WESTON -- The halls of Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary reverberated with laughter and excited chatter on Aug. 8 as priests from across the archdiocese -- from the newly ordained to senior priests -- gathered for the annual St. John Vianney Cookout. The cookout usually takes place on or around the feast of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of priests, on Aug. 4.

Welcoming his fellow priests in the seminary chapel, rector Father Brian Kiely wished them a "happy feast day" and thanked them for "the ministry you exercise in the Archdiocese of Boston."

"One of the greatest honors for me is to be a Boston priest. The reason for that is because of you," Father Kiely said, adding: "And so, for us to come close to you tonight is a privilege, and I want to thank you for gracing us with your presence, for your friendship, and your fraternal support."

Afterward, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley -- who, it was announced earlier that week, would be succeeded by Bishop Richard G. Henning of Providence after leading the archdiocese for over two decades -- led them in evening prayer.

The dining hall then became the main meeting point of the night, buzzing with lively chats as the members of the clergy gathered their food from a buffet table filled with hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, and desserts, and took their seats at round tables.

Fellowship permeated the gathering, which, for some, marked their first time attending.

Such was the case for newly ordained priest Father Gabriel Hanley, parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish in Marlborough.

The cookout, he said to The Pilot, "Shows me that, by taking on the vocation, you stand for something that is bigger than yourself but then, also, you delight in the fraternity because I see a lot of faces, those I've been in class with and then also priests that I grew up seeing while going to Mass, too. Somehow, those relationships, touched by Christ, they stay."

Father Hanley described these gatherings of the presbyterate as "absolutely essential," saying that "Christ came to establish relationships, and if we don't keep them between one another . . . What are we really doing? He called us to be friends."

For seminarian Maximilian Muenke, currently in First Theology at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, witnessing such fellowship allowed him to glimpse his future as a Boston priest.

"Meeting priests here who will be my future colleagues it's just wonderful," Muenke told The Pilot. "Having priestly fraternity, going golfing together, going hiking together . . . That's what this is all about."

While he emphasized the Eucharist's centrality in his life as a seminarian, nurturing and fueling his vocation, he said priestly fraternity comes in a close second.

"That's why this is so important," he said, pointing to a packed dining hall.

The annual St. John Vianney Cookout commenced in 2005 -- two years after Cardinal O'Malley assumed the leadership of the Archdiocese of Boston in 2003 -- and, through the years, has become a cherished tradition for Boston priests and seminarians, providing them with an opportunity to relax and talk in a casual setting.

"The priests enjoy very much gathering with their brothers, and it's nice to have events like this that aren't set around business or meetings, but rather just to be able to pray together, to be together, to share a meal and the joy of friendship," the cardinal told The Pilot.

As Cardinal O'Malley prepares to conclude his role as archbishop on Oct. 31, he said that the annual Vianney Cookout is something that he will hold near and dear to his heart.