Six are from the Archdiocese of Samoa in Apia, and two are from the Diocese of Samoa in Pago Pago.

However, the number will reach 10 if two other RMS seminarians from American Samoa that are currently on mission outside Guam do not return to Guam.

Father Jeffrey San Nicolas, the delegate of the administrator for the Archdiocese of Agana, said the number of seminarians that were pulled out represented about 24 percent of the population at the seminary.

He said there are now 31 seminarians at RMS, down from 41.

"They left in early July. Their bishop decided to pull them out," San Nicolas said of the Samoan seminarians. "It is a dramatic, shocking situation."

The RMS is a Neocatechumenal seminary.

It forms priesthood candidates ot only for Guam, but for the wider pacific region and other parts of the world

The Neocatechumenal Way is an organisation within the Catholic Church that was formed in Madrid, Spain, in 1964 by Kiko Argueello and Carmen Hernandez.

Archbishop Apuron and the rector of RMS, Fr. Pius Sammut, are both members of the Neocatechumenal Way.

One of the four ad hoc committees that Archbishop Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator of Agana formed in June is now assessing the status, not only of the RMS in Yona, but also the St. John Paul the Great Archdiocesan Seminary also in Guam.

Hon said the assessment of both seminaries includes "studying their formation programmes, their personnel and other matters involved in the formation of the clergy for the Archdiocese."

"The Archdiocese is in the process of studying the RMS along with our second seminary, understanding that this is a matter of great importance and concern in our Church on Guam."

Source

• guampdn.com
• Image: umatuna.org

The deed gives Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Guam and the Blessed Diego Theological Institute the legal right to use the Archdiocese of Agana's (Guam) property.

Archbishop Savio Tai Fai Honmore, the Vatican appointed administrator of the Archdiocese says that the Holy See recognised, more than a year ago,the problems such a Deed Restriction created.

Hon said. The pope had instructed Apuron more than once to rescind and annul it

"Clearly, this instruction has not been carried out accordingly."

He said the property belongs to the Archdiocese, but its use was deeded away, indefinitely, to the seminary and institute.

In a written statement Hon, called upon the seminary and the institute to obey the pope.

He asked them to renounce,"without any litigation, all rights to use the property."

"Such a courageous act of renouncing will certainly earn respect and recognition from the Holy See, as well as many faithful, the Presbyteral Council and myself." he said.

Hon said he and the Archdiocese Presbyteral Council met with church members Aug. 11 to discuss the deed restriction, which, "has been a source of grave dispute and division in our church."

Critics have argued Apuron improperly gave control of the valuable church asset to followers of the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Archdiocese of Agana bought the former 100-room, oceanside Accion Hotel in Yona more than a decade ago for $2 million. It is one of the Guam Catholic Church's largest real estate assets, estimated at between $40 million and $75 million.

Hon said the property belongs to the Archdiocese, but its use was deeded away, indefinitely, to the seminary and the institute.

Creating the deed was an unusual act, according to Hon, who said use of property normally is conceded through an internal Ecclesiastical agreement.

Source

• pireport.org
• Image: concernedcatholicsofguam.org

Last Saturday, Deacon Luis Venancio Benavente Camacho became the first Chamorro from the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary of Guam to be ordained priest.

Deacon Michael Vincent Jucutan, of Hawaii was ordained at the same time.

Fr Luis is the second Chamorro to be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Guam this year.

The first, Fr. Richard Meno Kidd, from Malesso, was ordained in July. He studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California.

Eleven other priests who received their formation at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, which was erected in 1999, are presently working in the Archdiocese of Agana

Among these ordained priests,

• five now serve as pastors in local parishes in Guam
• one serves as an administrator of a chapel
• one serves as a parochial vicar in a local parish
• one has just completed his studies at the Lateran University in Rome and now teaches at the seminary
• one is continuing to pursue his studies at the Lateran University in Rome
• one is the Vice Rector of the Seminary who is completing his studies in Lugano, Switzerland
• one is currently is serving at the seminary

Presently, 42 seminarians from 20 nations are being formed at the seminary in Yona.

As well as the Redemptoris Mater seminary in Guam, in the United States there are Redemptoris Mater Seminaries in Boston, Dallas, Denver, Newark, Washington D.C.

Source

• U Matuna Si Yu'os
• Saipan Tribune
• BostonCatholic
• Image: U Matuna Si Yu'os