Saint Bernard Abbey’s Brother Dominic Lee, right, with Pope Francis at the Vatican (Joyce Nix)
CULLMAN, Ala. – Saint Bernard Abbey’s Father Bernard Denson and Brother Dominic Lee, who are both studying in Rome, were honored to join the bishops of Alabama’s two dioceses in our state’s delegation for the bishops’ Ad Limina meeting with Pope Francis in his office at the Apostolic Palace. Bishops of the world are required to make the Vatican visit quinquennially, or every five years, in order to update the pope on the state of their dioceses.
Father Bernard and Brother Dominic greeted Pope Francis as they accompanied Bishop Baker and other Birmingham clergy to the Holy Father’s office at the Vatican for the Ad Limina visit of the U.S. bishops of the southeastern part of the country.
Saint Bernard Abbey’s Father Bernard Denson, right, with Pope Francis at the Vatican (Joyce Nix)Pictured, left to right, are Father Bryan Jerabek, chancellor of the Diocese of Birmingham and rector of the Cathedral of Saint Paul; Father Kevin Bazzel, priest of the Diocese of Birmingham and member of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy; Diocese of Birmingham Seminarian Daniel Sessions; Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham; Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile; Father Brad Jantz, priest of the Diocese of Birmingham and doctoral candidate at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Father Bob Sullivan, pastor of Saint Francis Xavier Church, Birmingham; Father Bernard Denson, monk of Saint Bernard Abbey and licentiate candidate at the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo, Rome; and Brother Dominic Lee, monk of Saint Bernard Abbey and seminarian at the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo, Rome. (Joyce Nix)
