Take a look at some of the good news coming from various seminaries across the U.S. and you’ll find that the Holy Spirit is still at work in the Church.
The St. Paul Seminary is welcoming 33 new seminarians this fall, bringing its total number of men studying for the priesthood to 92. It’s the largest group the seminary has had since 1981. The seminarians for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are from 14 dioceses and three foreign countries.
“Our strong enrollment reflects the growing number of men who are answering God’s call to the priesthood,” said Msgr. Aloysius Callaghan, rector of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. “Their witness offers hope for the future of our Church.”
The Diocese of Saint Cloud, Minn., currently has more men in formation than it has had in more than 40 years.
Meanwhile, Sacred Heart School of Theology – a seminary for men over the age of 30 – in Franklin, Wis., has accepted its largest enrollment class in 20 years. Forty-two new seminarians have signed up for the fall, putting enrollment at 210. The incoming class is nearly double last year’s.
“A lot of guys … [have] decided that all this stuff they’ve been chasing all of their lives is not as important as they thought it was,” said Father Thomas Knoebel, vice rector for the seminary.
The Dominican order too – both male and female – is experiencing what Sister Joseph Andrew, vocation director with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Mich., describes as a “spiritual explosion.”
On Aug. 28, the teaching order of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist welcomed 22 new young women as aspirants to their community. The average age of the aspirants who just came in is 21. The average age of the entire group is 26. Founded in 1997 by four sisters originally from the Nashville Dominicans, the order presently has a total of 113 in the community.
The order is looking at the possibility of starting another mother house in either California or Texas, where land has already been donated.
Other Dominicans are experiencing growth as well.
On Aug. 2, the Dominican Province of St. Joseph accepted 21 men as novices. That’s the Eastern province’s largest novitiate class since 1966. As evidenced both in diocesan seminaries and religious orders, those entering religious life are trending younger. The average age of those coming into the Eastern province is 24.
The Nashville Dominicans thought that last year’s class would be their largest group of incoming postulants at 23. However, during the order’s 150th Jubilee, they had their biggest incoming class ever this year with 27 women entering. The order’s average age is 24.
Overall, the order is comprised of 274 nuns teaching in 34 schools across the country.
Why are young people being attracted to the Dominican order in such numbers?
Archbishop Augustine Di Noia had some thoughts on the question, which he shared with the capitulars of the Provincial Chapter on June 12:
“Our tradition is constituted by a unique convergence of qualities: optimism about the rationality and fundamental goodness of the natural order; an abiding certitude that divine grace and mercy are sheer gifts, unmerited and otherwise unattainable; a healthy realism about the peril of the human condition apart from this grace and mercy; a determination to maintain a God’s-eye view of everything that exists and everything that happens; an appreciation of the inner intelligibility of everything that God has revealed about himself and us; a wholly admirable resistance to all purely moralistic accounts of the Catholic faith; an unfailing devotion to the Eucharist and the Passion, combined with an unshakable confidence in the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary; a zealous willingness to preach and teach about all this, in season and out, because we are convinced that the world is dying to hear it and dying from not hearing it; and, internally, a commitment to liturgical prayer, to study for the sake of the salvation of souls, and to a capitular mode of governance in a common life consecrated to God by poverty, chastity and obedience. This is a powerful combination, and the Church really does need us to be true to it now more than ever.”
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And, I saw that there are 163 studying for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland!
I understood that the Dominicans had a charism for preaching. I’m eagerly awaiting it.
Praise God, Our prayers have been answered.
Thank God that we are starting to see an increase in people that are choosing to enter the religious life. Now if we can only attain sufficient numbers of teaching nuns to restart our Catholic Schools, maybe we can really turn this country around - not to mention saving souls.
Indeed it is good to see so much interest in vocations. It is imperative for the sake of the Church and world that each of us—lay, ordained, religious—understand our own lives as a calling from God. To the extent that each of us allows the Spirit to transform our hearts and to live fully the Gospel, then we will be on our way as a pilgrim people.
In Wichita we have more active priests under the age of 47 than over. We are also blessed with 47 seminarians.
The Dominican Nuns, the contemplative branch of the Order of Preachers, has 6 sisters in their novitiate.
This might not be Nashville’s numbers—and I hope it’s not all about numbers—but for a monastery that is a large novitiate.
The Order of Preachers just elected it’s new Master General on Sunday: Fr. Bruno Cadore, OP from France.
Conception Seminary College in Missouri is blessed with 116 seminarians, and the Abbey has a number of young monks as well. Our intention at Lauds every morning is for an increase in vocations. Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus!
God is so good!!! This explosion is God’s response to all that needs to be done. To whom much is given, much is expected.
One correction - the official name of the teaching order from Ann Arbor is the “Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.”
Thanks for a great article loaded with hope!
Perhaps this finally will be the year when we see an uptick in the number of seminarians in the U.S. According to CARA’s May 2010 annual report on ministry formation, there were fewer men enrolled in major seminaries last year than in 2000. Despite a “feeling” of optimism, the truth is that the number of seminarians in this country has been essentially flat for the last 20 years. By all accounts, the quality of today’s seminarians is very high, but the raw numbers are not cause to announce a “vocations explosion.” Rather, we are still very much experiencing a shortage of priests: today there are 5 million more Catholics and 5,000 fewer priests in the U.S. than there were 10 years ago. Let’s pray and hope for a turnaround, but not be blind to the real numbers we are facing.
Thanks. The order’s name has been corrected.
ALL Seminaries are not equal.
I met a second year Seminarian who did not know what a Sacramental was.
If ANY Semimary does not use the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” as a Student Text in its core ciriculum as required reading and study - BEWARE.
If ALL Seminaries used the CCC as a required Student TEXT, we would not have many of the issues with some Priests that we have today.
And they would not be preaching and teaching so poorly from the pulpit.
As I have said many times, the CCC keeps us from our own errors, the errors of others (including professors and theologians), and purposeful errors of “enemies within” the Church.
Fr. James in Wichita, congratulations! Especially on landing my old friend, Fr. B. Sawyer.
Dear Anne,
I think the “vocation explosion” is not happening in those weirdo seminaries you’re talking about. Young people today are not attracted to lukewarmness and hypocrisy. That was the boomers and their rationalization of everything from “I did not have relations with that woman” to MTV. This generation craves what has been withheld from them, our patrimony as Catholic Christians, which our parents have rejected.
We’re only following our rebellious parents. Except, in the world they’ve created, the only kind of rebellion not yet hopelessly trendy, the only kind of rebellion left us, is rebellion back into conformity! Just as our parents resolutely turned their back on the faith of their parents, or insidiously attempted to refashion it in their own image, so we are blazing the new old trail.
Also the orders which are growing are those which wear the religious habit.
It’s wonderful to see the fulfillment of the vocations for which we’ve been praying, but the we must also be ready to support them, monetarily & otherwise.
Deo gratias. Pray for my vocation as well, if possible. Thanks.
Where you have strong bishops, you have many vocations. It is good to see vocations on a raise, even though we never really had a crisis. The crisis is from the people who weed out all the good candidates, those who are faithful to the Churches teachings. Michael Rose wrote a book on this very subject, Goodby, Good Men. Many vocations have also been squelched because of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Correction, not because of it, because some Orders have not fully excepted the Holy Father’s Summoram Pontifican on the Holy Mass, and have lost vocations. Those Orders that have whole heartedly welcomed joyfully the EF have seen a raise in vocations as well. God Bless Bendedict XVI!
Dear Anne,
I would actually be very concerned if the Catechism of the Catholic Church were used as a text in a seminary. To be sure, the CCC should be required reading, but my understanding is that seminaries are about the business of doing theology - applying reason and logic to the revelation handed on to us so as to have a deeper understanding of said revelation. If we stop at the Catechism, our priests will have the theological education of a high school student, albeit a well-informed one! The catechism is beautifully put together and a good start, but it would be a tragedy if the goal of seminary was to make it through the catechism. To my mind, a seminary needs to challenge their students to understand the scriptural commentaries of the church fathers, navigate the systematic theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, and wrestle with the spiritual treatises of Saints John of the Cross and Theresa of Avila. If they don’t, we’ll still have bad preaching, but of a different sort.
Peace,
Rob
Dear Rob,
would that what you describe were the case. As one of my students, a seminarian, told me some time ago, “We don’t do theology in the seminary anymore; we do psychology.”
Peace,
J
Since returning to the Church I have been impressed and honored to meet and work with outstanding priests and nuns. If I were younger and smarter I’d consider the seminary, OK younger and smarter. Bless all of these remarkable people in training and Thank you.
As a young (24yrs) man and proud Catholic; it warms, and eases, my heart and mind to hear such jovial news, especially considering all issues our Holy Mother Church has been facing this year. I also am happy for another reason, which is that I’ve wanted to become a priest since I can remember. Unfortunately, this option isn’t available to me because I am physically disabled; I was born with a rare genetic bone disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which is better known as “brittle-bone disease”. However, I bear no grudge against MY church for denying me nor people such as myself into the priesthood; I completely understand the rational behind this decision. Nevertheless, the reason I bring it up is because I would like as many people who may come across this message to support and encourage those who show any sign of interest in serving our church because WE ARE the Church. And by allowing, and encouraging those who can and want to serve Her, you’re allowing people—such as myself—to stand proud of our faith and belong to a loving body. Because in this cold, and barren world, where people like myself are ignored or, even more sadly, shunned; it is nice to come home to a place that embraces you with warmth, kindness, and infinite love. Keep praying for our Church; for those who serve Her; and for those who cannot, for one reason or another, but would love to. Thank you for your time, and God bless one-and-all.
It is the grace of God working through our prayers to answer the call that He puts upon the hearts of all people. It is gratifying to see the new priests and concentrated religious who are coming into our parish and into our lives with a renewed orthodox mission to bring Jesus and His teachings back to the Church. We all need to support these men and women in whatever way we are capable of. And yes sometimes it does take more than prayers alone. God Bless these men and women and the future of our Catholic Church. Richard
Let’s hope the guys going through the St. Paul Seminary are learning to be MEN too! They still aren’t permitted to make an outward sign of reverence when receiving Communion, and must be done in the hand. When will they learn to be men if the “vocations team” of disgruntled aging Church workers can push them around?
Else they get ordained and all their sermons are airy/fairy pablum with no practical application. Good for women’s feelings, but not good for day to day real living. No wonder the Church is so simpering!
Thank God, it is really a wonderful news. I pray that more and more of our youngesters choose the vocation to serve our Lord.
Pray, Pray, & Keep the Faith.
Anne is correct. Any Seminary that does NOT use the CCC as a student TEXT, must rely on the 100% on the accuracy of those doing the teaching. Earlier this year there was a second year Catholic Seminary student on TV who still did not know what a Sacramental was. For those interested in any Religious Order - make certain they use the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” as a student TEXT within the first two years. Anne did not say the CCC is the only thing Religious should study. But the CCC is the AUTENTIC teaching text of the Church on Faith and Morals - per the Magesterium.
I fully agree that if any Seminary, Nun’s Religious Order, or Catholic University does not use the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” as one of the Student TEXTS within the first two years - then the faithful Catholic young person should look at other Catholic Religous Orders or Universities as options.
The CCC is the Authentic Teaching TEXT of the Catholic Church on Faith and Morals per the Magesterium.
Footnotes in the CCC provide Scripture and other Church Documents as references to study for the Church Teachings.
Anyone who would oppose using the CCC as one of the student texts, must have alterior motives.
Pope Benedict recently pointed out that there are “enemies within” the Church.
Indicis: I am a seminarian at the St. Paul Seminary, and I am not entirely sure what you are talking about regarding the reception of Holy Communion, or a so-called “vocations team,” at our seminary. Not only are we permitted to make a sign of reverence before receiving Our Lord in the Eucharist, we- like all Catholics- are positively enjoined to do so. Nor are we in any way obligated to take Holy Communion in the hand; in fact, most seminarians choose to receive on the tongue. We do not have a “vocations team” pushing anyone around, but a Vocations Director named Fr. Peter Williams who is a most ardent and effective servant of the Church. Lastly, I can assure you that each of us desires to be men patterned after the example of Christ our Divine Master: meek and humble of heart. You are most welcome to come visit the seminary any time you wish. God bless you!
Evan. Is that your real name? Well good to hear that things have shaped up better there. Much credit is due not only to the new Bishop (ad multum annos!) but also to saintly pastors such as Msgr Schuler who held the line for 40+ years and gave nearly 30 priests and many religious to the Church because of his example and hard work. You may be too young to remember, but check with some of the older priests around St. Paul for shocking stories re that seminary. How do you think the chapel there got turned around backward? Did they build it that way?
Thank you for the kind article on our Order. I hope you do not mind if we re-print it on our website (www.op-stjoseph.org). Also, I was recently in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and note that they have 14 new seminarians, the largest new class they have has in years.
That should read “...the largest new class they have had in years.” Sorry for the typo.
RE: using the CCC as a textbook. Bad idea. Why? The CCC is not designed to be used as a textbook. It is an invaluable resource, especially if it is read along with its companion that includes the full texts of all the footnotes. Seminarians are called as individual souls to serve the Church. The unique gifts they bring to ministry are crucial to their own growth in holiness and those whom they serve. Using the CCC as a required textbook could unnecessarily limit/suppress the individual’s gifts by demanding conformity to theological formulas. As a touchstone for an orthodox expression of the faith, the CCC is essential. However, our seminarians would be better educated using Patristic texts and an in-depth study of the Church’s councils. Fr. Philip Neri, OP
Fr. Neri, OP
The lack of using the CCC as one of the TEXTS for Seminarians is why so many Priests/Theologians can not speak from the pulpit to the issues that affect the lay persons they are supposed to be serving.
They can’t teach Faith and Morals in High Schools and Universities.
It is why some support homosexual acts, marriage by Priests rather than celebacy, women priests and other heresies.
It is why lay people don’t know their Faith - because the teachers are bad.
You are basically saying that Priests should NOT have to conform to the teachings of the Church regarding Faith and Morals.
Those entering Priest or Nun’s Religious Orders need to check out the Education they will be getting for conformity to the Magesterium of the Catholic Church - which includes the CCC.
YES, conformity to Church teachings is exactly what US Society needs.
That is the exact reason for requiring the CCC as one of the Texts.
The lack of good formation is why Catechesis has taken a nose-dive.
We both know that Scripture and other Church Documents are in the footnotes at the bottom of each page of the CCC.
The CCC is the “sure norm for teaching the faith”, and an “authentic reference text”. - per Pope John Paul II, and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
The Priest proves the point - - - - -
The CCC is the “sure norm for teaching the faith”, and an “authentic reference text”. - per Pope John Paul II, and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
Young people should NOT consider joining any Seminary or Convent that does not use the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” as a Student TEXT in the first and/or second year.
Fr. Neri said it all - “Using the CCC as a required textbook could unnecessarily limit/suppress the individual’s gifts by demanding conformity to theological formulas.” This proves exactly why we need the CCC used as one of the texts - accuracy, and faithfulness to the Church.
The contents of the CCC are NOT debateable.
Any student Priest or student Nun who is not taught his/her BIBLE and the
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH very thoroughly by the end of the second year, is not getting a decent education in their chosen profession.
These books are the two basics REQUIRED to “save souls”.
They need to read it themselves as a student TEXT to insure that the “teacher” is not making mistakes - because he was never taught properly himself, or on purpose as an “enemy within”.
(The only exceptions could be Contemplative Orders who do not work with the public at all.)
Fr. Neri’s explanation is shocking.
Father Pietrzyk,
Thanks for your interest in this blog post. Simply link to it at your website. We appreciate your readership!
There is nothing wrong with what Fr. Neri wrote. He is correct. The CCC’s foundation are the Councils and Patristic sources, not the other way around. It is reference text but not one that stands alone. In fact, one probably can’t read it very well unless that person is grounded in the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Contemplative nuns should have a solid theological formation—probably even more so than those in the active life or else their growth in holiness will probably be based on feelings and devotions and not on knowing and loving God.
Only those who don’t want us to read the CCC for their own personal reasons, are arrogant enough to state that anyone over age 15 (and is literate) can not understand it.
If the Priests and Nuns do not know their Faith and Morals adequately, they can not teach and pass on the Faith and Morals in any relevant way.
This one reason why so many cradle Catholics have left the Church - lack of proper Catechesis - which starts with the teaching ability of our Priests.
We all have been praying faithfully for more Priests. I hope the Bishops and others in charge of Seminaries and Convents don’t ruin these young people with a lack of foundation.
The following quote an excerpt from Father John Corapi who has travelled extensively in the US, preaching and teaching. He knows better what is happening in today’s Society.
In my view it proves what a lousy job many Priests and Bishops have done “teaching” over the past 20+ years. (And in many cases it is because they were not properly taught themselves.)
Who are Bishops and Priests and Nuns supposed to serve on earth in Jesus’s name? The answer to this question will go a long way toward proper formation/education.- Anne
- - - - - ” In speaking with faithful Catholics all over the world for the past twenty years there is a consensus among them that the average Catholic doesn’t know much about their faith. Likewise there is an overwhelming consensus that if we did, the world would be a very different place. In the United Sates of America we have over sixty million Catholics. If these Catholic citizens knew their faith and then voted and lived their faith, this country would be incalculably better off. In turn, so would the entire world. ......
Lack of understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches is grossly harmful to the individual Catholic and to society in general. It is for this reason that I have always tried to promote and teach the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is a sure norm for teaching the faith, as Pope John Paul II asserted in promulgating the Catechism. “Guarding the Deposit of Faith is the mission which the Lord entrusted to His Church,” are the first words of the Apostolic Constitution ” “Fidei Depositum.” These are the worlds the Holy Father used to introduce us to the Catechism.
Ignorance of the Faith can prove fatal - for individuals and for nations. Learning our faith is the best investment we can make. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the very best way to do this. ” - Fr. John Corapi
It is good to see that numbers are up in some seminaries. The seminary in my diocese Chicago (Mundeline Seminary), has seen a huge drop in enrollment. They used to claim to be the biggest in the country, but I hear that they aren’t any more. Does anybody know if this is true?
Go Dominicans! I’m hoping to enter the NDs in a few years…the Dominicans definitely have something special!
I am tired of seeing unqualified lay people ‘correcting’ priests (of the variety they want) for disagreeing with them on the way things should be done in seminaries.
As to the Catechism: every seminarian should own one and know how to use it, but it shouldn’t be the basis of a theology course. Used in one, sure. It’s a decent reference book. It is not, however, a theology textbook. It’s a useful measuring stick to apply to a theology textbook to get some idea of the textbook’s orthodoxy, but it itself simply is not a Masters-level theology text.
The Catechism is a catechetical reference work for high-school catechesis and remedial catechesis of adults. Seminaries need to go far beyond that. And to do that - even to do remedial catechesis - the Catechism itself is by no means required. I’ve read the second edition of the Catechism cover to cover. It’s a worthwhile endeavour. That doesn’t make it into a necessary theology textbook for seminarians. And nothing short of a decree from ‘the Vatican’ will make it otherwise.
I agree, In formation. I’m a teacher, and it would sadden me for someone who didn’t know my subject to dictate to me which text I ought to be using. As if the text were more valuable than the person teaching, or the layman more of an expert on the subject.
Saying, “We should have good, orthodox theology instruction in our seminaries,” is a fine sentiment.
Tell someone what to do…or how to do it. Not both.
Obedience is not just for other people. It is first and foremost…something I should learn myself.
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