Tim Drake has a good article on some of the places with increases in vocations. The Priest Shortage Isn’t Over, But Seminaries Are Filling Up.
Vocation surge
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"It is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it." GKC
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I live in one of the mentioned dioceses (that is actually the correct pluralization…seriously), and am in fact a seminarian.
My seminary is definately orthodox. And the Men who God has called here are also orthodox–yet have very varied spiritualities. Some of my brothers are Charismatics, some are Traditionalists, but most of us are “just” Catholics.
We truly have a great faculty and our Rector deserves the ring…and hopefully will get it sometime.
As far as the homosexuality thing goes, I don’t buy it for a second. The men at my seminary don’t show those tendencies–and we are all fully committed to following our vocations in chastity and obedience.
Pray for us seminarians, we need it.
In Him, through her,
Pio Magnus
There are some bishop’s who would look good in a red hat.
Like Bishop Robert Carlson, Bishop of Saginaw Mi
Our dicoese (Baton Rouge) will be ordaining 5 men this year up from its usual 1 or zero.
It is the most we have had in 25 years.
Has anyone checked if these new seminarians are homosexual? My wife recently told me of a good friend of hers from work who turned out to be gay and is now dating a young priest
When I watch the EWTN and Life on the Rock and even the mass from down in Alabama you cant help but pick out 1 gay for every 1 straight man
BY golly, John, that’s gotta be it!!!
AS I don’t have a TV, I cannot remark on EWTN or the priests at its Masses, but if you are watching Mass, is it so awful that you’re left to play “who’s gay, who’s not” as you’e watching.
Let me scenario for you…maybe, just maybe, young men who are not gay see something heroic and masculine in the priesthood or want to help restore those values to its image. Maybe, just maybe, more straight men are listening to God’s call. I come from a diocese that has seen a sharp climb. It isn’t because we’re desperate and will take anything.
It all sounds like good news to me! I like the part about prayer before the Blessed Sacrament having an influence. THAT is easy to believe. And, after all, as attractive as we want our ads to be, I’d rather hear that God is calling and we are affirming than that a particular commercial or friend was the sole motivator.
I suspect there was never a vocations shortage so much as a vocations squashing going on. How many guys go to the seminary and get crushed by barely Catholic people in charge?
RIGHT ON DYMPHNA
I have a friend that worked in the Saginaw Diocese and could tell you horror stories before GOD listen to the peoples prayer and appointed Robert Carlson. Bishop Untener said that there was just no one who wanted to be priests. WIthin 1-2 years after Bishop Carlson’s arrival they have over 20 seminarians. So what gives here folks.
Granted they might not be all priest but when you really give the yong men of a dioces a good model, Jesus or even Bishop Carlson…they vocaitons will pop up like wild fire.
The tirals Bishop Carlson has endured in the last 10 yrs would make most men faint……. That is why men a heeding god’scall. They see a masculine model in Bishop Carlson. Kinda like the CHurch’s answer to the Uncle Sam poster for recruiting military guys.
I see the good bishop from Orange OCunty california is taking Bishop unteners vacant liberal spot……
We need to continue to pray for htese DIocese that conitnue to reap the harvest of vocations. God is doing something right here.
So I guess one does not quite believe in the 50% or more homosexual priesthood and pedophilia scandal that has bankrupted 4 dioceses with LA, Boston and NY paying out as we speak
And may I add if being a “conservative” Bishop sparks such an increase in vocations-maybe one should just do away with the gimmick called Vatican II and the Catholic reformation of 1962 and just restore all things that belong to Christ back in his good name and maybe then the Holy Spirit will be invoked
With Popes installing Communists as Bishops and pedophilia gone mad and unchecked-Our Lady is crying from heaven for what has taken over her sons church
But the gates of hell shall not prevail-but it is clear from scripture the faithful and saved will be few and one cant help but feel that those so called “schismatics” may actually be onto something-possibly Catholicism as we once knew it?
God bless
i know a handful of priests who are SSA and are good, holy priests. just because someone is SSA does not mean they are pedophiles or are even inclined to be so. all are called for particular vocations, and yes, there are some men called to be good, holy priests and religious who are living with SSA. don’t be so quick to judge. spiritual direction to “test the spirits” will weed out those who do not belong.
check this site:
http://www.heralds.us/defaultb.asp?area=2013
That is vocations. And in just one of the cities.
These guys are great!
The seminarians and new priests in our diocese that I have met are firmly of the more orthodox bent. In fact one of the seminarians has a blog as part of St. Blogs. In our diocese things are looking hopeful.
I must strongly protest Brother Dominic’s suggestion of Bishop Carlson being elevated to Cardinal anytime soon! He’s doing a great job of clearing out the mess in the Diocese of Saginaw – including making sure that all churches have kneelers, crucifixes, etc. I was getting depressed every time I went to Mass at my hometown church – not to mention my goddaughter’s First Eucharist in the Shag-Carpet Temple(tm). Let him be elevated after he’s done! (Please, God!)
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