Thoughts on A Young Man’s Vocation from Regina Mag

[Thijs]

For young men discerning a priestly vocation, it is often disheartening to hear in both the secular and religious press of the crisis in vocations. Yet the truth is different: God never ceases to touch the hearts and souls of the young and to move them towards the priesthood.  The crisis is often in how we or others deal with this vocation and where we choose to place it. This is why choosing a good seminary is important. Having experienced three very different seminaries, I can say that finding the right one is paramount to discerning what the Lord is calling us to.

[Nunsuch]

I'm confused. It is my understanding that the diocese or religious order, and not the candidate, chooses the seminary.  And that someone has been in three different ones may itself be a red flag.... Hmmmm....

 

[inperpetuity]

I'm confused. It is my understanding that the diocese or religious order, and not the candidate, chooses the seminary.  And that someone has been in three different ones may itself be a red flag.... Hmmmm....

 

In the case of  a religious order, yes, that is true, but the candidate can choose the seminary, and should carefully if he is discerning a call to the diocesan priesthood.  There was a time when a young man could simply go to his own diocesan seminary and find at least most of these things:

• In a seminary there must always be a family atmosphere, where people are happy and feel at home.
• The seminary staff should be composed of priests who are happy in their priesthood, with a deep interior life, and zealous to spread the Faith.
• They should be strong in their Faith and anxious to spread the Doctrine of the Faith without error or compromise.
• Seminary life must follow a hierarchical order with the rector as head, just like the father of a family.
• A seminary should be a place of learning with a strong emphasis on teaching.
• Yet in a seminary, the main focus of life should be centred on prayer and times of communal prayer — particularly the public recitation of the Divine Office.
• A seminary should have a strong Marian devotion which includes daily rosary for Mary is the mother of seminarians and priests.
• Daily life should be ordered and follow a structured pattern of community living.
• A seminary should form good Christian men who the more they progress through seminary the more Christ like and priestly they become.
• A seminary should be a place of prayer and unlike a university or an education establishment should exude a sense of prayer.
• Similarly a seminary should be a place of quiet and peacefulness and not filled with noise and distraction.
• Most importantly of all, the seminary must be a place where the liturgy and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are the source and summit of life and take pride of place. The liturgy must be celebrated with reverence, care and beauty.
• The Office should be sung together. Singing is praying twice: a seminary that sings and teaches you to sing is crucial.
• Finally: a seminary that prays together stays together!

Unfortunately now, this is no longer the case.  The book, "Goodbye Good Men" gives a good summary of the seminary situation here in the US.  There are some signs here and there of an upswing though.

[Benedictus]

I'm confused. It is my understanding that the diocese or religious order, and not the candidate, chooses the seminary.  And that someone has been in three different ones may itself be a red flag.... Hmmmm....

 

It depends. Some superiors, especially with religious orders, allow the person to say where they'd prefer to study and why. The superior makes the decision, but will often go with the request unless there's a good reason not to do so. The same can also apply to any specific ministeries that are undertaken. There might be less scope if the options available locally are limited or there is a fixed arrangement with a seminary/specific University in that area.

I'm not sure what experience the OP meant. Seminaries often have open days or opportunities to take potential students over a short trial period. So it's not necessarily because the person has been a serial entrant who has lapsed out of a succession of seminaries That would, I agree, be a red flag.

[Nunsuch]

In perpetuity, I know that, in my diocese, the seminarian is assigned to a particular seminary. Almost all of our seminarians attend the same seminary. The exceptions are a few people who, traditionally, have attended one that is geared toward a particular ethnic group (don't know if they are still going there--or if it's even still open!), or those sent to Theological College, DC, or the North American in Rome. But, in any event, it is definitely not up to the seminarian.  Note that my diocese does not have its own seminary. But in dioceses that do, it's my understanding that virtually everyone goes there.