The Rome seminary considered the West Point for U.S. priests has its largest incoming class in 40 years.
The Pontifical North American College is welcoming 61 seminarians in its fall classes beginning in mid-October, according to Catholic News Service.
The school, on a hill overlooking the Vatican, opened in 1954 with room for more than 200 students, but has not been full in recent years.
Monsignor Robert Gruss, vice rector for student life, told CNS that the college, which is sponsored by the U.S. bishops, will have 208 seminarians total this year.
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God bless them!
On one hand, that is great that there are so many seminarians. On the downside, what will the quality of the formation be like after being so long without operating at capacity?
Some Random thoughts in response to Brian:
It’s not like the NAC doubled in numbers or anything this year. We’re talking a 20% increase. It all depends on the quality of personnel running the place. In this case, as is the case at most seminaries, some faculty are more adept at forming priests and others less so.
One major challenge nationwide is finding enough good priest formators for seminaries. The lay staff are indeed wonderful, but you will always need priests to form priests. We all are aware that the priest numbers in virtually all American dioceses drop each year with retirements and deaths. It will bottom out eventually, but the worst is yet to come. In looking over their presbyterates, a number of bishops find it all too tempting to panic and “circle the wagons” and no longer release any priests for A) further studies, B) assisting in seminary formation, or C) military chaplains and high school chaplains. All three of those areas have suffered. These three areas are vital for the long range health of the Church. Having your best priests with advanced degrees means more options for the Holy Father in appointing future bishops (Canan Law gives preference in that regard). Having your best priests in the seminary means future priests will emulate them. Having your best priests as chaplains means having contact with thousands of unmarried young men eager to make a positive difference in the world. Hmmm… But the yield in all three of these cases is long-term, and so is often neglected. “We can’t afford it…” many dioceses say. Like the person who says “I can’t afford to invest my money…” and always wonders why his financial situation keeps getting worse.
Another challenge is having 200 guys at ANY seminary. There is always the risk, to use seminary lingo, that men with “formation issues” can “fly under the radar” more easily. But too small a seminary, by contrast, can easily become a “fishbowl” where your every movement is analyzed and the men become paranoid. But neither of those problems is inevitable – especially not with a prudent formation faculty. If the faculty themselves are inspirational role models (as they are in some places) it has a contagious effect on the men.
The very heartening thing is that Pastores Dabo Vobis has proven to be the most wildly effective papal document that John Paul II wrote. While others are more inspiring and breathtaking, they were largely ignored, whereas this document had an immediate impact on every single seminary. While some seminaries have implemented it better than others, absolutely no one ignored it.
During my many years in the seminary (1994-2003) I had the joy of seeing continued improvements in the quality of formation. There are now many seminary faculty who really do know what they’re doing. Let’s pray that trend continues, and pray for our poor bishops who have so many difficult decisions to make.
Father, I can fully understand that. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a good problem to have. I was just giving my initial reaction. And perhaps my view is a bit colored by the fact that I am at a “fishbowl” seminary (14 men) myself and have gotten so used to it I sometimes don’t quite understand how the bigger places do what they do, since I think I make the assumption that the methodology is the same.
http://clericalreform.blogspot.com/
I am glad to hear that the number of young men answering the call to the priesthood and religious life is increasing.
I am a Benedictine monk and an Army Chaplain priest currently serving in the military. Today we have approximately 100 Army priests on active duty to provide the sacriments to our Soldiers, their Families and Department of Defense civilians world wide. We have priests who also provide sacriments to our Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who are deployed. Priests who are deployed usually travel approximately 5 days a week saying Mass and hearing Confessions to troops scattered across the country.
Many of the Soldiers are young men, often right out of high school. Some are joining the Army to help pay for their education and improve their status in life.
Many of these same Soldiers are face with the reality that they may not come home. The chairs in the chapels are filled and Confessions are many as they seek out the priest to get in right standing with the Lord. They have seen their buddies go “outside the wire” and some don’t come back. You have 19-20 year olds asking if I die will I go to Heaven.
We need more priests in the Army to help serve those who protect our way of life. Many are seeking God and the soil if fertile for vocations. We just do not have enough priests to meet their needs.
I ask that you consider a vocation to the priesthood and/or religious life and that you consider becoming an Army Chaplain priest. The fields are ripe, but the laborers are few.