Sunday, October 29, was a historic day at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. In the company of the seminary community and many priests and guests from throughout the Detroit archdiocese, and with the words, "On God's Holy Gospels on which I place my hand," Msgr. Jeffrey M. Monforton was formally installed as the twelfth rector/president by Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit.

Monsignor Monforton has served in the position since August, when Cardinal Maida first announced the appointment. However, this event, held in the seminary main chapel, was not purely ceremonial: the Profession of Faith and the Oath of Fidelity, promising to preserve communion with the Catholic Church in word and action, are necessary for any pastoral office within the Church. Both oaths were spoken aloud by the new rector during the installation Mass for all to hear. After Mass, he and Cardinal Maida signed the documents, making Monsignor Monforton's appointment official.

Monsignor replaces Fr. Steven Boguslawski, OP, who had served as rector since 2003. Father Boguslawski departed Sacred Heart in July to become dean of studies for his Dominican province as well as acting director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

During his homily, Cardinal Maida spoke highly of Monsignor, saying he was one of "the finest priests in the Archdiocese of Detroit," and that he has "every confidence in him." This trust is with good reason, since Monsignor Monforton has a distinguished history with the archdiocese, having served as associate pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak and seven years as Cardinal Maida's personal priest-secretary. Monsignor, who was ordained in 1994, was pastor most recently of St. Therese of Lisieux, a parish in Shelby Township that will, in the rector's words, remain "always a part of my heart." Monsignor also has impressive academic credentials: an STB, STL and STD from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. With twelve years and four assignments behind him, Monsignor Monforton is energized to embrace the challenges that await him as rector of what many call the "jewel" of the archdiocese. However, he carries each of his past ministries in his heart. Indeed, "all of them crafted me into the rector I am and will be," said Monsignor during his installation address.

In the address, Monsignor Monforton reviewed the blessings he has received in his forty-three-year journey, beginning at SS. Simon and Jude in Westland where he was baptized and grew up. It was here that his family played an important role in his discernment of God's will.

"I give credit obviously first and foremost to God," said Monsignor. He quickly followed with an acknowledgment of the partnership his parents—his first teachers in the Faith—played in crafting his vocation. Said the new rector, "This beloved institution has been in my blood long before I was born."

Turning his attention forward, Monsignor said, "As rector, it is my priority for us to remain focused on our Lord's will for this seminary and the parishes we serve. . . . Complacency is not in the Catholic vocabulary."

After the Mass, the seminary held a light reception in the rector's honor in the gymnasium. There, Monsignor received the greetings and congratulations of his many guests and the seminary community.

"The name of our institution articulates our very mission: forming ministers after the heart of Christ," says Monsignor. We pray that God will continue to stir into a roaring flame the love of Christ at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, a love that so clearly animates the new rector's life and ministry.