Acta Pii Pp. XII 109

establish a national seminary in Rome, and it was the same Pontiff

who purchased and graciously granted the use of the édifice that has

housed the American students ever since that time.

Surely there is evident the hand of Divine Providence in the fact that

the first steps were taken on the occasion of the définition of the dogma

of the Immaculate Conception and that the College itself was opened for

the first time on the very ève of the feast, on December 7th, 1859. And

since that day Our Heavenly Mother, Queen of the Clergy, has never

ceased to bless with every manifestation of divine favor a work that is

of necessity so close to Her maternal heart. The students nurtured in

tender love of their Mother and Queen, developed in the image of Her

Divine Son, enlightened in the sacred sciences learned at the feet of

Christ's Vicar, made strong and courageous by their close association

with the places sanctifìed by the Prince of the Apostles and the martyrs,

have returned to their own country to win ever greater triumphs for

Christ and His Holy Spouse. As pastors and teachers, as administrators

and also as bishops of the Church in America, the men trained bere have

al way s been marked with an especial loyalty to Us and to Our illustrious

Predecessors, an inevitable conséquence of their sojourn in this City,

the See of Peter and of Peter's Successors.

Today as We look about the City of Rome We see on all sides the

fio wer of the youth of the world, even from the most distant nations,

drawn bere by a common faith, sustained by common ideáis, being trained

in the same doctrine, sharing the same Divine Sacrifice, and ali united

by the same bonds of attachment to Us. Surely they are giving to the

leaders and to the peoples of every land a magnificent example of unity

and of the ability of mankind to live together in Christian peace and

concord. The concurrence of so many thousands of men, later destined

to play such an important part in the salvation of souls over the whole

face of the earth, is a great consolation to Us ; and it should be to you,

Belo ved Sons and Venerable Brethren, a reason especially appealing at

this time, to be prompt in making every sacrifice necessary to maintain

and even to enlarge the national seminary of your country.

So it is with particular Joy that We have learned of your proposais

to erect an even fìner seminary and to plant your roots even closer to Us.

Your wisdom and courage to look to the future and to pian for almost

three hundred of your seminarians to study in Rome represent a most

worthy initiative that can elicit only Our wärmest commendation. At

the same time you are keeping a close tie with your old and honored

traditions in putting the former college building to use as a house of