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In Memoriam: Msgr. Michael Curran
Msgr. Michael Curran: In Memoriam
REV. JOHN P. CUSH ’98, C’15, ACADEMIC DEAN
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Msgr. Curran, a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn, was born in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, in 1955. An only child, he attended Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where he encountered some fine diocesan priests who inspired him to pursue a priestly vocation. For his college years, Msgr. Curran went to Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, New York, where he majored in philosophy.
Upon the completion of his bachelor’s degree, Bishop Francis J. Mugavero of Brooklyn assigned Msgr. Curran to complete his priestly formation at The Pontifical North American College. There, “Mickey” Curran became a well-loved and highly respected seminarian who made friends with all he encountered. While a student at the College, Msgr. Curran completed his STB at the Pontifical Gregorian University and his STL in Sacramental Theology at the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm. Bishop Mugavero ordained him a priest on June 29, 1981, at St. James Cathedral Basilica in Brooklyn.
Following his studies, the newly ordained Fr. Curran was assigned to his beloved Breezy Point, Queens, New York, where he served as a parochial vicar at the Church of St. Thomas More-St. Edmund. In 1985, Bishop Mugavero assigned him to doctoral studies in moral theology at the Alfonsianum, which he completed in 1988.
From there, Msgr. Curran entered the world of seminary formation where he was a model of wit, good humor, scholarship, and kind wisdom. From 1988-1997, he served as a professor of Moral Theology at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York, as a formation advisor.
In 1997, at the request of then-Rector Msgr. Timothy Dolan, Fr. Curran joined the formation faculty of the College. He was the Academic Dean and the Director of Admissions, as well as a beloved formation advisor. In 2002, he returned to the Diocese of Brooklyn, where he served as pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Boro Park, Brooklyn. Pope St. John Paul II named him a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title Reverend Monsignor in 2003.
Msgr. Curran returned to Breezy Point in 2005 as the pastor of St. Thomas More-St. Edmund, which would later be conjoined to St. Geneveive’s as the newly established parish of Blessed Trinity. He loved the community dearly and strove to bring these three churches into one family of faith. The parish was hit by “Superstorm Sandy” in 2012, and while many families suffered dearly, Msgr. Curran worked mightily to assist them.
In 2013, Msgr. Curran joined the faculty of St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, New York, as a professor of Moral Theology and the Director of Accreditation. He also began to assist as a weekend associate at Holy Name of Jesus in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.
Throughout all those years, Msgr. Curran aided on various hospital and medical ethics boards as well as serving for many years as the President of the Alumni Association of the College. When he became ill and needed kidney transplants, a parishioner and a brother priest assigned with him were generous enough to donate them to him. After an illness, Msgr. Curran died on October 10, 2021, in New York. His Vigil Mass was offered in the chapel of St. Joseph’s Seminary and his Funeral Mass at St. Thomas More Church in Breezy Point.
As his diocesan brother, as a priest who served with him in a parish, as a seminarian formed by him, as someone who succeeded him in his role at the College, and as his friend, I am grateful to God for the years with which we were blessed by the gentle, good humor and kindness of Michael Curran. He loved the College completely and she has benefitted from his goodness. May his memory live on in the hearts and prayers of all alumni. n
The entire community of The Pontifical North American College mourns the passing of Msgr. Michael J. Curran ’81, a good and holy priest who served the College well over many years.
With Very Rev. Peter Harman '99 (Springfield in Illinois) (left), Msgr. Michael Curran ’81, C’88 (Brooklyn) (center), then-Executive Secretary of the College’s Alumni Association, presents the 2019 Founder’s Award to Msgr. Joseph Ranieri ’58, ICTE ‘98 (Washington).
A Celebration of Service: the Golden Jubilee of the Polish Sisters at the Casa
REV. THOMAS A. VIVIANO, ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
The Casa Santa Maria is aptly named. The Casa is not simply an institution, but rather a casa, a home. A home is a dwelling for families. This year the Casa family had the joy to celebrate a special anniversary of some of her dearest members. On October 17, 2021, the Congregation of the Sisters
Servants of Mary Immaculate, more affectionately known as the “Polish
Sisters,” celebrated their fiftieth anniversary of presence and service at the Casa Santa Maria.
On October 17, 1971, at the behest of then-Rector Bishop James Hickey, four sisters of the Congregation came to live and work at the Casa. The sisters entrusted their new work in Rome to the patronage of Maximilian Kolbe, whose beatification took place that very same day. Since then, fifty-two sisters have lived, worked, and studied at the Casa, serving in financial administration, kitchen and laundry services, sacristan work, and even running the pilgrims’ office for a time. Fifty years later, we are blessed to honor those decades of service.
Our celebration began appropriately with the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Our Lord’s words from the Gospel that day were providentially fitting: “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:
50 years of service: The Polish Sisters smile with Mother Mirosława Grunt (center left), Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, following Holy Mass offered by the Casa's Superior, Rev. James Conn, SJ (center right).
43-45). In his homily, Fr. James Conn, S.J., the current superior of the Casa Santa Maria, lauded the sisters’ witness of living their mission in imitation of Christ the Servant. Fr. Conn also warmly remarked how their sincere companionship has made them sisters in the truest sense. They are irreplicable members of the Casa family.
Some very special guests joined us for Mass and the celebratory banquet to follow. Mother Mirosława Grunt, the Superior General of the Congregation, and Sr. Teresa Szymczyk made their way from Poland for the festivities. Also in attendance were three Polish priests—friends of the sisters who live and work in Rome. To conclude the banquet, I personally had the privilege of offering some words of thanks on behalf of the Casa community. Like our guardian angels whom we celebrated during the same month of October, the sisters serve as a constant spiritual presence at the house, unperceived and often taken for granted, but always providing for our every need. We are grateful for the opportunity to honor our Casa “angels”—true sisters of our family. n
Interview with ICTE Participant Rev. Donald Wolf
MATTHEW LUDWIG, ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON ’24
Could you tell us about yourself?
I was born and raised in Wheatland, Oklahoma. I grew up on a farm as the second of six children. After high school, I received an Air Force ROTC scholarship and went to Oklahoma State University to study Aeronautical Engineering. After two years of involvement at the Catholic Student Center at Oklahoma State, I decided to go to the seminary. I finished College and Theology at St. Meinrad and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 1981. I have been active as a teacher in our Deacon Formation Program as well as in the Escuela de San Juan Diego adult formation program in the Archdiocese.
How have you spent your time during this session of the program?
It is a great program for rest and renewal. We have been active in pursuing our focus on discernment in various forms. Both in the classroom and in our travel, we have worked to pay attention to the various means of God’s call throughout the history of the Church and, by extension, in our own lives.
Italy has been a wonderful venue for the pursuit of this study. With our access to art and history, as well as our opportunity to tap the experience and knowledge of the teachers here, we’ve all been enlivened in our appreciation of God’s work in our lives.
Rev. Donald Wolf, a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, speaks about his participation in ICTE.
I’ve also been able to do some of the writing that so concerned me as I entered into this time. I’m grateful that I’ve had the chance to get some of the things down on paper that are so important for me.
What has been your favorite part?
My favorite part is the community that has formed among us. To be honest, I didn’t think much about the communal aspect of my time on sabbatical. Entering the pastoral life immediately after seminary and being active for all of these years, I’ve never had to think about developing a community, or wonder about being a part of one. It has been the greatest of all surprises to know how supportive and enlivening this communal experience has been for me. "I think Fr. Edward Linton, OSB, director of the program, is a cornerstone of community development; he has a special genius for hospitality and a real openness to all of us." It is what I appreciated every day.
What has been an unexpected benefit of the ongoing formation provided by the ICTE program?
In the midst of all we do, we tend to ignore the contemplative, inner side of ourselves. As my friend Fr. Gallatin always insisted, the most important part of our priestly life happens when we are thinking and praying. Having the chance to think and pray, to fill my life with beauty and art, to enjoy the day, to sit and write because I want to—these are the moments that have been the greatest blessings of my time here. n
The Ministry of Fundraising
During a recent visit to campus, I had the honor of presenting a conference on stewardship and development to some of our senior seminarians.
Presented as a “formation talk,” this was one of many in-house conferences students receive that cover a wide range of topics that will helpful in their future ministry.
Over the course of my twenty-year career in fundraising for the Catholic
Church, I have found that most people have little, if any, idea what fundraising as ministry looks like.
Many seminarians (and priests!) are similarly unaware of this reality. And yet, every priest will eventually need to talk about money, raise money, and help his flock understand what money really means.
So, I always enjoy giving this presentation. We began by examining in the Old and New Testaments the differences between tithing and giving and stewardship. We then explored the differences between charity and philanthropy: one is focused on satisfying short-term needs, the other seeks to solve problems.
We spent a little time on the current state of philanthropy in the US. Did you know last year Americans gave $471 billion to charities – and that 30% of it went to religious institutions and causes? Catholic giving statistics are not quite as bleak as some media report. But the average Catholic only gives 1.2% of their income to the Church. The 2019 abuse scandal and COVID pandemic have not helped those numbers much.
The core of my presentation focused on the idea that fundraising is (or can be) as spiritual as “giving a sermon, entering a time of prayer, visiting the sick, or feeding the hungry,” as Henry Nouwen once said. St. Paul, who was perhaps the first fundraiser, encouraged the early Church to give generously and support one another financially.
In this ministry, we love the donor for who they are rather than what they have. We believe that we have something of great value to offer the donor. And, that their need to give is often greater than our need to receive! Anyone who has raised money using this attitude will confirm that donors take great joy in giving - they do not see it as an obligation, a chore, or a necessary evil.
We covered much more than I can share in this space. The students always ask very good questions. And I could tell they are already thinking about the fundraising they will have to do, even in the early years of their ministry.
You
will be enriched in every way for your generosity.
(2 COR 9:11)
Thank you for how you have positively responded to a request for financial support. And may God continue to bless your philanthropic and charitable intentions! n
Welcome back to the Gianicolo!
Make your plans today to join us on campus for the 28TH ANNUAL RECTOR’S DINNER.
This delightful evening is hosted by our students in honor of our noble mission of forming priests, and in recognition of all who support our work so generously.
April 28, 2022 Cocktail Reception at 6:30 pm Dinner & Program at 7:30 pm The Janiculum Hill Campus Via del Gianicolo, 14 Rome, ITALY
WATCH YOUR MAIL FOR A PRINTED INVITATION COMING SOON!
For more information, please contact us at rectorsdinner@pnac.org
THE ANNUAL RECTOR’S AWARD WILL BE PRESENTED TO
Office of Institutional Advancement
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Members of the New Man and Old Man flag football teams congratulate one another after the Spaghetti Bowl, played annually on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
