The Icon arrived at the Major Seminary in Presidente Prudente on April 22 (the third day of the Easter octave). On this occasion, Bishop Benedito Gonçalves dos Santos celebrated a solemn Mass, during which the seminarians sang and praised Mary – the Black Madonna.
This is a unique place, because over the last 59 years of the existence of this seminary of the Presidente Prudente diocese, a lot of vocations have been flowing here, which is an absolutely unique phenomenon in the whole of Brazil.
Fr. Rafael Sotocorno, Rector of the Diocesan Seminary of Presidente Prudente,
The Diocesan Seminary of Our Lady Mother of the Church of Presidente Prudente was founded and built after the arrival of the first diocesan bishop, Dom José de Aquino Pereira, who saw the need to create a Minor Seminary for those who wanted to prepare for the priesthood. In Brazilian conditions, it is necessary to provide an initial preparation of future priests at the secondary school level. The construction began with the participation of the clergy of Assisi.
On September 14, 1963, on the 46th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Presidente Prudente, during a ceremony attended by priests and representatives of the authorities, the diocese gifted the city with the opening of this Diocesan Seminary. A little over two years later, on March 19, 1966, on the feast of St. Joseph, the first wing of this seminary was inaugurated.
The name of the Diocesan Seminary comes from the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, as stated in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium of the Second Vatican Council. This is also the name of the parish on whose territory the seminary was established.
A group of volunteers, teachers and priests take care of the intellectual and spiritual development of the seminarians, who teach Latin, Greek, French, English and Portuguese, among others. When seminarians decide to study philosophy and theology at the Major Seminary, they already have a thorough education at the high school level, which is of great importance in Brazilian conditions.
Thanks to Mary, Mother of the Church and Saint Joseph, the graces that the seminary alumni receive here are abundant.
Bishop Benedito Gonçalves, Ordinary of the Diocese of Presidente Prudente, renewing the Act of Entrustment of the Protection of the Civilization of Life and Love into the Hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary.