ArchMob Seminarians

Hear from current seminarians on why they are excited to travel to Rome for Archbishop Rivituso's pallium Mass!

---

Benjamin Dunwell

Personally, I’ve never been to Rome so I am beyond excited to be able to experience the center and home of our Catholic faith. I’m excited to be able to walk down streets that saints walked down and visit beautiful Churches that stand as a testament to the timelessness and surpassing beauty of our faith. It will be a tremendous spiritual blessing to visit the tombs of the saints, the relics of the Church, and attend Mass with Fr. Gilbreath and my seminarian brothers in some of these incredible places. I’m also excited to see Ruben, who I attended St. Joseph Seminary College with but haven’t been able to see since he left for Rome. The reunion of us seminarian brothers will be a tremendous blessing and an amazing time I’m sure. Finally, I am of course excited to hopefully attend the Mass and witness Archbishop Rivituso receiving the pallium. It is exciting to see the Apostolic nature of the Church in action as the ordinary and universal Magisterium of the Church bestows its blessing, in person, upon the successor to the Apostles given to us in our corner of the world in Mobile, AL. It is a beautiful testament to the all-encompassing nature of our faith that makes it so special to be Catholic. 

---

Gregory Spafford

I’m excited to go to Rome because it is deeply tied to our Catholic faith. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard there’s a beautiful church on every corner and a saint’s body to be found on every block. The rich history of the faith seems like it will be so present and evident in Rome, and I’ll see with my own eyes the ancient gift I, and many others, have received from Christ through all the Apostles, especially Peter and Paul. 

---

Matthew Weatherford

The first time I met Archbishop Rivituso was during a private mass he had for the seminarians either the day before or the day of his installation as archbishop. I felt deeply moved by the fact that he wanted to have a mass with us, to have that intimate moment with just us. I remember him coming into the kitchen where all the seminarians were after mass and telling us to take whatever we wanted because he didn’t want us to go hungry. This was also very moving to me, because I think it showed his deep caring and his fatherly love. I’m very excited to work with him and get to know him more in the years to come, especially hopefully having the opportunity of going and supporting him at the pallium Mass next summer in Rome!