Look at What's Happening at the Heart!
Building and technology advancements allow seminary to expand
its mission

Vision statements are idealized expressions of an institution's future intentions. By nature they are ambitious statements, often composed with eloquence. Most are written in good faith, with the full intention of being carried out by the institution's decision makers.

Just as often, though, reality intrudes upon good intentions. Factors such as inadequate finances, lack of personnel in quality and quantity, change in leadership, or even a lack of institutional will, can transform the vision into mere wishful thinking.

In November 2000, Adam Cardinal Maida, in collaboration with Sacred Heart's administration and board of trustees, composed a vision statement for Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Its opening line reads: "Sacred Heart Major Seminary aspires to be of national stature and the premier seminary in the region, on account of the excellence of the theological and philosophical education it offers . . ."

Through God's grace, Cardinal Maida's inspiration and support, the generosity of our family of benefactors, and the hard work of leadership past and present, Sacred Heart has made tremendous strides in a few short years to make this vision a reality. The most notable examples of progress have come within the last twelve months, with the development of an electronic "smart classroom" suite, construction of a new liturgy lab, and remodeling of the ground floor quadrant to include twelve new faculty/staff offices.

Through innovations such as these in educational technology and the prudent use of physical and financial resources, Sacred Heart truly is on its way to becoming a "premier seminary of national stature."

Cardinal Maida expresses an even loftier ideal, inspired by the current Holy Father, at the conclusion of the vision statement. All improvements at Sacred Heart are being implemented not only for the education and edification of its diverse student body, but "for the sake of the New Evangelization in the Third Christian Millennium."

Videoconferencing Expands Theological Education

Sacred Heart has expanded access to theological education and pastoral training through a distance learning suite completed in August 2003. The suite features two smart classrooms—a larger hall for lectures, a smaller room for seminars and meetings—and a control room that houses sophisticated videoconferencing equipment.

Sacred Heart now is able to broadcast its theology, philosophy and ministry courses to any educational institution, nationally and internationally, that has standard videoconferencing capabilities. Using a T-1 multiple phone line, video monitors, cameras, microphones and a large screen projector, students at offsite locations can see, hear and interact with Sacred Heart professors and students in full motion video and audio, and in real time. The level of interaction between professor and student is equal to that of the actual class setting, which allows for dialogue and active exchange.

"Because we live in such a diverse society, we have to develop means of reaching students who desire a theological education but are unable to come to Sacred Heart in person," explains Fr. John Kasza, director of liturgy and assistant professor of sacramental theology and homiletics. "The smart classroom allows the seminary's faculty, with their superb gifts in teaching and methodology, to reach a broader range of students."

The first two interactive courses for commuter lay students were broadcast in the fall term 2003 to an interactive classroom at the University Center at Macomb Community College, Clinton Township, the newest of our four Metro Detroit satellite locations. Sacred Heart will soon offer its educational resources to distance learning students in the Washington, D.C., area, through a hookup with the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.

Plans are being made to connect with videoconferencing sites throughout Metro Detroit and across the state. Several local colleges and universities have already inquired about collaborating in the use of this cutting-edge initiative. The benefits of distance learning technology will continue to unfold and will only enhance the strength of all current academic programs.

"Technologically, we need to be in the twenty-first century," says Mrs. Anne-Marie Fry, dean of administration and advancement, whose office has been responsible for implementing the physical changes at the seminary. "With smart classroom technology, we are no longer limited by geographical space as we try to untap new educational markets."

Liturgy Lab:Training Presiders for the 21st Century

A liturgy laboratory is used to train future priests and deacons in presiding and preaching skills, along with other practical abilities necessary for sacramental ministry. This past summer, Sacred Heart relocated its old liturgy laboratory from a lower level classroom into a remodeled former prayer meeting porch on the third floor.

The new laboratory better simulates a church setting by incorporating three realistic sacramental sites: an altar area, a confessional and a full-immersion baptismal font. The altar area is set up with pews, altar, ambo and presider chairs. In the confessional area, there are chairs for both the priest and penitent, who will have the option of face-to-face or behind a screen confession.

Restored arch windows, red brick walls, and a new tile floor further contribute to the ambiance of a church building. The Detroit Archdiocese donated hand-carved oak pews that were removed from the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament after the cathedral's recent renovation. A wall mural, painted in the 1970s, has been retained. (See page 5). It reflects not only a part of the history of the seminary, but provides an appropriate image of the seminary's mission.

Additional improvements include spot lighting to maximize the lab's key areas, a water drainage system for the baptismal font, an instructional white board, a new sound system, and a digital camera with a flat panel video monitor to record practice homilies for future playback.

As assistant professor of sacramental theology and homiletics, Father Kasza is responsible for preparing seminarians, permanent deacon candidates, and lay ministers to deliver effective homilies and properly celebrate liturgies and sacramental rites. "The purpose of the new liturgy lab is to give students the opportunity to practice preaching and presiding in a quasi-liturgical setting where they can get feedback from instructors and other participants in the classes," Father explains. For instance, under the watchful eye of an instructor, students who are preparing for the priesthood and diaconate learn to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism by using a plastic doll as a baby to simulate how a baptism would be celebrated according to the ritual. Students even become skilled in operating the various types of microphones used during Mass in a typical parish.

By helping students to better convey the Gospel to a variety of cultural and ecclesial situations, "the renovated liturgy lab continues the vision of Cardinal Maida and the thrust of the new evangelization," says Father Kasza. "The lab is an excellent facility for encouraging students to develop their gifts and talents in becoming ministers of word and sacrament for the twenty-first century."

Lower Level Renovation: "Moth to a Butterfly"

"Quite simply, we have been running out of office space," says Dean Anne-Marie Fry. To the casual observer, this may seem surprising, considering the imposing size of Sacred Heart's four-story, four-winged physical structure. Nonetheless, by 2002 most of the usable space at the seminary had already been utilized. The administration faced a dilemma: Faculty and support staff office space would be needed by spring 2004 to accommodate the professors who would be holding the six newly-established endowed academic chairs. The Licentiate in Sacred Theology program, scheduled to begin in the fall 2004 term, would require additional room, as well.

Dean Fry, Building Administrator John Duncan, former rector Bishop Allen Vigneron, current rector Fr. Steven Boguslawski and other administration members responded by formulating a "master plan" of building renovation. Beyond the development of the liturgy lab and smart classroom, the plan included refurbishing the entire lower level quadrant to improve aesthetics and functionality. The first phase was completed in September 2003 and involved repainting, recarpeting and relighting three of the quadrant's four hallways. The second phase—constructing twelve new offices and a receptionist alcove in the quadrant's northeast hallway—will be finished by March 2004.

This "dead part" of the building, says Dean Fry, previously contained hulking mechanical equipment dating from the 1920s, a maintenance workshop and the seminarian laundry room. "Since the space was not originally built for offices, we have had to do more extensive renovation," says John Duncan of this difficult project. Over the past few months, an army of construction workers led by Duncan has demolished the antiquated equipment, torn out old walls and constructed new ones, strung new electrical wiring, and replaced massive steam pipes with modern heating and ventilation apparatus. To preserve the historical integrity of the building, craftpersons have milled for the offices oak doors, window casements and wall moldings that replicate the seminary's original woodwork. The workshop and laundry have been relocated to more convenient sites.

By spring term 2004, most of the faculty will be consolidated in a central area instead of being scattered about the building, explains Dean Fry. She and the administration are excited about the changes going on at Sacred Heart for the benefit of its deserving students.

"For years, the seminary seemed to be in a latent period, like a moth in its chrysalis. It is now emerging into a beautiful butterfly,' Dean Fry says. "To use another analogy from Scripture: Many leaders from the seminary's past—Bishops Nienstedt, Boyea and Vigneron, and many others—have 'planted the seeds' of hard work and planning to fulfill Cardinal Maida's vision for Sacred Heart today.  "We are simply reaping what they have sown."