indoors for half an hour. It went off again, and the clock restarted. Then it went off a third time, forcing the referees to cancel the game. The scoreboard read 0-1.

Our men played their hearts out, were confident, and felt good! The trophy is coming home!