www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News NEWSFLASH: A way to attract more seminarians?

It depends. There's a simple issue of supply and demand at work. Thus, for example, students pursuing an MBA or MD will typically be footing the bill for their studies. Those pursuing a PhD in the sciences, however, get free tuition and a stipend of ~20k$/yr. In view of future earnings and lifestyle, there is an oversupply of students aiming for MBA's and MD's, and an undersupply of those aiming for PHD's; there is a societal need for, however, for all.

We have a need priests and should be removing any financial barriers or disincentives.

Costs of undergraduate education are a different matter, as they provide preparation for a variety of post-graduate oppotunities, which may or may not include, for example, the seminary. So it is not clear that costs of undergraduate education should be assumed. Maybe a loan program would work - with cancellation of debt after ordination.

More generally, the need for an educated workforce is great enough that while no universities provide free tuition, there is considerable attention to financial aid packages at all universities, and hefty tuition subsidies at state-related universitites and community colleges.

OK - my turn again

Obviously I cannot answer for all Dioceses in the UK.

Here in Scotland our RC seminarians are supported by their own Diocese.

I can speak with a degree of accuracy about one of our Seminarians in Rome. I have known him since he was 11 and entering Secondary School - he is now half way through his 5th Year .

When he went to Rome in year 1 he went out there in August for an intensive language course until the Gregorian Uni started their lectures in October. The Scottish students are expected to become profficient in Italian very quickly. He paid his own air fare to Rome and though board and lodging was provided in the Scots College he had to find his own spending money. His Grant from the Archdiocese came through in October.

This Grant is supposed to cover all his expenses - but books are expensive and though the students are very adept at finding cheap flights home - money is a problem. None of them have cars out there [ some of the home based one do I understand].

At Christmas the students come home for 2 weeks - by air of course. These flights are funded by themselves as are the summer ones. They are encouraged to have a break away from the college for a few days after the Exam Diets [ if their own timetable permits before the return to the Greg ] and during the Week after Easter Sunday. - but they are not permitted to return to the UK.These breaks will of course involve them in travel and board and lodging expense while they are away from the Scots College

They return to Scotland after the Summer Exams - anything from mid June to the end of June [ again depending on their own exam dates]

From July to the beginning of October they are at home. From the end of Second Year during this summer break they have a one month Parish placement - normally in August, though it rarely starts at the beginning. In September they have some courses in the Scottish Seminary as well as a few days with all Scottish Seminarians present - these 2 sessions in Scotus College are not necessarily end on. They are not permitted to have a vacation job. Whilst in Parish and at Scotus of course board and lodging are supplied by the Arch Diocese.

The course in Rome is one Academic year longer than the home based Course as in yrs 6 and 7 they follow a specialist course in which they will gain [ hopefully] a qualification to teach that course here in Scotland. Should their couse finish early and the Student - in year 7 is of course an Ordained Deacon then - they may return home after their final Exams - this I believe is happening to one Student at Easter this year so he will be at home from April until his Ordination to the Priesthood in June/July whenever it will be arranged - however he will not be able to have paid employment during this time as he is a Cleric , nor will he be having more than 1 months Parish Experience ,and will be living at home until his Priesthood Ordination.

Most of our students do have some debt when they finish their courses and will have Student loans to repay from the very small stipend they receive from the ArchDiocese.

Yes - they do realise that they are fortunate to be funded - but life is still not easy for them.

Gerald will specialising in Patristics next year - does anyone know where we can obtain all volumes of the Philokalia for him ? We are not having much success over here, in finding them

Anhelyna

A stipend of 20K per annum?! Where? My graduate assistantship pays half that! I think I need to change schools....

Jason

Stipends are probably fairly consistent from school to school, but vary considerably across disciplines. What are you studying?

Computer Science

Jason

Wildly unrealistic or not, that is reality in the Eparchy of Van Nuys. Perhaps, you need to reread my post. I know full well what priests are currently earning, that's why I advocated a just wage for the priests if they are to pay back the loan. But this goes back to us who put a sign of our faith (or the lack thereof) into the basket that passes before us on Sunday morning.

Dear Father Deacon,
Well, there is a popular saying about what you may expect to receive if you pay people peanuts.
Those who are interested in the Real World might do worse that to enquire about the pay-scales and benefits normally given to clergy of the Episcopal Church in the USA.
Meanwhile, it would be sensible for the Catholics to consider that what amounts to an ever-diminishing (counting in for inflation) remuneration for the clergy, together with increasing demands upon the clergy and plummeting respect for the clergy, create a situation in which it is less than altogether amazing that the number of recruits for the seminaries is less than overwhelming.
In case I sound unfriendly, let me add that a good deacon is worth his weight in gold!
Incognitus

I recently ran across this information...

"The Home Missions Appeal [of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops] directs 13% of its funding grants to the Eastern Catholic dioceses, which makes it the largest source of funding, from within the Latin Rite, of Eastern Catholic jurisdictions in the United States."

My question is what do these dioceses (eparchies) do with the money? How is it used? Can it be used in support of seminarians?

I'm surmizing that the money goes just to the dioceses and not individual parishes.

Curious as to which eparchies apply/take advantage of these grants and what they use the money for.

(... and who says the Romans don't do anything for us?)

CIX!

Gerald will specialising in Patristics next year - does anyone know where we can obtain all volumes of the Philokalia for him ? We are not having much success over here, in finding them
Anhelyna

Dear Anhelyna,

You may want to try Barnes and Noble (their website). I was at one of thier local stores, and saw a new printing of vols 2, 3, and 4.