Collection will help church prepare ‘good, holy’ priests

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

For the first time, Catholics will have the opportunity at all Masses March 20-21 to contribute directly to educating and forming the nearly three dozen men studying for the priesthood for the local church.

The second collection at all Masses this weekend will go toward current educational costs and also be used to create and expand the “God Is Faithful” endowment. The overall effort aims to defray the cost of educating the 30 archdiocesan seminarians currently studying at Notre Dame Seminary and St. Joseph Seminary College, as well as future seminarians.

Father Colm Cahill, director of vocations for the archdiocese, said not many Catholics realize the archdiocese pays the complete tuition, room and board for every seminarian, which annually amounts to about $45,000 per seminarian – approximately $1.35 million. That breaks down to about $124 a day and $3,800 a month for each seminarian.

Looking to future
Father Cahill said beyond any talk of financial goals, the archdiocese has an underlying priority of educating men to be the best priests they can be to serve the local church.

“Now, more than ever, we need good, holy, competent and dedicated priests,” Father Cahill said. “This is part of an effort that we are looking at long term. Not many people realize that the archdiocese pays the entire educational costs for each seminarian, and that cost constitutes one of the largest line items in our annual budget.

“The important thing to realize is that these 30 men will be serving in our local church, serving our children and grandchildren as priests for generations to come,” Father Cahill said. “We need priests.”

One of the reasons seminary training is so expensive, Father Cahill said, is that the archdiocese places the highest priority on providing “the very highest levels of training and formation, from academic and pastoral care along with other services to aid their personal development. We are committed to this mission and believe now, more than ever, that the faithful need and deserve the very best the church can provide.”

In order to make the call more personal, all 30 archdiocesan seminarians will be in parishes this weekend speaking about what their seminary education and formation means not only to them but to the local church.

Continued generosity
Father Cahill said many local Catholics have been extremely generous in contributing to capital campaigns earmarked for the renovation and upkeep of the facilities of Notre Dame Seminary at St. Joseph Seminary College and also for endowing academic posts to attract and maintain a top-flight faculty.

“That’s all important – we need top-class seminaries, and we are blessed in this local church to have such institutions,” Father Cahill said. “We want people to understand when they are thinking about their children and their grandchildren and they want priests here in New Orleans for them, that’s what this dollar does. This dollar makes sure men are formed and educated to be holy and dedicated priests.”

The “God Is Faithful” endowment has been created recently by a group of local donors, Father Cahill said.

“What we’re trying to establish and provide for is a security and resources for the very best, most competent, well-trained priests we can provide for our people in the archdiocese in the future,” he said. “Beyond the financial component, it’s critical for us as Catholics in our local church to commit ourselves to prayer because, ultimately, without prayer, this mission cannot be realized.”

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the educational fund for New Orleans seminarians may send a check to “Archdiocese of New Orleans,” 7887 Walmsley Ave., New Orleans 70125. (Memo: Seminarian Formation and Education). 

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