Customary

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The Customary is based upon the common practice of recent years. It is intended to clarify responsibility for scheduling and planning community events. A chart is provided by the Vice Rector’s Office as a quick reference for responsibilities.
Opening Mass	All students, faculty and staff members are invited. The Rector schedules time for liturgy and dinner; an evening social follows. The Director of Liturgy plans the liturgy with enlisted help from the seminarians. The Academic Dean plans the dinner after the Mass.
Orientation Picnic	All students, faculty and staff members are invited. The Social Activities Coordinator plans the picnic in cooperation with the Vice Rector and with enlisted help from the membership.
The Ridge Picnic	The Ridge Picnic has traditionallly been scheduled for the Sunday before Labor Day and is usually held at the Ridge picnic area. The Student Association Social Activities Coordinator plans the picnic with enlisted help from the membership.
Fall Celebration	All students, faculty and staff members are invited for an evening social. The Seminary Administration schedules the date. The Social Activities Coordinator, in cooperation with the student membership, plans for the refreshments and other activities.
Thanksgiving Dinner	All students, faculty and staff members are invited for an evening dinner. The Social Activities Coordinator, in cooperation with the student membership, plans for the dinner, which has traditionally been cooked and served by student members. The dinner is usually held at the Saint Vincent Grove on the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day; however, it can be held in the Seminary Refectory. When the day of the dinner falls on the Feast of Christ the King, the dinner is typically held immediately following Solemn Vespers.
Social Concerns Day	Each January the Seminary celebrates Social Concerns Day, the exact date of which coincides with the March for Life. No classes are held that day, and all Seminary students are required to be involved in some type of social concern. The Vice Rector will post a list of social-concerns opportunities available locally. In addition, all students, faculty and staff members are invited to attend the March for Life. Traditionally, a bus has been chartered to depart from Saint Vincent Seminary on the day before the March so that those interested can attend the all-night prayer vigil at the National Shrine. The Social Concerns Coordinator provides all scheduling, transportation and lodging arrangements. The Liturgical Coordinator, in cooperation with the student membership, plans the Holy Hour at the National Shrine. The Social Activities Coordinator provides for meals (bag lunches and bag dinners).
Mardi Gras	Just before the season of Lent begins, friends of Saint Vincent of Seminary are invited to join a “last-chance celebration” with our community. The evening provides an opportunity for our friends to meet, or become better acquainted with, Saint Vincent Seminary through both prayer and festivity. The celebration begins with a Saturday vigil Mass and then things become a bit more festive (secularly speaking). The seminarians provide every possible service: serve Mass, provide a car valet service, act as coat checkers, wait tables, prepare the meal, and provide entertainment via a talent show. There are also raffles and opportunities to win prizes. Humor and good cheer reign on this night.
Fourth-Year Recognition Day	All students, faculty members, staff members and guests are invited. The Director of Pastoral Formation schedules the date, chooses a homilist, plans the dinner, and sends invitations. The Rector is normally the celebrant of the Liturgy. The Director of Liturgy plans the liturgy. The Director of Pastoral Formation plans the preprandials and the social.
Commencement	All students, faculty members and staff members are invited. The Academic Dean sends invitations and graduates plan the liturgy. The Academic Dean, and with enlisted help from the student membership, plans the social.
Ultima	Saint Vincent Seminary sings and prays the “Ultima” as a final song of farewell at festive and liturgical events. “Ultima,” meaning “the last,” is a sacred song which petitions the Blessed Mother to intercede before Christ as the Christian prays for a happy death. Singing of the “Ultima” was customary in Bavaria, and it was founder Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., who brought the custom from Saint Michael’s Abbey of Metten, Bavaria, to Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1846. Today Saint Vincent Seminary—with the entire Saint Vincent community—continues this venerable tradition.